Friday, April 29, 2011

Bernie Sanders Offers Common Sense Solutions

Senator Bernie Sanders(D-Vt)appeared on The Daily Show to promote his book, a compilation of his remarks during his recent filibuster on the Senate floor. The dialogue is instructive to anyone insterested in common sense solutions to our nation's problems.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-27-2011/bernie-sanders

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

GET REAL

Republicans live in a fantasy world where all young women are virgins and all young men responsible providers. In the Republican world only “immigrants” do drugs, only minorities carry weapons to kill; gays and lesbians are all willing perverts, and everyone who wants to work can get a good job. A job will give them access to doctors, dentists and pharmaceuticals if they need them.

The fantasy world can be seen by reading some bumper stickers: “I’m doing my part to fight the recession, I WORK!” says one self satisfied trucker.

“Young women stay chaste. Young men be sober minded” (at least there’s an implication that they might not be.)

“Your taxes pay for their welfare”, reads another (I guess forgetting the tax breaks for the rich and the tax breaks for the oil and gas industries. And forgetting that there is no more welfare.)

“Global Warming is a crock of…..” This usually from people who also “want to preserve the future for our grandchildren.”

Their fantasies would be amusing if these slogans didn’t form the basis for public policy.

Then there are the hateful bumper stickers: “US hunting license for illegal immigrants,” and one about President Obama’s re-election bid that is too disgusting to repeat.

I keep wondering: “what kind of world do these people want to live in?”

The facts are that even people with jobs don’t have health insurance, or have health insurance so diluted that the costs of going to a doctor make it a luxury reserved for serious emergencies. Those occur after illnesses like hypertension and diabetes don’t receive early detection.

The facts are that young people are sexually active in their early teens. And they need access to birth control information and the truth about sexually transmitted diseases and how to prevent them.

The fact is that thousands of gay couples would love to marry and to adopt children but some states bar them from doing so and thereby deny children a loving home. The fact is that sexual perversions are rife among heterosexuals (including priests and ministers).

The fact is that popular culture, whether it’s an ad for Victoria’s Secret or an evening at the Grammy awards, or Dancing with the Stars, promotes vulgarity and sexual behavior in public. So who are these guys kidding?

It’s time for the Republicans to “get real” and base policy initiatives on the world as it is not as they wish it were.