A Modest Proposal

As Lincoln once said, "You can't always trust quotes on the internet!"  

Since the massacre of children in December by a mentally ill man with access to military grade weaponry, the Radical Right, who think they are the only defenders of the Constitution, have posted a lot of things on Facebook and elsewhere that would lead one to question their sanity and access to guns.

This one for instance:

Here you have FB at it's finest. Taking two separate statements and melding them in reverse order into one quote.

It continues to be presented as a direct "quote" from George Mason and believed and spread by those who never let facts get in the way of making a point.

The facts:  

George Mason voted against the Constitution when it was presented to the state of Virginia for ratification.  It barely passed approval by 8 votes.  Madison took all the proposed  amendments to the Constitution after it was ratified, worked them into 12 finalists, and ten became the Bill of Rights.

But, back to George Mason's "quote."    

The first part "I ask, Sir, what is the militia?  It is the whole people." was spoken by George Mason on June 16, 1788 during the Virginia ratification debates. The whole debate on militias on JUNE 16 should be read.  (see reference at end))

 It occured in a debate about what constitutes the militia since most delegates, after their experience with the British, did not support (trust) having a standing Army and wanted to depend on militia to be ready when needed by the government in emergencies.

The second part of the "direct quote" was from TWO DAYS EARLIER on June 14, 1788 when Mason himself quoted Sir William Keith's advice to the British Parliament.  Like the famous ad taking President Obama's words quoting someone else and attributing them to him, the same was done here.  Mason "said" the words but they were not his original words.

Mason quoted a British Lord and the Right Wing not only attributed the quote to Mason, but took "words out of his mouth", cobbled them together in reverse order to make a more "usuable" full quote for their purposes.

When it is pointed out, it doesn't even bother them that it is a cobbled together quote.

As an owner of weapons I fully support the 2nd Amendment, but I do not support using the cover of the 1st Amendment to put things together in any order wished to create imaginary support for ANY position, be it left, middle, or right.

It's called Lying!!  And some interpretations of the Ten Commandments make that a sin. In the legal system it is perjury.

But then, by editing the words used in the Ten Commandments to suit your purposes, a whole new code of morals can be created.  And it seems that some have already done that!

Further reading:

THE DEBATES IN THE CONVENTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, ON THE ADOPTION OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.

Many members of Congress will sing "Away in a Manger" this Chirstmas, watch the 60 Minutes story on homeless children, shed a tear, and then return to their warm comfortable homes in DC and vote to cut funding for school lunches, medical care, and filibuster against a jobs programs that would help those children's parents provide a home and a normal life for those kids.

"Sure, We'd love to help those poor unfortunate kids but we heard a voice from on high telling us not to.  The voice of God? No!  The voice of Grover Norquist.

Does Congress think that our fellow Americans aren't already trying to help our brothers and sisters through our churches and volunteer work?  Does Congress listen to the cries of the public to end this childish deadlock in DC and help the children who come across on TV with more maturity than many elected officials?

What happened to America.  We used to have elected officials who listened to their constituents.  We can send help to other countries when disaster strikes, and we should, but we have let Congress come under the control of people who are not like us.  Their care is for the well-fed lobbyists who fund their campaign chests and not for the children who go to bed hungry every night.  

Every person I know cares about helping the poor and the sick, but ask them  to pay one cent more in taxes and you would think you had asked them to exchange places with the homeless people sleeping in cars every night and looking for work by day.

Dear Lord!  Thank you for letting me do everything by myself without interfering with my life in any way so that I can truly say “I did it all!”  All by myself!  Nobody helped me build my business or my life, especially the government.

Sure, my parents helped out by raising me and providing me with an education, food, clothes and love while working at hard jobs using government infrastructure so their children could live better lives. 

Sure, my teachers introduced me to new ideas and taught me to think, learn, and explore science, history, literature, and math to develop my mind in schools maintained by the government so that I could make wise decisions.

Sure, the bus driver picked me up and dropped me off each day using buses provided by the government on roads built by the government

Sure, I use light, gas, and other utilities maintained by others to allow me to live in comfort and use all the electronic devices built by others, shipped by others, and sold by others so that I can watch Talk Shows complaining about the government

Sure I eat meat, vegetables and grains raised by others, harvested by others, processed by others, delivered by others and prepared for my plate by others under the control of Federal inspectors using too much government regulation to keep me from being poisoned.

Sure the police, fire, and medical response personnel provided by the government are there to protect me.  Soldiers are stationed around the world to keep me safe from war and maintained by the government.

Sure, I go to a church indirectly supported by Government Tax exemptions made from construction materials created by others and built by others.

Sure I have weapons and ammunition made by others to defend my year’s supply of provisions made by others when the others try to take them from me during the great apocalypse that we know is coming due to too much Government regulation.

But most of all, Lord, thank you for letting me do everything by myself and achieve what I have all by myself as we are forced by the Government to celebrate this Labor Day by taking the day off and traveling on Government Infrastructure to enjoy being with our families at government recreation facilities.    So, why am I thanking you?  I did it all by myself!

Below is the last part of Lincoln’s Proclamation making today a Day of Thanksgiving. As we thank God for all we have, let us remember those less fortunate and those who stand up for us and our country, be they soldier or civilian, overseas or here at home.  And may Lincoln’s final words ring true soon throughout our great country and the world.

“They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

Full proclamation at

Unless you learn to lie!

Thirty years ago I sat on a Proposition Campaign Committee for a 1980 California ballot (yes, I'm that old).  We had to collect an impossible number of valid signatures to get on the ballot, but we made it. (Bear with me!)

Having little experience with running a campaign, we interviewed and hired a campaign manager. (Here's the important part) The newly hired campaign manager asked us "Are you willing to lie in order to win this campaign?"

Being upstanding business professionals (some of us former Boy Scouts) we responded that we absolutely refused to lie. Why should we? The facts were on our side? All we had to do was present them to the voters!  Naive amateurs!

Maybe the "League of Campaign Managers" (if it exists) requires them to ask this question.  If so, we may have been the last who answered "NO!" to lying.

This brings us to present-day politics and I still hate hearing lies in campaign ads.  If someone lies in an ad, they won't have my best interest at heart and the slippery slope of bigger and bigger lies evolves all too easily. Especially once they are elected.

So, why did Romney, used here since he is the most recent examples, take an edit out of a speech by President Obama quoting Senator McCain's staff and make it look like he said it?  I really don't understand unless he believes that Conservatives are too dim to notice the blatant lie.

What adds insult to injury is, that when confronted with this misleading ad, Romney reps responded that Obama actually spoke the edited words so it was ok. And Senator McCain backed them up?  WTH?  It's a lie!  What part of "lie" don't your understand? Why do you have to be a Boy Scout to see that??? OK. Calming down!

The willingness to believe that someone, in this case Obama (It could easily be Romney), would do or say something "bad" because you don't like him, even when it is obvious that he didn't do or say it, works and politicians know it!  

The willingness to believe the worst of another human being!  Why do we let politicians and political media experts from both parties bring out the worst in us? To believe the worst in someone else! Very Orwellian! And it seems to work. 

Voice your objections to campaign ad lies no matter who puts them out. Even if it's your own Party doing it. Especially if it's your own Party doing it!  Hold all politicians to the standards we expect from our leaders.  "Truth, Justice, and the American Way!" should not be just a memory from "Superman!"

I can't be the last Boy Scout! 

Ed O'

BTW: the 1980 campaign- 10% no-smoking section in restaurants. The opposition: The Tobacco Institute who spent $3M to defeat us.

Like the 99% of America, I had never heard of Grover Norquist before watching 60 Minutes this past Sunday.  Like others, I was completely stunned that such a puppet master was allowed to evolve to a point where he controlled most of the Republicans in Congress.  

Cross me and you will lose your seat in Congress!  And yet, this pledge to Norquist reminded me of something.  The 1934 "Hitler Oath" taken by the German military and Civil Servants.  Allegiance pledged to one man, rather than to the country's Constitution.

The Civil Servant version went: "I swear: I will be faithful and obedient to the leader of the German empire and people, Adolf Hitler, to observe the law, and to conscientiously fulfil my official duties, so help me God!"  A pledge to the man, not the nation/Constitution. So, what harm could it do?

Now, I have not seen the "Pledge of Allegience to Norquist", but it has the same results. Republican members of Congress pledge to follow Norquist out of fear of losing their position because he will bring vast amounts of money to the next election to oppose them. They know that 9 out of 10 times, whoever spends the most money, wins.

One major difference in these two pledges: The Germans foolishly voted for Hitler.  Americans did not vote for Grover Norquist.  

I guess we all know, despite their protests to the contrary, that Members of Congress pay more attention to lobbyi$t$ than to their constituents.  Now we find out that, for Republicans, they not only listen to ONE lobbyist, but obey him.  Or else!

Now that this secret is out in the open, will Republicans break the Norquist chain that holds them back from compromising with the Democrats for the good of the country and the American people, or remain bound in servitude to one unelected "Führer" (leader).

Republicans and Democrats each try to outshout each other about "taking back the country!" Now, at least, we know who we are trying to take the country back from.

As a student of 19th century American history, I have to wonder why we would want to go back to those sweat shop days presently existing in 3rd world countries.  Mr. "Gin-grinch" thinks that "Union Janitors" should be fired and replaced by children who would then have a job and earn money.  All we have to do is repeal laws in place to protect our children from exploitation. 

Strange!  I thought that in a poor (any) community the idea was to help kids get an education and stay in school, not become Junior Janitors at night when they should be doing homework. 

Read 1984! In the first section of the book it explains how Big Brother came to power.  Most people miss/ignore that paragraph.  Big Brother came to power by eliminating laws that protected the individual.  Sound familiar?

The real scary part is that people actually applaud Mr. Gingrich's ideas for child exploitation.  Luckily, there are still people who care about our children and want them getting an education, not starting a career as a Janitor, albeit an honest job. 

Ironic that college students protesting huge increases in fees are sprayed down by ill-trained police like so many weeds because they want to stay in school while a Presidential Candidate suggests younger kids work nights as Janitors (when did he think they get the school cleaned up) and reduce their chance of getting into college because they didn't have time to do homework.

But not to worry, Mr. Gingrich isn't trying to find jobs for kids, the real objective is to break up Unions so there will be nothing left to protect the working class from being exploited by Big Brother (the evil part of the 1%. See 1984)  I am not necessarily a huge Union fan (of those that exploit), but I recognize the lesser of two evils when I see it.  And evil is alive and well.