That disgusting sack of shit has gone TOO FAR this time.
How can that piece of human waste, this toxic sludge dripping down the ass crack of humanity, still be allowed to broadcast hate and invitations to violence?
I think that these latest, disgusting, loathsome comments of his show his complete moral bankruptcy and his willingness to see innocent people hurt as long as it helps his cause.
REC THIS THREAD if you think he should be jailed or fined by the FCC, if not removed from the air, for his disgustingly inhuman behavior.
And let's talk about what we can do, as activists.
If this is a dupe, I'm sorry!
edit for spelling.

    I've seen an awful lot of nasty attacks against my generation by people on this forum lately. Whether it's snarky references to us being 'Obamababies' 'I-pod kids' 'Kool aid drinkers' or 'cult members'...or even better, the new, even sleazier attack 'the worst generation,' it seems that some of the most hostile and bitter posters can't help but smear us at every turn.
     I'm 26 years old, relatively new to the poltical process, but a passionate supporter of the obligation of every American to dissent and to make their voice heard through the vote. It's no secret that there's been a lot of apathy among my peers about the political process. It's been tough...my first time voting in a presidential election was in 2000, and we all know how THAT turned out.
     It's discouraging, and even more discouraging when i see people my age who just don't seem to care, who don't seem to feel like it matters if they get involved or not.
     Now we have someone who is tapping into the passions of the youthful voters, and giving them something to BELIEVE in. Agree with what he stands for or not, he is getting out the youth vote by bringing them hope and telling them that THEY, TOO can have a voice, that THEY, TOO can be a part of change. Normally, all we ever hear is shut up and sit down and do as we're told. I guess you don't matter till you hit a certain age.
     Recent posts on DU have confirmed that. I'm AMAZED at the hostility towards young voters. AMAZED AND SICKENED by it. We are the future of this country, and the generation coming up now, the next group of future voters. You'd think we'd want to include them, to educate them, to welcome them into the process. We get mocked for our enthusiasm, spit on for our embracing of hope, laughed at for our ideals. It's only a small minority of posters from an otherwise good group of people. But it still stings.
     I want to believe that America can be better, that we can be passionate again, that we can move our country forward, and make something happen. I DON'T want to be mocked, spit on, laughed at for it...by my fellow Democrats. I get enough of that from the pukes.
     The most bitter pill of all is that now Hillary Clinton herself has joined in the mocking. That burns me up, and it wounds me. Behavior like this does NOT tell me that she wants the younth vote...it tells me quite the opposite. I'm sick of being marganalized, again and again, because of my age. We are not children to be ridiculed...we are citizens of this country, we are voters, and we MATTER, dammit.
     I may be young, but I COUNT, I will be HEARD, and I will NOT shut up, sit down, and do as I am told!

If the rethugs could find a way to revive Reagan and have him run again, they would.
They love him. He's the embodiment of all that is evil in modern rethuglican philosophy.
He's no conservative, he's a 'Reagan conservative,' which means big government, bloated government, massive corruption, screwing everyone in every way possible...all in the name of the neoconservative agenda.
These are the real enemies...the neo-cons who first gained influence in the sleaze of the Reagan years. Many people may not realize it, but Reagan's evil was fueled by the neo-conservative agenda, who wormed their way into influence through an alliance with evangelicals, an unholy pact that gave Reagan vast power.
There ARE good republicans out there, people who are as sick of the hijacking of their party as we are of the effects it has had.
In the end, the only way we can get rid of this slime once and for all is to bring both sides together...the good dems (those who aren't sucking on the diseased corporate teat) and the good repubs (the ones who recognize the neocon infection in their party and want to purge it) to fight it.
Otherwise, the results will be disastrous not just for the individual parties, but for the entire country.
The mistake many DUer's make is to assume that the Repubs are the only problem...the corruption caused by the neocons has poisoned our party as well. Not as horribly as the republicans, but nearly. A lot of sleazy dems have realize they can cash in, big time, by throwing their lot in with the neo-con agenda. We can't expect to take back our country without cutting away the disease in BOTH parties. The process will not be easy. It will not be clean. It will be tough, painful, and will take time. But it is necessary. As long as the neoconservatives continue to exert influence, our country continues on its downward spiral.
It's not hard to do, you can play two-faced and deceitful, or you can just wear it on your sleeve and go all-out (as in the cases of Lieberman or Zell Miller).
I know there a lot of angry people here who cringe at the thought of cooperating with the repubs on anything...but the sad truth is, in the end, we will have to.
We can destroy the Republican party, scatter it to the winds, but THAT WILL NOT GET RID OF THE NEO-CONS...they'll still have the dems to further corrupt and influence.
Our first step is to take the white house, and gain a significant majority in Congress. Then we need to purge OUR party of Neo Con influence, we need to try and imprison the guiltiest of the guilty, and undo the damage they have done.
Then we need to have healing...of the country, of the rift between liberal and conservative, between dem and republican.
Perhaps those will be the steps we need to take on the road back to greatness.
All of us, Dem and Republican, Liberal and Conservative, all of us have been played for fools by a thoroughly corrupted group of men and women who are totally consumed by greed.
If we want to keep our own souls, we can't let hate dictate our course.
We're all in this together...the common enemy is an enemy to all...it's a long fight we have ahead of us, but we can win, we WILL win, because this country is worth fighting for and preserving.
The alternative is letting THEM win...and a victory for the neoconservative movement is a loss for all the world.

Incidentally, if you have not yet seen 'The Power of Nightmares,' DO SO. It will help you understand how the Republican party became what it is today. Reagan isn't the only one at fault...Wolfowitz, Cheney, Rumsfeld...all of these scum are guilty.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...
    Here it is, in action again. I don't know how many times I've read in the news about some kid getting arrested or suspended or even CHARGED over some inane, harmless shit that nobody would've batted an eye at ten years ago. It's getting absurd.
With No Child Left Behind, children are not taught to think critically, only to take tests. Ridiculous and arbitrary penalties for minor offenses grinds down children and oppresses them and teaches them to fear and hate authority.
Schools are being run like prisons, and we are treating our children like criminals. I said it elsewhere, but I will say it here too. That will come back to haunt us some day.
    What the hell is the point in any of this anyway? Who honestly wants to see a kid arrested or suspended for scribbling on their desk or kissing someone or god forbid, drawing a picture of a gun? Who is actually in SUPPORT of this garbage? Hysterical, fanatical, nanny state whackos who would be more than happy to give up their own freedom in order to be free from fear, but live in fear anyway. They're more than happy to do the same to their children.
I hear people today complaining CONSTANTLY about how kids are nowadays. Bullshit! Why are they the way they are? Families are breaking down...with the weakening of the middle class, families are under strain, forced to work multiple jobs, have less times for kids. In school, children are expected to be robots, and any break with the status quo can land them in deep shit. Kids never know when it's going to be them that's hauled up for some draconian punishment because they pointed a finger at someone and said pow.
We live in an informed age, but our society is backsliding and science is under assault by idiotic fundies trying to force schools to tout their narrow views. Our country is in the toilet, and so is the environment, and who's going to be the ones to suffer for it? Our kids.
    On top of this garbage, we have 'Zero Tolerance,' an idiotic system for idiots, which is supposedly designed to protect scared idiots from the threat of school shootings. This is moronic thinking to the highest degree: punish any inappropriate behavior as harshly as possible, that'll learn the little bastards! Did they do this kind of garbage when you were a kid? Even when I was a kid?? (I graduated high school in 2000) Of course not! People had some fucking sense back then. Zero tolerance won't do shit to prevent school shootings. You think if some kid wants to shoot up his school, he's going to care about a zero tolerance policy? If that were true, no laws would ever be broken!
    Zero tolerance is useless, and all it does is hurt decent kids who screw up but aren't really hurting anyone. All I know, is if anything like this ever happened to my little sister, I would be right up the school board's ass until they were crying for mommy. We've let our country become a nation of fear, where we pass our hysterical, irrational idiocy onto our children. Kids aren't allowed to be kids anymore...when they are, they risk arrest and being charged as an adult!
It does serve one purpose, however: crushing the spirits of the youth so that they are already cowed by authority before they even reach adulthood.
    God bless America, land of fear and ignorance.

and it is Corporatism.
We have sitting in the white house a president who is bought and paid for by big business, who has dismantled the social safety net in the name of profits.
We have politicians on both sides of the aisle raking in fat stacks of cash to give the middle finger to taxpayers and push corporate agendas.
War for profit. Halliburton. Blackwater.
Privatization of our prisons...tax cuts for the wealthy.
Corporate ownership of the media.
Opium for the people.
It's all there. It's getting worse. With each passing day, the almighty corporation strengthens its stranglehold on America. It won't even matter once Bush is gone...unless we get a president dedicated to fighting the oligarchy, the corporations will still be in charge. Only the faces will change.
We like to believer we are free but we are NOT. We don't determine our destiny, and our representatives and senators do not work for us. The corporations pay a lot better, and don't make any demands on integrity or credibility.
The infection of corporatism has made America ill, deathly ill...our system has become something unrecognizable. A bizarre kind of capitalism run amok.
There is no competition and fair play...only merging, crushing, and bribing.
This is what was once America, and can be again.
Only when we purge the corporate infection can we be great again.
How can we do this? What chances do we have?
I for one, think we need a PROGRESSIVE in the white house...a true blue dem with the courage and the fortitude to take on the evil corporations and break their iron grip on our country.
If we elect another corporate slave, we will only get continued corporate slavery. THE TRUE PROBLEM ISN'T SO MUCH BUSH AND CHENEY AS WHO IS PULLING THE STRINGS!!!
It is my hope that in '08, we will see Americans standing up for the ideals that made our country something worth being proud. VOTE FOR PROGRESSIVE DEMS...NO VOTES FOR CORPORATE SLAVES AND TOADIES!!

Rudy padded out into the kitchen in his fuzzy bear slippers, looking for something to eat. The only thing he could find in the freezer was a Red Baron pizza. Chuckling to himself at the thought of consuming the Red Baron's flesh, he looked at the directions on the box.
'Bake 9 to 11 minutes' they said.
Rudy mouthed the words to himself, staring off into space.
'9 to 11...9 to 11'
In his mind, he heard the screams of the dying, the awful sound of the towers collapsing, the wonderful sound of money pouring in, the voices raised in praise calling him 'America's mayor.' He could hear the pounding of jackboots on pavement, the sound of guns firing, of police batons splintering bone and crushing skulls. He saw himself, dressed in a black uniform, jackboots shining, turning America into what he had wanted New York City to become under the rule of his iron fist.
When he finally stopped daydreaming, he realized that the pizza had started to thaw, and that he now had a massive hard-on.
The pizza baked for a glorious 9 to 11 minutes, and Rudy sat down to his dinner, contemplating more ways he could exploit a national tragedy for his own gain.

And it's done in the name of 'therapy.'
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/20...
I happen to work with emotionally disturbed kids, the kind of kids that would end up at this school, and the thought of using these kinds of methods to 'treat' children horrifies me.
Basically, kids can receive shocks for aggressive behavior, or even non-aggressive behavior, such as cursing or getting out of their seat. Enforcing conformity and compliance through fear and pain. There are other, very effective methods for dealing with these sorts of behavior. They don't involve torture, fear, and intimidation.
We don't even treat the lowest criminals in our society in this manner, why are we allowing it to be done to children? It must not stand!
Please read the article, and spread the word. Places like this have NO place in America. My heart goes out to these poor children.
What can we do? Does anyone have any ideas? This really sickens and upsets me.
The children cannot advocate for themselves, and it seems like a lot of parents have signed off on this twisted excuse for 'therapy.' What kind of parent would let their child be subjected to that??
Anyway, if you're as angry and upset by this as I am, then let's think about what we can do to help these kids. Guantanamo Bay, right her in the Northeast!

Does he want to build a mountain of skulls on the white house lawn? Does he want to fill a swimming pool with the blood of the innocent? Does he want to craft a suit from the flesh of the slain?
It seems as if nothing will satisfy him. Like a cancerous mass, he consumes all that is good and living and replaces it with vile death and decay.
What once was the integrity and honor of a great nation has rotted away to a fetid death's-head, its grinning rictus gazing upon the world with eager watchfulness. Teeth bared, it prepares to rend more flesh, drink more blood, shatter more bone.
This is what we have let America become. Our glory lies in tatters, torn to rags by the hands of unscrupulous men. Where once stood monuments to liberty and freedom and goodwill to another, Bush and his slime-drinking ilk have erected tributes to greed, hate, and destruction.
Corporate America exploits the poor, the working class, and everyone that isn't of the 'elite,' and pulls the strings of politicians behind black curtains. Job security and respect for the worker have become a joke. Rather than uphold the ideals of a country where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the corporation decides to defile our country, pollute the earth, and rake money in hand over fist.
The pursuit of the almighty dollar has guaranteed that any unconscionable action will eventually be justified. Whether it is tax breaks to the wealthy, moving all of our jobs overseas, slashing jobs here without a second thought, there will always be some pathetic justification for it.
The right-wing propaganda arm of the white house, the so-called media, has rolled over obediently for their masters in the corporate hierarchy. Now all that you can see or read in the news is more white house talking points, coated with slime and bile, reeking with the foul stench of vomited up lies. Truth is smothered and beaten to death before the clubs of the brutish thugs who run the show, seeking to stifle any voices of dissent in the media. Keith Olbermann, John Stewart, and Stephen Colbert are left standing as the light in the darkness of a media empire built on greed and lies.
Our 'enemies,' who are they exactly? According to Bush, it's anyone that he personally decides is the enemy. He is the decider, after all. And if he decides that you are the enemy, you can expect to disappear to one of our secret prisons, where your only companions will be torture and intimidation. People laugh and say it will not happen to them, but look at what happened to Jose Padilla! It could happen to YOU next. Bush has the power. What makes you think that he will never use it?
Sure, we can say what we like now. We can practice our freedom of speech, we can be angry in public, we can cry our outrage in the streets. For now. Bush has unprecedented executive power. Congress has not moved to stop him. It would not take much for him to use that power to end our ability to express ourselves so freely. Will we wait for the day to come when WE are rounded up as traitors? Will Congress continue to stand by and do nothing while Bush carries his war on Freedom directly to the American people?
Meanwhile, those who are supposedly men of god, spread messages that read out of the darkest books of the Old Testament. Lakes of fire and blood, created by the righteous hand of America Almighty, drown and wash away the 'enemy,' anyone who is of Arab descent. Unless they have oil, and want to share it with us, of course. The pulpit of truth and tolerance and love has been smashed and brushed aside, and a new one has been built in its place. Bone, sinew, and dried blood compose this pulpit, the spot from which the masters of darkness can spout their revised new testament, their covenant with evil.
Jesus is no longer the prince of peace, but the master of hate and destruction. The frenzy of hate and greed that has erupted among the Christian right is a perfect compliment to the blood-lust of our president and his wretched master, Dick Cheney. Not only must we hate the Arabs and all other Muslims, but we must also hate homosexuals. In our supposedly advanced modern era, it is still okay to hate gays. That discrimination, hatred, even violence directed at homosexuals is still largely tolerated and in some cases promoted, is a testament to the true darkness of the times in which we live.
I am saddened to see my religion perverted and debased in such a way...to see something that could bring out the best in people transformed into something that not only brings out the very worst in people, but celebrates it. I am saddened that my country has become a place where profits and greed are more important than the lives and happiness and security of American citizens. I am saddened that this president is moving toward another bloodbath of a war, built on lies, while Congress enjoys a nice VACATION. I am saddened and I am angry.
When will Bush's lust for blood and torture end? Will he never be sated? He sleeps at night, untroubled, untroubled by the screams of all those that have died because of HIM. This man, this president, has made a mockery of all that was once great about America. He is our dark side, everything evil we could be, exists in him. Arrogant. Greedy. Dishonest. Stupid. Bloodthirsty. Violent. Self-righteous. 'Religious.' A hypocrite of the highest degree.
Please, Congress, stop this man from shedding more blood! Do not let him attack Iran! Do not cause more innocent people to die because of this sleaze! Impeach and remove this evil man before it is too late! America depends on you to stand up for what made this country great in the first place: truth, justice, rule of law, and equality for all, not just some. Perhaps it is a fool's hope, putting faith in Congress now. But it is the only hope I have.

1. 'speaking truth to power' - used at least 1,000 times a day by DUer's. I don't know what it means, and I don't think most of them do either.

2. 'meme' - if you can't beat it into my head with a hammer and chisel, then why bother?

3. ' ' - this one causes my homicidal tendencies to boil to the surface. why do people feel the need to do this at the start of a flamewar? if i could murder a smilie, it would be this one.

4. 'holding their feet to the fire' - okay, okay, we get it already. do we all read from the same script??

5. 'IBTL' - this is the one I'm most guilty of personally. only an asshole posts 'IBTL'...kind of like...oh right, me. dammit.

6. ' ' - this is how people say 'I don't have a real argument so I'm going to pretend your argument is too stupid to respond to.'

7. 'concern' 'concern trolls' 'thanks for your concern' etc. etc. etc. - just a nasty way of insulting people who say things you don't like.

8. in general, the tendency to dogpile, groupthink, and snipe at people in place of intelligent discourse

Hey, let's show a little individuality, people. Do you want to be like the office prick who says 'think outside the box' and 'change the paradigm' every five minutes? Nobody wants to be him. If you're him, you probably don't want to be.
When a thread contains several dozen instances of 'speaking truth to power'...that's a sign of a problem.
Anyone else have some posting pet peeves on DU?

I wanted to say a few words about the issue of free speech on DU. This has been in the back of my mind for days, and I feel I have to say it, or burst from frustration. Certain events on DU over the past few days have caused many DUers to evaluate not only their own behavior, but the behavior of other DUers. To what extent do we have the right to criticize a public figure, express differing opinions, or disagree with one another?
First things first. Free speech. It's is a bit of a double-edged sword, yet it is important to the nature of our country. Vital, I daresay. Free speech allows every American to have a voice, and to freely express their ideas. The downside of this is that people like the KKK or Fred Phelps also gain a voice...however, we need to take the good with the bad, and stripping Phelps or Falwell or Robertson of the right to express their (loathsome) ideas hurts every American. Hate speech is disgusting, and it should be fought at every opportunity, but it is not restricted. The way to fight is not with laws and restrictions, but with truth. It is our greatest weapon against hate, because laws don't change minds, but education and truth can.
Why did I bring all of that up? Well, for one, hate speech is one thing that is not tolerated at DU...with good reason. However, the rules of DU DO allow for open expressions of ideas as long as they are not discriminatory in any way. Therefore, every DU'er has the right to express their opinion within the rules.
That means that yes, there will be people with opinions that are different from yours. There will be people that will argue with you, perhaps even be rude and disrespectful to you (bad form), because you disagree with them. Even on DU, we are not of 'one mind'...we are all individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We will have our arguments, and that is okay, because that's what political discourse is all about. It would be boring if this were an echo chamber where all we heard was our own opinion spewed back at us time after time.
This brings me to the issue of criticism of public figures. According to the rules of DU, we are allowed to criticize public figures, both political and apolitical, within the bounds of civility and decency, of course. Some are unable to do that, and those individuals are dealt with. However, it is the right of every DU'er to express criticism for public figures, whether liberal or conservative. Not ONE person is above criticism. There is no ONE person that is perfect and sacred and universally loved. Even if someone is a hero to you, and you think that person should be a hero to everyone, there will be someone out there (maybe MANY people) who disagree with you. And they may let you know.
What I am sick of is this. I am sick of people shrieking that we aren't 'allowed' to criticize certain people. Criticism is not the same thing as hate, rage, jealousy, bitterness, etc. It is simply what it is: criticism.
This includes holding people accountable for their actions, pointing out flaws, and disagreeing with stuff that public figures do. It is normal, it is acceptable, and it is WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF DU RULES.
If someone on DU criticizes someone that you like, feel free to disagree with them. Feel free to tell them why you think they are wrong. Feel free to tell them your opinion. That is our right. However, it is not my right, or your right, or anyone's right, to tell others what they should think, who they can criticize and what topics are 'taboo.' There are rules, mods, and admins here to deal with disruptors and haters.
As for the rest of us...hey, we've got hide thread and ignore. If you can't stand someone's opinions so much, use thos e resources. We have a right at DU to have differing opinions and to criticize when we find fault. When we start trying to restrict that...we hurt the spirit of DU...and do the work of Bush and Rove for them by driving deeper wedges between us. Anyway, I just wanted y'all to consider that. Feel free to disagree with me. That's the beauty of DU. Hope everyone is having a decent evening, honestly.

There is an increasing number of DUer's claiming that instituting a military draft would bring a swift end to the Iraq War. They claim that once the masses really feel the pinch, once it is their children (or themselves) in the line of fire, then public support for the war will erode completely, and Bush will feel pressured to end it sooner. Also, according to some, a draft could be instituted that would leave no exception for the elite...their children would be fighting, too.
This would not only bring a quick end to the war, but prevent such a thing from happening in the future.
Sounds nice, right?
There's a few minor problems with this, however. Really, it's just a few small issues. Nothing big. Totally insignificant. Honestly.
1.) Since when does Bush give a flying rat's ass on a cracker what people think? In the case of Iraq and the War on Terror, Bush literally believes he is on a mission from 'God.' He has stubbornly insisted that he will continue even if Laura and Barney are the only ones still supporting him (and you can be pretty sure he means it). He doesn't care. More protests? More anger? He won't care. In fact, with a draft, Bush would get more troops, lots more! Enough to invade Iran...Syria...North Korea...hey, he'll have as much meat for the grinder as he needs! Why stop now??
2.) The Republicans won't go for the draft...they're too smart. They realize it for what it is: complete political suicide. The Democrats currently control Congress, and if there were a draft, guess who would bear the blame? C'mon, guess. It ain't Santa Claus! The Dems would take the blame, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the right wing, and their cronies in the media, would be screaming from every station that 'The Democrats want to send your babies to WAR!!' The American people will not support a draft...it'll provoke incredible rage...and the Democrats will bear the blame. This would be a dream situation for the right...the Dems would implode, the country would be in chaos, they'd have masses of new troops...the possibilities for abuse are endless.
3.) Bush will always have the support of the people who are profiting from this war, as long as the war continues.
4.) Y'know, there were lots of protests and stuff, but Vietnam didn't end RIGHT AWAY...it took years, and piles of bodies, before it came to an end. Oh, and has everyone forgotten about Korea? That one people seem to forget about a lot. Many of our troops died there as well...and it wasn't a war of necessity either. Guess it's easy to sweep that one under the rug. In essence, it would mean an increased level of bloodshed, and a whole lot more people from my generation getting put to the sword. For the sake of making a political point. Comforting that there are many on DU who are so willing to shove us under a bus to advance their cause.
5.) You think that the draft would include ALL people, rich and poor? You think that the elite would be seeing combat? Oh stop, you're killin' me! Money always buys a way out in America. A draft would be a great way to thin out the lower and middle classes, though.

Wow, all these reasons make a draft sound absolutely FANTASTIC! No, wait. It sounds like a terrible idea. Whoops.
We are flesh and blood human beings. We are on your side, too, and want the war to end as much as you do. Yet it is our fate you are gambling with, our lives. We are not fodder to serve a political cause, nor are we sacrificial lambs for you to dispatch to get to Bush.

I've read so much, I've seen so much, I've heard so much, enough to make me want to scream.
Enough to make me want to tear my hair out, rend my clothes, bash my head against a wall.
Enough.
I think the breaking point came the other day when someone posted this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...
showing pictures of Tehran as it is now...before Bush.
And seeing those innocent faces, seeing those other human beings, I started to wonder...
if Bush has his way, are all of these people going to die? Are all of these faces going to be covered in blood? Are these building going to burn to the ground? Will this city be smoking rubble? Will they feel shock and awe, will they clutch their dying children and wail in despair?
That was it. I couldn't think anymore, couldn't bear to have those images in my head any longer. It's just too much.
And I just have to wonder, I have to ask...
wasn't Iraq enough for you? Haven't you killed enough people already? Haven't you shed enough blood? Aren't you satisfied? Hasn't God given you the thumbs up yet? Or is your perverted version of God screaming for more bloody sacrifice?
How do you sleep? How can you sleep without all of those souls clinging at your heels? How can you not be tossing and turning in the night, praying, begging for release from the furies that give you no respite, even in your dreams??
No.
You sleep like a baby. Like a pure, innocent little baby with a soul like freshly fallen snow.
You don't think at all of the blood you spill, of the homes you destroy, of the lives you ruin.
And now you've set your sights on Iran. So you can kill more, and more, and more. So you can widow more wives, orphan more children, decimate more homes, tear apart more familes.
So more of our troops can go off to die in your name. For you. For your cause.
Not the cause of America or its people, but for you, and their blood is on your hands.
So now I ask...
How much farther will he be allowed to go? Who's going to stop him? When will enough be enough?
I'll tell you when...
WHEN CONGRESS GROWS SOME FUCKIN BALLS AND IMPEACHES THE BASTARD.

For a president that has mocked and raped the constitution in the way that this one has, it is only fitting that is our democratic processes that stop his rampage.
Enough. Enough squabbling over our cantidate for '08. Enough squabbling over ridiculous and inconsequential things that have no bearing on the big picture. Enough dicking around and making excuses. Enough strong words, because words are just words. Enough 'on the table' 'off the table' bullshit, because it's just bullshit, and just talk.
Dennis Kucinich is one Rep. I've heard talking seriously about impeachment. Unfortunately, I haven't heard many (if any) other voices besides his in Congress using words such as these.
NEWS FLASH DEMS: YOU GUYS WON IN '06 BECAUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SICK OF THE IRAQ WAR AND THE BS.
WE WANTED AN END IN SIGHT.
But that hasn't happened. All we have are words, words, words.
The time for words is past.
I'll make a deal with you, Rep. Kucinich. If you are the one, the one who finally says 'ENOUGH' and gets the ball rolling on impeachment, you will be my fucking hero for life.
I will support you in every endeavour, I will vote for you, even contribute money if I can, because you will have been the only one with the courage to say that we, the American people, will not take this anymore.
It won't stop. It won't go away. It won't end. Not if we close our eyes, look away, and pretend we don't see.

Impeachment is the only way, because HE will not stop, unless he is stopped. The time for arguing amongst ourselves and wringing our hands and engaging in personal attacks and snide remarks is over. THIS SHOULD BE OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND: THE IMPEACHEMENT AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND VICE PRESIDENT RICHARD CHENEY.

I am writing this for you...whether your name is Allah or Jehovah, whether you are God or Goddess, whether you even exist at all. I remember my childhood, growing up in Pine Plains, New York...the lazy days of lying back in the grass during the summertime and watching the clouds roll by...the shortening days of autumn, and the smell of burning wood. The trees changing colors, the first snow of the year, cold, beautiful days. There were nights where we would go out and shovel snow to keep the cars from getting buried...it'd be so quiet you could hear the snow falling.
This year, things have been different. It's January 1st, and yet there hasn't been any snow. The autumn was alternately cold and hot, the leaves didn't look as pretty, and everything felt wrong. A month ago, an ice shelf broke free up in Canada, shocking scientists. In North Carolina, factory pig farms have produced tons of pig feces, to the point where toxic marshes stain the land, creating pits of death in the name of supporting American love of pork. A vast portion of the Pacific Ocean has literally been turned into an oceanic landfill. Elsewhere in the oceans, the process of evolution has reversed, as advanced species are giving away to more primitive ones. As we keep dumping more and more crap into the oceans, and depleting the stock of fish, we only accelerate the process. Fishermen themselves are no longer safe, as nightmarish fireweed grows in abundance, causing horrific burns and rashes, eating through protective gloves like acid.
At some point, the world came into existence, whether through the hand of God or not. What came into being was a pristine world, constantly changing but unmarked by the taint of mankind. Now it is the world that man has created. It is a world of violence, where people ring church bells to celebrate a death, where people kill and kill in the name of God or some other Devil. It is a world that is sick and diseased because of the damage we have caused it through our selfishness. As more and more danger signs stare us in the face, it is evident that grave consequences for our actions loom close on the horizon. We have grown, been fruitful and multiplied, we have covered the globe, and with us we have brought our greed, our want of comfort, and our love of destruction.
Yet, as much as we know now, as much as the evidence seems to be everywhere, there are far too many people who don't believe. People who call global warming a hoax, who scoff at the concerns of the environment. People who only care about profits, about making money, not caring one whit about the damage they cause. Many of them have families, yet seem not to care at all about what kind of world their children or grandchildren will live in. They can only see as far as the nose on their face, and don't care to see further. For many others...the evidence of the crisis before them makes them worry that they will have to give up some comforts, that they will have to change the way they live, and so they resist.
There are others, dear God. There are others out there who deny what we see happening around us...or outright don't care. They follow Ann Coulter's battle cry to 'rape' the planet, because that is what you, dear God, wanted of us. In your name, they refuse to change or help the world, because they want to bring about the end times all the quicker. In their twisted minds, hurting the planet will cause the second coming to happen...any day now! All of this, they do in your name. Some refuse to listen...some hear, but ignore...some just shake their heads and laugh while they do more and more evil to this beautiful world, that I have loved.
I have loved the blue skies on a summer day, the cool feeling of a spring morning, the smell of rebirth and renewal. I have loved the cold autumn nights in Baltimore, where the wind blows dead leaves down lonely alleys. I have loved the frigid days of winter, the bright blue sky, the crunch of packed snow. During the summer of 2004, while living in Baltimore, I experienced the coming of the 17-year cicada. For a couple of months, they were everywhere, and the noise of their buzzing made a deafening racket during the day. I also had the opportunity to experience monsoon season firsthand while in China in 1999. I have loved these moments that I have shared with the earth, and look forward to many more in my lifetime.
Due to this love, I feel a great sadness when I see what we have done, and feel a great shame. We have depleted resources, sucked the world dry, driven species after species into extinction, ruined the oceans, and caused untold suffering for the world. This world, dear God, that we live on, and that we share with all of the animals and planets that depend on us to be responsible, for we wield a great and terrible power. We have the ability to forever changed the planet for the worse, even destroy it...and all of those who share this world with us must rely on our restraint. Yet, we have not lived up to this trust, and now all life is at risk.
World leader posture and threaten with weapons that could reduce all life to dust. People rage and debate over celebrities, over little things, over comforts. Yet meanwhile, time is running out for this world that I have loved. There are some...heroes among men...that have risen to the challenge and made their voices heard. Most of us here have seen the jeopardy that we are in, and are wondering what we can do to help. Dear God...there is hope for us fools, even now. In America, the biggest contributer to global warming, we are faced with a president who refuses to listen, who cares only for profits. This month, we will no longer be faced with a government that aids and abets him in this endeavor. We will have an opportunity for change, and it is our DUTY to make sure that it is seized.
For we have heard the cries of the planet for our aid, and it is time for those cries to be answered. The world is not ours alone, to do with as we please. We only live on this planet, just like all of the animals that we slaughter. Just like the plants we cut down, slash away, burn and destroy to make room...for us. We all live here, and we are all in this together. The democrats have the power to MAKE CHANGES HAPPEN...but only if we keep pressure on them! Bush will fight, but if we are united in our devotion to the planet, he cannot defeat us. This is our mission, our quest, our obligation. For our children, for our grandchildren, for the animals and plants that cannot speak, for ourselves, and for our planet that we have loved.
Why, then, God, did I write this for you? I wrote this because...I am sorry. I am sorry that you, wherever or whatever you are, have to see this beautiful world in such a state, and so few people actually caring. I am sorry that we have done this to the world. I am sorry that animals and plants who only want to survive, are dying out, by our hand. I am sorry that it has taken me this long to realize how much harm has been done. I only hope that we are not too late...no, I must believe that there is still time. I...we...can't lose hope.
Hope you've enjoyed reading this...whatever it is. I just wanted to finish with the poem 'There Will Come Soft Rains' by Sara Teasdale, as quoted by Ray Bradbury:
'There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white;

Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, not bird nor tree
If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.'

And it makes the news about Saddam Hussein seem pitifully insignificant in comparison:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/12/29...
Am I the only person that is terribly frightened by this? It's very serious!
The weather around here has been FREAKY this winter so far...it really worries me...I feel that we NEED to get moving on the environment...as soon as the Dems take power. We can bitch all we want about all of these other topics...but we won't be anywhere if we don't have a planet to live on.
Guys, this should be our #1 priority, or close to it!
We can make a difference, but we NEED to take the Dems to task on this...we can't just sit back and let things get worse and worse...otherwise it'll be too late!
Put aside our petty differences about inconsequential matters...we need to be fighting, right now, for the changes necessary to keep this planet alive!

They tell you that if you're not a Christian, Hell awaits you upon death.
They tell you that if you don't obey the Ten Commandments, Hell awaits you upon death.
They tell you that if you don't follow various arbitrary laws, maintain certain values, opinions, and beliefs, or perform certain rituals, Hell awaits you upon death.
They tell you that if you're not in Church every Sunday, Hell awaits you upon death.
Protestants tell you that Catholics are going to Hell.
Catholics tell you that Protestants are going to Hell.
They tell you that if you don't live your life according to a literal interpretation of the Holy Bible, Hell awaits you upon death.

So according to this...the number of people NOT going to Hell must be about...oh...zero.
For a long time, I feared the idea and concept of Hell. Imagine it. A place of eternal tortures beyond that which the human mind can conceive of. This place, created by God, is where he sends his supposedly beloved children when they are bad.
I've heard people comparing it to a father punishing unruly kids. Last I checked, my dad didn't drag me to a torture chamber and put me in an iron maiden cause I used a cuss word.
The mortal mind, with its limited understanding of the timelessness of eternity, cannot comprehend how long 'forever' truly is. If there is a God, then God is timeless, and therefore would understand all too well what eternity is, and what it would mean to be forced to suffer for all time.
It's easy for those who believe they are right, and their actions justified by faith, to condemn others to the most horrible things ever conceived of.
I had a problem with Hell.
Then...
My stepfather, who I spent so many years of my life hating, had a major seizure and went to the hospital. He's been in a nursing home since then. He cannot speak. He had a leg amputated from gangrene. If he understands us at all, he can only communicate through nods or through the look in his eyes.
I hated him. He treated me like garbage, just like he did to so many people in his life. In my young and childish mind, I wanted to see him suffer.
And here he was, suffering before me. Suffering more than most human beings ever go through in their lives.
And I couldn't hate anymore. I couldn't hate this sad, broken shell of a man.
This man who they tell me, is destined for Hell upon death.
He has suffered enough, and no just or loving God could deny him the rest he truly deserves when he does pass on.
It was when I looked into his face on his hospital bed, that I said I could not believe in Hell anymore.
I cannot believe in something that would torture for eternity, someone who has suffered their entire life.
...Yet I still fear it, from being brought up to fear it, to fear judgement, to fear a God that casts away His children, tortures those He is supposed to love.
And cares not for the pitiful screams of the millions upon millions that he has already sentenced to the pits of eternal flame.
These are not the actions of a loving God. Rather, they are the actions of a vicious, capricious, sadistic nutjob.
Therefore, I realized if I were to believe, I could not include Hell in those beliefs. I simply could not. Because it contradicts everything else I believe in, because it blows it all out of the water, and pushes it all into a very, very dark place. Is not Love the greatest, the most important thing of all?

So...to all of you guys out there...religious or not...what is your perspective? Do you believe in Hell? If so, how do you reconcile the idea of a loving God to it?