Missing the Point

I think I need to ask … because apparently I’m missing the point.

The Republicans are adamant about curtailing immigration because of “the strain” it puts on “our system.” I assume this means that the more immigrants we allow into this country, the more government money will be spent on their behalf (at least initially) … which takes away from the pet projects favored by the Republicans. Yes?

YET! These same Republicans believe it is O.K. for thousands of women to be denied abortions which will, over the years, undoubtedly increase the population and put (long-term) strain on innumerable agencies within our governmental system. Yes?

Those of you who are “in the know” … will you please explain the reasoning behind this thinking?

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Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

Highly Misplaced Honor

Just read the following in Heather’s latest newsletter:

The far-right, pro-gun “Second Amendment Caucus” today hosted Kyle Rittenhouse, the 19-year-old who shot three men, killing two of them, in summer 2020 during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and who was later acquitted of homicide. 

Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) made the following comment about Rittenhouse’s appearance:  

“It was an honor to have Kyle join the Second Amendment Caucus. He is a powerful example of why we must never give an inch on our Second Amendment rights, and his perseverance and love for our country was an inspiration to the caucus.”

Is it just me or do others find it not only disgusting, but sickening as well, that a person who needlessly SHOT AND KILLED two individuals and walked away scot-free is given accolades such as this?

How can ANY individual who respects human life and all it stands for declare that Kyle Rittenhouse’s actions were a “powerful example” of the “rights” declared in the Second Amendment?

Perhaps it was the way I was raised, but it is so completely beyond my understanding that ANYONE would heap praise and verbal trophies of approval on an individual who KILLED two people (and injured a third) using a gun that he should never have had in the first place!

I’m sorry, but I simply cannot agree that allowing an individual to buy, own, and use a gun to shoot and kill others and then walk away scot-free was the goal behind those who wrote the Second Amendment.

The personal ego already has a strong element of dysfunction, but the collective ego is, frequently, even more dysfunctional, to the point of absolute insanity.
–Eckhart Tolle

Tulsi Gabbard’s Big (?) Decision

I’m sure many –if not most– of you have read about Tulsi Gabbard’s recent defection from the Democratic Party. Following are the reasons she listed in her Twitter post (as reported by ABC News). After you read them, I have a couple of things for each of you to consider.

“I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue & stoke anti-white racism, actively work to undermine our God-given freedoms, are hostile to people of faith & spirituality, demonize the police & protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans, believe in open borders, weaponize the national security state to go after political opponents, and above all, dragging us ever closer to nuclear war.”

I know it will be extremely difficult, but I want you to read her remarks again and this time, try to see them from the “other side’s” point of view. I’m asking you to do this because this is exactly how the Republicans see the policies and goals of the Democrats. Yes, she has thrown in some uncomplimentary adjectives, but AT ITS CORE, what she has written is a common perspective among Republicans.

Now I realize I may get pushback on this but in my opinion, she did make a couple of valid points. In particular, the one about Democrats being hostile to people of faith and spirituality. The blog world has demonstrated this on more than one occasion.

And Democrats do approach immigration much differently than Republicans. (I’m not asking for discussion on this … just making a point.)

Please understand, I’m not defending Tulsi or her decision. I think many Democrats have questioned her political stance for quite some time, so this move is NO surprise. But I do think some of the things in her statement carry some validity. (However, knowing my reading audience, I’m sure I’ll get pushback. 😉)

P.S. For additional reading related to her claim about Democrats being a “cabal of warmongers,” see this article. It’s dated 2020, but worth a look-see. And here is more on her decision if you’re at all interested.

Women-Hating Republicans!

Source: newsecuritybeat.org

I can add nothing. There simply are no words …

Punish Women Who Receive Abortions with Prison Time

Extremism in Today’s Politics

The linked article (below) was written by Ruben Navarrette, a columnist for The Washington Post. It was published in our local newspaper and as soon as I saw the title, I knew I had to read it.

The writer’s thoughts/comments revolve around the recent Supreme Court landmark decision related to Roe vs. Wade, but he also goes deeper into the political “extremism” that bombards us everyday. Here is one of his leading remarks:

When a major event happens, partisans are going to try to spin it to suit their own agenda. One camp will claim that it’s nothing, while the other camp insists that it’s really something.

As always, I’ll be interested in your opinions/reactions to the article.

Memo to both political parties: Americans are sick of extremism

(If you are unable to read the article due to limited access, Click Here for a pdf version.)