A SUPPOSITION TO OPPOSITION

A SUPPOSITION TO OPPOSITION

 

   Every American has the right to oppose. But it is a sad state of affairs when individuals knowingly use supposition for opposition.  Supposition is an uncertain belief that cannot be proven by facts and is commonly used in politics to misrepresent the truth. One of the biggest suppositions of modern times has been the false reporting of the accomplishments of the Obama administration.  It was publicly stated from the get-go that the opposition would find something wrong with every proposal made by President Obama even if the proposal was good for the American people. If opposition makes a strong person, President Obama should be Superman.

   The accomplishments of the Obama administration have been many. President Obama saved the United States and the world from a severe economic depression. Some of the methods might have been questionable, but nevertheless they worked.  He fought for and won the battle for universal health care for all Americans.  Even though the Affordable Care Act has some flaws the right thing to do is correct the flaws but not abandon the act.  In the beginning there were flaws in the Social Security Act of 1935 and the act was opposed by thousands. There are flaws in the Social Security Disabilities Act. There are recognizable flaws in welfare, food stamps, and immigration programs.  Also, there are major flaws in the way the IRS collects taxes from large corporations and the wealthy. So, when we speak of flaws, the door is wide open in most governmental operations. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that you throw the baby out with the bath water.

   The opposition has tried everything possible to find something wrong with the Iranian Nuclear Agreement. Nevertheless, the agreement is withstanding.  The world has not faced a nuclear war, and Iran does not have a nuclear bomb. Many in the media and most of the presidential candidates yelled loudly that the agreement was wrong because it did not include the release of the American hostages. When the hostages were released one of the biggest flip-flops in American history occurred.  Those same individuals yelled again, but this time they proclaimed it was a major mistake for President Obama to enter into an agreement with Iran for the release of hostages. This has been such a comedy of errors that it would make William Shakespeare turn over in his grave.

   President Obama is an intelligent man and an exceptional leader.  He has saved the lives of hundreds of young American men and women by using diplomacy instead of boots on the ground in the conflicts of the Middle East.  In addition, he has saved millions of taxpayer’s dollars by making careful decisions concerning America’s military involvement in the Middle East and other world conflicts.

   It is amazing how some Americans can look at facts and deny them. The fact is that the number of unemployed Americans has decreased to 5%.  No matter how you look at it or how many excuses are made, it is still better than the 7.3 % of unemployed in December of 2008. The real estate market is stable, and the value of American homes has increased. The American dollar is strong on the world’s market, and Americans have more money in their pockets today than eight years ago.  

    It is doubtful that some will ever admit that President Obama is a good president, and it is a shame and a disgrace that many Americans have judged a man based on the color of his skin rather than the content of his character.  

 

THERE'S NOT MUCH LEFT TO SAY

THERE’S NOT MUCH LEFT TO SAY 

   In 2008 the first man of color was elected as the president of the United States.  For many it was a time to rejoice because it was assumed that America had turned a new page, and prejudice and racial hatred had become a thing of the past.  It didn’t take long to prove that assumption to be incorrect. Immediately, the white back-lash began.  Instantly, the leadership of the opposing party met and made the decision to oppose every word that came out of the president’s mouth.  

   There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Americans are better off today under the present administration than the previous. When individuals look facts directly in the face and deny them, there is a serious intellectual problem. When individuals disguise prejudice and declare that undocumented opposition is a political right, the definition of prejudice has been changed.  For decades prejudice has been, and still is, an enjoyable social trait for many Americans. And the medicine that is prescribed by the leaders is not a cure but a promotion. 

   Today, America has a political party that is the equivalent to the Know-Nothing Part that sprang up in the middle of the nineteenth century. The one word that described the party was ANTI: anti-black Americans, anti-immigration, and anti-religious freedom.  It is significant to note that in 1855 Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter expressing disgust with the Know-Nothing Party. He said that if they were ever elected to office, America would have to rewrite the Declaration of Independence.

   The unwritten motto of this present-day wealthy class of Americans is “I got mine, so the heck with you getting yours.” And they go a step further—“I got mine, and I will do everything possible to keep you from getting yours.”  This is a sad commentary on American politics, but it is even sadder when working middle class Americans are brainwashed to vote to keep the wealthy class in office. 

   Americans, and the people of the world, should thank their lucky stars that Obama was elected president, because with his leadership, America and the world was saved from an economic depression.  Many middle class Americans who are presently ‘eating high on the hog’ would be lucky to be ‘eating pig tail soup’ if a member of the opposing party had become the President.

 

THE POLITICAL GAME OF GOVERNING

THE POLITICAL GAME OF KICK THE CAN 

   The toughest game played on American soil is the game of politics. In the political arena there are no penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, and there is no referee to prevent punches below the belt.  The only rule that applies is ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR.

   The one word that draws Americans to the voting booth is the word CHANGE. However, for several decades Americans have been voting for change but getting much of the same. An individual who enters the political arena with the intentions of making major changes must realize that politics in the U.S. is a dangerous game. Once elected to a political office the official is quickly tossed into the arena and must swiftly learn the rules of the game. A beginning player has little or no chance of getting constructive legislation passed for major change against experienced players who have played the game for many years.

   Thus, American politics has become a game of kick the CAN a little farther down the road.  However, the time has come that America is faced with major political problems and must recognize that up ahead the road is forked. The direction in which the CAN will be kicked is left up to the voters. To kick the CAN to the right means the rich will continue getting richer, and America will continue to be an oligarchy rather than a democracy. To kick the CAN to the left means to rebuild the working MIDDLE CLASS and to reestablish the democratic principles that made America great.

   The creators of American democracy were some of the most intelligent statesmen the world has ever known. They created a government in which the power to govern was placed in the hands of the people. In other words, American government can be controlled at the voting booth. However today, American voters are faced with some of the most powerful brainwashing techniques ever used on American soil. A politically motivated and biased media has developed a cult-like following that presents a dangerous threat to American democracy. Never in American history have working class voters been so misinformed that they have gone to the polls and voted against themselves.

   For one who loves America and is greatly concerned about America’s future, I can only hope that very soon Americans will realize that the future of our country is in our hands.  Major issues—veteran’s benefits, social security, minimum wage, college tuition, and universal health care—are the issues that will ultimately determine America’s future.

   It is the POWER OF THE PEOPLE that must be reestablished in a highly polarized society in order for that society to remain a permanent global leader. Americans need to be reminded of the words spoken in the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858: “A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND.” And that election to public office is not a game, but a serious commitment to citizens who deserve to be governed in a fair and honest manner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOLD ON TO HAPPINESS

HAPPINESS IS A LAUGHING MATTER  

    The number one ingredient in the recipe for successful living is happiness, but the road to achievement is filled with bumps and curves.  In order to develop a positive social environment, America’s youth must be taught the value of happiness. Not only should they be taught, but they must witness the art of successful living.  It is unrealistic to expect positive behavior from America’s youth when they are completely surrounded by hate. The pulpits have become hate machines, and political platforms have become instruction books for hating. To turn the good book into a book of hate will one day be considered a big mistake for the Christian Church.  

   I am reminded of the days when I was a college student searching for my pursuit of happiness.  I still wonder how I was able to make passing grades while I was struggling with my own sexuality.  I knew I was not happy, and I spent years besieged with guilt because my sexual desires were not in accordance with my religious faith.

   I will never forget the hours I spent on my knees begging the heavenly father to deliver me from a gay man’s body. And those other days when I was mad at God, and stormed at him for making me different.  But I will never forget the day when I realized that my deliverance was in my acceptance.  When I accepted myself as God had made me, it was the event that turned a troubled life into a life with a purpose. It was then I recognized he had given me a great gift in the form of an open mind. To be able to walk in another man’s shoes and to see the world through the eyes of another was the reason for my existence.

    Finally my pursuit of happiness was complete. Today, I enjoy the same happiness that Sister Simmons experienced when she shouted during the week-long revival at the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. I now experience the joy that Brother Will Taylor experienced when he shouted in the middle of the road because the joy of the Holy Spirit could not be contained until he reached the church. Today, I experience the happiness that Brother Meyers experienced when he preached so long and so hard that there was not a dry thread on his body, but he continued until he fell on his knees and started barking like a dog. To Brother Meyers, that was not a Billy Sunday Act, but a reality check when the Holy Spirit actually descended from heaven and took up residence in a physical body.

    Happiness is the most valuable ingredient in the art of successful living.

 

SEDITION IS AN ILLEGAL ACT

FROM THE CENTER OF THE HEART

   America is in bad need of a sermon on the real meaning of freedom of religion.  It cannot be preached by the likes of Mike Huckabee or Ted Cruz, because they are cold-hearted, selfish applause seekers who have no regard for the hurt they place on others. They have shown the world that they would have been the leaders of the angry mob that attempted to prevent the Little Rock Nine from entering an all-white high school. They are now wearing the banner of hate that will place them in the archives of history along with Orval Faubus and George Wallace. Not only have they disgraced themselves, but they have placed a banner of disgrace on their future generations.

   In the wildness of confusion Americans seemingly have forgotten that the main reason our forefathers left England and came to America was to escape religious oppression. Christianity should be a lifestyle of choice and it is difficult to believe that intelligent people would think otherwise.   

   Man-made religion is blinding the eyes, closing the minds, and hardening the hearts of thousands of so-called Christians. You cannot teach freedom of religion on the one hand and attempt to force religious principles with the other.  The farthest thing from the true Christian doctrine is attempting to use force to obtain individual acceptance.

    It is a disgrace when so-called leaders teach young Americans that it is okay to defy a Supreme Court ruling.  Sedition is an illegal act that encourages people to disobey the government and in all reality these leaders should be held accountable for the outright attempt to overthrow the federal government.  

   How many times must America repeat history before lessons will be learned and the general public will toss out the narrow-minded bigoted individuals seeking public office?  When will knowledge replace ignorance so that social change can take its rightful place in history?

      

 

 

WHAT'S THE NEWS

WHAT’S THE NEWS 

  THE OLD NEWS ------ For decades, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender individuals have been mistreated by conservative right-wing Christians. Even after the courts ruled hate crimes to be illegal, character degradation and physical abuse of gays and other minorities have continued with little success of enforcement by local authorities. THE NEW NEWS---- The Supreme Court has recently declared same-sex marriage to be legal. The world has not ended and the doors of Christian churches are still open.  THE HEADLINE NEWS ----- Gays are being killed in record numbers in the Middle East by Isis soldiers. They are being beheaded, beaten, hanged, and pushed off the tops of tall buildings. THE SAD NEWS ---- Preachers and political leaders are still advocating similar treatment for gays in America, which is adding fuel to the fire for ill treatment to continue against gays all over the world. Presidential candidates are using techniques of hate against gays to stir up emotions in conservative Christians in an attempt to gain increased numbers in public opinion polls. THE GOOD NEWS ---- According to recent public opinion polls, the majority of Americans support love.

WRONG AGAIN! Aug. 18, 2015

WRONG AGAIN! 

    On June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal in the United States.  For some it is still a great surprise that the sun came up today and has risen over 50 times since that historic ruling.  So far the world has not ended as was predicted by many preachers and political leaders, therefore, there is only one thing to say to these forecasters of doom—WRONG AGAIN! As of Sunday, the doors to all Christian churches were open with the exception of those black churches that have been burned, not by same-sex couples, but by radical redneck conservatives, a group of individuals who claim to have received a   special commission from God to restore White Supremacy.

   Of all the rhetoric that was expounded in the First Presidential Debate not one mention was made concerning the burning of black churches.  But same-sex marriage was described several times as the evil that is destroying the Christian Church.  America is in a sad state of affairs when a group of presidential hopefuls are not capable of recognizing the real problems. We now have living proof that same-sex marriage has not caused any of the so-called evils that were predicted by preachers and political leaders. Wrong; wrong; wrong! How many times must WRONG enter the ears of people before it is recognized as WRONG?

   America is a country—if I may be allowed to use a little common sense language—that has become a shining example to the world of having the cart before the horse and trying to direct the cart from the tail end of the horse going in the WRONG direction.