Open Letter to the Koch Brothers

Dear David and Charles, It is my hope and dream that you read this letter from my heart. I know this is highly unlikely but it is my American Dream. You two brothers are doing a great job in destroying the middle class and regular working Americans. Your little experiment pouring money into local elections, state elections and national elections is destroying 90% of the population. It is my dream that you keep your billions and stop spending on politics, education or the economy. Just make your money and give it to your famuly. Be greedy and keep it to yourself. That would make me happy. 1) Your desire for tax cuts has brought our country from a creditor nation in the 1970's to a debtor nation of epic proporations today. We do not have a spending problem as you say, but revenue problem. In the 1980's even Ronald Reagan gave a speach that the rich should pay 50% tax rate to pay their share. Due to our constant decrease in taxes we have less money for education, less for the poor, working families and domestic programs. While you two are not the only people asking for more tax cuts, these are benefiting you the most. Your wealth has greatly increased since the charge to lower taxes as you make more money in investments. This is a wealth transfer from working people to you in the 1%. 2) Your campaign against climate change is killing our planet. YOur group is sponsoring lies. Take some of your money and make green technology companies-think long term and investment in safe industries-put noooo. You lie and I mean lie about climate change and then create a group of people that follow you blindly. The 90% will suffer as you can afford to protect yourself from many of the hazards or natural issues. 3) Your crusade against unions, workers and labor is just deplorable. While it helps you obviously, this is causing middle class and working class income, wealth to go down and it is causing a crisis for working people. You two are trying to destroy government programs to help people while paying people too little. Your groups will want to get rid of minimum wage, worker protections and any workplace regulations but you do not want government to help either. You are destroying people's lives by your actions. 4) Libertarianism does not nor has it ever worked. The market place does not make corrections or help people. The marketplace does not prevent slavery, poor working conditions or low wages. The market is imperfect and helps the owners of capital. Your business and your 1% are getting tax breaks, tax credits and government assistance and YOU DO NOT NEED ANY HELP. Working people and middle class needs help. How does any of your companies getting a subsidy follow libertarianism? It does not. You want government to help your business when you need no help but you call everyone else lazy. Why do you deserve any tax help when you inherited your money and I work for a living? 5) Your group attacks education by advocating vouchers, home schooling and charter schools. Any money diverted from public education hurts our country. Yes you are in the 1% and can afford to send your children anywhere-the others cannot. We need public free education. Demoracy requires an intelligent, smart electorate and that is something YOU DO NOT WANT. Most 1% do NOT WANT an informed electorate as they would find out how much you are stealing and taking away from Americans. Please stop advocating your beliefs and causes as they are against over 330 million Americans. What is good for you IS NOT GOOD for AMERICA. I can pick any issue-guns, climate change, education, unions, womens rights, immigration, debt, infrastructure, taxes, healthcare and you are ON THE WRONG SIDE of America. The only reason Republicans are against many of these issue is because of you TWO PEOPLE. Obamacare is a package of REBUBLICAN ideas but of course you are Libertarian and do not care if people die since they do not have a doctor. You do not care if people do not have police if they do not pay for it. You want roads, schools, parks, prisons, everything to be private...you can pay for it but others cannot. You are selfish and greedy and I just wish you kept your money and did not spend it on politics or politicans. Yes, you have that freedom but you do not have the right to hurt other Americans-and you are. Please just keep your money. Please do not kill any more Americans. Please let us work and survive. Your beliefs are killing us. Clayton Guy

A Vote for Republicans in 2014 is a disaster

If the Republicans win in the House and Senate in 2014, this will be a disaster for the US. It means no more laws or actual governance in two years. It most likely means impeachment for the President. It means fighting, arguements and nothing getting done. It means more partisanship. For women, it means less access to abortion. It means a miscarriage is a homocide. It means less contraception acces, it means women will die having abortions. It will mean worse women's health and less access to health care for women. It means more fighting on gay marriage, with more state laws and possibly nullification of court decisions in states. It means less gun laws and more access to guns. It means more guns in bars, in schools, in public. Guns allowed anywhere. It means cutting government, police, teachers, prisons, roads, highways-less government services, less government people. It means lowere GDP and less jobs, and higher unemployment. It means less worker rights-less unions, less pay, less hours, less rights. Business will be able to steal wages as they do now, cut hours that were worked, cut pay that employee earned. No increase in minimum wage It means more war and more fighting overseas. Congress will want to wage war in Syria, Ukraine, and other places-John McCain and others have never turned down any wars to fight. It any fighting with President Obama on everything. Republicans will believe that they have a mandate and they are the only ones who have an opinion. They will disagree with the President on everything. I am still waiting for the Republicans to disagree with the President when he says it is raining. Obamacare were Rebpublican ideas, Cap and Trade is a Republican idea, and there are many ideas that once the President has agreed and used, the Republicans have done the opposite. Republicans care more about their Party than the country. They will cause the country to not pay its bills, default and make unemployment worse. Republicans express joy at bad economic news. Republicans are happy when the US is doing poorly-this is terrible but the Republicans do not care about the US-only winning elections. If the House and Senate are in Republican hands the US will be worse off. Since the President is still there, they will either try to impeach or make the economy and country worse off. They only want to win elections and keep their jobs.

Confederate Flag means Treason

I continue to see the Confederate Flag on people's cars, flying beside the highway-in VA or in Arizona a person flying the US and Confederate Flag at the same time. Many people who fly the Confederate Flag say they love their country. I know to African Americans the Confederate Flag means racism and slavery. I agree but will add that anyone who flys the Confederate Flag, it means Treason. Johnny Reb-reb is short for rebel. The Confederate States of America fought the US in a 4 year war. They committed treason by all definitions. The military men had to pledge an oath to the US and agree to come into the Union. Many felt that they were allowed to come back and be citizens too easily. That is not for this discussion but Conderates are rebels and supported treason. We need to remember this, and not to glorify the treason. How can anyone say they love their country and support treason and war with the US? Yes this is part of our history but not to be glorified and seen as a positive. When I hear the Civil War was the War of Northern Aggression, I can tell this person loves the Confederacy and beleived in Treason, probably today. If I hear nullification, again treason and breaking the constitution. Most of the South and their beliefs lost in the war and there is other way to see the flag but as treason and not supporting the United States of America.

War on Women

Men have to grow up and change. I am a father of two sons and have a beautiful wife and daughter in law. I teach high school and worry about all of my female students as they go off to college. I need to work on teaching men how to act and behave with women. There needs to be a discussion and talk about what is acceptable and what is not. Our men should not... 1) treat women as an object, as something they own 2) think they deserve sex, date or phone number for talking 3) pressure women for dates, phone number or information 4) force themselves on women-no does mean no 5) cat call, yell out and comment about a woman's dress 6) whistle, make noises-grunts 7) stare at women, watch, make faces 8) follow women, look up online, watch..stalk women 9) women can make decisions-let them 10) kill or hurt a woman if they break up, or divorce or move out 11) get woman drunk or give drugs for sex 12) hit, abuse, strike or injure a woman physically or emotionally 13) put women down, call them names, belittle them 14) have dual standards-treat women like men 15) slut shaming-women are people with feelings- Men should do the following: 1) treat women as equals 2) Ask women what they think and respect ideas 3) speak up when men are disrepectful 4) help a woman when she is drunk or drugged 5) listen to women and what they say..no means no 6) treat any woman like you would treat your daughter 7) let a woman go if she wants a divorce or to break up 8) look at the woman in the eyes, face, not her body 9) know the woman has talents, ideas, skills not just is a body or looks 10) be an example for your children and other men Being a male, there can be so many more items. I reviewed #yesallwomen and learned alot. I will review these and see how I am doing. Men need to listen to women, learn from them. See what they are experiencing from men. It is scary. We need to be observant. Add more ideas, comment and put them on. I will add to the list. 11)

Second Amendment Originally for Slave Militias

I always knew that the seoond amendment was for the government both state and national government to be able to raise a militia to put down rebellions. Shay's Rebellion scared the Founders as both the State of Massachusetts and National government could not raise a militia and showed the weakness of the national government. After the Constitution, the Federal Government needed a militia to put down the Whiskey Rebellion. A good question posed by David Frum, a conservative blogger, what government would set up a mechanism where it encourages the citizens to rise up and overthrow the government. The militias were to put down revolts and put down rebellions. The Founders were worried about a stable government. Carl T. Bogus of U.C. Davis Law wrote the article "The Hidden History of the Second Amendment," and in this chronicled the history of the second amendment in the South and the need for Slave militias. Slave militias were used to patrol the South, go to plantations and to make sure there were no slave revolts. Slave militias were used to keep control of the slaves and make sure no rebellions. Militias were important to the South and people had to work monthly, have training and participate in the militias. When researching James Madison, Patrick Henry, James Monroe all spoke about the Militia and not the right of an individaul to own a gun. The debate was national government militia taking over and replacing state militias so states would not have slave patrols. The Southern leaders were worried about this issue not the right of people having guns. Even the original second amendment written by James Madison was changed from country to state to satisfy the South. All research points to the beginning of the second amendment, a well regulated milita being necesary to a free state, is the most important part. There is no individual right to own a gun, according to our Founding Fathers. The more research will show how militias were used, how many Americans did not have guns and even militias had to supply guns to its members.

White priviledge

I have had a difficult life and nothing is easy. I live paycheck to paycheck. I work 80 hours per week and have little savings. I work to support my family. My priviledge is underneath the surface but there. I am a white, male, 53 and Protestant. I am not angry and I acknowledge my priviledge. When I notice that a majority of people are white it means I am comfortable and at ease. At worst my situation is neutral.

1) when I go to a store I am greeted by white employees as a majority and a majority of the customers are white.

2) when I apply for a job, the people responsible for hiring me are a majority white.

3) at work a majority of the employees are white. I have had one job where I was the only male but all employees were white.

4) when I watch tv the majority of characters are white

5) when I watch a movie a majority of the characters are white.

6) when I go to a restaurant a majority of the servers and employees are white.

7) when I go to a restaurant a majority of the customers are white.

8) when I go to court the judges, bailiffs and clerks are marjority white.

9) when I have had contact with the police they are a majority white. I do not think I have ever dealt with a minority police officer. My dealings with police have been respectful.

10) when I walk at stores like a mall or shopping area a majority of the people are white.

11) when I move to nice areas and look for places to live a majority of the owners are white.

12) when I look for housing a majority of realtors and landlords are white.

I have only been to a bar in downtown Bridgeport Ct where I was the only white person there and all of the servers and customers were black. Since I was with a regular I felt safe but all eyes were on me. I left outside and not welcome. 

I have worked in offices in Bridgeport where I was the only white person, but I was in management and in charge. The customers and employees treated me with respect and I would go home and was in the majority.

The majority of my life I have been treated with respect and have been comfortable in dealing with people. I have not been subject to harassment or pulled over for being white. I have no negative stereotypes about me. I have not had any extra roadblocks or hurdles put in my way. I can compete because I am in the majority.

I know there are more instances where I am privileged. This is just a beginning of my knowing of my priviledge.i am not sorry about this but recognize this and look to show others th same.

Change the name of redskins

As a lifelong fan the name is offensive. It does not matter how many approve of the name or polls. The name has no redeeming qualities. It is offensive, as no one would say "hey redskin" or we have two redskins in Congress. We do not use the name in public or private talking to Native Americans. The dictionary has the term offensive. While originally in the 1700's it was neutral, the term has been derogatory since. Not to be politically correct this term is not like Braves, Warriors and it should not be used in our nations Capitol representing our team.