The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

While it's human nature to be more emotionally impacted by a tragedy when it affects an individual personally, I find it progressively more commonplace, and frankly progressively more disturbing, to see large quantities of people not exhibit a shred of empathy, nor sympathy when said horrific occurrence occurs outisde their orbit. If and when I ever inquire how the aforementioned tragedy impacted them, I'm typically met with a shrug of the shoulders and the same sentiment - "It will never happen to me." Yes, I'm more or less referring to the MAGA cult, or, I'll be nice and call it a movement (yes, in line with bowel movements, but I digress). Hard-line members of this...movement firmly believe, no matter what happens to people like Renee Good or Alex Pretti, there's zero chance of a similar fate meeting them. You'll hear them defend the ICE agents, who committed the murders of Mr. Pretti and Ms. Good, as just doing their job; following the rule of law;...

That time I wish I couldn't accurately say, "I told you so." For a while, I've said, "If Donald Trump gets re-elected, we will no longer be home to a democratic republic." The typical response I received? "You worry too much." No, apparently I wasn't "extremist" enough in my concerns, as even though Trump lost in the 2020 presidential election, his supporters are actively holding the U.S. Capitol hostage, in an attempt to prevent Congress from tallying the electoral votes from the November election.  I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'd be lying. This has been building for years, even before Trump, and here we are. The fact of the matter is certain segments of the population never accepted the South losing the Civil War and this has carried on for generations. It's why they proudly hold up the Confederate flag. It's why they don't view minorities as "real" Americans. It's why the three words "...

Conservative columnist and analyst Mona Charen just published an an article on Politico , titled, "How a Democrat Can Win Over a Never-Trumper: And if you don't think you need us, you should think twice," and I felt the need to comment on it. First off, for those who don't know, a "Never-Trumper" is a conservative/Republican who can't stand Donald Trump and vows to never vote for him. In her article, Ms. Charen defines the term, tells us why she constitutes as a Never-Trumper, and shares her semi-willingness of voting for a Democrat in the 2020 presidential election. Here are a few snippets on which I'd like to comment: - "You may think you don't need us-but you'd be wrong. I know things are looking good for you: Trump's approval rating has never topped 46 percent, and among younger voters, millennials and Gens Zers, his support is 30 percent or below. But Trump was elected with the lowest approval ratings of any major candidat...

Since late last year, at least a dozen states have passed anti-abortion legislation, making it more difficult for women to have much choice on what to do with their bodies post-pregnancy, if any choice at all. This all came to a head this past week in Alabama, where abortion became illegal in just about every circumstance, with the lone exception of the mother's health being placed in jeopardy due to a pregnancy. Abortion is illegal in cases of rape, incest, and doctors whom perform the procedure could face up to 99 years in prison. The bill was passed by the final tally of 25-6. All 25 "aye" votes were made by white Republican men. This comes on the heels of such legislation being passed in: Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Tennessee, with Missouri passing a similar bill just after Alabama did. In these 12 states, there were a total of 350 "ayes," compared to just 109 "nays" (76.3% passin...

It was September 11th, 2001. We were a nation under attack, looking amongst our brothers and sisters, searching for answers. Soon we were told who the enemy was and how we were to stand together against this common foe. Hands were held. Flags were raised. Tears were shared. Songs were sung. Regardless of whether we were men or women, black or white, Christian or Muslim, gay or straight, Republican or Democrat, we were Americans. As we went to war, our president told us, "You're either with us or you're against us." There was no middle ground to be had. Dissenters were deemed traitors, as 90% were unified in trusting the president's call to action. Anti-civil rights legislation was passed in the name of security. Protesters were still scorned. Liberty was preached and praised, yet criticized. This all occurred as we were being told the attacks were due to envy of our way of life, a way to disrupt our freedoms. Fast-forward to 17 years later. Another president who...

While our freedoms and the protection of them may be no laughing matter, Donald Trump's seeming obsession with that which symbolizes them cracks me up. Let's stand back and look at this entire situation. Donald Trump has consistently gone after NFL players for kneeling during the National Anthem. He's referred to them as unpatriotic (among other things) and suggested they should be fined, suspended, kicked out of the league, or even deported. He's claimed to have felt so strongly about this due to our brave men and women whom have fought and died to establish and maintain our freedoms, and the flag being a symbol of them. Trump has also referred to this country as the greatest and freest in the world. So, according to him, he's Mr. Patriotic. If the man is consistent with anything, though, it's his inconsistency. He campaigned on the slogan of "Make America Great Again," meaning he didn't think it was all too special prior to him stepping into of...

As I've long said, regardless of how much we don't want to believe it, freedom is not absolute. Whether it be our freedom to say what's on our mind or to own a firearm, there are certain guidelines to each and every "freedom." Having said that, I think law enforcement went too far in arresting Green Bay Packers wide receiver Trevor Davis after he made a bomb joke at Los Angeles International Airport the other day. At the ticket counter, Davis, who was with his girlfriend, was asked if he "was carrying any aerosol cans, knives, weapons or explosives." He then turned to his girlfriend and sarcastically asked if she remembered to pack the explosives. Look, should Davis have been detained and questioned? Yes. But should the guy have been arrested? Give me a break... First off, I've flown hundreds of times and have never been asked if I was carrying any aerosol cans, knives, weapons or explosives. If I were to be asked such a ridiculous question, chan...

As long-time readers should know, I'm not a fan of the conservative right, and this is especially the case of hyperbole-obsessed right-wing media personalities. Regular readers should also know I've long stood by our Constitutional right to freedom of speech, but even so, believe freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequence. This brings me to the recent such case involving Fox News personality Laura Ingraham, who has come under fire for posting this tweet about Parkland survivor and activist David Hogg: "David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges Which He Applied and whines about it. (Dinged by UCLA with a 4.1 GPA...totally predictable given acceptance rates.) https://www.dailywire.com/news/28770/gun-rights-provocateur-david-hogg-rejected-four-joseph-curl" Mr. Hogg responded by calling on Ingraham's advertisers to cut ties with her show. Many have done so, which has prompted Ms. Ingraham to apologize via Twitter and take what she has termed a ...

I've heard every argument there is to hear from NRA enthusiasts whom believe gun laws are either unConstitutional or pointless, and upon closer inspection, each and every argument fails, bigly. Argument #1: "The 2nd Amendment!" I'm sorry, but the Constitution is 228 years old. When writing it, our Founding Fathers didn't think to themselves, "No matter the day, no matter the year, man should have the right to bear arms! Even well into the future, when these weapons evolve into machine-gun types, with or without bump stocks, anyone from elders to newborns should have the right to fire these motherf*ckers!" I don't think so. The more technology evolves, the more out-of-date the Second Amendment becomes. Does it need to be abolished? No, of course not. But should it receive an update, or at the very least, when discussing it, should more of us take into account the surrounding context of when it was written? Absolutely. It's like my mama alwa...

Not long ago, former Pro Bowl quarterback and human-highlight reel Michael Vick came under scrutiny for advising former Super Bowl and current free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick to get a haircut, saying image is important. While I disagreed with the former #1 pick's assertion that Kaepernick's protests last season played no factor in him not being signed today, I could understand his unfortunately real assertion that most NFL owners are white and there's often a double-standard in the league as far as black and white players are concerned, particularly when it comes to image. Well, now it's former Super Bowl and future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Ray Lewis's turn, and in my opinion, his advice to Kaepernick is far more troubling than Vick's. Just the other day, Lewis said this: "The football field is our sanctuary. If you do nothing else, young man, get back on the football field and let your play speak for itself. And what you do off the field, don...

Far-right Republicans often like to call themselves Constitutionalists, but just how accurate is that label? If the modern-day GOP were to write the Constitution today, here are just a few changes I think they'd make: 1st Amendment "Congress shall respect Jerry Falwell's interpretation of Christianity more than any other religion. Due to that, Congress shall make no law prohibiting freedom of speech, even when this speech negates others of their rights. Conservative-friendly media outlets should be so free they're allowed to tell the world that gravity was a myth passed down by one King Fallen without so much as a smirk." 2nd Amendment "An unregulated Militia, being necessary to the profit of the National Rifle Association, the right of the people to keep and bear firearms which could potentially kill 200 people per minute, shall not be infringed, because Jesus." 4th Amendment "The right of the people to feel secure in their homes against u...

As I often do on Twitter anymore, I was busy poking fun of Donald Trump last night. One of the top trending hashtags was #5WordTrumpSlogans. I posted approximately ten such hashtags, one of which was, "Offending Everyone Without Any Consequences." To this, I heard from a self-described constitutional conservative, who said, "They only people offended are anti-white #RadicalMarxists like you," later adding, "Anti-white muslim supporters." That's right, ladies and gentlemen; I've been busted. As a white person myself, I'm apparently anti-white, and therefore anti-self. Yes, it perplexes me as well... It's ironically hilarious this man describes himself as a constitutional conservative, yet labels me as anti-white and pro-Muslim, for while I don't adhere to any religion myself, I believe everyone has the constitutional right to believe in whatever faith they so choose, including Christians, and yes, Muslims. Apparently, this constituti...

I haven't handed out any douche-of-the-day or douche-of-the-week awards in a while, but Missouri state Representative Rick Brattin's recent actions helped snap that severe drought. Last week in the Missouri House, Republican state Representative Rick Brattin decided to propose a bill which would strip scholarships from any athlete who "calls, incites, supports or participates in any strike." The proposal also mandated colleges and universities to fine any coach who encouraged or enabled student-athletes' protests. While Representative Numnutz, I mean Representative Brattin, wasn't available for comment, co-sponsor Representative Kurt Bahr (tweedledum) was, and went on to say the following: "[The aim is to show that] the response that they've had (the University of Missouri) has not been as strong as the Legislature would like, and that we, the General Assembly, expect the leadership of this state institution to actually lead and now allow the st...

I stumbled across an article written by First Amendment Coalition Executive Director, Peter Scheer, today, and felt the need to respond. The article's entitled, "College Students Need Lessons in Tolerance and Free Speech." I'll share the opening two and final full paragraphs of the article, because I think they provide a clear picture of what Mr. Scheer is trying to express. "There's nothing like the massacre of 129 Parisian civilians at the hands of jihadi sociopaths, utterly convinced that their barbarism manifests the will of God, to provide some perspective on the recent whining of students at a number of America's most elite colleges and universities. For the past few weeks, students across the country -- at Yale University in Connecticut, Amherst College in Massachusetts, New Hampshire's Dartmouth College, the University of Missouri, and southern California colleges Claremont McKenna and Occidental -- have been testing the limits of academ...

Conservatives seem to have a twisted idea of what constitutes "freedom of religion." While we are granted this freedom in the U.S. Constitution, many Republican politicians haven't been satisfied with that due to the progression of LGBTs rights over the past few years. Even though the concept of separation of church and state is also mentioned in the Constitution, many GOPers seem to ignore this, and instead take their "freedom of religion" to be absolute, at work or at home, used to ensure their freedoms or to ironically deny others of their own. According to these far-right individuals, if they're forced to serve LGBTs at their workplace, that's discrimination toward them and their beliefs, even though if they refused service to the LGBT community, that would in fact be the epitome of discrimination. If that rationale isn't demented enough as it is, in light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, some freedom-of-religion-loving Republicans, in...

The more I observe former neurosurgeon and Republican candidate Ben Carson, the more inclined I am to believe he's slyer than a fox named Sylvester. Prior to the two (varsity) Republican debates, I had heard some of Carson's extreme views. Here's just a snippet of those views: - "You know, Obamacare is really, I think, the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery. And it is, in a way, it is slavery in a way because it is making all of us subservient to the government." - "They've (ISIS) got the wrong philosophy, but they're willing to die for what they believe, while we're busily giving away every value and every belief for the sake of political correctness." - "Because a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight and when they come out, they're gay. So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question." - "You know, we live in a Gestapo age, people don't ...

After receiving some criticism from both the left and the right regarding his anti-Muslim comments, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson went on the Fox News show, Hannity , to try and elaborate on his previous statements. On the program, Carson and host Sean Hannity engaged in the following back-and-forth: Sean Hannity: "Was that what you were thinking in your mind when you were answering the question, in other words, the way Muslim theocracies currently operate?" Ben Carson: "That's correct. I mean, they currently do not tend to operate the same way that our system does. Now, if someone has a Muslim background and they're willing to reject those tenets and to accept the way of life that we have, and clearly will swear to place our Constitution above their religion, then, of course, they will be considered infidels and heretics, but at least I would then be quite willing to support them." Hannity: "All right, so what I hear in your statem...

Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis has made a lot of headlines in recent weeks due to her not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples because it went against her religious beliefs. Many far-right conservatives, including multiple Republican candidates running for the 2016 presidential election, have come to Ms. Davis' defense, saying it's her First Amendment right to believe as she so chooses and that she should be exempt from having to fully follow through with her job responsibilities due to religious freedom. Like I've noted many times before, Kim Davis is allowed to believe in whatever religion she so chooses. However, if those religious beliefs prevent her from fully doing her job, she should seek work elsewhere. There's a reason why the Civil Rights Act was passed and why the LGBT community has long been fighting for similar protections under the law. Regardless of a person's age, gender, race, creed, or orientation, he or she should be treated equally as a...

Self-described Constitutionalist Ben Carson appears to have trouble understanding the Constitution. On Sunday's Meet the Press , Carson got into the following back-and-forth with host Chuck Todd: Chuck Todd: "Should a President's faith matter?" Ben Carson: "Well, I guess it depends on what that faith is. If it's inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter. But if it fits within the realm of America and consistent with the Constitution, no problem." Todd: "So do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?" Carson: "No, I don't, I do not. I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that." In case Mr. Carson forgot, the First Amendment says this: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the ...

It really amazes me how little conservative Republicans seemed to have learned over the course of the past 6.5 years with President Obama in office. Without seeing poll results to illustrate this, I sometimes give them the benefit of the doubt, as I think to myself, "There's no way they still believe those conspiracy theories from 6.5 years ago!" Well, according to the latest Public Policy Polling poll results, I shouldn't have assumed as much. Here are the craziest results from the poll: - Just 29% of Republicans believe Barack Obama was born in the United States, while 44% do not (26% aren't sure) - Only 14% of Republicans believe President Obama to be a Christian, while 54% believe him to be Muslim (32% aren't sure) - 51% of GOPers said they would support altering the Constitution so that children of undocumented immigrants are not automatically citizens of this country, 31% oppose the measure (18% aren't sure) - 47% of Republicans either suppor...