Gasp! Terror Babies Are Already Here!
Thanks to some diligent work by the brightest minds in America, a nefarious plot by Al Qaeda to recruit poor pregnant Mexican women to come to the United States illegally and have a baby here so that baby can grow up in America as a citizen (thanks to that terrible 14th Amendment) and ultimately become a terrorist undetected by the system thus being able to carry out a terror plot undetected by the unsuspecting American population has been exposed.
God, I can’t even write it so it makes sense. I’m assuming they (the brightest minds in America) don’t think Al Qaeda will try and sneak a woman from the Middle East into America illegally to have a baby since Americans are hypersensitive about illegal Middle Easterners at the moment. So who does that leave? Canadians? Mexicans? People from Michigan?
I’m also assuming they (the brightest minds in America) have figured out how someone born in America but then whisked away to Iraq or Afghanistan for the rest of their life only to be returned to America at the age of 18 will escape detection as a possible threat. Or will Al Qaeda keep the babies here to grow up undetected. If that’s the case, I’m assuming they (the brightest minds in America) will figure out how Al Qaeda will be able to prevent a teenager living in America from being exposed to all the fundamental freedoms that make America so great (like Facebook) and have tapped in to a way to keep teenage hormones under control so they won’t want to rebel against their parents.
The sad truth is terror babies are already here without Al Qaeda having to do anything. It’s called being born in Michigan. (Just kidding). Have they (the brightest minds in America) ever looked at the culture in America that creates militias, Tim McVeighs, and James Earl Rays? Have they gone after the families that have already produced terrorists? Terrorists like Terry Nichols, Scott Roeder, Ted Kaczynski, John Walker Lindh, John Hinckley, Jr., or Eric Rudolph who were born to parents who were already here as American citizens?
So how on earth do we track the babies that are being born right here in America that will turn into homegrown terrorists? I guess, since we’re just amending the Constitution willy-nilly, we could make it a requirement that everyone pass a “Are you a terrorist?” test at the age of 13 before being allowed to have citizenship. Or, we could take a look at everyone’s genealogy. If you have some terrorists in your past, like John Wilkes Booth, Robert E. Lee (or Ulysses S. Grant depending on your perspective), or Benedict Arnold then you have to pass a rigorous three part exam conducted over a period of years before it’s determined you won’t become a terrorist. Or maybe we can just start revoking citizenship to women who’ve given birth to some of our greatest terrorists.
I think we’re surrounded. The only thing left to do is to take over Canada.
The Least of These – The Christian Case Against Reforming the 14th Amendment
I’ve generally been led to believe, by myself, and certain public polls, that many in the Republican Party/Tea Party, consider themselves to be Christians. Whether or not they act as Christians is debatable, as I suspect it is with most of us. However, it has become increasingly disturbing to me to see what I consider to be a basic tenet of Christian philosophy violated by these so called “God fearing” groups. And that is this statement from Christ:
He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Jesus is telling us in Matthew 25.45 that we are to treat all those who hunger, or thirst, or are a stranger, naked or sick or in prison with love, compassion and kindness. For all that we do for the “least of us” is what we do for Christ. If you do nothing to help the least, you do nothing to help Christ.
So how does that bring me to the Tea Party/GOP (and probably some Democrats)? There is a movement to reform the 14th Amendment. The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to any one born in America. You’re born here? You’re a citizen.
You’ll notice, our current President, Barack Obama, was born to a United States citizen and a citizen of Kenya. You’ll notice there also has been a rather large “birther” movement to “discover” where President Obama was actually born. (He was born in Hawaii and the state says so). The birthers desperately want to prove he wasn’t actually born in America because then they can say he’s not a “natural born” citizen and thus not able to be President pursuant to Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution.
All this talk of Obama’s birth right citizenship must’ve got the creative minds at Tea Party Headquarters thinking. And Rand Paul, in particular, thinking. The good “doctor” (*cough* eye doctor *cough*), who isn’t really certified to practice medicine, is running for United States Senate in Kentucky. He’s a “tea partier” in some ways, but running as a Republican. He’s said he doesn’t think that children born to illegal immigrants should be automatically granted citizenship and thinks the 14th Amendment should be overturned.
All Rand’s talk, in turn, got Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (also of Kentucky) thinking. McConnell realized that you can’t just overturn the 14th Amendment because, after all, it is the Amendment that allows the Supreme Court to apply Constitutional rights of citizens to the states. In other words, the 2nd Amendment, as written, only applies to the Federal Government. Therefore, a “state” government can come in and restrict your right to bear arms all it wants because the Constitution doesn’t apply to “state” governments. However, the Supreme Court has ruled on almost every major Amendment, including just recently the 2nd Amendment, that the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment means that all citizens are entitled to their constitutional rights no matter whose making the laws, states or federal governments. McConnell realized, therefore, to take away the 14th Amendment would take away gun rights. Duh.
So McConnell just wants to “reform” the 14th Amendment so that babies can’t become citizens just because they had the good fortune to be born here. Which brings me back to Jesus. Babies. They’re going after babies. They want to punish a child because they can’t punish the parents. If there was ever a group that embodied the “least of these” it is babies. Is that really at whom they want to point their pitchforks? Babies? Are they not therefore attacking the least of us and therefore in turn hurting Christ?
What has happened to my party? I’m pretty sure that Bob Dole never suggested amending the 14th Amendment. I don’t recall Reagan floating that idea. Hell, even Dick Cheney wasn’t that heartless. In fact, the 14th Amendment is one of the Republican parties greatest legacies, and aides to President Bush and Dick Cheney have said so. The same aides are also stepping up and denouncing this disturbing rhetoric as would any decent human being who wasn’t out to appear more conservative for their constituents (that’s you Lindsey Graham).
Babies?
Do unto others…. Right….
Moran Defeats Tiahrt, Palin, Rove, Hannity and the Tea Party
In a victory for sensible Republicans, Jerry Moran has won the Republican primary for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Sam Brownback. Moran defeated Fourth District Congressman Todd Tiahrt, a candidate who had drawn a personal visit from Karl Rove, had been endorsed by Palin, Sean Hannity and the Tea Party Express. It is a moral victory for those of us who believe the Republican party has been hijacked by the crazies. Moran is very conservative and not nearly progressive as I want him to be on many issues, but I’ll take him any day over Tiahrt.
Now, if only the Democrats would get their act together and start bringing in solid candidates to challenge these Republicans and force them to move back towards the middle. If only….
Meanwhile, moderate Republicans were dealt a setback when conservative come lately Mike Pompeo defeated Jean Kurtis Schodorf, a candidate endorsed by Nancy Kassebaum Baker. Pompeo will go up against Raj Goyle, a state senator and very conservative Democrat. Goyle may stand a chance if enough of the Schodorf Republicans cross over and vote for him. But it’s not likely.
GOP Shame: Abuse of 9/11
We saw it at the Republican Convention in 2008 when the GOP used the 9/11 attacks to try and strike fear into the hearts of Americans in hopes they would vote for John McCain. Now, we’ve seen it again with the GOP’s biggest representatives decrying a “mosque” that is allegedly going in at ground zero (despite the fact that you can’t even see Ground Zero from what is not even a mosque). And in the very next breath, while using 9/11 as a rallying cry, they’re voting to deny funding to 9/11 responders. It is shameful and indicative of the current GOP’s willingness to put party loyalty before God and country.
New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, for one, has had enough with the abuse. Check out his response to Republican efforts last night to defeat a bill that would’ve given $7.4 billion in aid to 9/11 responders:
From the Huffington Post:
At the heart of the debate was a procedural maneuver made by Democrats to suspend the rules before consideration of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The move allowed leadership to block potential GOP amendments to the measure (there was worry that Republicans would attach something overtly partisan in hopes that it could pass on the otherwise widely-popular measure). It also meant that the party needed a two-thirds majority vote.
When the final tally was announced, there were 255 representatives for the measure, 159 against. The defeat of the bill, which would have provided free health care to those affected during the 9/11 rescue and recovery, likely means that the court system will have to settle compensation issues.
Weiner did not stop there continuing to attack this morning hammering the GOP leadership for blocking the bill.
I understand that there may be people who think the courts are better equipped to handle this and that the federal government shouldn’t be spending this kind of money. But at what point do you stop voting against the laws against rape and money for 9/11 victims for some sort of “idealistic” notion and instead start doing the right thing?
Title IX Delima: Cheerleading – Sport? No?
So when does cheering become merely sport versus an athletic competition? Is the competition to be better than the other school’s cheerleaders really a “competition?” These are, surprisingly, relevant questions, especially as it pertains to the women’s movement. And it’s an issue addressed far better than me by my sister. She says of a recent ruling by a Connecticut federal judge that cheerleading is not a sport, “dur.”
The judge ruled that schools cannot use cheerleading to count toward gender equality in sports, ie to fulfill the school’s Title IX requirement.
As dumb as I think cheerleading is, I can’t decide what I think about this ruling. Is it pro-feminist or anti-feminist? I actually think it’s anti-feminist. And I do think cheerleading is dumb. After all why stand on the sideline and yell when they actually let you play in the game now? But I’m not going to argue that it’s not a sport. I know you have to be incredibly athletic to do what they do. And they go places and compete against the other schools.
I know that when my mother was growing up there weren’t women’s sports. Not in the schools, not in rec leagues, there just weren’t opportunities. The one chance for women to be involved in sports was as a cheerleader. Thus, the athletic women of that generation probably were primarily cheerleaders. But then Title IX came along and changed all that. I played soccer from the time I was five all the way through college. I started swimming on a swim team when I was seven. And didn’t give cheerleading much thought. We did pelt them with soccer balls a time or two when we had to share the indoor practice field with them at KU, but that was merely because we missed our shots on goal. I swear.
Arizona Officials Misidentify Hispanic Girls, Says Wrong One Dead
A federal court in Arizona has blocked controversial provisions of the state’s new immigration law just as a shocking case of Arizona officials misidentifying two Hispanic girls after a car wreck comes to light. According to Arizona officials, in the “chaos” of the wreck, Abby Guerra was pronounced dead, and her family told, while Marlena Cantu’s family was told their daughter was in critical condition. Only it was the other way around. And the families didn’t find out for a week.
From News 25 in Evansville:
The family of a University of Evansville soccer player finds out the daughter they thought died in a car accident last week, is actually still fighting for her life and it was a friend who died in that accident.
The University of Evansville Athletics Director says 19-year-old Abby Guerra is alive and in critical condition. This news comes one week after investigators reported she died in a car crash.
We’re told Abby Guerra and four of her friends were gong back home to Arizona from a trip to Disneyland when they blew a tire and their car flipped on an interstate. Investigators told the Guerra family their daughter was dead and another girl’s family their daughter was in critical condition. The families found out Saturday it’s actually the other way around.
A friend of Guerra’s told a local newspaper, The Arizona Republic, it was dental records that made the positive identification. The University of Evansville Athletics Director says it’s been an emotional roller coaster for everyone.
According to GMA, officials at the scene made a hurried identification and then told the families before the medical examiner’s office could confirm who was who.
You’d like to think that people are better than that, that officials always do their job correctly, that law enforcement officials especially can be counted on to get things right. They can’t. Not always. That’s what makes the Arizona immigration law so scary. To put that kind of “stopping” and “detaining” power in the hands of officials who are, after all, human, is terrifying. The Fourth Amendment has already been stretched to the breaking point, especially under the Bush Administration. Let’s hope the federal court in Arizona doesn’t decimate it even further by allowing the Arizona immigration law to stand.
Also published at Daily Kos.
Beck, fearing for life, Apologizes to Urlacher
Turns out Beck is an equal opportunity stereotypist, even including white people in his Nazigasims. Beck was named to TheRoot.com’s list of “The Blackest White Folks We Know.” Said The Root:
The emotional right-wing talk show was probably the last person on earth we’d put on this list until he discovered that blacks have been all but removed from the history of America’s founding, and actually gave a black history lesson on his cable TV show. Yet we suspect we’ll have to revoke it after his upcoming rally at the Lincoln Memorial on the “I Have a Dream” speech anniversary.
So what did Beck do? He put photos of the 32 other people named to the list on his “black”board and started to try and identify them. His first fascist smear was to call Emeril Lagasse Hugo Chavez. Then, when he got to Brian Urlacher, he said he was a “Neo-Nazi.”
Beck apparently was told Urlacher could do severe bodily harm to him so he actually “apologized” to Urlacher, or as Beck calls him, “U-Lick-Her.” Beck says he only made the fascist joke because of Urlacher’s white skin and short hair. Oh…..that makes it okay! I guess Emeril got called Hugo Chavez cause he has dark skin and dark hair. Here’s the so-called “apology.”
I hope Urlacher sees the “apology.” If you think he was mad at Gale Sayers, I can only imagine what he’ll say about this.
Also posted at Daily Kos and Glenn Beck Check.
The Wasilla Witch Project – Kate and Sarah’s Reality Show
TLC is excited to announce a brand new reality thriller show. The Wasilla Witch Project: two families divided, pitted against each other for ultimate control of the Alaskan woods.
Meet Sarah and Kate, two grizzly mamas who are headed into the woods to try and put their children in danger so as to create an exciting reality TV show. But lurking in the woods, hoping to get their own reality show are Bristol, Levi, and Jon (you know, the guy who used to be married to Kate)! This evil trio is hoping to steal the limelight and bring about the downfall of both women’s careers!
Who will win? Only time will tell if Kate and Sarah have what it takes to wrangle with the loathsome threesome. Guess starring in the first episode is Mel Gibson who hopes to stage a coup and win his own reality show. It’s mama grizzly v. playgirl wannabes v. anti-Semite!
Thursday, 9pm ET, on TLC, where no one really “learns” anything.
Rick Warren Copies Beck Blind Trick
God has struck blind another conservative. Only this time it’s apparently real. I hypothesized that Beck’s claim he may or may not go blind was all made up to garner more people at his August rally. Now, Rick Warren gets in on the act. From CNN:
“My eyes were severely burned by a toxic poison,” Warren wrote on his Twitter page Thursday morning. “Hospitalized Mon. Excruciating pain. Now home. Pray my sight loss is restored.”
The sap of the firestick plant is toxic and can cause skin irritation and temporary blindness if it comes in contact with the skin or eyes, according to the website gardenguides.com. The firestick is a succulent with spiky orange branches.
At least it only causes temporary blindness, unlike Beck’s which could be for the rest of his life. Or not.
I have to ask, is God attacking all the conservatives in a fit of blind rage? What would Jesus do? According to John 9:3, Jesus said of a blind man, he did not go blind because of his sins (or his parents sins) but rather “so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” For Rick Warren, yep. Beck? Uh….judgment day has yet to come.
