I begin tonight's diary with just one observation.
Some "people" are just nuckin' futs!
Let's get on with "this day in history." On Aug. 16, 1977, singer Elvis Presley died at Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tenn., at age 42. Do you remember where you were when you found out he'd died? My family was on one of its numerous vacations out West, and the news came over the radio. My parents, huge Elvis fans, didn't say a word for hours.
On this date in 1988, Vice President George H.W. Bush tapped Indiana Senator Dan Quayle to be his running mate on the Republican ticket. And, a nation's comedians were FOREVER grateful! ;D
And, in a happy birthday at least for me, Madonna is 52! Hey, the 80s were my formative years, and even though she hasn't had a decent album in awhile, I grew up (sort of) with her - if there's such a thing as growing up. ;) Let's dance!
Let's Countdown - pointy bra optional - HA! ;D
#5 "Center of Controversy" AKA "‘Mosque’ Hysteria" - President Obama, over the weekend, stood up for the Constitutionality of the Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero. Note that I did not say ON Ground Zero; I said NEAR Ground Zero. A whole lot of people are getting their prepositions mixed up – if they even know what prepositions are! The "usual suspects" of the GOBP had a FIELD DAY with his words on the Sunday talk shows & elsewhere.
A lovely right – wing group is having a little get – together to protest the cultural center ON SEPTEMBER 11! Yea, remember those who died with more hatred & intolerance. The likes of "the scum" Breitbart & John Bolton (the guy who wanted to destroy most of the U.N. before he worked there) are planned speakers. Newt Gingrich is planning to be there, too, after playing the Nazi card on FAUX News. CLASSY! Senator "Cornhole" Cornyn had this to say:
It demonstrated that Washington, the White House, the Administration, the President himself, seems to be disconnected from the mainstream of America.
And, YOU, Mr. Cornhole, think YOU are "mainstream?!" Gadzooks, if he’s mainstream, I’d hate to see what a REAL right – wing nutjob looks like. Senator "Diaper Boy" Vitter & little Sharron Angle followed up with comments of their own of similar ilk; yep, the GOBP is going to make this a campaign issue. Senator Harry Reid’s office had THIS to say:
The First Amendment protects freedom of religion. Senator Reid respects that but thinks that the mosque should be built someplace else.
Hm...and people still think he should be Senate Majority Leader if he wins his election, AND the Dems retain control of the Senate? Hm... He might just be representing the feeling of a whole lot of Dems up for election in November that are too chicken $hit to stand up for what’s right. Rudi Odeh – Ramadan was a first responder on September 11, 2001, she is a Muslim – American, and I don’t imagine she asked what people’s religious beliefs were that day. Lots of Muslim – Americans died that day, too – a fact that "the usual suspects" seem to forget. "The usual suspects" are also conveniently forgetting that the main purpose of this building is A COMMUNITY CENTER – NOT A MOSQUE! Yes, there will be a place to practice religious faith in the building, but it’s one part of the building & not its main purpose. I wonder if the site has been subject to vandalism since this entire intolerant ilk started? There’s a similar facility 4 blocks away that’s apparently just fine; there are churches & other buildings of faith WAY closer to the actual Ground Zero than this center will be. Alex Wagner is in studio tonight. She agrees that the GOBP is going to make this "Ground Zero Mosque" a campaign issue for the upcoming election in November. Even GWB said in the aftermath of the attacks that not all Muslims were the people who hijacked those planes that horrible day. Alex ended with a great point. Will most Americans see this community center issue as a higher priority than, say, the unemployment situation or the economy? Typical GOBP wedge issues didn’t get very far in the 2008 POTUS campaign; people were more concerned about their pocketbooks.
#4 "Drawing Down" - 4415 Americans have died in Iraq; we’ve been there for 7 and a half years. The end of our combat role in Iraq is near – we hope! Unit flags are going down in bases all over the country. SOD Robert Gates announced that he plans to retire next year. General David Petraeus is in favor of the gradual troop draw – down in Iraq.
** AAAaaaaWWWWwwww!!!!! Look at the little ligers!!!!!! TOO CUTE – IT BURNZ! A dude was on fire at a baseball stadium in Georgia & ran the bases. Some heavily – padded Brits competed in summon – esque games in London. Um...WHY?! Oh yea, that’s Python country. ;D **
#3 "Coal Hearted" AKA "Paul VS Miners" - Dr. Rand Paul just lurves the coal; he thinks that darn EPA is just making it too darn difficult for mine owners with their regulations, their safety standards, etc. Any accidents where miners died were completely unavoidable; some might even say an "act of God" – kind of like another disaster a little further south. *&^%$#@!
Dr. Paul didn’t get the memo on why Harlan County, KY is so famous; miners tried to unionize & keep 16 – year – olds from working the mines. Teri Blanton’s brother was a coal miner who died in an accident; she’s not real crazy about what Rand Paul had to say – to put it mildly.
WPITW – A bear got into WPITW – a bear?! KEITH! DUDE! OK, I gotta remember the tongue – in – cheek sentiment behind this segment. Seriously, too many people are encroaching into bear territory, and encounters with humans are going to be unavoidable. Sometimes, those encounters won’t be pleasant ones. But, a bear’s a bear, and people should know better. Lonesome Rhodes thinks he’s Jeebus or something. The communications "lady" for the GOBP WI Governor candidate got her communication sensibilities straight out of Jim Crow.
"Special Comment" - Keith opened with those familiar powerful words from Pastor Martin Niemoller, and he knew from whence he spoke. Thankfully, he survived the war. The pastor’s words were warning against stoking the fires of hatred & intolerance just below the surface against any group. The infamous Ground Zero Mosque isn’t at Ground Zero, and it’s not going to be a mosque. Well, since when have pesky facts bothered "the usual suspects?" The proposed community center will have a basketball court & a culinary school? COOL! You can shoot some hoops & get some grub! There will be space on the top 2 floors of the 13 – story building for religious practice. Mosques have been subject of violence fairly recently. Can y’all believe Newt Gingrich used to be a history professor?! EEEEeeeeeWWWWwwww! The project developer, Sharif Gamal, changed the name of the place in response to Newtie’s twisted little view of history. St. Paul’s Chapel is way closer to Ground Zero; Church of St. Peter is closer, too. Families who lost loved ones in the attacks will not see the community center if they don’t want to; buildings in the area will totally obstruct Ground Zero. The place where the community center will be used to be a Burlington Coat Factory; the landing gear from one of the planes that horrible day dropped through the roof. Since then, and up until now, no one’s been willing to occupy the space. There are empty stores all over the neighborhood, and they’ve been empty for nearly 9 years. We went to Iraq to "free" them. So, we can free Muslims IN Iraq, but Muslims in this country are SOL & JWF.
Those who attacked us on 9/11 wanted to change our country to be more like them; the hatred & intolerance displayed not only for this community center but for the building of Islamic centers of faith all over this country just might turn this country into those cowardly hijackers after all. There actually IS a "Ground Zero Mosque" that was there before the World Trade Center that’s peacefully coexisted with the neighborhood for a long damn time.