How far backwards have we come, America?

Over 50 years ago, a democratic candidate for President had to make a speech telling the country that as President, the Pope in Rome wouldn't be telling him how to run the country, not in foreign entanglements or in social policies at home. Why? Because the country had never elected a Catholic as President. And the country was worried that a religion would take over the country. That candidate, John F. Kennedy, became President and no, he never followed the Pope or the Church in changing the social fabric of our country. He understood that we are a country of laws, not religion. But now, a GOP candidate isn't saying he wants to keep religion out of government, but wants religious beliefs to trump laws. And all over the country, GOP governors, senators, and representative have been enacting laws ensuring religious beliefs are followed. And a large group of people are ecstatic. But it is a large step back for our country, which was founded to ensure no religion could infringe on people. A very large step backward indeed.    

CBS does a dis-service to KU/MU

Yes, I'm, biased, but CBS not having a few minutes before the KU/MU game to say a few words about this rivalry and its' demise is joke. The fact that these two teams are in the top 5 make it a travesty. Would it have been so difficult to start the game at 3:30 local? If it was, they should have let it be the 7:00 pm game on ESPN or Fox Sports.

No more debates? Not if they're like Arizona's debate

Watching the debate from Wednesday night, I was again taken aback, and when the moderator near the end said that this might be the last question of the last debate, I became almost giddy. No more of these ridiculous debates! But then I thought, have they talked about anything that impacts people's lives and are on most people's minds? So I totaled the time and the topics, and here's what I found. Sixteen minutes were spent on birth control and the Obama Health Care (Thankfully, they didn't want to talk about social issues), thirteen minutes on the debt, 12 minutes on earmarks, eleven on education (No Child Left Behind), nine on immigration and Iran, seven on the auto bailout, six on Syria (without saying any solutions about the current conflict there), five on women in the military, and three on taxes and Arlen Specter. How many minutes were dedicated to jobs or the on-going housing problems? That's right, none. So does this mean the GOP doesn't care about these two topics? Only Newt talked about growing jobs, and this was when talking about the debt. Does anyone think the American people don't care a lot more about those two topics than any two topics that were discussed last night, including the debt? GOP, you can blame CNN if you want, and they are partially to blame for the questions. If there's more debates like the one in Arizona, don't bother. If you aren't going to talk about the serious problems facing the country, don't be surprised if we don't take you seriously. And very little of it will have to do with your puritan social values.    

This apple fell a long way from the tree

Watching Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, I was amazed by his views. His father, a great man who I've seen at one of his revivals, is someone that once counseled Presidents, including Richard Nixon. Would anyone call Nixon a great Christian? So Franklin was on TV today saying that dictators that killed the majority of the their country to protect the minority were preferable to democracy. What? That was my reaction when I heard him talk. And anyone who thinks the President is Muslim won't be told otherwise by Mr. Graham, who only thinks the President might be telling the truth when he says he's a Christian. Where Franklin sees division, Billy would have tried to find common ground. The truth is, Franklin is an apple that fell a long way from the tree he came from. But at least if he continues this view, he won't be in his father's shadow. He'll be so far from him, he won't be able to see his father's shadow. And that makes me a little sad, knowing that when Billy Graham is gone, there'll be no one who will try to unite us in the way that only he could.  

How far right can the GOP go?

So now Rick Santorum has decided that now only birth control is bad for the country, but that not only should federal money and standards get out of the education system, but so should the states. So where will the money come from, and what would the standards for a school system be? Could a community decide that Roman Gods actually made the earth and teach that? Could another community teach that slaves were actually the driving force in the Constitution? Rick, this idea isn't far right-wing GOP, it's far right-wing liberalism, far-right Birch Society theory. But you may not be as far right as Bob Morris, an Indiana Representative. He has pulled his daughters out of The Girl Scouts, saying that he has found that the group tries to make sex objects of little girls, promotes homosexuality, and encourages young girls to have sex. He has also said that role models for the group are all feminists, lesbians, or communists. These are the spokesmen foe the GOP? GOP, how far right can you go?    

What's important to your family, Rick?

Thinking about this contraception/ First Amendment discussion, it just got me wondering? What's important to your family? Now I have to say, I've never had children, but I have 4 sisters and had a marriage with a women who had children. So my question to everyone, but especially to Rick Santorum: What's important to your family? No, not you and your spouse, but to your children as they are growing up. Not what's important to them, but what you think should be important in their future. The right person to spend a life with? That may be the most important thing for you to think about. So, of course, you want that person to get along very well with your child in as many areas as possible. Get along and are friends with each other? Of course. They should spend a lot of time with each other to see how they are together. Treat them well and with respect? Of course. Them spending time together will do that, too. Have a good sense of money and agree with how it should be spent? That would be nice, and them seeing how each other make and spend money helps. Physically attractive to each other? Of course, that is very important. Gets along sexually? So you don't care about that, do you, Rick? I think everyone else does. They want their children to meet someone they can get along with sexually. I have for all my sisters, and all my step-kids. To me, it doesn't matter if they're straight or gay, a prude or a sexual freak in some way, like sex once a month or once a hour. I want them, and I think all parents want the same thing, to have their children find someone that they are compatible with, and that they can be happy with. Most people would say this is something that any two people can't just talk about, but must find out through actions. And the easiest way to do this is with some type of conception. So,  you disagree with that thought? Which part, and why? What are you or will you teach your children to do when this important item comes up in their lives? Will you tell them just to talk about it with their perspective mates, or isn't it important to you and your family? Want me out of your family's bedroom, Rick? Stop preaching your faith, stay out of my family's bedroom, and others bedrooms, and I will. But if you bring it up, it's fair to ask about you and your family.           

Mr. Speaker, you lied again

With all due respect Mr. Speaker, how can what you be true? What actions has the President taken in the last 2 years that has hurt this economy? If, as I believe, not one idea that the President has brought up has been passed into law, how can any action that he has taken hurt the economy? In blocking any proposal that the President has made, it is you and the entire Tea Party that is hurting the economy. You, the GOP House and the Senate GOP members have stopped any actions that the President from taking any action that would hurt or help the economy. Therefore, you can not be telling the truth about the President hurting the economy.