Are people really this ignorant of basic CIVICS???

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday August 11, 2009 · 7:49 AM PDT

2009/08/11 · 07:49

I can answer my own question here. Sadly, yes. Many Americans are mind-bogglingly ignorant of how our government works and watching the Arlen Specter Town Hall meeting in Lebanon, PA is reinforcing all of my worst fears about the lack of knowledge and critical thinking skills of the citizenry. The result of decades of dis-investment in public education and the crass politicization of EVERY ISSUE (both Repubs and Dems have contributed, in my opinion) but the Rove/Luntz playbook is in full effect on the health care debate. More observations after the jump:

Poll

134 votes Show Results

How ignorant are American people to civic processes?

134 votes Vote Now!

How ignorant are American people to civic processes?

Really effin' STOOPID!

93 votes

It's not most, just the vocal minority that are ignorant

32 votes

We know our stuff, by and large

2 votes

Who cares? As long as I can watch 300 channels and eat pie!

7 votes

Huckabee: Abortion is "convenient." UPDATED W/ VIDEO!

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday June 18, 2009 · 11:13 PM PDT

2009/06/18 · 23:13

Why is it that self-righteous, "conservative" men are so completely convinced that the understand the motivation of women who choose to terminate pregnancy?

I'm not 100% sure, but I think Mr. "I value all life (except in instances of war, the death penalty, Gitmo, poverty, etc.)" Huckabee stated on the Daily Show tonight that more than 80% of abortions are performed because women find their pregnancies to be "inconvenient"-primarily a barrier to their social lives or too expensive. (he actually said 93% are completely "elective") He then compared abortion to euthanizing the elderly against their will! Thank you Jon Stewart for reminding Huck that the elderly aren't living inside of anyone's body!

On behalf of all women- those who have chosen to have abortions, and those who haven't- I would like to provide Mr. Huckabee with an alternate (informed) point of view.

If it's convenient for you, follow me beyond the jump!

Poll

52 votes Show Results

When it comes to the abortion debate:

52 votes Vote Now!

When it comes to the abortion debate:

There is middle ground to be found between "pro-life" and "pro-choice"

12 votes

There are false premises being presented by both sides, obscuring the issue

4 votes

Life begins at conception and abortion is always "baby killing"

9 votes

A woman has the right to make any reproductive decisions she believes are right for her

23 votes

This is all about political power and both sides are pandering for votes

1 vote

Blah, blah, blah- I'm sick of the whole abortion issue. STFU already!

3 votes

Bill Maher becoming an unfunny DICK! UPDATED W/VIDEO

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday May 22, 2009 · 7:57 PM PDT

2009/05/22 · 19:57

Okay. I've been a fan of Bill Maher for years. He's often willing to take on topics that few others are discussing seriously. As a comedian, he is able to be irreverent and expose absurdities in our politics and our culture. The last few episodes of Real Time, however, have revealed that he is either super burned out OR he is no longer able to contain his misogynistic douchebaggery.

My need to vent is inspired primarily by his interview with Sri Lankan rapper, M.I.A.

Follow me after the jump for my analysis! (Unless you are an unfunny dick)

Poll

384 votes Show Results

Is Bill Maher:

384 votes Vote Now!

Is Bill Maher:

Funny!- I don't see your point at all

110 votes

Less funny than he used to be and a bit of a jerk

158 votes

Unfunny but not offensive

19 votes

Unfunny and a chauvinist douchebag!

77 votes

Who's Bill Maher?

20 votes

Burning Down the House- UPDATED

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday May 08, 2009 · 8:36 AM PDT

2009/05/08 · 08:36

As I half-watch and listen to the morning "news" coverage on CNN and MSNBC, I am struck, once again, by the breathless, melodramatic reporting about the CA wildfires. To paraphrase, 'multi-million dollar homes destroyed! 30,000 neighbors evacuated! The fickle fires of choosing to destroy this "beautiful mansion" and not that one! OH THE HUMANITY!

Meanwhile, there's ho-hum, low-intensity coverage of actual tragedies like massive civilian casualties in Afghanistan. And attempts to spin the unemployment numbers as a sign of recovery. And ridiculous non-analysis of the Republic 'rebranding' effort.

Am I surprised by the vacuous, wealth obsessed, "stunningly superficial" coverage? Not in the slightest- but I'm gonna rant about it!

Follow me beyond the jump and through the looking-glass...

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday April 21, 2009 · 8:26 AM PDT

2009/04/21 · 08:26

Since the beginning of the new Presidency, the Obama White House has invited all of us to submit our ideas, comment on policy, ask questions & send well-wishes to our Chief Executive and his administration. Even though I have dozens of tasks on my to-do list this week, I felt compelled to write a letter to the President which I've reposted in its entirety below. I welcome your comments.

Poll

23 votes Show Results

Does it matter if the U.S. doesn't prosecute purveyors & justifiers of torture?

23 votes Vote Now!

Does it matter if the U.S. doesn't prosecute purveyors & justifiers of torture?

Yes- we lose moral standing and political influence in the world

7 votes

Yes- we provide ammunition for international actors to torture our citizens &/or recruit combatants

0 votes

Yes- the US Constitution and treaty agreements require prosecution of criminal acts at any level of gov't

5 votes

Yes- combination of reasons or additional reasons not stated above

5 votes

No- we have bigger issues to deal with in the economy & environment

2 votes

No- of course we torture people, it's necessary in a dangerous world

1 vote

No- no one cares

3 votes

None of the Above

0 votes

4 Shootings and a Funeral

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday April 08, 2009 · 7:55 PM PDT

2009/04/08 · 19:55

A few days ago, I posted a diary about my community's recent tragedy- the fatal shooting of an unarmed teenager, 17 year-old Christopher Cervini. Today, after attending Chris' funeral, I feel like a follow-up is in order.

I'm fully aware that obstacles and challenges are a necessary part of life and that resilience is born of adversity. I have a blessed life in many ways and I'm grateful. I have a home, a loving family, and, for the moment, anyway, gainful employment.

To be entirely honest, though, I have been struggling to maintain anything approaching optimism lately- even before Chris was killed. I am not seeking sympathy or comments of encouragement that things will get better. They may. They may not. Either way, I'll keep on going...

More after the jump...

Poll

16 votes Show Results

What the fuck are we doing?

16 votes Vote Now!

What the fuck are we doing?

Getting as much stuff as we can, of course. DUH!

2 votes

Managing stress in any way we can

3 votes

Figuring out how to move in a new direction with as little damage as possible

9 votes

La, la, la- can't hear you

2 votes

Vigilante Injustice Hits Home... AGAIN! Updated

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday April 05, 2009 · 10:29 PM PDT

2009/04/05 · 22:29

On April 4, a 17-year old local boy was murdered- shot 2 times in the chest at point-blank range in an affluent, residential, suburban neighborhood. Was he killed by a police officer during the commission of a heinous crime? No. Was he armed and threatening the man who shot him? No.

This teenage boy, with his entire life ahead of him, was murdered by a homeowner in the neighborhood who was concerned that this boy and his 2 teenage companions were possibly seeking to vandalize or break into nearby cars. Seriously. Over "possible" vandalism or petty theft, a 41-year old family man thought it was worthwhile to confront these kids with a loaded handgun! When the dust cleared, a boy lay slain in the driveway of a middle-class subdivision in Western NY. His family, friends, community- devastated.

What's wrong with us? My thoughts after the jump...

Poll

63 votes Show Results

In honor of those who've lost their lives in any form of senseless violence, I pledge to:

63 votes Vote Now!

In honor of those who've lost their lives in any form of senseless violence, I pledge to:

Support community based organizations that promote nonviolence

9 votes

Volunteer 4-6 hours per month to mentor or tutor a kid who needs a friend

2 votes

Write to my congresspersons advocating for renewal of the assault weapons ban

2 votes

Join the next peace rally in my community

1 vote

Two or more of the above

21 votes

None of the above- Not my problem!

28 votes

JUST DANCE! It'll be okay...

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday April 04, 2009 · 5:06 PM PDT

2009/04/04 · 17:06

Courtesy of Rachel Maddow and Twitter, the video below is a distraction worth 4 minutes of your time!

As the Managing Director of a performing arts-based leadership development program for teenagers (See City at Peace for more info), I love to see any demonstration of the power of the arts to awaken deadened souls and invite civic engagement!

Watch the video after the jump and feel free to share with others. We could all use a smile-inducing reminder that people are creative, fun-loving, and able to connect with strangers despite all evidence to the contrary!

Oh- and we all love Julie Andrews, don't we?

Poll

116 votes Show Results

My Favorite

116 votes Vote Now!

My Favorite

Do, Re, Mi

22 votes

Sixteen Going on Seventeen

1 vote

Climb Ev'ry Mountain

24 votes

Something Good

3 votes

So Long, Farewell

9 votes

Edelweiss

14 votes

The Sound of Music

4 votes

The Lonely Goatherd

8 votes

My Favorite Things

17 votes

Maria

6 votes

What the hell is The Sound of Music?

1 vote

Musicals suck!

7 votes

Barack to French Audience: "This is OUR time!"

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday April 03, 2009 · 6:15 AM PDT

2009/04/03 · 06:15

Once again, President Barack Obama has demonstrated his mastery at coalition-building. While the rhetoric he delivers is not always supported by facts or logic, the striking differences between the language he uses when addressing audiences and that of his predecessor are significant and meaningful.

Most notable is the use of "we" language. When Barack says "we," "us," or "our," he is intentionally inclusive of others. Not everyone, but certainly those considered allies. Bush was consistently exclusionary and belligerent in his language regarding non-US entities and even US citizens when they weren't on the "right" side.

Read on if you're interested and please comment with your thoughts!

Poll

100 votes Show Results

To what extent is Obama's language important for US Foreign Relations

100 votes Vote Now!

To what extent is Obama's language important for US Foreign Relations

Extremely important

90 votes

Somewhat important

5 votes

Not very important

0 votes

Not at all important

0 votes

It's all smoke & mirrors

2 votes

Blah, blah, blah... yadda, yadda, yadda!

3 votes

G20 Protest Coverage- Typical MSM Framing of Protesters as "ANARCHISTS," "TROUBLE-MAKERS," etc.

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday April 01, 2009 · 7:13 AM PDT

2009/04/01 · 07:13

As I flip between the morning news coverage on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox (yes, I can tolerate it in short doses), I'm struck by the way in which the G20 protests and those protesting are framed. Ever since the "Battle of Seattle," corporate-owned television media have been consistent in minimizing the message and impact of citizen protests here in the US and around the world. It's almost like they have a vested interest in making protests seem irrelevant...

peacemom528

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday March 24, 2009 · 10:25 AM PDT

2009/03/24 · 10:25

Okay- this is my first Daily Kos diary, so be gentle! I am compelled to post this as a parent and community activist and I invite your commentary...

My husband and I recently viewed the entire on-line "Crash Course" by Dr. Chris Martenson. This video slide-show documents and explains, in an understandable way, what we are facing economically and environmentally and it's less than encouraging, folks!

We're rapidly approaching the "Post-Petroleum" Age and, while that's a good thing in many ways that I won't go into in this post, there are a few reality-based issues that we must acknowledge and begin to deal with if we are to have any hope of transferring to our children a future worth living in! I, for one, couldn't live with myself if I didn't do EVERYTHING in my power to raise these issues and encourage others to do so, too.

More after the jump...

Poll

28 votes Show Results

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURES?

28 votes Vote Now!

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURES?

Growing "the global economy"

4 votes

Preserving "the environment"

6 votes

Electing more Democrats

1 vote

Criticizing/silencing Rush Limbaugh and the "Right Wing Noise Machine"

0 votes

Changing our cultural story

6 votes

All of the above

8 votes

None of the above

3 votes

RSS

Are people really this ignorant of basic CIVICS???

Huckabee: Abortion is "convenient." UPDATED W/ VIDEO!

Bill Maher becoming an unfunny DICK! UPDATED W/VIDEO

Burning Down the House- UPDATED

Mr. President- Investigate and Prosecute Torture Policy-makers!

4 Shootings and a Funeral

Vigilante Injustice Hits Home... AGAIN! Updated

JUST DANCE! It'll be okay...

Barack to French Audience: "This is OUR time!"

G20 Protest Coverage- Typical MSM Framing of Protesters as "ANARCHISTS," "TROUBLE-MAKERS," etc.

On rearranging deck chairs...