Wicker and Cochran vote to Detain Citizens without due process!!

Senate approves $662 BILLION dollar military, spy and espionage funding. - allowing suspension of the Constitution in detaining U.S. Citizens Indefinitely by the military without charge or due process.  They actively rejected an amendment to prevent screwing over U.S. Citizens.  Please, remember the names of those who voted to Detain U.S. Citizens without due process or trial! Those who voted to do so include both Mississippi Senators, Cochran and Wicker. Not just once, but three or four times they confirmed their "Lets Detain Citizens without due process" votes!

Then, on top of that, the Senate rejects payroll tax cuts for working families.

Now, if you go to some of those links and look at other votes, there are some that are good and positive.  I'm not going to say its all bad.  However,  the betrayal of Citizens and another big step toward the creation of a military state is simply unacceptable.

Jesus, Mohammed, Buddah and Shamans

Matthew 25: 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 (The righteous are those) who feed the poor, the orphan and the captive for the love of God, saying: ‘We feed you for the sake of God Alone; we seek from you neither reward nor thanks.’ – The Holy Quran

"What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of human beings, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful, and to remove the sufferings of the injured." (Bukhari)

Buddhists believe in the idea of karma (a logical extension from everything being interconnected). What we do to others will ultimately affect ourselves. Hence Buddhism advocates doing good deeds, but not just the following strict rules. It is up to the individual to consider the wisest course of action for their future long term happiness. Five precepts, or ‘guides’, are often given as advice as to actions that will often most lead to beneficial outcomes. They are: not to lie, steal or defraud, kill or injure others, hurt via sexual relationships, and to not further cloud your mind with too many intoxicants.

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."

Shamanism goes hand in hand with the animist's experience of the world: first, all that is [everything is] alive, and being alive embodies a spirit; second, all that is alive is connected by these spirits. Therefore we all - humans, trees, dogs, cats, bees, stones, mountains, seas, Earth and Sky - we all are connected.

All belief systems included some recognition that we are all connected.  It is a simple realization that what we do affects others and ultimately the conditions of others will affect us.  Whether you say it as "what you have done to the least of these you have done to me" or "Do no Harm," the basis is generally the same.  In being kind and generous to others, you will ultimately benefit yourself.  In being mean and vicious - or even indifferent - to others, you will ultimately harm yourself.  We are all connected.

This principle is also at the core of our current economic and political struggles - failures if you will.  A small percentage of people have been so ruthlessly dedicated to seeking profit above all else, that we all have suffered - and ultimately, they will suffer collapse and loss as well.  The health of the economy is dependent on the economic health of all of us, not just the top 1% or even top 10%.

In the phrase, "all boats float with a rising tide," the rich are not the tide.  The tide is the Mass - the Masses of People, the 99% - which give rise to the 'boats' - the Rich or the top few percent.  In our current economy, all the "water" is going into the "boats" and not under them, so everything is going to be sinking pretty quick.

My message to the top 10% - "Stop Hoarding the Money!"

The money has got to be put back into the real economy - not the financial markets.  The financial markets produce absolutely nothing of substance.  It is the Leech that is draining our economy dry.

... and you know, it all made sense in my head... lol.

Occupation - Not Visitation

Well, the Council reached a compromise - which basically still denies the Occupation.

While it seemed that all the members on the Committee agreed with Occupy Jackson, the approved 'compromise' as I walked out was to allow us to stay from Dawn until 11pm. 

Lumumba - having previously made the motion to allow the permit as applied for (24 hours a day), which failed to get a second - walked out in protest before the final vote and I agree with him - (paraphrased) "This is like telling Martin Luther King when he could march and how long it could last, when it would begin and when it would end."

A protest does not need the permission of those it is protesting. Occupy is an ongoing public forum, a discussion on how to change things for the better. 

It is Occupy - an Occupation, not a daily visitation.

I can't be out there 24 hours a day, but I've been trying to lend support, printing articles for them to read, giving supplies, writing signs... little stuff really. 

Perhaps though, it is for the best. If they had approved the 24 hour occupation, there would really be no news.  Now, it is a fight.  A fight for Change. A fight for Democracy.

I hope that there is greater action.  I hope that there will be some marches, some actions.  They've tried to go through the proper channels and get the approvals.  We've been stonewalled at every turn, "compromises" aside.

Does anyone have a vacant lot or a large (or medium sized) place where Occupy folks can stay overnight that is near Smith Park?

 ... and check out this totally unrelated article on Ayn Rand.

Ballot Initiatives

This last election and the defection of just-elected Democrats to the Republican party, which in my mind constitutes Voter Fraud, has shown a spotlight on the corruption and deception in Mississippi politics.  The electioneering that went on behind the scenes had to have been (and the little bit I witnessed was) astounding.

In order to fight this entrenched corruption, I am suggesting some ballot initiatives.  Read up on the Mississippi Initiative process before continuing here...


There is not a 'single subject' requirement for ballot initiatives in Mississippi, so the following five could be lumped together.  However, I do believe that keeping it simple and trying for each on it's own will get us at least some of them passed.


Proposal One: ( Prevent after-election party switching - we could call it "The Gray Law" after Tollison)

"Be it enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi

Article IV of the Constitution of the State of Mississippi is hereby amended by the Addition of a New Section to read :

Section ##. For all purposes the Party Affiliation of Legislators shall be the party under which they were elected until such time as the term shall expire."

Proposal Two: ( Protected Primaries for Limiting Electioneering )
SECTION 247 of the constitution states :
The legislature shall enact laws to secure fairness in party primary elections, conventions, or other methods of naming party candidates.

Since the legislature has failed miserably in following Section 247 (for example, 100,000 more people voted in the Democratic Primary than the Republican primary, 170,000 more people voted Republican in the general election governor's race than voted Democrat) :

"Be it enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi

Section 247 of the Constitution of the State of Mississippi is hereby amended by inserting "(1)" before the existing text and the Addition of the following :

(2) Only registered members of a Party or those who are not affiliated with any Party may vote in a Party's Primary election."

Proposal Three: ( Allowing for Same Day voter registration )
Since we must now show an ID to vote, we should also allow same day voter registrations.  Currently, if you are not registered to vote four months prior to the election day, you can not vote in the upcoming election.  This is supposedly to allow time to print the voter registration roll that poll workers use.

"Be it enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi

Section 251 of the Constitution of the State of Mississippi is hereby amended by changing the full text to read:

Electors may be registered up until and on the same day of any election in which they may be eligible to vote.  Voters registering up to four months before any election shall be given documentation of their registration.  Such documentation shall include all information required to allow voter and poll officials to verify proper voting location. Voters registering up to four months before any election shall be required to show said documentation to poll officials prior to voting."

Proposal Four: ( Requiring Cascading Voting - see below for example and Instant Runoff and Fair Vote for more information.)

"Be it enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi

The Constitution of the State of Mississippi is hereby amended by addition of a New Section to read:

Section ###. (1) Voting in State Elections shall be done by Cascading Vote. Voters shall be allowed to rank their preference for each candidate in each contested race where there are more than two candidates.  There shall be up to four ranks allowed in each race.  If the first choice fails to acquire a higher percentage of votes than the top two candidates in the race, the second choice shall be given that vote.  If the second choice also fails to acquire a higher percentage of votes than the top two candidates, the third choice shall be given that vote. If the third choice also fails to acquire a higher percentage of votes than the top two candidates, the fourth choice shall be given that vote.

Proposal Five: ( No Confidence on a ballot line )

"Be it enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi


The Constitution of the State of Mississippi is hereby amended by addition of a New Section to read:

(1) In addition to candidates on the ballot for each General Election a ballot line with "No Confidence" shall be included.
(2) Should "No Confidence" get a majority of votes in any race, the Secretary of State shall be required to solicit new and different candidates for that race and to hold a special election to decide all such races."

What are your thoughts?

An example of Cascading Voting (aka "instant runoff" voting)

For example :
On the Ballot are Ron (R), Doug(D), Genny(Green) and Reggie(Reform)

Jimmy casts his vote for 1 (Genny), 2 (Reggie), 3 (Doug) 4 (No Confidence)
Mary casts her vote for 1 (Ron), 2 (Reggie)
Sam casts his vote for 1 (Reggie), 2 (Doug), 3 (No Confidence)

Votes are tallied in Rounds, first round results are :
Ron (R) – 5000, Doug(D) – 4900, Genny(Green) – 2000 and Reggie(Reform) – 2500 with “No Confidence” getting 1000

Second round becomes :
Ron (R) – 5100, Doug(D) – 5800, Reggie(Reform) – 3000 with “No Confidence” getting 1500

(Genny has the least votes, “No Confidence” never goes away. All who voted for Genny as 1, their votes move to their #2)

Third round becomes :
Ron (R) – 5600, Doug(D) – 6800 with “No Confidence” getting 3000

Doug wins! But he can see he was not a first choice for 10500 people – and for 3700 who ended up voting for him. 3000 people wanted to toss out all candidates and start over from scratch.

Election Analysis

There are still 61 preciencts not reporting in, but if everything holds steady here is what we are looking at :

Total GOP Victories	109
Total Dem Victories	96
Uncontested GOP	56
Uncontested Dem	62
GOP in House	61
Dem in House	58
GOP in Senate	28
Dem in Senate	22
Runoffs	4

No to altering the definition of "person." (Yay!) Oh, and HERE is what we kept from happening in Mississippi - 10 year olds being forced to give birth.  These people must be stopped at all costs.

Yes to wasting $1.4 Million per year to 'prevent' something that doesn't happen.  That is, Yes to requiring a state issued photo ID in order to vote.  Waste of time and Money.

Yes to restricting the government from taking private land and handing it over to private companies or persons.

So, Mississippi is now a red, red state. (Communist was red too... just saying.)  GOP controls the House and Senate, with slim majorities.  The Governor is a lying, backstabbing, fast-talking Republican.  Lt. Gov is Republican. Secretary of State is a corrupt electioneering Republican. Treasurer, Auditor, Agriculture Commissioner, Insurance Commissioner, two out of three Public Service Commissioners, all three Transportation Commissioners are all Republican.

In short - Mississippi is screwed.  Think we're the bottom of the barrel now? We have only begun to stink and these GOP nutjobs will make sure that the Citizens of Mississippi are the lowest of the low on the totem pole.  If you have a little money, RUN! Save yourselves!  Because they will make sure you loose it - to them.  Think our roads are bad now? LOL!! Just wait!  Think the insurance companies are screwing you now? Oh, they are salivating at the new 'unregulated' Mississippi market.  Think we have a chance to fix things with the next election? ROFLOL!!! They OWN the state now.  They will not give it up.  They don't have to play by the rules - they make the rules.  What? Hood? HA! He has already played their games, he is owned now.

Sure, we defeated the "personhood" amendment - but we put the Co-Chairman of the group that pushed it in the highest office in the state!! I bet we get 'personhood' anyway. After all, he thinks the 58% that voted against 26 are Evil Satanic Nazis :

the most conservative state in the nation, which also elected Phil Bryant, the Republican lieutenant governor and co-chair of the Yes on 26 campaign, to succeed Haley Barbour as governor. This would be the man who Monday evoked the Jews of Nazi Germany “being marched into the oven,” and who said of 26′s opponents, “the evil dark side that exists in this world is taking hold. And they’re saying, what we want you to be able to do is continue to extinguish innocent life. You see, if we could do that, Satan wins.” Oppose 26, Bryant argued, and “you’re on the side of the lie. You’re on the side of taking the lives of innocent children.” (salon.com)

This is what Phil Bryant thinks of us. and, from that same article :

Indeed. On the Personhood Mississippi page, they’re already talking about taking the cause to the legislature.

So, that fight is not over - far from it.  We are in much more danger now and the enemy has all the artillery!

[Bryant] fumed. “Let’s just call it what it is, it’s wild and crazy. But that’s what the other side must do whenever we stand up for life and say, it’s simple, that child in the womb after conception has the same basic human rights as you and I.”

I will reject that insane, sadistic idea forever.  I will forever put living, breathing people way above something that might become one.  I will forever say we should put more emphasis on making sure we can feed, clothe and house the living, breathing people, men, women and children - and babies - long before we force more to be born. We should make sure that all who are able can earn a decent living - at least enough to feed and care for themselves.  To do that, we need to make sure that All Citizens have access to early and good education - even those who don't have parents at home to teach them. We need to make sure that all citizens have easy access to basic medical care that is very affordable.

Mississippi voted against the possibility of trying to do those things this time around.  The voted for the full on GOP agenda of less freedoms, less protections, more income inequality, higher unemployment, less education and more dependence on being in debt just to get by.

Where do we go from here?

I don't know.  But I am working on it. Lots of people are working on it.  I just hope we can manage to come together with a few good ideas and a few good people to lead the way.

We will have to fight hard to keep the damage to a minimum.  I am already dreading the unholy crap they will try to pass.

I hope to see some truly progressive, reality based, smart people running for office in 2012.  Then, we need to work on getting those people elected.

I will follow up with some ideas...

Using the Bible to support Anti-Abortion laws

This might be a bit much for some people, and I am sorry if this oversteps... but the people using the bible or 'God' to support their fanaticism don't know the first thing about the bible.

For your reading :

Numbers 31: (after his army took captives after committing God ordered genocide, Moses ordered:) 17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. 18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Exodus 12: 29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

1st Samuel 15: 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

Isiah 13: 16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

Deuteronomy 2:  33 And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. 34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain

The Bible tells us, God not only condones, but often orders, the killing of innocent women and children, 'infants and sucklings.'

In fact, the Psalmist celebrates it :

Psalms 137: 8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

So, please, stop using the bible to justify your 'protect all babies' cover story.

 Other interesting verses...

Genesis 2: 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 6: 17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. (an example both of 'breath of life' and God killing innocent babies and animals.)

Ecclesiastes 3: 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Habakkuk 2: 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

The breath is what the bible considers life.  Not fertilization.

Numbers 3: 14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.

Leviticus 27:  6 And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver.

The bible - God - doesn't even count a baby until it has survived a full month. (also, the Bible values males more than females - by two shekels!)

Exodus 21: 22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

In the bible, God says the punishment for causing an abortion is a fine.  Killing the woman too is punishable by death.

Deuteronomy 22: 5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. 11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. 12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself. 22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. 25  But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die

Exodus 21: 17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Of course, if you insist upon following the bible, women are not to wear jeans nor men wear silk blouses or cross-dress in any fashion.  You are sinning if you are wearing a poly-cotton blend, cross-dressing or not.  If you want to follow the Bible, you must punish adultery and rape with the death penalty. If your child says, "Damn you!" or "I wish you were dead!" or maybe even, "I hate you!" then you have to kill them. The Bible says so.

I don't think many judges or legislators will go for any of those actual Biblical laws.  So, please, be so kind as to keep your imaginary biblical dictates out of our legal system too.

Religious Extremists and Why the GOP must be defeated

The United States of America was founded by people fleeing the religious persecution of the Government-Supported Church of England.  The Founders wrote protections from such abuses - by any religion - into our Constitution.

Religious Extremists have been fighting to destroy the constitution ever since.  Somehow they feel persecuted because they are prohibited from persecuting other religions - or the not-religious.

• 1776 The USA Founded
• 1782 The Motto "E Pluribus Unum" as official motto of U.S.
    Meaning : "Out of Many, One."  A very inclusive and unifying motto.
• 1795 "E Pluribus Unum" put on U.S. Coins
• 1862 First Paper Money printed in U.S.
• 1864 "In God We Trust" added to U.S. Coins
    Religious response to the Civil War - a prime example of the Shock Doctrine.
• 1892 Pledge of Allegiance written :
  

  "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." 

• 1923 Pledge altered to specify "the flag of the United States of America"
    Original author objects.
• 1954 "Under God" added to the Pledge of Allegiance
    Original author's daughter objects on his behalf.
    Religious response to the Communist threat - another Shock Doctrine moment.
• 1956 "In God We Trust" adopted as official U.S. Motto
    A very divisive motto, potentially unconstitutional.
• 1957 "In God We Trust" added to paper money

We can see an 88 year period of the United States as the (even very religious) Founders intended - a secular government with no religious bias.  Then the seditious attacks begin to succeed.  Now, the Religious Reich⁽¹⁾ talk as though the pledge always included "under god" and the motto was always "in god we trust." Even though it was officially "E Pluribus Unum" for the first 180 years of our country.

Our Democratic Republic has been under constant attack from the extremists of the Religious Reich on one side and the Corporatists on the other.  They are winning.  It is time we gather and fight back. It is time we bring Unity of Many instead of Preference to the Right Religion back to the forefront of politics.

I am not suggesting an end to religions, far from it.  I want religious bias out of government.  I want corporate money and influence out of government.  I want people to be free to express their religious beliefs without fear of persecution - no matter what their religion is.  I want politics to be free of the defacto requirement to support the right religion or religiously motivated policies.  I want people who are not millionaires, people who know what is going on it the real economy, people who are atheists or pagans, to be able to get elected to office! I want law and religion to be kept very, very far apart.

If you can find examples of where religion is taking over government, please post links to articles!

Here are some that prompted this blog post :

"Personhood" amendments, which seek to establish religious beliefs as law.
Defense of Marriage act - A few articles to link to on this one. Another religion as law item.
Presidential candidates pushed by religious zealots based on religion.
Michigan's Anti-Bullying law protects 'religiously motivated' bullying.


Oh, yeah... why the GOP must be defeated.  While the Religious and Corporatists are not exclusive to the GOP, they are most at home there and it is the GOP that is pushing the hardest for the most extreme ideas and ideals of the Religious Reich and the Corporations.

Sources :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0774850.html
http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm
http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/f/e_pluribus_unum.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_national_motto
http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_mott.htm
http://www.nobeliefs.com/facts.htm

(1) - Religious Reich : The extremists of the extreme Religious Right.  Those individuals and beliefs that make the Religious Right exclaim, "They are too extreme."