The birther people

I posted a comment on my Facebook page yesterday referencing the Republican senators and other assorted people who are running around Washington claiming that President Obama has no right to be President because he is not a natural born citizen and apparently I struck a nerve with one of my "friends". She wrote asking me not to post anything controversial on my own page! I reminded her of my free speech option and never heard anything back.
But the problem is still there. Not the FB issue - the issue of people claiming that Pres O shouldn't be where he is because they don't believe all the verification presented nullifying their complaint of Obama's birth location.
Really?
Is this all they have to do? Shouldn't we be spending energy where it's needed? Are they so threatened by this man or maybe, more to the point, are they that overcome by the thought of a black man occupying our highest office that they have to stoop to these allegations?
Yes, I am raising the issue of race. Why else would this be an issue? And a stupid one at that? Did anyone ask for Bush's documentation? Or Clinton's? Or McCain's? McCain wasn't even born in this country but his parents are citizens so that makes him one. Obama was born in Hawaii. Last time I looked that was a state of our union.
Come on, people, get over it. Move on. Pick another battle.
Like health care.
Oh, wait, there are Republicans trying to block that, too.
You know, when Bush was elected, Democrats cried foul but then moved on to the business of trying to run this country. Republicans don't seem to have that much class. They would rather complain themselves into oblivion. That would be okay with me if they weren't trying to drag the country along with them.
Complain in a corner all you want. Just stop trying to grind this country to a halt while you do your silly bickering.

Health care reform

I don't claim to know all there is to know about the ever-emerging problem. But I can attest to the fact that we need something done and soon.
People are complaining about the risk of rising taxes. But where is the money supposed to come from? If the healthcare system collapses, won't we all suffer? And wouldn't it be better to pay a little more in taxes if we will wind up with a program that offers healthcare to all in a more affordable option rather than running the risk of bankruptcy if a catastrophic illness strikes?
For too long we have coasted along allowing insurance companies and pharmaceutical firms to run the healthcare industry. It's about time we took it back.
And we as a nation need to take more responsibility for our actions. We have to be aggressive in our health wellness, not demanding to be taken care of when we fall victim to ilnesses we ourselves have contributed to. Yes, I mean obesity and diabetes, for starters. Smoking for another. We can't have it both ways. We can't demand better care and then sit on our [ever-widening] asses and not do something to help ourselves.
We need to wake up before it's too late.

Wise Italiana woman

So, today we head back into another day of hearings in the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
How many more times are the white Republican men going to badger her about her "wise Latina" remark?
Do they not hear themselves? How threatened they must truly be by a - gasp!- woman and a -double gasp!! - non-white woman.
The good ole boy bunch is being turned on its collective ear and they aren't even aware of how ridiculous they sound, they are so hell bent on preserving their position. I am almost embarrassed for them.
But this wise Italian woman is very happy to see Ms. Sotomayor's responses to them. She is patient, she is deferential. She is making them look even worse by her total command of herself. While they sputter and climb all over each other attempting to show their superiority and preserve their gonads, she is showing the world what a wise woman can do in the face of adversity.
And that is exactly what we need on the bench.

Can we please move on?

I am so sick and tired of hearing and reading about speculation regarding Palin's decision to abdicate her elected position of the governorship of Alaska. Who cares? She probably did them a favor. We aren't going to know the real reason by wondering anyway. If there is something brewing, we'll find out soon enough. If she plans on throwing her hat in the ring for President in 2012 we'll be able to laugh about that when the time comes. In the meantime, we need to learn a lesson from this and then move on.
The lesson? It's a waste of time for us to go on and on about a woman who has brought the term word salad to an art form. Nothing is to be gained from it.
Our country has important issues to tackle and speculating about the soon-to-be ex-governor of Alaska who has not contributed very much to the political scene is a big waste of time.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!
Despite the shortcomings and the weirdness that is our brand of politics sometimes, this is still the greatest country in the world [I think] and I am so happy to be privileged to live here.