America, Where Art Thou?

I am getting more and more of a picture of how we look to the rest of the world...how we think we are so damn privileged to be born Amurricun...how other people, especially in Europe, take for granted the obvious and right things that we argue, heatedly about, here in the US....things like evolution and global warming and the need to take care of those that can't take care of themselves.

To these other nations, those things are a given as is the private and personal nature of individual beliefs. No, those other places are not perfect, but they look at us, the richest and almost the youngest of the developed nations and are appalled by what they see. AND I DON'T BLAME THEM. 

Patriotism is not the same as nationalism. A true patriot wants to make right the things about their homeland that are wrong. A true patriot doesn't depend on lies to defend their county. We are a massive, whining toddler. Money is interchangeable with god and we want to infect the rest of the world with the disease of religious capitalism that is killing us and our way of life. Because of our fine, religious "freedom," an African nation has made homosexuality a death penalty offense due to American missionary efforts. 

Look at the past. See how well religious domination has worked for others. We are on a slippery slope and no other issue can even get a foothold if we don't stop this grotesque parody of a form of government before they can get even more entrenched. Dominionism, biblical law, integration of church and state will doom us all. 

The church that is trying so hard to corner all the wealth and run the congress is the reactionary, evangelical, fundamentalist church of bigotry, intolerance, selfishness, homophobia, misogyny and a form of arrogance that leaves many thinking people with mouths agape. It has been coming for decades and now they have their forces lined up on the horizon. If we don't do something about it, we are totally screwed!

 Evangelists live in multimillion dollar mansions, have private jets, dressage horses, you name it, and not a one of their less-than-affluent followers questions that. They are so brainwashed that they constantly vote against their own best interests because that is what their religious leaders tell them to do. The only listen to ultra-conservative radio and only watch the Fox (*shudder) network because their spiritual leaders tell them that everything else is evil. They get Rush and Beck and Andy and all the rest of the Ready For The Asylum Gang and they believe the hate they spout.

At one time I blogged about one issue only. That issue was the wrong done to the unwed mothers of the Baby Scoop Era and the illegal and discriminatory fact that adult adoptees are denies access to their original birth certificates in most of the country. That was my pet issue because I am one of those mothers. But I look at why this happened and I can see it had more to do with the religious influence on our society than anything else. We were sinners who were punished for sex without the proper, male-issued permission (marriage) by having our infants taken from us. 

Well, I'm not too into that at this point because the small pimple has been lanced to reveal a systemic infection underneath. The attempt to corrupt the separation of church and state in our government, the power of the rich, old, white men's club and their ownership of our congress and our Supreme Court are the deep infection. If we don't stop this in its tracks, we can say goodbye to the snowball's chance in hell we had of getting anything done for the adoption issues. The gay issue doesn't cost them a lot of money so they are not fighting that as hard. The abortion issue is a red herring but one they would like to see get more traction because they can control women if they can control our reproductive lives.

I am only one woman. I am in the last few decades of my life, if I am lucky. I feel like the conspiracy theorists who wear tinfoil hats. I scream about this happening until I am out of breath and no one listens and no one does anything. It just isn't politically correct to speak out against the evils of religion. John Lennon did it best and he isn't here, now. I am scared. I am sickened. And I hate to say it, but don't feel all that proud of being an American, anymore.

An Open Letter To John Boehner

 

 

Dear John..or can I call you Johnny?

 

John-Boy, I am very concerned about what seems to be your lack of an operational spine and testicles. I don't know what these Tea Dragging morons have on you, but it must be awful for you to kowtow to the worst bunch of political bullies to come down the pike since the days of Boss Tweed.

 

Is it just that they threaten your seat as Speaker of the House? Is the dubious prestige of that position worth watching your country go to hell in a handbasket? Or is it something deeper...have you done something so reprehensible that to have it see the light of day would ruin all you hold dear? Are you being blackmailed? Is that it? Perhaps you are being extorted and so you will allow a nasty, evil, vocal minority to extort the rest of us, all in the name of trying to ruin the name and legacy of one of the best chief executives we have had in years.

 

See, Johnny, M'Lad, when you give in to the pressure, you just allow for more of the same. You are already ending your career as a congressional representative, so what is the problem? Right now you look more flattened than a Cuban sandwich. You have the power to make a MAJORITY of the nation happy. Just allow a real vote on a clean bill. What's so hard about that? Are they going to cut off what is left of your manhood and let you bleed to death? Will Ted Cruz put a Canadian Mojo on you? I just don't see it. I am at a loss to understand why you are digging your own grave.

 

Those folks that seem to hold your leash have made our nation into an international laughing-stock. Those that aren't laughing are disgusted. Children and the elderly are going without food. Our educational system, once one of the finest in the world, is reduced to sending out high school graduates that cannot spell or write in cursive. They read "Through The Looking Glass" and state that it is about a rabbit. They can sound out the words in the content but do not have the thinking skills to get the context.

 

And what's with this pandering to the religious right? Since when has government been the business of the church or vice-versa? Do you, as an educated man, not see the danger in that bit of chicanery? The Supreme Court is in deep doo-doo as well. (Next up...a letter to John Roberts. Hizzoner needs a smack-down.) Face it. ALL of you on the far right are dangerously over-stepping and messing with the things that most of us hold dear. Separation of church and state is a VITAL part of our Constitution. It allows for diversity and disallows oppression on religious grounds. It amazes me that the evangelical christian Taliban screams that we are headed for Sharia Law when they are endeavoring to do the same damn thing. Think about it John. Are you pure enough for the reactionary Puritans? Do the Koch-backed Dominionists pull your many strings?

 

I would love to see you step up and be a Real Man and do your job as it is intended to be done. But I have little hope of that happening. You and your cohorts are playing a game of "Who Blinks First," but we who are watching are sick and tired of your playtime. We have elections coming up next year and there are a vast legion of voters who are ready to fire your worthless asses. You will be out of the running for Congress, but what you might be doing after that is anyone's guess. Let's just say there are those of us who will do all in our power to make sure you are doing nothing in the halls of government.

 

I don't know what they have on you, John. It must be pretty bad. Or else you are what you are being called...a total COWARD. I'm sorry as I can be, but I am more sorry for the people who are getting the shitty end of the stick from you and your butt-buddies. There's a reckoning coming. Count on it.

 

Cheers,

Robin