US Physician killed by Terrorist

Dr. George Tiller was murdered by a terrorist on Sunday morning, in Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Tiller was murdered in the lobby of the Reformation Lutheran Church, as he welcomed congregants into the worship service.

Dr. Tiller worked at a women's health clinic. The clinic was one of the few that provided late term abortions for women whose health (and perhaps their lives) would be compromised by giving birth.

Dr. Tiller was murdered by a TERRORIST. His murder was a HATE CRIME against women. Dr. Tiller was murdered by a TERRORIST for performing a LEGAL medical procedure.

At what point will terrorists stop having more rights than women and doctors? At what point will we take domestic terrorism at abortion clinics seriously?

How would you feel if your marriage was up for a vote?

Careful what you wish for.

Judas Jobs

We all start out as babies. Babies are future humans – the hatchlings we feed, nurture, educate, and eventually kick out of the nest to fend for themselves. They are completely dependent upon us. Babies all come out looking rather like Winston Churchill, but turn into little images of genetic memory. “She has her father’s nose” or “He has his mother’s eyes” are the kinds of comments made while staring into the face of the future, and trying to identify whom he or she most looks like. It’s hard to imagine wanting to hurt babies, or cynically wanting to profit from their existence, but sadly, there are those who do, who have.

In 1974, a group called War on Want published a treatise called, “The Baby Killer.” It was a report on the use of infant formulas and infant malnutrition in Third World countries. That same year, a Swiss group published the same report, calling it, “Nestle Kills Babies.” Nestle filed a libel suit against the group. In 1976, the group was found guilty of libel. They were fined a nominal 300 Swiss francs, and the judge warned Nestle about its marketing practices.

What infant formula companies were doing was giving their products to nursing mothers in hospitals, and touting their superiority over breast milk. The mothers used the free samples, their milk dried up, and they left the hospital, having to buy infant formula, and mix it with water that was often contaminated. They would stretch the formula, trying to save money, resulting in poor nutrition. Nestle wasn’t the only company that was doing it – but it was (and still is) the largest.

In 1977 a group called INFACT (Infant Formula Action Coalition) launched the Nestle boycott, in Minnesota. In 1978, hearings were held in the US concerning the marketing of baby formula. A year later, UNICEF and the WHO held an international meeting, and called for an international code of marketing for such products. A code was developed ad adopted by 1981. In 1984 Nestle agreed to implement the code, after meeting with boycott organizers. The boycott was suspended. It was re-launched in 1989, after the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) claimed that health care facilities in the developing world were awash in free samples from infant food companies. Nothing had changed. Again, Nestle wasn’t the only company profiting on the misery and poverty of the third world, but they were the largest.

Time and time again, Nestle has refused to change their behavior. They have been found guilty of the same actions, over and over. And so, the boycott continues. It has spread across the globe. Nestle is currently under fire for their aggressive marketing techniques in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Nestlé’s lack of moral compass extends to their dealings with the small US towns they divide and conquer whilst buying up the water supply. The same scenarios have played out in small towns across the country. The residents of Fryeburg voted against Nestle building the pumping and trucking station. Nestle sued the town 5 times. They just weren’t willing to take no for an answer. Nestle told the Maine State Supreme Court that the town was interfering with Nestlé’s RIGHT to grow their market share. It seems they feel they are entitled to the water.

In McCloud,CA, Nestle negotiated a secret deal (no public input) that would have granted them control of the water for 100 years, for next to nothing. Nestle got involved in local elections – and funded the pro-Nestle candidates. The private financial records of Nestle opponents were subpoenaed – in an attempt to intimidate.

Sound familiar? It’s pretty much the same thing that they did in Fryeburg. Threats were made about IRS audits and investigations into the finances of opponents. Meanwhile, the Maine legislators turn a blind eye. Governor Baldacci was Nestle/Poland Spring’s lawyer at one time. Senators Collins and Snowe don’t seem to answer the calls they get from constituents opposing Nestle.

Divide and conquer. It’s easy to play in small towns that are in desperate need of jobs and revenue. It’s easy to bring out the pettiness that lurks below the surface of our (barely) civilized veneers. In Fryeburg the backlash against those who oppose Nestle continues. The award for most petty and venal goes to those who are trying hard to get the Fryeburg librarian fired. Emily Fletcher opposed Nestle. She didn’t back down, or shut up, and now a small group of pitchfork wielding yokels are trying to suggest that Mrs. Fletcher is somehow lining her own pockets through the tiny Fryeburg Library budget. These are people would besmirch a neighbor on behalf of a corporation who has made a fortune profiteering in the Third World. They would betray a neighbor for a few Judas jobs

Nestle doesn’t seem to understand yet is that global communication is making it easier for communities to fight them. Global communication makes it easier to keep an eye on them, and to tell the truth about them.

The whole world is watching.


“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” Benjamin Franklin, in “Poor Richard’s Almanac.”

Resources: www.ibfan.org and stopnestlewaters.org

© S. Bruce 2009

June 8 Update:
One of the pitchfork wielding yokels who was calling for Emily Fletcher's blood (while said yokel's blood had approximately a .15 alcohol level) is apparently on Poland Spring's payroll.

men at work

How is it that Rush Limbaugh can lecture ANYONE about looks, and be taken seriously? Seriously - for all of the whiny men who claim they can't understand why I talk about sexism - THIS is why. THIS is exactly why.

International Day Against Homophobia

This year's theme is: homosexuality knows no borders.

Held on May 17 each year, the International Day Against Homophobia is the moment to remember that homosexuality is a universal fact and cannot be restricted by borders.
There are gay men and lesbians in all countries. What actually differs from country to country is how these people are treated.
Not all of the world’s citizens are able to enjoy the privilege of living in an egalitarian society. In many countries, loving a member of the same sex and having sexual relations with that person are against the law.

NH is poised to legally sanction marriage for our gay brothers and sisters. This isn't possible in so many other countries around the world. We can help stop homophobia around the globe by setting a good example here.

Radical Cleric Pat Robertson

Apparently Pat's doing a little selective reading of that Bible he's so fond of. The Old Testament is full of polygamy. The same Old Testament that Mullah Robertson uses to condemn homosexuality.

If the "logical consequence" of same gender marriage is pedophila - how in the world does Mullah Pat explain all that molestation going on in evangelical and Catholic churches? And why is ole hurricane Pat silent on the FLDS - polygamy AND pedophilia?

Evolution Happens

It’s been a big year for equality in New England. Vermont passed a bill granting marriage equality to its gay and lesbian residents. Republican Governor Jim Douglas vetoed the bill, but legislators overrode the veto. On Wednesday, Maine Governor John Baldacci signed Maine’s marriage equality bill into law. On signing the bill into law, Baldacci said, “In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions. I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage." Also on Wednesday, the NH House voted to pass the Senate amended version of HB 436, the NH marriage equality bill. It now goes to Governor Lynch, who can sign, not sign and let it become law, or veto.

I listened to the audio stream from the NH House chamber, which meant I was able to hear the last ditch efforts of the anti-equality folks. They all said basically the same thing – and everything they said was a lie, especially when they said they needed “more time” to craft a better bill, something they had absolutely no intention of. Out of state hate groups spend a ton of money on ads and robo-calls. The Cornerstone Policy Group, an in-state hate group, also launched robo-calls that were pretty darned close to push polling. The anti-equality members of the House are already sending around emails decrying the “out of state groups” that want to engage in social engineering. Sounds like a massive case of projection to me.

One of the most interesting aspects of the anti-equality folks is that they love to shout about government interference in their personal freedoms. Local GOP prattler Maynard Thomson dedicated hundreds of words to express his outrage at the very possibility of a seatbelt law, in his most recent epistle. The Republicans view of gummint interference adds up to:
1. Don’t make me wear a seatbelt.
2. Don’t take my guns away.
3. Don’t make me pay taxes.

Interfering in women’s health decisions, or discriminating against homosexuals – why that’s different. God told them to do that. There is, of course, a word to describe this - hypocrisy. Otherwise, how could Thomson write these words:
“Otherwise, what DOES justify the passion to control others? What, beyond shattering arrogance and a messianic zeal to meddle in other people’s lives, wherever it appears politically possible? Enquiring minds want to know!”

What the poor, old, mired-in-the-past Republicans don’t understand (or don’t wish to acknowledge) is that things change. Prior to the 1950’s, people lived with their extended family. Mom, Pop, and the kids lived with their grandparents and often aunts and uncles. In the 50’s came the idea of the nuclear family; just Mom, Pop, and the kids. Mom lost her support system, and had to do all the childcare and housework all by herself. It’s no coincidence that this coincided with the introduction of Valium.

Families change, as do societal mores. We don’t have slaves any more. We frown on lynching, although both were perfectly acceptable at one time. We burned witches at one time – witches who always seemed to be women who refused to comply with male leadership, and refused to shut up about it. Marital rape and wife beating were once quite acceptable. These days - not so much. Women were completely left out of the original Constitution, but we finally fought our way into being included, and getting the right to vote. We no longer believe the world is flat, or that leeches are a medical cure. That’s human history for you – always changing and evolving.

Unfortunately, the GOP has put itself on the wrong side of that equation. They’ve chosen to become the party of bigotry and discrimination. It is interesting to watch GOP form The National Council for a New America, dedicated to reviving the Republican Party. The group includes Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, John McCain, and Haley Barbour. From what I’ve seen, it’s the same old white guys with the same old message. They’re stuck with the very narrow views of the radical Christian right, and that isn’t going to help them attract younger folks and move forward. They’re stuck in the past – and a few of them getting Twitter accounts won’t change that.

NH House GOP leader Sherman Packard has already said that if Governor Lynch signs HB 436 into law, the GOP will hold him responsible. He also said that same sex marriage would figure prominently in the 2010 elections. Not a one of the haters can tell you how gay people getting married will affect their own marriages – because it won’t. It will create new families, something the haters say they want. If we dare to venture into reality, gay people getting married will be good for the economy of our state. There will be marriage licenses, hall rentals, flowers, cakes, tuxedos, gowns, and of course, tourist dollars. Hanging on to the bigotry in this economy is cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face. The continued embrace of the far right means further self-marginalization by the GOP. Poppy Sununu and Mitt Romney aren’t interested in moving into the future. They want desperately to remain in the past.

“The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals. It's just that they need more supervision.” Lynn Lavner


This was published as an editorial in the Conway Daily Sun on May 8, 2009.

© s.bruce 2009

HB 436 passes the NH House!

The marriage equality bill passed the NH House, went to the Senate and was amended, then passed, and sent back to the House for concurrence. Today, despite the endless robocalls by out of state hate groups, and the foolish last minute testimony of nutty right wingers, HB 436 passed the House 178-167. A motion to reconsider failed.

The bill now goes to Governor Lynch. He can sign it into law, not sign it and let it become law, or veto it.
He's been quite clear that he believes "marriage is between a man and a woman."

Today Maine Governor John Baldacci signed Maine's marriage equality bill into law. Here's a little of what he said:

"In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions. I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage."

Let us hope that Governor Lynch emulates Governor Baldacci.

All this equality in one week! Congratulations, Maine!

NH Freedom to Marry Ad

So, what are you waiting for? Call Governor Lynch!

Auto-tune the News

Auto-tune is a software program used to alter the voices of singers to give them perfect pitch. Without auto-tune Britney Spears would be a checkout girl at Wal-Mart.

When the program is used on people who aren't singing, they sound electronic. The Gregory Brothers have been having fun with something they call auto-tune the news.

Reminder for the Day

Ode to Sean Hannity
by John Cleese

Aping urbanity
Oozing with vanity
Plump as a manatee
Faking humanity
Journalistic calamity
Intellectual inanity
Fox Noise insanity
You’re a profanity
Hannity

Hang 'Em High

The NH House of Representatives voted in favor of HB 556; a bill calling for the repeal of the death penalty. On April 14, the NH Senate Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee heard public testimony on the bill. They heard 3 hours of testimony. It was one of the best run hearings I’ve ever attended. Committee Chair Deb Reynolds was kind and empathetic, and treated everyone with respect, regardless of their position on the issue. She managed to very kindly move the repetitious speakers right along. It was unlike senate hearings I’ve attended in years gone by, where senators felt free to actually yell at members of the public, whilst they gave testimony. The Democratic majority has made for far more civil behavior.

Senator Reynolds also deviated from custom by asking Representatives who were there to either support or speak against the bill to wait until members of the public had their say. This was an extremely polite and respectful gesture, and one I’d never experienced.

Most of the cops who testified were from Manchester. This really isn’t about the death penalty for them, this is about killing Michael Addison, who killed Officer Michael Briggs of the Manchester PD. Manchester Police Chief David Mara said that if Briggs isn’t executed, he’d live the life of a rock star in prison. Apparently Chief Mara has never been to a prison. It ain’t exactly Carnegie Hall.

It was hard not to cry along with Michael Brigg’s mother, as she testified about losing her son. It was hard not to cry along with State Rep. Robert Cushing Jr., as he spoke about his father’s murder. It was hard not to cry as Bess Claussen Landis, who testified about her mother being beaten, raped, and killed one day while Bess and her sisters were at school. The family members of murder victims offered powerful testimony.

Manchester Lieutenant Nick Willard was angry with the legislators who dared to put this bill forward, and clearly offended at anyone who dare disagree with his position, which was, “I find this to be a slap in the face.” Willard seems to think that the death penalty is how a state shows support and respect for law enforcement. HB 556 could be sent to a study committee, and Willard essentially said, have the study committee, let us kill Addison, and THEN repeal the death penalty. Willard’s testimony illustrates one reason why there should be no death penalty. Angry people make decisions based on vengeance – and make no mistake, vengeance is what the death penalty is all about. Primal, eye for an eye style vengeance.

Rich white people don’t die on death row. Most people who are executed in the United States are poor people of color. Some of the folks speaking against HB 556 attempted to prove that NH is different, and even though we’re going to execute a poor black man, it’s different in NH. No one really addressed the fact that NH has had 2 capital cases recently. Rich, white murderer John Brooks didn’t get the death penalty.

The most gripping testimony of the afternoon came from Curtis McCarty, who spent 21 years in prison for murder, 16 of them on death row. He was exonerated in 2007 by DNA evidence. The room was completely silent as Curtis spoke - and he spoke with great respect for law enforcement, and a remarkable lack of bitterness. He also pointed out how painful this was for the family of the victim. They spent 21 years hating him and wishing him dead, only to find out that they'd hated the wrong guy. So much for the healing and closure the death penalty is supposed to provide.

Given the oft-expressed GOP fears about keeping costs low in the state, I wonder at their support for the death penalty. I haven’t heard a single Republican legislator address the cost factor. Why is that? Would the support change if property taxes were increased to pay for it?

NH does not have a death chamber. The Dept. of Corrections apparently has a plan for building one, to the tune of $1.7 million, but it is not as yet in a budget. We will also have to hire an execution team. NH law does not require that the team be comprised of licensed doctors or nurses. This is good news, since assisting in an execution would seem to go against the credo of the medical profession. Still, there will have to be an execution team to administer the lethal injection. Arnie Alpert of the NH American Friends Service Committee wondered about this in his HB 556 testimony. “Will they be state employees, subject to collective bargaining?” Alpert asked.

The state has already spent $3 million on the Brooks and Addison cases. The Addison case will cost millions more. How many millions? There is no way to know. The appeals process is lengthy and costly. This is why the pro-death penalty advocates don’t talk about the cost. It’s going to be enormous – just to kill one guy. Meanwhile, our state has a waiting list for people with developmental disabilities to receive services. Meanwhile, we don’t want to pay for educating our kids – an education that might well help prevent them from growing up to be criminals. Our priorities are skewed. Next time you run into one of your pro-death penalty local legislators, ask where the money is going to come from to kill Michael Addison.

The first executions in NH took place in 1739. It was a double hanging. Sarah Simpson and Penelope Kenny were hanged for “feloniously concealing the death of an infant bastard child.” Hangings were public spectacles, until 1868, when a riot broke out in Woodsville, after the hanging of Samuel Mills. The executions that followed were conducted on the grounds of the state prison in Concord. The last execution in NH was in 1939, when Howard Long was hanged for molesting and killing a 10-year-old boy. The state dismantled the gallows in the 1980’s. Obviously, it would be cheaper to hang Michael Addison, and why not? If we’re going to keep company with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran, why not hang the guy? For that matter, why not stone him to death? That would be even cheaper, and I’m sure we could amend the statute. The Manchester cops could gather up the stones. We could have a lottery to determine who would cast the first stone. And if it were up to me, it would be mandatory for any governor who vetoed the repeal of the death penalty to be present.

“Perhaps the bleakest fact of all is that the death penalty is imposed not only in a freakish and discriminatory manner, but also in some cases upon defendants who are actually innocent.” US Supreme Court Justice William Brennan.


This was printed as an op-ed in the Conway Daily Sun on April 24, 2009


©s.bruce 2009

Torture

Keith Olberman on whether waterboarding is torture or not. (HINT - it is)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Giant Blowhard Sean Hannity says he'd submit to waterboarding:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I don't believe Hannity will go through with it - he's just another cowardly right wing bloviator - but let's encourage him to make good on his promise. Email him at hannity@foxnews.com Or give Fox News a call: Phone: (212) 301-3000
Fax: (212) 301-4229

Prosecute, Now

Out of Step with NH

On April 21, NH Senate District 3 will be having a special election. After last year’s GOP smear campaign against Democratic candidate Bud Martin, William Denley was voted in, and then promptly got his third DWI shortly after taking office. The Republicans couldn’t decide whom to run as a replacement. There was talk of Fergus Cullen, the former chair of the NH GOP. Given how resoundingly the GOP lost in 2008, Fergus wisely decided to stay home. These days he confines himself to making nasty comments about Congresswoman Shea-Porter with all the other Mensa members in the comment section of the Union Leader.

There was talk of Joe Kenney, after his rather inglorious defeat in the governor’s race. All over NH, people are still scratching their heads and asking, “Joe who?” The lucky guy who won the toss, or drew the short straw, depending on how you look at it, is Jeb Bradley. That’s right, Jeb Bradley, former Congressman. After what could only be charitably described as an undistinguished 2 terms in the US House of Representatives, Bradley lost in 2006, and then again in 2008 to Carol Shea-Porter. Apparently Bradley is so desperate to get elected to anything, he chose to run for the Senate seat, so hastily vacated by William Denley.

Jeb Bradley served in the NH House before he was sent to Congress. In the NH legislature he had a reputation for being a nice, moderate Republican. That nice moderate fellow disappeared completely when he began his Congressional campaign. He ran against Martha Fuller Clark, and ran a series of ads that focused on Martha’s appearance, something he’d never have done in a campaign against a man. Sexist? You betcha.

Jeb campaigned on the issue of Social Security, and was clear that he was against privatizing it. Once he got to Washington, he flip flopped on that issue – to the point where he STILL won’t take a firm stand on it. Jeb promised he was against drilling in ANWR. Again – he changed his tune once he got to Washington. In fact, Jeb Bradley voted with George Bush about 90% of the time. Jeb voted for every disastrous Bush budget. Jeb waved his pom-poms in support of the invasion of Iraq. He supported every single outrageous military appropriations bill. With Jeb’s help, we’ve spent close to a trillion dollars in Iraq, and counting, with absolutely no accountability for where that money went.

Jeb also supported the disastrous Medicare Part D drug insurance benefit. The Part D plan was written by a bunch of folks who shortly thereafter went to work for Big Pharma. One of the provisions stipulated that Part D could not negotiate for better drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies. This means that we taxpayers, who subsidize Part D, pay as much as 500 times more for some drugs than they actually cost. When I read the letters of support that describe Bradley as a fiscal conservative, that’s what I remember. He was right there with George Bush – the same George Bush whose disastrous policies got us where we are today.

State Representative Harry Merrow complained bitterly in a recent letter to the editor about the Democrats turning NH into a “nanny state,” which is why we need Jeb Bradley. Apparently Representative Merrow is suffering from the same kind of collective amnesia that so many of his fellows Republicans seem to be victims of. Jeb Bradley supported illegal wiretapping, arresting and imprisoning US citizens without charge, spying on US citizens, no fly lists, torture, and the shredding of the Constitution by the Bush administration and its Justice Department. Jeb never uttered a peep against any of those tyrannical actions. In fact, Jeb proudly voted for the REAL ID Act, which would have put all of our personal information in a national data bank, and forced us to carry national ID cards. The state of NH voted against participating in the REAL ID program – which was the ultimate in nanny statism. The GOP only gets to wailing about the nanny state when seatbelt laws are brought up. They don’t care if Uncle Sam forces you to carry an ID card, as long as Uncle Sam is wearing an elephant and a flag pin in his lapel. Other nanny stateish activities would include interfering in the marriages and uteri of NH residents. The NH GOP has no problem with either.

In 2005, I listened, as Jeb Bradley tried to explain his position on marriage equality at a town hall meeting in Harts Location. He repeated, “I believe marriage is between a man and a woman,” over and over. He couldn’t tell us WHY he believed that -he could just repeat the talking point, over and over again. Since then, NH passed a civil union law, and may well join our neighbors in VT and Massachusetts in granting our gay and lesbian citizens full marriage equality. Surely the GOP can continue to cling to bigotry an integral part of the party platform – but the voters of NH are smarter than that. I’m certain that caterers, florists, inns, and hotels are thinking that marriage equality might be very good for business in a bad economy.

Jeb Bradley is out of step with NH voters. While he went to Washington and joined the far right, NH has been moving in a different direction. We rejected REAL ID. We’re rejecting bigotry and embracing equal rights. Bradley is being called a leader. He hasn’t shown a scintilla of leadership since his first Congressional campaign. What he has shown is a remarkable ability to embrace the politics of the far right, and a talent for mouthing their talking points, without even being able to explain them.
NH has a lot of challenges ahead. Those challenges will require our unpaid legislators to work long and hard. The GOP is transitioning into being the party of NO. The voters of district 3 deserve better, and so does our state.


“The Republican brand is in the trash can. If we were dog food, they would take us off the shelf.” Tom Davis, 2008



This was submitted to the Conway Daily Sun as an editorial to appear in the April 10 edition. The Sun seems to have taken a very sharp turn to the right during the last few weeks, so I don't know if this will see print.

©s.bruce

War or Civilization?

At a time when many Americans are losing their jobs and homes, the one safe place to be employed seems to be cable TV news. There is no shortage of talking heads to rehash the same issues over and over. There is seldom any news,
and certainly no actual reporting–just news models, repeating the same things, endlessly. In fact, CNN and Fox News have even given new life to commentators like the virtuous Bill Bennett, and the toe-sucking Dick Morris. Anyone with an intellect higher than that of a sea sponge doesn’t have any expectations of intelligent commentary from Fox, but when did CNN become a Fox clone?

Night after night, a parade of privileged beltway handwringers holds forth on the economy - in particular, the Wall St. economy. They have no interest in what’s happening to real working people. They don’t cover the tent cities that are springing up in warmer climates, or the shocking increase in homeless children. Ali Velshi, with his ooompa-looompa orange make up pontificates nightly on the fate of Wall St, AIG, and the incomes of the wealthy, or at least the still employed – with the assumption that all Americans are heavily invested in Wall St. The real world does not intrude.

The 24-hour cable news cycle creates a sense of dishonest urgency. We hear them screaming about the economy for weeks, and wonder, why hasn’t Obama fixed it yet? None of the banshees are honest enough to point out that what is wrong with the economy actually has its roots in the Reagan administration – 30 years ago. This isn’t going to be fixed overnight. We’ll be digging ourselves out of this mess for decades. Speaking of St. Ronnie – a reminder. Ronald Reagan doubled the national debt and tripled the deficit while he was in office.

The recession/depression has certainly brought about an amazing transformation – Republicans are suddenly talking about fiscal responsibility! For eight long years, they were silent while the Bush Administration did its best to destroy the US economy. In fact, they stood by and applauded while Bush borrowed close to a trillion dollars to pay for the war he shouldn’t have started in the first place. There was no pious talk of the debt we would be saddling our children and grandchildren with coming from them – not then, anyhow.

NH’s own senior US Senator, Judd Gregg is determined to stay in the limelight, after his abortive cabinet nomination. A few weeks ago, he published an op-ed in the Washington Times where he spoke of the proposed Obama budget, “In other words, the president's proposal is a massive and breathtaking document, and it should not be called a budget. Rather, it should be called a blueprint for the France-ification of America, a notebook for nationalization, or a memo for massive debt creation.” Where was Judd for the last 8 years, while Bush poured taxpayer dollars into Iraq without even getting a receipt?

Oh, that’s right -Senator Gregg was busy waving pom-poms in his cheerleader uniform as he worked hard to pass every single Bush budget. Senator Gregg was happy to borrow enormous sums and hand them over to the Pentagon. This is the same Pentagon that can’t pass an audit, or account for some $2.6 trillion in cash and assets. A look at the federal discretionary budget pie chart reveals that over half of the pie goes to the Pentagon. A little tiny sliver goes to education. This illustrates our national spending priorities very clearly. We’re more interested in killing people than educating them.

Still, one has to admire Judd Gregg’s audacity. He can opine about “France-ification” knowing that the media certainly won’t be holding him accountable, in Washington or New Hampshire. It’s even almost understandable. Gregg doesn’t want to make changes to the US health care system. He has excellent health insurance, and that’s all that matters! Those silly Frenchies, those cheese-eating surrender monkeys – why they have the best health care system in the world! France has the healthiest people. You can see why Bootstrap Judd would hate the French. According to GOP gospel, health care is reserved for the deserving and the wealthy. Those socialists in France think everyone should have equally good care. By all means, let’s issue a collective national sneer against that idea.

In looking through statistics to find out what it is that the United States is number one in, these days, I found interesting statistics. Finland is #1 in education; Sweden is #1 in literacy. The US ranks 45th in public spending on education. The Netherlands is #1 in civil and political liberties, followed by Australia, Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, and the US in seventh place. Iceland is #1 in DSL access, while the US is 21st. Norway is #1 in gender empowerment, while the US ranks #11.

This was all kind of depressing, so I dug deeper, to find a couple of areas where the US is doing very well. We’re #2 in child poverty! Mexico is #1, but the increase in joblessness and homelessness may well push us over into first place. We can all go forth and trumpet our pride at being Number One in teen pregnancies! Abstinence only sex ed has been a success after all. We'RE NUMBER ONE!!

The US spends more on defense than all other countries in the world, combined. As a result of that kind of prioritizing, we are increasingly less healthy, less educated, less literate, and less free. It would be worth discussing that, as we attempt to rebuild the US economy.

“Probably, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both.”
~Abraham Flexner


Published as an editorial in the Conway Daily Sun on March 27, 2009
©s.bruce

Using the Children

On Thursday, March 26, the NH House will be voting on HB436 and HB415 on Thursday, March 26.
HB436 is a bill making marriage equality the law in our state. We've had civil unions for over a year, and the sky didn't fall, toads did not fall from the sky, and there has been no plague of locusts. Just happy couples, joined in ....union. It's time to take off the training wheels, and give our gay brethren the same rights heterosexuals enjoy.

HB415 defines gender identity and expression, and will protect transgendered persons from discrimination. This is just common sense.

As the vote gets nearer, and the GOP becomes increasingly unhinged, an out of state group called The National Organization for Marriage has spent a bunch of money on radio ads that are airing in NH.

audio clip

The ad uses children's voices to make points about marriage equality:

"Grandma, my teacher said if Grandpa was a girl, that's okay, you could still be married."

"If my dad married a man, who would be my mom?"

"I want a mommy and a daddy."

Could this be any more sleazy? They are using children to push their agenda of hate and bigotry. Someone told those children what to say, and recorded their voices.

In addition to the despicable use of children in this ad, the other message the ad sends is that the tax and spend liebruls are wasting time on issues like CIVIL RIGHTS, when they should be cutting the budget and making sure that NH provides as poor an education as possible.

The folks at NH Freedom to Marry have made it easy to contact legislators: to send an email asking them to vote for HB436 and HB415. Obviously it carries more weight if you contact your own representatives directly, to tell them how you feel.

Send a clear message that this group - who is so vile that they would put their hate speech in the mouths of children - that this group does NOT speak for the people of NH.

h/t to Dean at Blue Hampshire for the audio clip.

Just Say Yes

The war on drugs was declared on June 17, 1971. President Richard Nixon declared that drug abuse was
“public enemy number one in the United States.” In 1976, Jimmy Carter advocated the decriminalization of marijuana. Then, in 1984, Nancy Reagan (a dedicated pill-popper herself) gave us the “Just Say No” campaign. Ronald Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, giving us mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenses, and filling US prisons with drug offenders, some with 20-year sentences.

Republican presidents have given us two unwinnable wars. The war on drugs and the war on terror: both at a cost of approximately a trillion dollars thus far–and counting. The United States has spent over $10 billion in the war on drugs this year. It costs us approximately $1000 per second to fight this losing war.

We humans are creatures of habit. We do many things without ever questioning the reasons why. Daylight savings time is a classic example. We force students into a particular schedule; because that’s the way it’s always been done. We don’t question the fact that the US spends more on defense than all other countries in the world combined. We don’t ever question our spending priorities. Imagine what we could do with the billions we’re wasting on the war on drugs this year?

California will never be able to cut out enough state employees and services to balance the budget. Imagine if they were reaping the tax benefits of the state’s largest cash crop? At some point, we would be wise to face the truth that is staring us in the face – prohibition isn’t working.

This past week, the NH House heard testimony on HB648, a bill that would permit the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, if prescribed by a physician. People who are dealing with a variety of illnesses including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy asked state legislators to approve this bill, and allow them to legally use marijuana to ease their symptoms and side effects. Every one of us who knows someone who has cancer knows that at some point, the chemo and radiation can cause nausea. So, these people who have no immune systems lose weight alarmingly fast because eating makes them sick, or because everything tastes bad to them as a result of the chemicals. One way to combat that is smoking marijuana, which does give smokers an appetite.

HB648 has an interesting array of sponsors from both sides of the aisle. Representative Evalyn Merrick of Lancaster bravely came forward and spoke about her own use of marijuana during cancer treatment a few years ago. Representative Merrick is hardly a stereotypical pothead. She is a brave woman who dared to tell the truth. The cures for cancer are sometimes worse than the disease. Medicinal use of marijuana can alleviate some of the worst side affects.

Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, a Benson appointee who was recently re-appointed by Governor Lynch sent an Assistant AG from her office to register her disapproval of the bill. Karin Eckel, speaking for Ms. Ayotte, said that until federal regulators decide that marijuana is safe and effective, it’s too risky to encourage its use. She said that Ayotte is also concerned that the medical use of marijuana might increase the general use. Given that Ayotte is the NH AG, appointed by Governor Lynch, we can assume that this is his position, being filtered down through subordinates. I find the idea that medical use of marijuana will increase general use to be patently ridiculous. Medical users aren’t going to be selling it to kids on the playground. Cancer patients get much better drugs for pain, drugs that retail on street corners, or to Rush Limbaugh’s housekeeper, for a whole lot more money.

This is another example of how we do things by rote, without challenging our views. We’ve crammed so much “just say NO” into people’s heads that they really don’t even know what it is that they’re saying no to.

Thirteen states have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The sky has not fallen in any of those states. Reefer madness does not seem to have taken hold. What has taken hold is a far more compassionate way of looking at the treatment of long-term illnesses. We treat sick or dying pets with more compassion and dignity than we treat dying humans.

NH has a chance to move forward and show compassion to people who are sick and suffering. Attorney General Ayotte is tacitly suggesting that sick people who use marijuana should be treated as criminals. Contact your state legislators and urge them to just say YES to H648.


"Let us reflect again on how cynical and how dark it is to even contemplate sending someone to prison for a year, when they may not even have that much time left in their life.” Congressman Dennis Kucinich


Drug war clock

30 year drug war timeline

h/t to phawker.com for the image

this was printed as an editorial in the March 13, 2009 issue of the Conway Daily Sun.

© sbruce

The Danger of Global Communication

Since Crow Dickinson’s ill advised- remarks about Starting Point (remarks he apologized for) he’s become the hero of the men’s movement!

Angry, woman-hating men in the US and Canada have latched on to Crow Dickinson as a symbol. They think poor ole Crow is being oppressed by women. Mean, feminist women who don’t want to talk about how mean they are to men they’re divorcing, and denying parental rights to. Mean woman who don’t understand or care about how often heterosexual men are abused. They don’t care at all about gay men who are abused. I can’t decide if they’re homophobes, or if they ignore gay men because they don’t have female partners to hate on. In any case – their concern is for heterosexual men. Their concern manifests itself in anger against women, and feminists in particular. These angry, whiny, men are pillorying me in two countries now. It seems I’m a (Oh the horror) FEMINIST! A Canadian blog accused me of seeking my 15 minutes of fame by publicizing this issue. This is the kind of stupid crap that ensues when you leap on an issue, because your leader (Glenn Sacks who re-printed most of my editorial, without my permission) tells you to. None of these clowns did any research – especially into their new messiah, Crow. Not a one of them has asked themselves why it is that there isn’t a local outpouring of male support for Selectman Dickinson. They're embracing Crow Dickinson with the same fervor that the Republican party embraced Joe the Plumber - and with the same level of sense.

They don’t care about Starting Point. They’re happy to completely ignore the issue of funding the shelter, or what is right for the town, as their leader, Glenn Sacks said right on his forum. They just want to canonize Crow for “speaking the truth” about the evil female harpies they all seem to be acquainted with.

A group of them is planning to invade the deliberative meeting on Monday, at Kennett, to show their support for Crow. The very serious business of town government is about to be turned into a side-show, by a bunch of out of state freaks. That’s the power of global communication, a lesson I hope Dickinson learns. Apparently he is teachable - after that incident in 2003, he’s never again tried to bring a loaded gun on an airplane.

It’s been a long winter. Grab the popcorn – the circus is coming to town.

The Slap Heard 'Round the World

Every year, local non-profits go before various boards of selectmen to ask for funding. Every year the recommendations of the selectmen go on the ballots we are handed at town meeting. The voters make the ultimate decision as to whether that funding is given or denied. Since the selectmen are elected to represent the voters, their recommendations carry a lot of weight. Most of the time this is not a controversial process.

This year, however, the Conway selectmen opted for controversy, thanks to Crow Dickinson’s commentary on domestic violence. Starting Point, the local agency that shelters, counsels, and advocates on behalf of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault went before the board to ask for some funding, as they have done since their inception in 1981. This year, the board voted not to recommend funding Starting Point by a vote of 4-1. Not only did they vote against funding, but Crow Dickinson waxed on about how “a lot of women use domestic violence as a gimmick in divorce proceedings.” This astounding statement was captured in the AP story that went out around the world.

That’s the trouble with some of the dinosaurs currently holding public office. They don’t understand or even consider global communications. A stupid, insensitive comment that suggests women aren’t really beaten, they’re just gold-digging harpies can travel around the world in less than 24 hours. In less than a day, the Conway selectmen were being reviled around the world as being a bunch of morons.

I blogged about the commentary of Crow Dickinson and the other selectmen. As a result, if someone googled “Crow Dickinson,” my blog came up. There is a counter on the blog that provides information about visitors; including where they come from, and what they were searching for when they came to my blog. During the last week, people googling “Crow Dickinson,” “domestic violence gimmick”, or “Conway NH Selectmen” came to my blog from Maryland, 5 different places in NY, 3 places in Maine, 3 places in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Illinois, Oregon, Alabama, California, Montana, Washington DC, London, and Paris.

There is a Facebook page for those wishing to support Starting Point. People are joining up from around the country. As I write this, there are 461 members. Those are 461 folks who believe strongly that Starting Point provides valuable services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in our area.

At the Selectmen’s Meeting on Tuesday, about 50 people came to show support for Starting Point, and to attempt to educate the selectmen. At the beginning of the meeting, Crow Dickinson read a statement, informing us that his remarks about domestic abuse had been misinterpreted as being about Starting Point. He made no apology about his insensitive remarks, at least not in his statement. Conway Police Chief Ed Wagner spoke strongly on behalf of Starting Point and the services they provide. He pointed out that if Starting Point did not exist, the town and the police department would be providing those services, and at a much greater cost. Russ Seybold, a past member of the budget committee said he’d rather see a pothole go unfixed than see us not invest in this program. He pointed out that a program like Starting Point is even more important in times of economic stress.

Suzette Indelicato (Executive Director of Starting Point) told the selectmen that the message coming from them is the same message that abusers give their victims. “No one will believe you.” “You deserve what happens to you.” She told the board that it was their responsibility to counter that message by making a strong statement against domestic violence.
Dot Seybold asked the selectmen if any of them would change their votes now, if they could. Larry Martin voted to fund Starting Point – he did not want to change his vote. Mark Hounsell mistakenly voted against recommending funding, and he has said repeatedly that he would change his vote. Dave Weathers did a tap-dance around the question, and never did answer it. Crow Dickinson and Bob Drinkhall said they would not change their votes. Drinkhall did a lengthy song and dance routine about how he believes in fiscal responsibility because the country is going down the drain. He believes that Starting Point gets money on the federal and state level, plus a tax abatement, and frankly, they don’t serve enough of the population. He also said that constituents who called him were in agreement, including a lawyer who seems to agree about the gimmicky nature of domestic violence. It doesn’t seem to have occurred to the selectmen that the calls they got from guys complaining about Starting Point were actually from perpetrators of domestic violence. Lawyers beat their wives, too.

The National Crime Victimization Survey issued a report in December 2008 showing a 42 percent increase in reporting of domestic abuse, and a 25 percent increase in reported crimes of rape or sexual assault. Both domestic violence and rape are under-reported crimes. Great strides have been made in recognizing that domestic abuse is a serious and widespread problem – but still, far too many hold the stereotypical view of “she was askin’ for it” or “domestic abuse is a gimmick used in divorce cases.”

The Conway Selectmen probably didn’t intend to tacitly condone wife beating, but they did. The selectmen probably didn’t intend to make the town the subject of mockery around the world – but they did. Thanks to the internet, people research the areas they are traveling to. They can, and do, take the politics of an area into consideration. The kind of gooberish, good ole boy, slap on the back, haw haw haw, gotta keep the little woman in line behavior of the past was retired in most places, a long time ago. One hopes the Conway Selectmen will join the rest of us who are living in the present.


"Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men." ~Joseph Conrad



printed as an editorial in the February 27, 2009 Conway Daily Sun
© sbruce