BlackLiberalBoomer

Laid-off Workers at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago IL (AP Photo)

While the Detroit Big Three Auto Makers have to grovel for government-backed loans, Bank of America was one of the banks outright given billions of dollars in Federal bailout monies with no preconditions or oversight. So what does Bank of America do with all of that money which was supposed to HELP small businesses? It promptly canceled the credit-line of an established company in Chicago, Republic Windows and Doors, causing that company to lay off its 300+ workers–some with 17 years on the job–with only three days’ notice.

This series of events is so egregious that the governor of Illinois and the President-elect of the United States are supporting the $14 per hour laid-off workers, who are engaging in a sit-down protest at the factory–they have not even been given their earned vacation time, health care, or severance pay; meanwhile the bigwigs at some of the financial companies can keep their exorbitant compensation packages and go on expensive junkets to exotic locations on the taxpayers’ dime.

It is becoming painfully obvious that these “bailouts” ARE white-collar vs blue-collar. The white-collar financial companies had billions of taxpayer dollars just thrown at them without question. Meanwhile, the blue-collar auto companies are being vilified by Republicans and put through the wringer; and a once-stable American small business which not only employs hundreds, but manufactures energy-saving windows and doors for other businesses is allowed to fail.

It took a year for the Federal Government to “officially” declare that the United States is in a recession (d’ya think?); how long will it take for “officially” announce a “depression”? Why are banks and other financial institutions given money and then allowed to just hold on to the money; while manufacturing companies are made to beg, prove themselves “viable” before being awarded loans, and made to submit to tons of regulations?

Does anyone else see something very wrong with this picture? Workers in manufacturing factories are taxpayers, too!

‘Tis the Season for the annual fight over whether “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” is the right greeting! Every year recently, people on the Religious Right have raged a war against those who say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”, contending that NOT saying Merry Christmas is a slap against Christianity and “Jesus is the reason for the Season”!

Well, I submit that both greetings are appropriate for this time of year, and neither is an affront against the other. First of all, the official Holiday Season in the United State actually lasts from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and also includes Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, as well as the actual Christmas Day. The entire six-week time period is supposed to be a time of celebration and good times with family and friends. To say “Happy Holidays” acknowledges the overall time of celebration that lasts for more than a month; and is not intended to either slight or favor one holiday over another.

On the other hand, to say “Merry Christmas” should not be intended to make people feel that if they don’t celebrate Christmas the way the Religious right feels it should be celebrated, or if some Americans don’t celebrate it at all for any reason, that they are “wrong-thinking”. “Merry Christmas” should be used as a greeting of “peace and goodwill” whenever it is said, and can and should be said to anyone, whether they are Christian or not, as just a joyous “hello”–not to force one’s beliefs on another.

I could insert a little history lesson here about how the date of December 25th was chosen to celebrate Christ’s birthday is based not on Biblical mandate but as a response to ancient pagan winter solstice celebrations; or I could remind the Religious Right that celebrating the birth of Christ isn’t biblically based at all, but just comes from centuries of tradition, but I have a feeling that they wouldn’t listen to me!

Meanwhile, I will say both “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” this season, and I will mean “Peace and Joy and Happiness” to whomever I am greeting! I should not be get in trouble with anyone for wishing everyone Good Tidings!

The United States of America has been known as the greatest country in the world. We have been responsible for some of the best inventions; we are usually a model of democracy, having almost no real problems with periodic transfer of power; we have been known as “The City on the Hill” to peoples from all over the world.

But as we celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday this week and enjoy the blessings we have as Americans, let us not forget that America’s greatness was built on the tears, fears, and grief of indigenous peoples and enslaved peoples brought here in chains.

America could not have been America without the near-destruction of the native peoples who were here first; America could not have become America without the centuries of free labor of enslaved Africans.

God Bless America!

I posted this last Friday at my Detroit-focused “DSpot Redeux” blog…because I feel that the auto companies are really getting a raw deal concerning getting a $25B loan while financial companies are receiving hundreds of billions in out-and-out bailouts. The Congress and President-elect Obama are right for asking for a plan from the Big Three (and it was STUPID for the auto execs to appear before Congress with empty hands outstretched…), but now that Citigroup is the latest financial company to receive $350 BILLION without having to go through the drubbing that GM, Ford, and Chrysler had to endure. Citigroup didn’t have to go before Congress at all…and this is their second bailout in as many months…no questions asked…no plan for the future…no embarrassment…

OK, so the auto execs should’ve thought twice about going to Washington in separate $20K/trip corporate jets. Of course the auto companies need to change a lot of things about their business model. But is anyone thinking about not just the “rich guys at the top” but the millions upon millions of blue-collar workers and retirees who depend on the auto companies for their livelihood? What about the millions of auto-related jobs with small businesses around the country who depend on the auto companies? What about all of the other small businesses that will fail because they won’t have any customers? Why punish all of them because of what the bigwigs did or didn’t do?

Raise your hand if you have a family member who works now, or who is retired from one of the Big Three or a related company. Raise your other hand if that family member bought a house, raised a family, donated to charity, sent their kids to college, and just basically lived the American life by keeping the American economy going. Now, put down one or both hands if that family never ever made a mistake throughout life. See all of those hands raised?

The auto companies are asking for a “bridge loan”; the re-tooling for the future starts next fall–the plans are already in place. The unions have cut their wages and benefits to the bone. Huge world-wide companies can’t change overnight, but changes are coming.

But because of vengefulness, short-sightedness, and frankly, elitism on the part of Republicans in Congress–yes the same ones who spend $10 BILLION a MONTH in Iraq–the white-collar financial companies got their bailout, but the blue-collar auto companies can’t get a loan without rancor and vitriol.

Meanwhile, Nissan has pulled out of exhibiting at both the Detroit and Chicago Auto Shows (bad for the economies of both cities), and Toyota, Honda, and other “foreign” car companies have acres and acres of new cars sitting on the dock in San Diego because they can’t even be delivered to the dealers who can’t sell cars because of the credit crunch and mismanagement brought on by: THE BAILED-OUT-WITH-NO-QUESTIONS FINANCIAL COMPANIES!

November 22, 1963. 45 years ago. Many Americans still remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard that the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas Texas.

I was, if you can believe it, in my 8th grade Civics class. We were supposed to be doing some kind of writing assignment, but it was Friday afternoon and everyone waiting for 3 pm when school would finally be out for the weekend. I clearly remember my teacher (can’t remember his name, but I remember he wore wire-rimmed glasses, though) sitting at his desk in the front of the room. Another teacher poked his head in the room and called my civics teacher to the teachers’ lounge where there was a radio. A few minutes later, my teacher came back to the room. Tears were streaming down his face. He told us what had happened, although he could barely get the words out of his mouth.

School was immediately dismissed. Everyone at school, everyone in the city, everyone in the country, everyone in the world seemingly was in shock. Even Walter Cronkite, the anchor of the CBS Evening News, cried on-air when he announced that the President had been killed. That’s the way it was.

Where were you on November 22, 1963?

Why are the Cabinet picks of President-elect Barack Obama important? Exactly what do Cabinet Secretaries do? (Remember, Governor Sarah Palin did not know what the Vice-President does, which is one reason why she’s not VEEP-elect!)

In addition to being the most senior-level appointed officers of the President and the Executive Branch, they are Constitutionally required (Article Two) and are in the line of succession should the President, Vice-President, Speaker of the House, and President pro tempore of the Senate become unfit for office.

The first Cabinet Secretary in the line of succession is the Secretary of State; which probably explains why there is so much hoop-la over whether Hillary Clinton will be appointed. The Attorney General, who doesn’t have the title “Secretary”, is in charge of the Department of Justice and is fourth in line. Eric Holder will apparently be nominated for the top Justice job.

Next in line is the Secretary of the Treasury; and with the economic crisis now being experienced, this nomination is also being highly anticipated. But while we wait, the Secretary who is 9th in line is the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) is reportedly up for nomination for this post. For some reason, the Secretary of Homeland Security is 15th in the line of succession. Governor Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) is reportedly up for this Cabinet post.

It has been 2 1/2 weeks since the election, and watching this transition (and how it is different from the campaign) has been both interesting and informative.  Mr. Obama is walking a fine line between “change” and “experience”, trying to balance having some of both.

There has been much speculation about the President-elect’s choices. It may be good to remember that Mr. Obama has repeatedly said that there is no choice until he says there is a choice.  Until then, it’s just an exercise in lots of talk and conjecture.

Here we go, eight days after the 2008 elections, and already some religious groups are again trying to make the United States of America into a theocracy…a Christian theocracy.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits one religion from being established in this country, and at the same time protects established religions by allowing them to exercise their religion freely.

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”  Thomas Jefferson

Unfortunately, several religious groups feel that their beliefs should also be the law in the United States; in particular in outlawing marriage between same-sex couples and a choice option for pregnant women.

… no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish enlarge, or affect their civil capacities…  James Madison

Last week in California, voters actually took away rights from an entire group of people when they passed Proposition 8, making possible a state constitutional amendment that denies the rights and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples.

This week, the Catholic Church in the United States is both demanding that President-elect Barack Obama help to enact policies that will make it more difficult if not impossible for women to obtain a legal abortion; and the Church is also working to censure Vice-President-elect Joseph Biden for supporting womens’ choice because he is also a Catholic.

In both of these cases, religious groups are seeking to impose their own beliefs on the entire country. Marriage is first and foremost a civil union authorized by the state, which then confers on the couple all of the rights, benefits, and privileges due them as a married couple. It has absolutely nothing to do with the sexual act or with procreation. Even if a heterosexual couple has the most spectacular and expensive church wedding possible, they are “not married” by law until the state in which they reside says they are married.

But because some religions believe that marriage is only between and man and woman and only for the creation of children, they feel they have the right to deny a marriage relationship to those people who do not fit their particular idea of a loving couple. These groups feel that their own marriages are so fragile that same-sex couples getting married is so damaging that heterosexual marriages need special protection from same-sex marriages.

Homosexuality is not a “lifestyle” or a “choice”. Gay people are people just like all other people are people. They smile, frown, laugh, cry, hurt and heal just like everyone else. They do not “bother” or “damage” anyone else just by “being”. They deserve to have a loving, committed, life-long married relationship just like anyone else.

I will be blogging about this regularly…I feel very strongly about this. I am not gay, but I am a human being. It is not my place to tell other human beings that they are “less than” me because of their sexual orientation. There is enough hate and vitriol in the world; why deny people love?

There is a difference between being “pro-choice” and “pro-abortion”. When life actually begins has many different interpretations. Some people believe life begins at conception. Others believe that life begins when the child is actually born and can breathe on its own outside of the womb. There are many reasons why a woman may have to choose to have an abortion; but the point is, she has that choice. Until the fetus can exist outside of the womb and without the umbilical cord, it is still a part of the woman’s body. Having an abortion is a very serious and very private decision. There are very few people who want more abortions; but the same “anti-abortion” people are also against sex education and/or sexual protection. Again, they are attempting to force their views and beliefs on everyone.

Choice means just that: choice. A woman may choose to keep the baby, to give it up for adoption, or to terminate the pregnancy. That is a choice. It has been proven that the better the education and knowledge of options before pregnancy, the fewer abortions there are. However, there are those who do not want a woman to have “choice” because she might choose something different than what they would choose. These people who “choose life” don’t think about “life” after the body is born.

Again, I will be blogging on this regularly in the future…I also feel very strongly about this issue.

I am a heterosexual, married, Christian woman. But it is not my place to force my beliefs on others; especially in a diverse, secular republic such as the United States of America.

There will be those who disagree with me, and that is their right. But it is not their right to force their beliefs on me, either. The United States of America is based on Judeo-Christian ideals, but this country is NOT a Christian country, or part of a Catholic Archdiocese; it is NOT run by religious leaders. We can respect religious ideas without being beholden to one group’s beliefs.

Everyone is a human being who deserves to live like every other human being. Every woman has the right to make the choice that is right for her at the time. The Church is the Church and the State is the State, and ne’er the twain should meet.  America is a country for all religions; even though who are atheists or humanists have rights, and the basic tenet to treat others as you would like to be treated is for everyone. 

THE GOLDEN RULE

The Golden Rule or the ethic of reciprocity is found in the scriptures of nearly every religion. It is often regarded as the most concise and general principle of ethics…

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

1. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Leviticus 19.18

Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.

2. Christianity. Bible, Matthew 7.12

Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

3. Islam. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13

A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.

4. Jainism. Sutrakritanga 1.11.33

Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence.

5. Confucianism. Mencius VII.A.4

One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire.

6. Hinduism. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8

Tsekung asked, “Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?” Confucius replied, “It is the word shu–reciprocity: Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.”

7. Confucianism. Analects 15.23

In 1998, Morgan Freeman starred as President Tom Beck in the movie “Deep Impact”, in which a comet hit the earth, causing immense damage, including to the east coast of the United States. The star of the movie was actually Bruce Willis, as an astronaut who was sent into space to minimize the comet’s impact on the earth.

The comet did hit the earth, and a few days later, after the waters started to recede and survivors started the big job of surveying the damage, Morgan Freeman (President Beck) stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and calmed the nation with an assuring speech about how America would survive and rebuild like America has always survived and rebuilt.

I thought of that movie after Barack Obama became the President-elect last Tuesday. When the movie was released, my mother joked that “finally a Black man is President of the United States and the world blows up”! I thought that America is engulfed in more than one crisis at this time; two wars and the worst financial crisis since the Depression, as well as a divided and polarized population–and NOW we have a Black President as head of the Federal Government! Maybe we should call him “Barack the Re-Builder”!

But I also remembered how calming and classy Morgan Freeman was in his Presidential characterization, and that is exactly how President Obama will be. Barack Obama seems quiet and soft-spoken, but he is obviously a take-charge kinda guy, and I, for one of 65 million or so, feel very safe and secure with him at the helm.

President-elect Obama knows the seriousness and depth of the tasks ahead of him, and has shown that starting with his speech Tuesday night. Since then he has had national intelligence briefings, and has become privy to many other items of knowledge that only the President knows.

I wonder if he sometimes feels: The Audacity of Oh, No! But if so, those feelings are fleeting. He is strong, stable, secure in himself, and confident in his abilities.  That gives me hope for the future. I feel kind of audacious myself.

     Governor Sarah Palin has, for the last few days, been complaining mightily about all of the “news” that has been put out about her since the Republican smack-down last Tuesday, November 4th. Doesn’t she know that Africa is a continent, not a country? Whattaya mean she can’t name the three countries of North America? Clothes, smoes…those clothes weren’t hers, anyway! She didn’t know she wasn’t talking to the French president–even though she can see Canada from her front porch, she couldn’t tell the difference between a French-French accent and a Canadian-French accent? She answered her hotel door in just a towel? Doesn’t she have any class or modesty?

Sarah Palin has called those who have put out these charges jerks and “bad people” and whined that it just wasn’t fair to put these things out in the media. It’s been five days since the election, and she is still playing the “victim” of those meanies who are out to get her.

Would you like a little cheese with that whine? How about a mooseburger?

The entire time Sarah Palin was a part of the Republican Presidential campaign, she thought nothing of smearing President-elect Barack Obama and/or allowing the people who attended her rallies to actually threaten the Senator’s life. She insinuated or outright claimed that Barack Obama “palled around with terrorists”, that he may not be a “real American”, that he was a Socialist; Sarah Palin also delighted in deciding that supporters of Senator Obama may not be “patriotic enough”, and only the parts of America that supported her ticket were “pro-America”. Those were very, very serious statements, and Governor Palin was very close to condoning and/or inciting racial hatred and violence along with her divisiveness.

Compared to the gossip about her, Sarah Palin’s rants on the campaign trail were much more harsh and dangerous, but now she is complaining that she is not being treated fairly.

Payback is a —–, isn’t it, Governor?

I guess being President of the United States is sorta like being a Community Organizer…only with even more success working with real Americans!

The Republicans, reeling from their HUGE loss in the 2008 Elections, are in a circular firing squad among themselves, and a straight firing squad against Governor Sarah Palin. Most of them are looking outward, putting the blame on anything and anyone outside themselves, when they should be looking inward at their policies, world view, campaign strategy, and attitudes.

Senator John McCain did give a very classy concession speech, where he said that the fault was all his. As the actual candidate, he does have to take a lot of the responsibility on himself. But the greater Republican Party is also at fault; it starts with their whole philosophy and thinking patterns. As soon as President-elect Barack Obama announced that Congressman Rahm Emmanuel would be his new Chief of Staff, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued an “attack statement”: “I thought that Barack Obama promised a new kind of politics…” (paraphrasing…)

Basically, the Republican Party has still been living in the last century with Ronald Reagan-type thinking, as well as an out-of-date paradigm of attack, divide, criticize, and demonize. The entire Republican campaign, even before McCain was chosen as the nominee, consisted of negative attacks on entire groups of people (including “Community Organizers”), lies, smears, guilt-by-associations, made-up controversies (can you say “lipstick on a pig”?), and generally living in a cloud of delusion.

(Soon-to-be former) Congresswoman Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) was trounced by her Democratic opponent Kay Hagen because Dole thought she could demonize Hagen for attending an atheists convention. Atheists are real Americans, too, Libby!

The “Sarah Palin Pick” could be the topic of several books. Republicans try to say the Democrats are being sexist or unfair, but there are two truths: 1) McCain made a BIG error in picking her over many more qualified people; and 2) Sarah just was ready for prime-time, period. There’s nothing sexist about that.

President-elect Barack Hussein Obama talks to America like we are adults. He will be President of ALL of America, not just small-town, pro-America hockey moms and “Joe the Plumbers”. He exudes class and style, and does not demonize his opponents, no matter what. He does not accept drama or divisive tactics. He has excited the entire world with his election. He is not the Messiah, nor is he perfect–he has said so himself. But with his election, there has been a seismic shift in not only the Electoral map, but also the thought processes of the people of the United States of America. It’s time the Republicans get with the NEW program. It’s called the UNITED States of America.