common sense

...though I don't think Falwell is anywhere close to heaven. With any luck he's roasting in the pits of the hell he loved to send everyone except himself to. The fact that any sane person who actually believe what he has to say says more about the sad state of this country than anything else. I'm sure Larry Flynt is drinkin' a cold one, and I think I'll join him. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

From the Dallas Morning News:
First came the poor man, barely 17 years old – too young to buy beer or vote, but an adult under the Texas penal code. He took part in a $2 stickup in which no one got hurt. He pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and was put on 10 years of probation.
He broke the rules once, by smoking marijuana. A Dallas judge responded in the harshest possible way: He replaced the original sentence with a life term in prison.
There Tyrone Brown sits today, 16 years later, tattooed and angry and pondering self-destruction. "I've tried suicide a few times," he writes. "What am I to make of a life filled with failure, including failing to end my life?"
Now the flip side of the coin, also from Judge Keith Dean's court: A well-connected man pleaded guilty to murder – for shooting an unarmed prostitute in the back – and also got 10 years of probation.
The killer proceeded to break the rules by, among other things, smoking crack cocaine. He repeatedly failed drug tests. He was arrested for cocaine possession in Waco while driving a congressman's car, but prosecutors there didn't press charges.
Judge Dean has let this man stay free and, last year, exempted him from most of the usual conditions of probation. John Alexander "Alex" Wood no longer must submit to drug tests or refrain from owning a gun or even meet with a probation officer. He's simply supposed to obey the law and mail the court a postcard once a year that gives his current address.

The judge's written court policies say that defendants who have broken the rules are not eligible for postcard probation. But no one can make him obey his own standards. Indeed, judges in Texas and most other states have few limits on possible punishments when defendants violate probation, which sets the stage for lawful but extreme disparities.

NOw this may come as a surprise to those who have read my blogs, but I actually do support immigration reform. I voted yes to make english the official language. I voted against allowing instate tuition rates for the students of illegals (though that was a tough one for me). The problem is very simple when you look at it without any of the heart on your sleeve feelings it invokes. We first have to look at why we have this problem. It's not that the mexican people are all criminals, bad people, or what have you. They've got families like we all do and trying to support them the best they can. But like everything else, we aas a country tend to look at band-aid solutions and not the cause of the problem. We allow businesses to hire them. We allow landlords to rent to them. There is little incentive for anyone to enter illegally if we have nothing to offer to them. Fine these businesses, heavily. Big or small fine them all. Better yet arrest the ceo's for hiring them. NOt probation, not weekends, but some hard time. I know we have overcrowded prisons (I'm ALL too aware of that) but if we can arrest illegals we can surely find room for those who arrest them. A 700 mile wall isn't going to stop it. Racial hatred will not stop it. English only will not stop it. Guest worker programs will not stop it. On this my conservative opponents can agree. And let's be a bit more honest as well, it's our fault we have this problem. We've allowed businesses to use them for what amounts to little more than slave labor. Maybe if we hit businesses hard enough, they'll see that paying citizens a fair wage and health benefits is cheaper than what they face by using/abusing illegals.

While my blog posts tend to be on the critical side-even I know some good news when I hear it. Last Wednesday my Mom was in a car accident up at Arrowhead Mall. And while she had no major injuries, she was shaken up a bit and in a lot of pain. A passerby who saw the accident comforted my mom and kept her company while waiting on the police and willingly gave a statement to what they saw. I want to say thank you to them for taking the time to help her and doing what others never seeem to take the time to do. She was transported to Deer Valley J.C. Lincoln (where my life was saved several years ago due to a perforated bowel) and was treated with respect and kindness. A big thank you to the staff there as well. Mom is 65, not in great health and dealing with quite a few things, so I am very glad there are people out there who still care about strangers and take their jobs seriously. Again thanks to all those who made a bad esperience somewhat bearable!!!

I'm not sure I would have believed this if it hadn't happened to someone in my family. My nephew to be exact. About 10 days ago he was arrested for unpaid tickets. When he went before the judge, he was going to be released the judge handed him over to the INS. Why? Well he happened to be born on a naval base in Italy.

UNderstand this. He is an American Citizen, born on an American Naval base, yet they want to deport him. Now we have to go through the process of hiring an Immigration lawyer, spending god knows how much to prove what a judge wanting to make a name for himself should have known. Believe me, there will be a lawsuit over this. Immigration reform indeed!!

After all these years of arrogance and that contract on America, JD Hayworth can now return to being a sportscaster. And thank God for the. With Dems in power in the house, and at this point poised to take the Senate as well, I'm beginning to have some faith in the American People again. This was more than a vote against Mr. Bush. This was a vote against the arrogant, elitist, holier than thou attitude of the right wing nutjobs that have torn this country down, thrust us into a needless war, took a surplus and created a defecit, raped the environment, gave huge tax breaks to corporate pigs, all the while lining their pockets and bending over their pages.

I'm ecstatic, I really am. Finally some semblance of sanity will be seen. And I'm proud that the first woman to be speaker is a Democrat. The ability to have Mr. Bush stack the Supreme with his rightwing agenda is gone. The wreckless spending of this congress is over. You can say Dems are spenders, but look at the facts, this congress has spent more than any budget that Pres. Clinton had. With any luck we can overturn or reduce the patriot act, which is anything but patriotic; force this President to adhere to the geneva convention, and stop this insanity of torture. Yes, I'm a Democrat and have never been prouder.

Was away for about 10 days to bury my cousin and visit some family. And like many I'm from back East and always enjoy going in the autumn for the change of scenery. I miss the leaves turning different colors, well I miss weather period. Most of all I miss people who think. AZ is not loaded with great thinkers. How else do you explain Kyl, Hayworth, Renzi and Franks getting reelected? Well, I won't get into that right now, as I'm enjoying watching the republicans getting trashed. All those right wingers who were sure they knew what americans wanted, apparently didn't. So at least some Americans have gained their senses. And while I do not agree with all that Napolitano has done, I am very glad she's been reelected. I hardly think Len Munsil could have turned a deficit around and actually put money back in the coffers. Nah, he'd be doing a Bush, and we'd be back in record deficits again. Goodbye Len!! And goodbye Bill MOntgomery!! Told ya so, Bill.

Well this isn't strictly news related, but it seemed the most appropriate place to blog this. On Friday Oct. 27, my cousin Eddie committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train. He received a purple heart during the first gulf war and received an honorable discharge. He was also gay, and also had AIDS. As the disease took its toll and his body weakened, friends slipped into the night of denial. Family had abandoned him because of his lifestyle. See, they're born again christians and refuse to believe they even had a brother, or son. With no one and nothing left, he thought jumping in front of a train would be the best.

I'm angry about it. Angry at my other cousins; angry at my aunt and uncle who shunned him before they died; angry at people who call themselves friends until you know what hits the fan. Angry that if I could have helped I would have. But no one told me anything until it was too late. As I said this isn't necessarily news but in a way it is. Eddie isn't unique; I've heard similar stories for 20+ years now. That it still continues, that bornm again christians follow everything except love and tolerance, that as a society we think homophobia is okay, that's the real news.
And as a nation, our deepest shame.

Bill Montgomery's ad has been on the last few days and it reeks of desperation. How so? He claims in the ad that AZ has the worst crime rate in the country, yet the facts he bases this on from the FBI prove it to be false. Being in the top 10 or 15 for assorted villainy isn't good, but it's NOT the worst. Perhaps he should be more concerned about the campaign violations he committed if he wants to argue about crime. Then there's Len Munsil. He has no clue, and it's sad. Despite 55 open meetings regarding the 9/11 memorial he blames the Gov. and calls her unpatriotic. Where was he at those 55 meetings? The fact he has to use a tragedy such as 9/11 for his own gain is the real unpatriotic act. That smell of desperation? It's coming from Republican headquarters. I could talk about his claim that someone from the gov's campaign broke into their headquarters to take 2 flyers, but it's so ridiculous as to not worth mentioning. Besides, where is the police report? If it was a break in why not have the police investigate? Aside from the fact there was NO evidence of a break-in, there were postal stamps on the mailers the gov. received. I'm taking all this in knowing that my mail in ballot went out this week, and regardless where anyone stands on the issues, get out and vote. Bit vote INFORMED.

Well I didn't name my blog in honor of Thomas Paine's pamphlet, though it was in the back of my mind. No I called it common sense as I see so little of it today. Harlan Ellison once said, "No one is entitled to an opinion, however everyone is entitled to an informed opinion." I love that quote as it seems most blogs substitute opinion for fact. Not here. NO if I say something I will label it as opinion, and if I state a fact it will have my source. Drives right wing nut jobs crazy when you throw the truth in their face. It won't all be political, as my life doesn't revolve around politics, there will be as much of my life as I care to share as possible however. So come with an open mind, debate me if you wish, but be prepared to back up your claims!!