What Will It Take?

 Last night, I watched the hearing of the January 6th Capitol Riots. I had been following along closely, so I didn't expect to really hear anything new. Through news stories, newsletters and several blogs, I had a pretty good idea of who the main culprits were and what had transpired. 

What I didn't expect was the rage I felt when I saw it all in one collection. It was jarring. 

Dating back to when Trump first started running for office, I took note of all the stupid things he said and did. And every day, I told myself, "even hard core right wingers won't let this guy get anywhere near the primary, they don't hate America that much". And every day, I was disappointed. When he was elected and (gulp) celebrated, it occurred to me that this is how a large portion of Americans felt. The absolute sewage that was spewing out of his mouth, they were buying. 

So for the 2020 election, I think a fair percentage realized maybe this wasn't a good idea. I mean sure, they hated Hilary (though I bet if she had a pair of testicles that wouldn't be the case), so they HAD to vote for Trump. But there's a better option now, and I haven't been to a restaurant in a year and a half. So I'm going in the opposite direction. 

Then there's that contingent of everyday folks who, for whatever reason, just won't give up. No, no, no, Trump is being persecuted for what he's saying. He's right about voter fraud. (Turns out he WAS right about voter fraud - like from his own Chief of Staff). He's right that election was rigged. Biden sux, Hunter's laptop, Benghazi, blah blah blah. I'll give old Donald this - he knows how to appeal to a crowd. HIS crowd. 

But if you watched last night's hearing and didn't come away with what many of us have known all along - that Donald J Trump is a con man and one of the most narcissistic humans currently on the planet, then I have to ask you. WHAT WILL IT TAKE? What else has to happen before you begin to question that this man only has his best interests at heart? Is it admitting that you were wrong? Is it just that hard to do in today's society because you enter the made up cancel culture wing of humanity? I have news for you, WE WILL FORGIVE YOU. You thought he would drain the swamp but instead added more vermin. WE'RE NOT HOLDING A GRUDGE. I mean, what really happened other than the loss of freedoms to individuals everywhere and a world wide pandemic that could have been severely restricted? WE WILL TAKE YOU BACK!

Now, for the rest of you, who STILL think DJT got railroaded and he has burned it in to your brain that this is (checks notes) "the greatest political witch hunt in history", if you think, after watching the videos of  rioters at the capitol, were (reviews tweets and video) taking in a tour, if you think, after seeing Bill Barr refer to the rigged election claims as "bullshit", that Dominion was changing red votes to blue ones and that AOC and Nancy Pelosi were mandating that anyone crossing the border to register to vote RIGHT THEN AND THERE, then I can't help you. You, my friend, are left to side with the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. That's some set of peers you have there. My guess is you are extremely pissed off about the BLM honcho who filtered money to buy a house, but you don't understand what the fuss is about storming the capitol on the day they are supposed to certify an election. 

So tell me. What will it take for you to admit that THIS MAN DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. It has been evident for some time that he got pissed off when President Obama made fun of him at the correspondent's dinner and he wouldn't let it go. He ran for president because it was fun. It was so much fun that he continued to campaign throughout his presidency, playing to crowds, badmouthing his adversaries, and leaving the day to day work to his handpicked cronies, who were some of the worst White House officials in history. He played golf more than any president history. He steered business to his own privately held interests by design.

You know it, I know it, and the rest of the world knows it. He should be in jail for several things. 

What else are you waiting on? 

I'm Sick of #metoo (let me explain)

Before you get your pitchforks and cattle prods, I have to detail why. It's not for the reason you think. I'm not a cro magnon cave man. Or a Tim Allen fan. 

Here lately, I've gotten pretty tired of hearing the phrase #metoo. In the past week, I've been hearing it a whole lot more. Why? because of the Urban Meyer story at Ohio State. Meyer kept someone on staff who (wink wink) may or may not have beaten his wife on a regular basis, and Meyer knew about it. He also lied about it at a press conference. (side note: I could have told you what a piece of cow dung I think Meyer is over a decade ago when he was a Florida, but no one asked). 

Naturally, because this is the biggest college football story happening a couple of weeks before the season starts, EVERYONE is talking about it. And make no mistake, that is a good thing. I hope someone somewhere is saying, "wait, I don't have to put up with this? I'm leaving him". What bothers me is the context in which many in the media are using the term #metoo. 

• There's heightened sensitivity to the Zach Smith case because of the #metoo movement
• Did Meyer do all he was supposed to? It would seem that in the #metoo age, he could have done more
• You can't bury these types of transgressions, especially in the current #metoo climate

So let me get this straight, we should pay MORE attention to this victim because of the current client? If Harvey Weinstein had never happened, would Courtney Smith be branded a gold-digging money grabber? It's almost as if I could imagine someone saying, "Don't worry, all this #metoo nonsense will pass and we can go back to the good old days of keeping your women in line. But this damn #metoo movement means we actually have to deal with an entire coaching staff (and their wives) knowing that someone is being abused and OK, gosh I guess we should do something about it, but I really need to keep this guy on staff because his grandfather was a legend at the school". 

If you're prefacing your dialogue about the Urban Meyer story with "with the #metoo movement", you are still missing the point. You're almost saying it used to be OK, but it's not anymore. Newsflash, it was NEVER OK. 

Trumpers......what else will it take?

I'm guessing that there are people who voted for Donald Trump because emails and Benghazi RAWR RAWR RAWR. Fine, you didn't like her, even though she was qualified. You were SURE that Secretary Clinton was dirty. And every time someone blasted Trump through the first year and a half of his presidency, you cried, "OBAMA STARTED IT". Whatever.

But I'm having a hard time today understanding why it would be so hard to say, "You know what we tried something new and it didn't work." Is it just about admitting you're wrong? Hell, you're not an adult until you can admit that you were wrong. It's a rite of passage for everyone except our commander in chief. I'm having a hard time understanding how, despite what literally every country in the world is saying, you want to defend this man. Ronald Reagan didn't even warrant this much loyalty.

I'm genuinely curious what it would take for any Trump supporter to reverse course and say, "I can't support this man any more". The only groups who benefit from a Trump presidency are friends of the Donald and comedians. If a man flying to Finland to meet with someone who engineered the greatest assault on democracy in recent history and then pulling down your pants to moon the very country who "elected" you doesn't turn your stomach, I'm going to have to assume at this point you are a racist, sexist, blowhard who doesn't give a shit about anyone but white protestant males.

I'm tired of this

I started this little diary in July of 2006. It's a nice little outlet for me to rant.

However.....

Since that time, there have been:

• 190 school shootings in the US
• 243 students killed
• 343 students injured

The news yesterday from Santa Fe, Texas that 10 people had been killed at a high school seemed to overshadow the news that there was another shooting just south of Atlanta later that night in which one person was killed and another was injured after a graduation ceremony. 

I'm trying my hardest not to become numb to news of a school shooting. But it's very hard. I would imagine most are like me. We pay attention and we shake our heads in disgust. But we only seem to give our attention to the ones that happen when there are multiple fatalities. So my condolences to the families of those who were killed in Jonesboro, GA, simply because "only one person lost their life". 

I read a very poignant opinion recently (after another school shooting; God help me, I can't remember which one) that summed it up for me. Everyone wants to find a solution for this madness. However, most of the solutions offered up by liberal-minded people involve preventing a catastrophe from happening. Most solutions offered up by conservative-mined people involve minimizing the damage after the fact. I chewed on that for awhile and it's relevant. Most liberals would rather take away the option of having the ability to slay dozens of people in 30 seconds. Conservative approaches (more armed officers at school, equipping the teachers with guns) want to take out the shooter after it starts so they can prevent the shooter from killing even more people. That means someone still dies. 

My wife is a teacher and I still have a daughter in high school. I never imagined there would be a time when I thought I would say to myself, "Jeez, I hope they both finish so they can get out into the real world and be safer than they are at school." But that's the thought I have every day. How is it that my oldest daughter, who lives in the second largest city in the US, seems to be safer than someone who is in school seven hours a day? 

All this to say, I don't have all the answers. But thoughts and prayers are not, and never really have been, a part of the solution. But that's what we get. 

And I'm tired of it. 

Safe Spaces? Liberals didn't invent them.

I typed this over a year ago and forgot to publish. It still holds true.

Periodically, I hear conservatives talk about how ridiculous "safe spaces" are. You know safe spaces, right? It's those places we liberals had to escape to because Donald Trump somehow won the highest political office in the land, and we needed a place to cry. There were even stories about colleges shutting down for the day and offering counseling. Turns out, some of that was little exaggerated, but the point remained - these lefties just can't handle the real world.

What I find most interesting is that safe spaces weren't really first used by those who are more tolerant of others' cultures. The oldest and most widely known safe space was created by a group who just couldn't stand that other people were acquiring basic human rights - the KKK.

At some point a long time ago, a bunch of butt-hurt white people got together and were disturbed that black citizens (I use that word loosely, based on what they were actually allowed to do back then) had the gall to assimilate themselves into American society. They're trying to take our jobs, our homes, OUR WOMEN! We need to assemble a group of just us whiteys where we can't be bothered by a group of people who are barely allowed to cross the street without being lynched. I mean, they don't have anything, so it's important that we keep them down. So let's make a pact. We need to keep America whhyyyyyyte.

Lunch counters, public transportation, voting booths, schools. You name it. The Klan didn't want those people anywhere. And before you say that was a long time ago, A) that's my point and, B) Country Clubs were still under fire as late as the 1990's for not allowing black members.

What were they doing? They created safe spaces LONG before decent people wept at the thought of a man who bragged about forcing himself on women was elected to lead this country.

I totally met the welfare queen

I saw a black woman coming out of the grocery store with a carton of cigarettes, a case of beer and three lobster tails and she paid for them all with food stamps. She had a Louis Vuitton purse and clothes from The Limited. Then she got into a Cadillac Escalade and drove off.

I am so tired of hearing that same story for the last…...I don’t know, 30 years? How is it that EVERYONE has the same tale? Curiously, this story ALWAYS comes from someone who is either slightly racist, or thinks the gub'ment is enabling lazy people.

Right after I got married, I did see someone who was using food stamps that got into a new(ish) car. It was at Cub Foods in Atlanta. This very young white couple were using some food stamps on some, not all of their groceries. I couldn't tell you what they were buying. I mean, I forgot that it was my business to judge other people in the checkout line at the grocery store. Please forgive me. Anyway, we were not far behind them and noticed that they loaded their purchases into a brand new (or maybe just very clean and 1-2 year old)......Toyota Tercel. Now admittedly, I'm not a car guy but I do know that when it was time to buy my very first car, I was having to decide between the Tercel and a Hyundai Excel. Those were pretty much the two cheapest cars on the market. The only reason I didn't get the Tercel was because it didn't come with a radio or air conditioning - those were ad-ons. So basically, the "new" Tercel that these "lazy welfare" recipients had the gall to get was a far cry from the Cadillac that always gets thrown into these stories. Why didn't that couple sell their car so they could buy food? Since the citizens of that county had refused time and time again to allow public transit system out into "our suburbs", you really needed a car to get around and you know, WORK. What's that you say? Why don't they move closer to the city? Because as any urban dweller knows, the closer you move to the city, the more expensive the rent. I don't know these folks from Adam. I don't know their backstory. Maybe they bought the car and then one of them lost their jobs. Maybe they inherited the car. The point is, everyone has a story and to judge them based on what you see them buying at the Piggly Wiggly makes YOU the idiot.

Are liberals dumb enough to think that people don't commit welfare fraud? Absolutely, fraud goes on, just as it does EVERYWHERE. What pisses me off beyond belief is that most people don't know what welfare even is. They just think that everyone in a housing project graduates from high school, has a party, then the very next day walks down to the federal building and says, "sign me up for welfare". Everyone in the office politely gives them everything they ask for, and this person will be living off of the backs of hard workers like you and I for the rest of their easy, free-loading lives. Then they file taxes and get refunds every year of $5,000 to $10,000 If that were true, don't you think more people would do it? Then why do 65%-75% of the adults who receive public assistance WORK? And that studies show that 30%-40% of the dollars distributed in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and TANF (Temporary Assistance To Needy Families) programs are for children?

If someone wants to debate welfare fraud with me, I make sure we know what we're talking about. SNAP? TANF? SSI? This person you saw in the store - what were they receiving? Can you give me your stats? I find that usually shuts down the argument before it starts. To have all of the information we have today, and still believe myths that have persisted for years (with no foundation for truth) is CHOOSING to be ignorant. Of course, we have a president that has made that acceptable.

The Racists' Battle Cry

Several months ago, someone said something to me that stuck. But then it was amplified after more racists came out of the woodwork after the Charlottesville incident.

No one THINKS they are a racist. I mean, other than the ones parading around right now as Neo-Nazis and KKK members. They of course, admit it. Charles Barkley once said that he'd rather deal with a Klan member because he KNEW how he felt about him. He wasn't so sure about everyone else. And he's got a point. The KKK may be dangerous, but at least you know where they stand. Currently, 35% of the people in this country stand firmly behind President Trump. Now, I doubt that entire group is supportive of a racist attitude, but let's say it's half of that. Still a lot. But we don't know who they are. They live and walk among us. But we can't deal directly with them because they could be anyone. They're neighbors, co-workers, soccer moms, restaurant owners, and everything in between. But I bet if you asked them they don't think they're a racist. They say things like:

"I don't hate ALL black people, just the ones who deserve it".
"Why do they have to act like that?"
"All the crime is in the black neighborhoods"

As bad as these are, there's one statement that really flags them:
"I'm not a racist, I have black friends"

That's the clue. If you have to justify what you say as being OK by stating that you have black friends, that seems to be the last ditch effort to convince others (as well as themselves) that you should accept their words. It's OK, I have the blessing of other blacks to say these racist things. The problem is, they think of those "black friends" as black first and friends second. Racists identify everyone by traits. And first and foremost, race is how they first describe them.

Be wary of those who say they have "black friends". They carry racism as a recessive gene. They just don't know it.

Well, it happened....

I hate election years. Just hate them. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a liberal and I'm surrounded by conservatives or if it's just because it brings out the worst in EVERYONE. I think the sad thing is that people are just uninformed. People read headlines, not articles. No one checks facts, or digs into root causes. I'm a root cause kind of guy. It's why my HR investigations take so long. People share news items or memes on social media without thinking of the consequences because, "it's important that people know how I feel". Maybe because no one has ever told them, "I don't give a shit what you think".

But we did it. We just put a child in the White House. Seriously, he's not a grown man. Twitter fights? Check. Bashing a comedy show that makes fun of him, EVEN THOUGH HE HOSTED SAID SHOW? Check. Calling actors names like "fat pig" and shaming sexual assault victims because they're not attractive enough? Can do. Co-mingling business with his political career? Done. And he's not ashamed and he has people defending what he did. 

Look, I'm not going to try to defend those folks that cried all day and hugged puppies in their safe space. I mean, if you're not white and male, I get where it comes from. But to hear people that fly confederate flags (because "heritage") tell me to "get over it because you lost" is THE most ironic thing that's happened. Most of them are just too stupid to realize it. They bitched and moaned every time Obama farted and now they don't understand why we can't just go along and give him a chance? Kiss my ass. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving. 

This election is so 2016

( originally posted 9/28/2016)

You know how you sometimes start a blog and then forget about it? Me, too.

I would give almost anything if we could zip through the next 6 weeks just to avoid election coverage. The first debate is tonight and it will bring out the worst in people afterwards. My candidate is awesome, yours is awful! The really jacked up folks will see an article online that says, " completely shuts down/destroys on and YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT". By the way, stop reading those. Those are what intelligent people call 'clickbait' and you're regarded as a moron for sharing it with other people. Ever have to click through twelve slides to get an answer to the question in the title? They work off of advertising hits/clicks and they're using you to do it. And if you do see someone sharing it in an email or on social media, scroll right on by. 

Election season also puts Snopes and Politifact in overdrive. I follow both of those sites and I'm always amazed at what I see. Some of the stuff they review I think, no way, nobody in their right mind would believe that. Lo and behold, it will inevitably pop up in one of my social media feeds. A tip from me to you, if you ever see a really questionable story on a web site, find the "about" section of the page. Make sure that A) it's not a satire site and B) they don't already have an agenda. I mean, teapartytakeover.com is probably not going to do a story with a positive spin on Hilary Clinton ever, but where do they get their sources? From members? Any credible news sources? 

(if you answer "well the liberal media won't report on this....", please STAAAHHP. I'm going to have to beat you with Rosie O'Donnell's leather restraints. You know what the media reports on? Whatever gets the most clicks. That's right, you may be sick of hearing about Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem, but every time you click on the story or watch it on TV, you're telling that media conglomerate "I'm interested". That's called 'trending' and YOU are part of the problem, not the 'liberal media', dumbass)

Back to the election. My advice is this: whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, or a Libertarian (ok, OR a Green Party follower), you will want to vote along party lines. I don't understand why it's such a badge of honor to say, "I NEVER vote for a party, I vote for the candidate". Well, that's great, but there's usually a reason each candidate has a party affiliation. Because they buy into the platform of that party. Sure, they get money from the party, but they largely agree on most issues. It's called compromising (something Congress has forgotten the last six years). You may not like any candidates this year, and you wouldn't be alone. But ask yourself this - what if 15 million Americans decided not to vote this year just because they have to hold their noses to do it? Then ask yourself what would be the worst case scenario if the candidate you hate the most wins? 

Spend some time reading the party platforms, look at the history of what candidates have done in previous terms (not from what they said on TMZ) and then vote. Also, spend some time reading about your state and local elections. You'd be surprised what kind of crazy stuff gets done in local governments.

Although, Mississippi recently said slavery was bad, so kudos to their legislature for finally getting on board. 

The Email Brigade - the Real Enemy

I consider myself a liberal for two reasons. One, that’s what conservatives call anyone that doesn’t think exactly like them, and two, it’s the only label that Democrats seem to have. Fine, whatever. I’m a liberal. It has taken me quite sometime to realize that right wing conservatives are not the enemy. Oh sure, I like to argue with right-wingers all the time, pointing out their narrow-minded views and their spread of hatred. But to be honest, the loud-mouths don’t bother me as much as what I like to call the Email Brigade. You know EXACTLY who I’m talking about. They forward emails to you about three times a week with long stories that have “lessons”. The conservatives send stories about how our country has gone downhill since we took God out of schools. Or why it is mandatory that we blindly support George Bush and the war because “if you ain’t fer us yer agin' us!” and thus not a patriot. Or how we say the words “immigration reform” but really mean, “keep ‘em Mexicans out!” But conservatives aren’t the only guilty party here. Liberals are the ones who send the prayer chains around, with a veiled threat if you don’t forward the email. They also send the “little Johnny is in the hospital and will have his bills paid if you sign the petition and pass it on” emails that are just plain evil. Not to mention the “you will get $500 as soon as you forward this to ten people” chain emails, and it always has the note “I tried it my damn self and it worked!”. If you believe liberal chain emails, you believe that Bill Gates will give you a free computer, the Post office will start charging you 5 cents for email, and The American Cancer Society will donate money for sending around your email.

I guess you could make a case for which is worse. Both are bad in that they give out your email to spammers (who are usually behind all these anyway). The moment you get these, you should immediately email the person back and tell them that you are NOT part of the brigade and PLEASE remove your address from all the future crap they plan to send. Also, send them a link to snopes.com to show just how foolish they are (you really thought Oliver North was smart enough forecast Osama Bin Laden and then call out Al Gore in a Senate hearing?)

Stop these people. Stop them now.

Racism in my house

(note: I am refusing to use the term “African-American” for this piece. First of all, that term did not exist in the 1970’s. But most of all, someone forgot to tell me when being “black” was a bad thing.)

I’m not sure that, as kids, my brothers and I were ever given lectures about racism. Having grown up in Georgia in the seventies, racism certainly presented itself, but it seemed as if it was always one of those concepts that was just, well, understood. If my parents used the term “black”, it was used only as a physical description, not as an ethnic term. We made as much (or as little) fun of black people as we did anyone else.

Where we learned about the struggle was through sports and entertainment. When my father was a young man, he was a huge fan of many black bands that undoubtedly were kept from the mainstream because of their skin color. And of course, the first time my brothers and I heard their songs, they were sung by white artists. This used to piss him off to no end. When I started becoming a big music fan in elementary school, he made sure that I was very aware of where it all came from.

“Ray Charles is the king, don’t let anybody tell you different”

“If those guys were white, they’d have gone triple platinum by now”

“Who’s singin’ that? It sounded a whole lot better when (black guy)  sang it. This guy sucks.”

Dad gave very little credit to white rip off singers. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not THEIR fault. You’re up and coming, trying to make a name for yourself – suddenly you come across this great song that no one’s ever heard. I’d do it. But Dad was bent on giving credit where credit was due, and he took it personally. God forbid we sing a song by Pat Boone.

“DO YOU KNOW WHO SANG THAT FIRST? EVER HEAR OF LITTLE RICHARD? BOONE COULDN’T EVEN SING IN HIS BACK UP BAND!!!”

One time I dressed up as Elvis Presley and he took a slingshot and nailed me in the nads with my own pet rock. As he stood over me while I was writhing in pain, he growled “JAMES BROWN, YOUNG’UN, JAMES BROWN!!!”

Interestingly enough, as I got older and bought my own music, I found myself reading liner notes more and more. When you start to see “Holland/Dozier/Holland” on hard rock records, you begin to understand the influence of Motown.

Sports was a little different. As a kid in Atlanta, I never knew what kind of pressure that Hank Aaron was going through as he approached Babe Ruth’s home run record. Maybe because he didn’t want to ruin the innocence of it for me. All I know is, on the playground, EVERYONE wanted to be Hank Aaron. But I did know about Jackie Robinson. I asked my father once why he didn’t play sooner if he was so good. “Stupidity” was his answer.

The thing is, he never joined a march or participated in a sit in or anything like that. And it’s not like we sat at the dinner table and lamented about the plight of the black man. If there was a black person to be called out or ridiculed, he did it. And unlike, so many other grown men I remember, he did it without blaming his race. Dad taught us to look beyond and look through, but most of all, that a putz can come in any color, shape or form. Luckily, I don’t feel compelled to personally give reparations. Otherwise, I’d be standing next to a guy in the DMV line, listening to him complain – then give him $50 and say, “Sorry ‘bout your struggle, man”

Liberal/Conservative Role Reversal

Ever notice how condescending a hard core conservative can be when you’re talking about social programs like drug prevention or Welfare-to-Work? They just give you that look that says, “Aw, you’re trying to be a good person, you REALLY are, but it just isn’t going to work. You’re just spouting off lame-ass statistics that don’t apply to real life. Some people are just no damn good. WHEN ARE YOU GONNA LEARN?”

You’ve heard it. We all have.

Now if you’re the type of person who is not into “turnabout is fairplay” or “I told you so, so SUCK IT”, then stop reading.

Next time you get a chance, listen to a right-winger defend Bush as he sends more and more and more troops over to the Middle East, sapping the strength out of our armed forces. “We can’t just leave those people over there in that mess…it’s gonna be chaos. If we pull out, there will be no stability in that region……we OWE it to them to stay and fight it out until we win………”

Aw, look at ‘em. They’re trying to fight a stupid war just to save face. It’s so CUUUTE. They have no idea that the mess is over there because of us. Remember when the war started? “We’ve got to get those WMD’s!!!! If yer not for us, yer agin us!!! YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY!! Don’t forget 9-11!” Now it’s, “Look how we deposed the ruthless dictator and how we’re incorporating democracy into this country. We RULE!”

Give them that look they always give you. The one that say, “You’re so full of crap,, but you believe it – that…… is so…… ADORABLE. Who started a widdle war and now says we can’t weave? Who says it? Come on, who says it? YOU DO, that’s a good widdle conservative!”