The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

I always found it ironically humorous how most members of the Republican Party countered the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement by saying, "All Lives Matter." In light of their rejection of Syrian refugees, this is increasingly so today. Here are the two groups' bumper-sticker-worthy slogans regarding the subject and how they should be interpreted: BLM's Slogan "Black Lives Matter!" Interpretation BLM: "Like everyone else's lives, Black Lives Matter too!" GOP's Slogan "All Lives Matter!" Interpretation "All Lives Matter! Well, except for: Women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, trannies, Muslims, blacks, Latinos, low- and middle-classes, Syrian refugees, agnostics, atheists, etc."

In Houston, Texas on Monday, 20-year-old Patrick Sanders' gun fell out of his pants while he was sleeping on the couch. A 3-year-old boy picked up the pistol and shot Sanders in the face with it. While Sanders is in critical condition, the boy wasn't injured. In light of this bit of news, the NRA will most likely respond with one of the following lines: - "A baby with a gun has more fun!" - "Crawl and fight!" - "Gun control means using both hands - one on the gun and one on the milk bottle!" - "Guns don't kill people; toddlers with guns kill people!" - "The only way to stop a bad toddler with a gun is a good toddler with a gun!" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/28/houston-man-shot-in-face-by-toddler_n_6057110.html

When speaking with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday , former Republican Senate Majority Leader and 1996 presidential nominee Bob Dole said the following about the Republican Party of today: "I think they ought to put a sign on the national committee doors that says 'closed for repairs' until New Year's Day next year and spend that time going over ideas and positive agendas." and "Reagan couldn't have made it. Certainly Nixon could not have made it because he had ideas. We might have made it, but I doubt it." In the run up to the 2014 mid-term elections, Democrats should sport bumper stickers which say the following: "We lack ideas and positive agendas." - Bob Dole, former GOP Sen. Maj. Leader and presidential nominee "Reagan and Nixon wouldn't be welcomed by Republicans today, because they had ideas." - Bob Dole, former Republican presidential nominee "The Republican Party is closed for repairs until further...

So, I saw an interesting pair of bumper stickers on a truck last night which made me think the driver perhaps took the Saturday Night Live skit of "Djesus Uncrossed" a bit too literally. The sticker on the left side of the bumper said "JESUS" and the one on the right said, "I don't call 9-1-1" with a picture of a gun next to it. It reminds me of the scripture in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 39, where it says: "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek...if you're a wimp. If you're a real man, you'll do like Jesus did and return that slap on the cheek by busting out the SWAT HK machine gun he stashed in his robe and the .44 Magnum he hid away in his right sandal." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/17/djesus-uncrossed-on-snl-spoofs-tarantino-in-christ-revenge-fantasty_n_2706814.html

One anti-Obamacare talking point which has perplexed me somewhat is when people tell me, "I don't want to pay for other people's healthcare! I pay for my own! They should pay for theirs!" I'm thinking these individuals have seen one too many bumper stickers and listened to Rush Limbaugh for one minute too many (one minute by itself may be too many). While I'm not fully on-board with Obamacare, I do think it's likely a step in the right direction. It's far too early to tell what the net effect of it will be on this country, but I think in the end, it will have a positive one overall. The most controversial aspect of the bill is the mandate, which requires every person to acquire health insurance by the due date or else pay a fine. While it's probably quite discomforting for many to feel, accurately or not, that a right of theirs has been stripped from them by the federal government through this mandate, it is quite essential for the reform to be s...

I've been both flustered and fascinated by this. Why is it that it seems symbols and bumper-sticker slogans hold such greater value to conservative Republicans than to liberal Democrats? Why do they spend so much time caring that a symbol of a cross be displayed in as many places as possible? That they sport an American flag on a shirt or other articles of clothing? That drivers know via a sticker they support the troops, believe in freedom, and love God? I've never understood this and with every election that passes, it appears to be occurring with more frequency as the Republican Party moves further and further to the right. To outsiders, the American flag is just a piece of cloth, which showcases stars and stripes and the colors red, white, and blue. To Americans, this piece of cloth holds greater significance than to the outsiders. However, I often times wonder how many people whom sport the flag so frequently on clothing and the like actually think about why they are doi...

Have you heard or seen this? Someone adamantly declaring the following - "I'm not a Republican. I'm not a Democrat. I'm an American and I want my country back!"? This makes me laugh, because I'd say a good 9 out of 10 people who say this are indeed either a Republican or a Democrat. When President George W. Bush was in office, what did many Democrats say? "We want our country back!" Now that Barack Obama is president, what are Republicans saying? "We want our country back!" Indeed. What these people today are really saying is, "President Barack Obama and the Democrats have destroyed this country! This isn't the America our Founding Fathers wanted. I'm voting for Republican Mitt Romney to take my country back!" When a Republican is next in office, Democrats will utter similar words and the cycle shall continue. It's all pretty silly, misleading and hyperbolic. What irks me slightly is the part about being an ...

In an article recently released by Boston Spirit , one David Wilson shed some light on Mitt Romney's thoughts, feelings and interactions with the gay community. As Massachusetts Governor in 2004, Romney spoke out in favor of banning same-sex marriage in the state, going so far as endorsing a constitutional amendment which would do just that. In interacting with then Governor Romney and attempting to plead his case against the amendment, Wilson reflected on the experience, saying, "It was like talking to a robot. No expression, no feeling. People were sharing touching stories, stories where you'd expect recognition in the other person's face that they at least hear what you're saying -- that there's empathy. He didn't even shake his head. He was completely blank." According to Wilson, Romney did utter a few words, as he said, "I didn't know you had families." The lead plaintiff in the case - Julie Goodridge - was concerned about wh...