Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" recently referred to himself as 'the guy in the stands yelling stuff'. Actually, I think that Mr. Stewart, along with Colbert, Maher and others, are the color commentators in the booth with the journalists calling the game. It is the politicians and leaders that are in the game. We're the guys in the stands yelling stuff. So here is one guy's "view from the stands".
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
I Read The News Today...
Monday, December 6, 2010
A Letter to President Obama
Dear Mr. President,
I'm just one little voice out here & you have 537 voices, much louder & much closer to your ear, mostly saying, "Hooray for our side!"
However, I talk to people and I watch TV news and commentary regularly so I have some idea of what is happening. This is what you need to know, sir:
Sen. Mitch McConnell yesterday on "Meet the Press" said no taxes will go up, the GOP is claiming victory already!
Do not compromise any further on letting "The Bush Tax Cuts" expire. If the GOP really wants to play chicken, sir, go ahead & PLAY CHICKEN with them. Even if you lose, which you most likely wouldn't, you will have been seen by your key supporters (people like me that you will need in 2012, so will every Democrat running in 2012, BTW) as having actually fought for something. As it is, most people I have talked to say that they feel disappointed because you tend to give away important bargaining chips before the negotiations even began – the “Public Option” & “DADT” are typically mentioned.
If the Democratic Party can find a backbone somewhere I think you ought to use it to stand up to the GOP and force “The Bush Tax Cuts” (have you noticed how that's now “the current tax rates” when referred to by the GOP?) to expire. Then come back in the next session & get a better deal for the middle class and small businesses.
Make the GOP go to the American people that elected them and make their case for the richest 2% - most of whom make more in a week than many (most?) Americans do in a year. I just read that the 74 people who had the highest incomes in 2009 made more than all 19 million people that make up the lowest income levels combined. This who the GOP thinks needs a tax break? Really, sir, you can’t figure out how to stand up to this? I gotta believe that the most inspirational Politician in my lifetime, since “Bobby” in ’68, can rally public support for making millionaires pay another 4.6% - for someone making $20,000 per WEEK that ain’t much. My family and I live on far less than $46,000 per year so no millionaire can tell me that they cannot make ends meet without that extra $46K.
If you want us to believe, Mr. President, you have to give us something to believe in. This is a fight you will win, if you stand up for the middle-class we will stand with you. If the money-men win this one, they will win the country and we end up right back where the "Regan-to-Bush II Years" put us.
Never give up, never surrender! (Galaxy Quest)
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Taxing "The Rich" vs "Don't Raise Taxes On Anyone"
Friday, December 3, 2010
Medical Discrimination Toward MMJ Patients
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Supporting The Troops? I Think Not, Pastor Jones!
Please, Please, please do not go through with your "Burn A Koran Day". I am just an American up in Seattle, WA and I can't do anything to stop you, nor should I be able to stop you even if I could, you have every right to burn whatever books you want. This is, after all, America. But that is the point, isn't it? This IS America and we ought to be better than those that burn books which might contain 'threatening ideas' or forbid 'special knowledge' that is too dangerous for public distribution. This is what tyrannical society does to it's citizens, not what any American ought to be emulating.
I hope that you will not do this thing. It will, without question, be used as a 'marketing tool' to prove that this war is, indeed, not a "War On Terror" at all but a direct attack by the "Infidel West" on Islam itself. By burning Korans in a public demonstration, and publicly suggesting that others to do the same in an internationally coordinated protest WILL, not might, not probably but definitely will cost the lives of Americans in harm's way. The blood of those brave soldiers will be on your hands. This is as certain as the sun rising in the east, count on it.
Jesus, were he the god you claim him to be, would tell you to your faces that you are no representative of his or his fathers. Your holy book, the bible, says in Luke 6:27-36 that Jesus' teaching is to LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, look it up, really it is in there, I'm not kidding. So, you are clearly defying what you will say is the "unfailing and holy word of god, perfect in form and fact".
If you have a "Christlike Nature" you cannot justify an act that you already know will enrage your 'enemy'. Antagonism is not a "Christian" trait, is it?
You have been asked by many in America to stand down your demonstration. You have heard, I suppose, Gen. Petraeus basically pleading for you to not do this, you know that Sec. of State Clinton has asked that you not do this, and now you hear from an ordinary American who loves his country and what this nation is supposed to represent to the rest of the world. If you burn korans as you say you plan to, you will be doing more to help the radical Muslim factions around the world than anything they could every buy with all the money in the world. You are proving their case that this is a "Christianity v. Islam" fight. Please let reason reign in this instance and demonstrate the meaning of the phrase, "Grace Under Pressure".
Respectfully,
J. A. Burleigh
I don't think he'll change his plans, but that is up to him.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Hempfest 2010
As I was visiting with the Sensible Washington folks at their booth during HempFest this year I was slightly surprised and extremely disappointed in the apparent lack of interest in actually doing something tangible toward reformation of the marijuana laws in Washington State, or anywhere else for that matter. People just walked on by not bothering to signup for anything, even e-mails about the marijuana laws. What are these people thinking? I often hear people saying, “Somebody ought to do something…”, but rarely do I hear anyone saying “How can I help?” It seems like it’s always up to somebody else. How would it be if more people stopped waiting for someone else to do something and became determined to be that someone they have been waiting for?
It seems to me that if there is going to be a serious effort to make real change in the legality of medical marijuana and the distribution of medical marijuana through legal, safe and licensed dispensaries then we, the medical marijuana community, must be the ones who start to forge a new reality, closer to the heart (that is your gratuitous RUSH reference for the day). It will take the concentrated effort of dedicated volunteers to bring about the changes that we seek in the drug laws, and it will not be an easy sell to the general electorate by any stretch. This is going to take time and it’s going to take money and it’s going to be done is steps, not all in one go.
I think that part of the issue with the previous effort is that it went too far, too quickly, for many voters in Washington. Legal “medical” usage and distribution based upon state laws in Washington, along with the other medical marijuana states, will be the first steps toward the ultimate goal of making marijuana as legal as liquor and tobacco products are today.
It is my belief that there is a greater need at this time than trying to make marijuana completely legal, and also will be more likely to enjoy a broader range of support from those opposed to outright legalization. Our greatest need at this time is the establishment of a codified dispensary system in Washington State. There are dozens of “provider dispensaries” in operation within the Puget Sound area and many more in other parts of the state. The problem is that they all operate more or less autonomously and since there are no laws or guidelines for dispensary operation it is difficult for patients (and the dispensaries) to protect themselves and stay within the ‘spirit of the law’ as there is currently no ‘letter of the law’ with respect to dispensaries and safe methods of obtaining medical marijuana. A straight forward set of operational parameters that apply to every dispensary will make it easier to open a dispensary if one wished to do so and easier for patients to establish themselves with dispensaries.
While nobody really likes the idea of taxation and regulation, it is unreasonable to expect that any of this going to happen without the government getting their piece of the pie, so to speak. In reality government regulation is not entirely a bad thing. Yes, it will bring about taxation of marijuana and the dispensaries will be required to obtain licensing that will involve fees and regulations. This is what every single business in this state has to deal with so it is silly to expect that the marijuana business is going to get a free pass from the state. We need to have a seat at that table, folks! We need to have a voice in that discussion so that we, the marijuana community, can work within the establishment of government to create the laws, set the tax and fee rates, and determine where the revenue generated by our tax dollars gets used.
There is one major item that MUST get changed before any of this will be seen as legitimate by the general public. Marijuana must be moved off of the DEA’s Schedule 1. Aside from just being stupid, having marijuana classified in the same category as Heroine, it is necessary for marijuana to be re-scheduled in order to eliminate the threat from Federal authorities and allow medical professionals to prescribe/recommend marijuana without fear of losing their DEA license to write prescriptions. These is a measure in the US House of Representatives that will do exactly that, it was introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D MA-4th) and is currently sitting in committee. I have written a letter of support for this measure to Rep. Frank and also to every member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, I encourage everyone interested in the furtherance of the medical marijuana cause to do the same.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Three Pillars
I have always believed that is has been my penultimate good fortunate to be born into this place and at this time in history. The span of my life has seen the greatest advancements in science & medicine as well as in human engineering and technological achievements of any half-century in all of recorded history.
It is my ultimate great fortune to share this most wondrous epoch in history, and the adventure of living in it, with my true love, Tamara.
Here are "Three Pillars" upon which we may begin to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure of America. There are many areas where the physical, 'brick & mortar', infrastructure of America is in desperate need of repair, and that may the best place to start, but it doesn't end there. There are many areas where our "human infrastructure", so to speak, is crumbling as well. Too many in America are finding that what used to be referred to as "The Great American Dream" is just that, only a dream.
If America is going to be the nation that leads the world into the future, as we would like to think, it will require two major changes in the mindset of a plurality of Americans. First, we must learn that we lead by example. As people and as a nation our actions speak louder than our words. Second, Liberty is priceless but it is not painless. As Americans we are "endowed...with certain unalienable rights" and these rights have been protected and preserved for us at great cost in "blood & treasure", we owe our children's children's children nothing less than to protect and preserve these rights, these precious liberties, and to leave the world a better place than we found it.
It will require a strong commitment to the role of America and a belief in the value of American leadership in the 21st century, a strong enough belief, in fact, to spur action in pursuit of its realization. As Neil Peart wrote in the lyrics of the song "Second Nature": "Folks have got to make choices, and choices got to have voices."
The middle-class of America, once the single greatest driver of the American economy, has been getting smaller, as a segment of the overall population in terms of percentage of wealth, for most of the last fifty years. The rich have gotten richer, the "middle-class" has gotten smaller and the ranks of the poor, working or otherwise, have grown larger. The division of wealth between the top 20% and the other 80% of us that actually do the work, the living, the dying, the sacrificing for our children's sake, the 80% that did the things that built the nation we have been fortunate enough to inherit, has grown wider and wider over the last 35 years. We need to rebuild and replenish the American middle-class if America is going to remain relevant into the 21st century.
How we, as a nation and as individuals, respond to the challenges ahead of us will determine the role America will play in the world going forward. Here is my "3 Point Plan" for how America can lead the world, by example, into the 21st century:
1. Energy Independence is vital to our national security.
We must never allow this nation to ever again become dependent upon anything, especially an energy source, which we cannot produce, in sufficient abundance for our needs, domestically. To do so is to risk surrender of our liberty, even our national sovereignty, to the whim of another country's allegiance. There is no better example of this than energy and oil:
America has become utterly dependent upon petroleum. America does not have the capacity to produce enough of it to meet our own demands, thus we are at war in the Middle-East against a group of religious zealots and a tactic (Al Qaeda, the Taliban and 'terrorism'). This is a war, so we were told, for the purposes of establishing and maintaining a "stable, democratic state" in the region.
The stability in the Middle-East that is most important to America and the American economy is the flow of oil to the west. We must end this situation and we must end it now!
I am absolutely convinced that this country, the nation that put man on the moon in less than 10 years, is more than capable of achieving complete (100%) domestic, sustainable and environmentally sound energy production in less than 25 years. Looking back at any 1/4 century period in our nation's history we can see examples of how America faced a challenge and was able to overcome the odds, emerging stronger and freer as a people and a country. This has always come at a cost, sometimes at the ultimate cost in 'blood & treasure', sometimes at a financial cost (taxes), sometimes at great personal sacrifice (public service). Americans have, in times of greatest challenge, always known that this is the price to be paid for the security, protection and defense of our liberties.
2. Liberty is priceless but it is not painless.
It is, in my opinion, the ultimate act of selfishness to take the rights, privileges and other advantages that accompany American citizenship while at the same time being unwilling to serve your community or the country that has preserved those rights for you to enjoy.
The rights enumerated in the constitution are not granted by the government or by the power of any military force, they are the natural rights of all people endowed upon them by their creator. The government of the United States of America is charged with, among other things, the protection of those unalienable rights for all Americans. Since the government of the United States is, when you get right down to it, a government "of the people, by the people and for the people", it seems proper that all Americans take an active part in making our governance truly representative of the governed. This is why I believe that some form of "Compulsory Service" for all Americans between the ages of 18-24 is necessary.
The expectation should be that every American should serve their community in some capacity as a (relatively) small contribution toward a collective debt of gratitude that every American owes to the men and women that sacrificed of themselves to preserve, to protect and to defend the liberties we are able to enjoy today. This does not mean military service only! While I do believe that we owe those men and women who do choose to enlist in military service, and serve their country honorably, are due a special premium commensurate with their sacrifice. No American military veteran should ever be allowed to want for anything, ever.
To allow our greatest servants to go without the medical and mental health services they require, to go hungry, to go homeless, or to go through life believing they are unappreciated for their sacrifice and commitment to America is utterly shameful. We, who have never known that level of sacrifice, owe the US military veteran the respectful gratitude they have well-earned by their service.
There is, however, plenty to do for everyone. Those that do not wish to engage in military service can opt for some form of civilian service within their local neighborhoods or communities. Serving on a city, state or even on a national level for a couple of years, either full-time or spread out over 5-6 yrs on a part-time basis, similar to the Army Reserve or National Guard. Giving one weekend per month and 2-3 weeks during the summer for a few years is not too much to ask and it puts a little "skin-in-the-game" for everyone. It might make getting into situations like being lied into a war over WMD's, that never actually existed, more unlikely.
3. The greatest defense of America's national sovereignty, the greatest "Homeland Security" that America will ever achieve will be for every American child to master the fields of mathematics & science, of global history and politics, of the world's religions and mythologies.
"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." (Thomas Jefferson, letter to Richard Price 1789)
It does not make it easy to govern when the people being governed are well educated and well-informed, but it is the solid foundation upon which Liberty stands. To this end, I believe that a full public education ought to be the birthright of every American. I do mean a "full education" through a 4-yr degree or vocational training program for every American. If you can pass the entrance exam to get into a University or College you should be able to take advantage of the opportunity to get that education, and the benefits that will come with it, without having to worry about paying for it. You pay for the services your country provides to you when you provide your service to your country.
Friday, June 18, 2010
I've Been Sick - Sorry
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Republican Apologists for the Oil Industry
"All that is needed is the resolve of...men and women to do right instead of wrong and to gain as their reward blessing instead of cursing."
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The "10 Word Answer"
- "Drill, baby, drill"
- "Big government take-over"
- "Corporate Bailout"
- "Taxed Enough Already"
- "Free Markets will regulate themselves"
- "Government isn't the answer to the problem, government is the problem"
- "The American people know how to spend their own money better than the American government does"
- "Government has never, ever created a single job." I shit you not, Michael Steele actually said this!
- "Where's The Birth Certificate?"
Friday, June 4, 2010
WTF: They Need Help In the Gulf Region
- The clean-up of areas already being damaged
- Prepare for areas that oil is going to impact
- Lay and maintain the containment booms (more effective containment)