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Author Archives: PEB

Conservative leader doubles down on gay bashing

Once again a leading member of the Republican Lunatic Tea Party (GOLTP) is demonstrating exactly why they’re continuously getting pummeled on the national level politically; Michigan GOLTP National Committee leader Dave Agema’s defending an article he shared on Facebook suggesting gays and lesbians are responsible for “half the murders in major cities.” Agema’s responded to critics (meaning anyone with half a brain) of the post by declaring the piece was “worth sharing given the debate over gay marriage that is happening in the Supreme Court.”

Republican National Committee's Dave Agema says he’s just trying to maintain the GOLTP's traditional platform (of hate, bigotry and intolerance)

Republican National Committee’s Dave Agema says he’s just trying to maintain the GOP’s traditional platform (meaning of hate, bigotry and intolerance)

But wait, Agema’s not finished! He’s also responding to a GOLTP petition calling for a more inclusive party. According to a release from Grand Traverse County Republican precinct delegate Dennis Lennox, Agema joined the thread and posted: “The real issue is the homosexual community is pushing same-sex marriage which will be taught in schools as an alternative lifestyle.”

Another delegate responded: “Our point is that it is one thing to articulate your values but another to be mean about them. Virtuous decorum is symbolic of a principled man of integrity. Let’s keep the smut on the sidelines.”

Not to be corrected, Agema fired back:

“You have misquoted and maligned — exactly what you accused me of but I didn’t. The people of America have the right to know what lays ahead if the Supreme Court rules the wrong way.”

Of course the “wrong way” means any way but the his way.

“You want to change the landscape of our party in a direction that has not be accepted for over 230 years. I’m trying to maintain our platform. You are trying to change it,” he mewed.

Meaning he wants to keep his white male Christian dominated party of hate, bigotry and intolerance just the way it is thank you very much.

Agema then posted, “Ask yourself what is mean? Ask yourself what facts you are willing to accept or whose studies are valid.”

I’m waiting to see a link to the study that was conducted showing 50% of all murders are committed by gays and lesbians, of course it’s probably next to the one stating the other half are committed by angry old white bigoted conservatives.

Lennox and other state party officials have called for Agema’s resignation:

“After trying to hide his ignorance and bigotry for several days, Dave Agema has finally admitted he seeks to promote hate, viciousness and vitriol instead of the Republican Party’s traditional forward-looking message of equal opportunity for all. Dave Agema’s extremism has no place in our Republican Party.”

Well done Mr. Lennox, Agema’s extremism has no place in 21st century America, much less a major political party. He’s a dinosaur; it’s one thing to oppose same sex marriage, it’s another to make stuff up to continue to build on the hype and fear mongering. Today’s Republican unfortunately has become just that, a party built upon a foundation of hate, mistrust and fear.

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2013 in Marriage

 

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First New York, now Connecticut …

According to news reports Connecticut lawmakers have announced a deal calling for some of the toughest gun laws in the country following the December mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, including a ban on new high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones used in the brutal massacre of 20 children and six adults.

The streets of heaven are too

The proposed new legislation creates the nation’s first statewide “dangerous weapon offender registry”, requires new registration for existing magazines carrying 10 or more bullets, imposes immediate universal background checks for all firearms sales, creates a new “ammunition eligibility certificate,” and extends the state’s assault weapons ban to 100 new types of firearms stipulating a weapon would need only one of several features in order to be banned and could no longer be bought or sold in the state, while those already legally owned would be grand-fathered in owners will be required to register the weapons with the state; the legislation also addresses mental health issues and school security measures.

“No gun owner will lose their gun,” said House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., a Norwalk Republican. “No gun owner will lose their magazines.”

While states like New York strengthened local gun laws quickly following the attack, momentum has stalled in the United States Congress, whose members have decided it’s better to be the lick spittle’s of the National Rifle Association (NRA) than to protect innocent lives from weapons designed for the battlefield.

Connecticut should be seen as an example for lawmakers elsewhere, said Senate President Donald E. Williams Jr., a Brooklyn Democrat.

“In Connecticut, we’ve broken the mold,” he said. “Democrats and Republicans were able to come to an agreement on a strong, comprehensive bill. That is a message that should resound in 49 other states and in Washington, D.C. And the message is: We can get it done here and they should get it done in their respective states and nationally in Congress.”

The proposed legislation will be brought up for a vote this week in the Democratic Party controlled General Assembly, where passage is thought to be all but assured, after which it will be sent to Governor Dannel P. Malloy for signature.

Connecticut’s taking the lead the Federal Government should be taking, and that’s OK; if those who believe the gun industry has acquired too much power, and that it’s past time for sensible gun control can’t convince lawmakers in Washington that 20 butchered first graders is where we, as a nation must draw the line on the Second Amendment can’t convince the members of Congress we’ll take it one state at a time; two down, 48 to go.

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2013 in Guns

 

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When there’s no separation between Church and State …

Separation 2

 
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Posted by on March 29, 2013 in Church and State

 

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NRA Robocalls Newtown residents?

According to news reports some moron at the National Rifle Association thought it was either a good idea, or maybe just funny, to make robocalls to residents of Newtown, Connecticut site of the infamous Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in December, and the states two senators were not amused.

NRA CEO Wayne LePierre

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre

Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy posted a letter to NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre demanding his organization stop making the calls.

Saying the calls “absolutely beyond the pale,” the two Democratic senators went further declaring the calls, which contained political messages attacking gun control, “open a wound that these families are still trying hard to heal.”

“You’d think [the NRA] could have scrubbed the list [of Newtown residents], just to be decent,” Newtown resident Tom Maurath told HuffPost. “Instead, you’re making an unsolicited call with no opt-out that my children could answer.”

Senator Blumenthal also reportedly wrote a blog post about the robocalls for Think Progress, saying, “NRA leadership demonstrated yet again last week just how low they are willing to go in their unconscionable effort to block any and all common sense, life saving gun violence legislation.”

Perhaps the NRA has overplayed its hand and enough people will take this latest affront to common decency as the opportunity to slap the group and its followers with real gun control – but I doubt it, the Democratic leadership in the Senate lacks any such courage.

 
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Posted by on March 28, 2013 in Guns

 

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When there’s no separation between Church and State …

No Separation of Church and State

 
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Posted by on March 28, 2013 in Church and State

 

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Just a thought …

we do not believe

This applies to not choosing to believe as well. There’s a reason the Founding Fathers were inspired to place a separation of church and state in the First Amendment, it was to prevent religious beliefs, or teachings, from being forced on the general public in the form of laws. Thus, if limiting same sex marriage is based on religious beliefs, it’s not Constitutional.

Sometimes the hard part about living in a country with a Constitution like ours is being willing to protect and defend the rights of others to have the inalienable, God given right to choose how they will live their lives. In short, if you don’t mind religions telling other citizens – through the civil government – how to live their lives, I’m sure you won’t mind when other citizens – through that same civil government – start telling you how to worship.

 

 
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Posted by on March 26, 2013 in Supreme Court

 

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If slaves were able to keep and bear arms?

This is why the battle over “gun rights” is so important; just a few short months ago a major gun advocate claimed “if African Americans had been given the right to bear arms, slavery might not have been a chapter in our history.”

 

One more "educated" gun enthusiast

One more “educated” gun enthusiast

Larry Ward, then the chairman of the strange “Gun Appreciation Day”, had appeared on CNN trying to defend his nationwide gun rally.

Ward insisted “Gun Appreciation Day”, which called on gun activists across the nation to rally in support of the “right to bear arms” and against President Barack Obama’s “post-Sandy Hook assault on gun rights,” was held on 19 Jan 13, because it actually was honoring “the legacy of Dr. King.”

Was he seriously saying the famed civil rights leader, who was gunned down on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee would be “honored” to have gun nuts holding a rally on his birthday, just over a month after 20 first graders were massacred in their class room with an assault rifle? That’s like saying today’s state’s rights advocates actually “honor the legacy of the Abraham Lincoln”.

“We are looking for a peaceful protest,” Ward said.

Yeah a peaceful protest full of people packing all kinds of firearms – including assault rifles – and carrying signs with misspelled slogans. A peaceful protest with weapons, that’s as much an oxymoronic statement as having an intelligent, level-headed discussion with far-right gun advocates.

Ward continued, “I think Martin Luther King, Jr. would agree with me if he were alive today that if African Americans had been given the right to keep and bear arms from day one of the country’s founding, perhaps slavery might not have been a chapter in our history.”

That’s probably the single most ignorant statement anyone on the right has made regarding the right to bear arms, bar absolutely none, and the amazing thing with these lunatics is their complete lack of historical understanding and factual knowledge. Ward’s an idiot plain and simple.

Slavery began in this nation long before the constitutional guarantee of the Second Amendment was argued in Philadelphia when the first slaves arrived in Jamestown, brought by Dutch traders, not long after that first English colony was established.

If Ward were to read some other part of the Constitution besides the Second Amendment he might understand not only were slaves not citizens, and thus weren’t protected by the “right to bear arms”, they were only counted as 3/5 of a person for purposes of the national census; but of course Ward doesn’t know this, because he’s a moron.

So, Mr. Ward, clearly you’re an idiot. You don’t understand the Second Amendment and you clearly don’t understand your history. You’re an ignoramus, which makes you and others like you dangerous. If the uber-right’s really concerned about its right to bear arms you’re not the sort of person who should be the face of the argument.

It’s worth noting that five people were shot attending “gun appreciation day” events.

 
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Posted by on March 26, 2013 in Guns

 

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No Right Turns

passed another budget

 

 
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Posted by on March 23, 2013 in Humor

 

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If Not Now, When?

I’m sitting here wondering what kind of bloody massacre will happen in this country before members of Congress do the right thing?

How many first graders will have to have their bodies ripped into shreds in their classrooms before Congress decides some weapons and magazines should not be generally available?

There are times when I’m ashamed of those who serve in Washington, and this is definitely one of those times.

Shame on Congress, but especially shame on the Democratic leadership for not putting up a fight. Shame on Senator Harry Reid, and the other weak kneed members of the Senate (Democratic and Republican); you’re cowards and don’t deserve the high honor to serve.

If you’re not going to ever fight the tough fights, step down and let someone step up who will, as Lawrence O’Donnell once said, “Some things are worth fighting for, even if you lose.”

 
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Posted by on March 21, 2013 in Guns

 

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No Right Turns

if the president

 
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Posted by on March 21, 2013 in Humor

 

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