Rita's Spur to Action

It seems that today’s political fashion is either to blame the poor or the rich for all the problems of the Nation. If you are a Republican,then,you have to blame the poor for being uneducated,lazy,and living off the land on welfare. If you are a Democrat you have to take from the rich, penalize them for their success and give it away to the poor.  There really must be another way .

The other day on Roosevelt Island, Hillary Clinton announced her bid for the Presidential nomination, obviously by the Democrats. She gave a very good speech. She was in control of the media. She was not strident as I have heard her on other occasions. She looked really good and she has my support. However, even she, seemed to feel that there was something wrong with some people being very wealthy and others being very poor. I agree with her to some extent. I simply[ly don’t believe that the way to cure the situation is to penalize the rich. After all most of the time people become exceedingly wealthy in a system that permits and encourages wealth. Everyone wants it.

In the 1930’s when Roosevelt was elected President, he was faced with the worst depression the country had ever known. He created the WPA, built dams and bridges and roads and created jobs by building the infra structure of the country. He did this with the help of the wealthy people who understood that he was saving the Nation.  He won their personal support because they understood what he was doing and where the money was going. They were willing to help him to rebuild the country. Instead of penalizing  them for their wealth, he asked them for their help. They understood where their money was going and they supported him. Don’t you believe that today, there are wealthy people who would support the same kind of effort, if they actually believed in what was being done. It seems to me that the real thrust of the next administration should be to restore the confidence in this Nation and the possibility that we can all help and that our vote again counts.

The Founding Fathers concept of the Supreme Court was that these nine people would be able to rise above the Politics of  Political Parties. It is their job to see that this country, it’s Politicians, the wealthiest  and the poorest are all represented equally. These nine people are appointed to the Supreme court for life. They should not owe allegiance to any party,any interest or any individual. Their job is simply to opine on those issues which  give equal rights to all citizens and justice for all. This court has failed  this country on one issue after another. It is a court divided within itself. The women against the men. The Liberals versus the conservatives. They are Politically , ethnically and sexually divided., This does not fit the mandate of the Supreme Court. The recent ruling by this court in the Hobby Lobby case gives corporations and  their owners, the power to deny their female employees their right to birth control options under the Corporate insurance policies. This, under the guise of religious Freedom. The Founding fathers of this country never conceived of Religious freedom becoming the tool with which the Society would be controlled. Each person has the right to practice his or her Religion . Religion is a  personal and private matter. However, it was never conceived by the Founding fathers that this right would become the controlling power over the electorate, the people or the Government of this country.  Girls, Boys, Men Women Hit the streets. Impeach this supreme Court.

Has condoned the shutting down of abortion clinics by their ruling

Has not just infiltrated the hobby lobby but Roe versus Wade

After 9/11, it appeared that most of the terrorists who had attacked and destroyed the World Trade Center turned out to be from Saudi Arabia. I didn’t hear any outcry at that time from Muslims all over the world or even in America or New York City for that matter. If the Muslim world would rise up and attack ISIS, or whatever they call themselves, these barbarians would soon be starved out. The fact of the matter is that the only Muslim group that seems to have reacted to the beheadings of truly innocent people, appears to be in France. When you look at the number of Muslims in the world they are one of the largest religious populations on the globe and I believe that in around 2020 there will be approximately 17 million in America. Why have we not seen some concerted activity anywhere? These barbarians must not be allowed to carry the banner for Islam.

I understand and certainly believe that not all Islamists are terrorists or cut throats but I think that the world of Islam needs to make its presence felt on this issue or risk everyone being tarred by the same feathers. ISIS is collecting millions of dollars a day from the oil wells that they have illegally taken over, and the ransom money that is being paid to them for the lives of the innocent people whom they have kidnapped and are prepared to behead.

The Imams and the people of Islam need to be allied with the rest of the world to fight terrorism. They need to speak out against and root out the terrorists who live amongst them and who lay claim to being their brothers because they are all Muslims. In his letter written from his jail cell in Birmingham Alabama in 1963 Martin Luther King demanded the very same thing of his Christian ministers when he urged them to rise up against the Klu Klux Klan.

Yes, there are individual voices now and then, but there is no sense of community action by those who simply do not and will not accept ISIS and their barbaric executions of innocent people.

Sunday, September 21st, thousands of people, men, women, boys, girls, gays, straights and celebrities all hit the streets to raise awareness of the imperative need to change our attitudes, habits, and actions regarding climate change.

My dear people, the biggest change you can make right now is to go to the polls and vote. Your vote is all that is needed to draw the attention of the nation and to force the Congress to make the necessary changes in the laws. In this country only about 1/3 of the population votes. They vote for Senators like Mitch McConnell. Who will never ever support any bill requiring changes which may help to save our planet. He and the Tea Party are more interested in shutting down the government, destroying the country and the President rather than saving the planet.

In a few weeks, you will have the opportunity to go to the polls and vote. A democratic majority in the Senate and the House would  enable the President of the United States to have the support to effect the very changes that you were demanding  last Sunday on the streets.

Even if you never vote for a Democrat again,  do it this time. That will kick-start the passage of the kind of laws that you called for on Sunday. We need a democratic majority in order to pass the very bills that thousands of you were demanding.

In Australia people who do not vote are fined. And in Brazil, if  there are three elections for which you do not vote, you are not only fined, but your passport is taken away from you. It is your obligation as well as your privilege as a citizen of the United States to vote. Hopefully you will vote for a democratic  majority of Senators who in turn will effect the changes you are demanding.

You and your vote matter.

This supreme court in its wisdom now has decided that American women have no rights regarding their most personal selves. Men may receive Viagra under their insurance claims. Men may rape women and then claim impotence as in the recent case of the college girl, a seventeen year old f Freshman at Hobart and William Smith College who reported being gang raped.This Court has ruled that American women need not be permitted under their company health insurance to be covered for contraception. College girls and women need to have that protection.  The fate of American working women is now in the hands of their corporate bosses, who may at any time call upon their suddenly found religious beliefs to deny working women their rights to be covered by insurance for contraception.This United States Supreme Court on June 30th, 2014 ruled that a corporation on religious grounds may deny a woman the right to have contraceptive coverage under her corporate health insurance policy. Under the guise of religious freedom this Supreme Court has ruled that religious belief has the right to rule the workplace. The denial of personal  rights is the first step towards loss of freedoms. Girls, boys, men and women hit the streets in protest.

This Supreme Court  as it stands today no longer represents the best interests of the people of These United States of America. They have sold this country to the Koch Brothers and the other Highest bidders. it is no longer possible for ANYONE to run for Political Office. It has now become the province of the very rich. The country is in the hands of the Oligarchs. This country is no longer run by the people, for the people . We are in grave and serious danger. Everyone in America should hit the streets in protest.