I am willing to wager that the U.S. military personal directly responsible took no particular joy in their roles, but should rightfully be proud that their courage and actions served their families and countrymen and other citizens around the world well and with honor, eliminating a real threat to all of our safety. I don’t think any of us need to gloat about the outcome, though, nor do I think it is moral or responsible of media and political pundits, of all stripes, to feed off of this event.

It was probably inevitable that Bin Laden would be hunted down, but if it makes people sleep better at night, then they are very naive. There will always be evil in the world and as long as there is ignorance, fear manifest from evil will rule man’s actions. When we can all learn to respect our fellow man and woman and aspire to knowledge, evil will be suppressed.

(Photo from Los Angeles Sheriff's Department)

Thank’s to his decision to have the murder he committed immortalized in a tattoo on his chest, and his big mouth gang banger Anhtony Garcia is going to find himself behind bars for a long time to come.

We need more of our criminals to be this stupid.

What I can say to Roger is: you are describing the plutocrats’ master plan, starve our education system of tax revenue and leverage media to create a nation of gullible consumer drones who will produce a legacy of more treasure for the plutocrat coffers.

Instead of using today’s technology to facilitate connecting everything and everyone to benefit knowledge transfer and new knowledge acquisition, many consuming Americans fall prey to enticements of dubious value from the likes of Trump, Murdoch, et al, and every marketer of anything or every publicist of entertainment/sports/celebrity enterprises. Many Americans seem to be programmed to aspire to a life filled with stuff or notoriety as symbols of status and success, but with little appreciation for the intrinsic value of anything, whether an object, or a bit of knowledge.

The plutocrats have created a nation of ignorant, consuming drones, many of which are aliens to critical thinking, happy to be entertained rather than be burdened by working to acquire knowledge or personal growth.

Here in the United States many people don’t seem to understand that the right of free speech comes with responsibilities.  Your words have consequences, just as your actions have consequences. The Loughner character who apparently fired the shots in Tuscon this past Saturday is a lunatic, and that is why he did what he did.  But it does not take an advanced degree in psychology or sociology to understand that if a lunatic is exposed to an abundance of violent or extremist rhetoric, especially as so well distributed and pervasive as that delivered by the American media (news and entertainment) establishment, that “protected” speech will quite likely be one of the triggers that sets off the lunatic.

Political figures with media exposure, whether elected to office, or pundits taking pot shots on the sidelines, no matter their party affiliation, need to be circumspect and carefully chose their words before opening their mouths or setting pen to paper.

Reckless words stimulate reckless minds.

Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, and 17 others were shot here on Saturday morning when a gunman opened fire outside a supermarket where Ms. Giffords was meeting with constituents for a “Congress on Your Corner” event…

During the fall campaign, Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice-presidential candidate, posted a controversial map on her Facebook page depicting spots where Democrats were running for re-election; those Democrats were noted by crosshairs symbols like those seen through the scope of a gun. Ms. Giffords was among those on Ms. Palin’s map.

This is what happens when politicians are permitted to exploit the media with their extreme, antagonistic ideology.

On the political spectrum, the Demorepublicrat party represents people with political beliefs that begin in the “center” and which then veer right, over the abyss. Demorepublicrats have never discovered that there is meaningful life on solid ground to the left and are afraid to explore any territory that might cause them to ever question, let alone lose faith in God, television and the dollar.

The definition of bipartisanship, and its corollary, compromise, for a Demorepublicrat is “I’ll do what I want and screw you”.

The motto of the Demorepublicrat: “In business we trust”.

The ten core values of the Demorepublicrat party:

1. The only thing that is good for the country is what is good for big business.
2. I will fight to protect my right to profit.
3. There are only winners and losers in life, we are the winners.
4. If it is good for me, it is not hypocrisy.
5. I will not hesitate to kill to maintain my status.
6. All men are equal, if they hold the price of admission.
7. A deal is a deal, if I say it is.
8. A deals is not a deal, if I say it isn’t.
9. Critical thinking is for losers.
10. Losers should die.

Demorepublicrat politicians only listen to Demorepublicrat Plutocrats.

The goal of a Demorepublicrat Plutocrat: “All of you will be my serfs”.

The way of life in a nation that is controlled by Demorepublicrats is termed Demorepublicratism.

The antidote to Demorepublicratism: Education and truth.

President Obama is neither weak nor stupid… nor a progressive

I don’t think there is anything I can add to that post, other than, “damned straight”.

What has amounted by this time to literally thousands of friend suggestions landing on my computer monitor has been exacerbated by seeing totally unrelated photos and other images show up in my News Feed supposedly tagged with your name Cindy.  Now, tonight I see the following show up in my News Feed supposedly from you:

“CINDY, APPEARING IN SYLVIA @ THE NEW THEATRE IN OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS CITY. FROM 11/11/10 – 01/17/11 ENJOY!!!”

Cindy, that status update, which was apparently written by someone who works for you confirms my suspicions that you have no interest in being my friend.  You just want to market yourself to me.  You are nothing more than just another Hollywood commodity, wanting me to buy some tickets.  That was not you reaching out to me when I received your friend request, that was someone on your payroll who exploited those of us in your old high school class who are on Facebook.

You couldn’t just set up a fan page like other celebrities, you set up a personal page and used me to create synergy for your Facebook presence, so instead of my just being able to “like” you as on any other celebrity’s page, you are able to capture my personal information on Facebook to use for your own commercial purposes, information that I trusted you with because I thought you were my friend.

No more, I’m done Cindy, I will be un-friending you.

Limbaugh is a shame to this nation, but he is a self inflicted shame to the Republican Party. Their continued association with him, their willingness to fete him at major conservative gatherings with no challenge to his awful, despicable and on going bigotry must have President Lincoln rolling over in his grave at what his party has become.

I have to say that I do agree with Bill Eignor, but rather than directing all of my angry energy at  either Limbaugh or the Republican party, I have got to say that we all share some responsibility for this state of affairs.

Yes, Rush Limbaugh is a racist douche, but he does have a large audience, and the likes of Boehner, Gingrich, Bachman, Paul et al have all learned that pandering to that audience is what gets them elected. His “agenda” has earned Limbaugh millions of dollars of income, and that is probably what really motivates his sorry ass. What is his agenda? Stirring up his consuming audience based upon their fear and ignorance, for his own personal power (keeping him at the top of the ideologue totem pole) and gain (money).

How do we combat Limbaugh’s agenda? By doing a far, far better job of educating our children. By recognizing that what is seriously lacking in much of the political “discourse” that is hashed out to the consuming public via the media, is a lack truthfulness, a lack of rational, factually correct counter point that is required of a true democracy. The ability to exercise critical thinking is being lost by the public. Our children are being programmed via the corporate/media/marketing forces in our country to become gullible, all consuming idiots, who will swallow anything they hear, see or read, without a moment’s hesitation to consider alternative views.

We need to teach our children to use critical thinking, and maybe that means concentrating on their reading and writing skills in the early years, and not relying on television and video games to supplant our responsibilities as teachers and role models for our children.

Veterans may be your fathers, your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your neighbors, your teachers, your waiters, your bankers, your firefighters, your doctors, your gardeners, your janitors, your grocers, your police officers, your mechanics, your plumbers, your newspaper deliverer, your postal delivery worker, your dog walker, your attorney, your garbage man, your bus driver, your employer, your employee, your rival.  Out of all of those roles, and the numerous other roles other citizens have in our lives, one common thread is that veterans have in the past, or now, serve you and all of our extended American Family as committed members of the armed forces.

Don’t forget the sacrifices that veterans have and will continue to make so that all of us can continue to live a peaceful, comfortable life.

If you do not want your own children to become veterans, or worse, casualties, one day, make our leaders and government representatives find a way to resolve conflict at home and in the world, or find a way of advancing the agendas of their corporate sponsors, without using our children in the military as their fighting proxies.