Friday, March 2, 2012
Georgia's Newest Attack on the Rights of Individuals
*facepalm*
"The bill was introduced by State Reps. Don Balfour (R-Snellville), Bill Hamrick (R-Carrollton), Bill Cowsert (R-Athens), and Ross Tolleson (R-Perry). All four Senators are members of an organization called the American Legislative Exchange Counsel (ALEC). ALEC bring corporations and lawmakers together to draft template legislation that is introduced in other states to change policy. ALEC claims to be nonpartisan but is funded by several right-wing thing tanks."
Having sold themselves to corporate interests long ago, four Georgia senators are looking to legislate away First Amendment Rights on the advice of corporations (surprised?). They are putting through a bill that would make it a felony to picket (in particular to picket a CEO's house). Could they not even try to look like they're standing up for voters? At least a little? This bill is just more proof that the Republican Party (both federally and at the state level) or serving the interest of the wealthy, and have zero interest in standing up for actual voters.
The ability to protest is a First Amendment right, and these Republican senators are trying to legislate it away. How is this standing up for freedom, or respecting the constitution (y'know those two things that Republicans keep saying they're trying to protect)?
Now, you might want to argue that they believe they are protecting constitutional rights, mainly the CEO's right to privacy (your privacy's not important though). However:
"“In addition, they have from the beginning of the Session been looking like they want to find Constitutional challenges and actually pass bills that they know are unconstitutional but to use them as a way to overturn federal law,” Pellegrini said."
There is no defence for this. This party claims they stand for the Constitution, YET they knowingly violate it all of the time! They are constantly threatening the rights of the individual, and attempting to re-interpret and change it to suit their own personal agendas.
If this goes through the Republican Party will have successfully legislated one of your First Amendment Rights away from you, fucking amazing.
"To amend Chapter 6 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to labor organizations and labor relations, so as to provide that certain provisions prohibiting mass picketing shall apply to certain private residences; to provide for an action to enjoin unlawful mass picketing; to provide for punishment and penalties; to provide for injunctive relief; to provide for public policy concerning refusal or decision to withdraw from a labor union or employee organization; to provide for certain contract and agreement employment rights; to provide for the development by the Department of Labor of employee rights information; to provide certain posting requirements by private employers; to provide for enforcement; to provide for changes to agreements and contracts permitting labor organizations to deduct fees from employees' earnings; to amend Code Section 16-7-21, relating to criminal trespass, so as to provide for both criminal trespass and criminal conspiracy; to provide for punishment and fines; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes."
Why the Anti-Choice movement is wrong.
For this piece I will be referring to "pro-life" as "anti-choice" because let's face it, none of us are against life, that's a fallacy that's used to manipulate people and make the pro-choice movement come off as immoral and "anti-life" which is bullshit.
The difference between the two views is this: No one is going to force someone who believes life begins at conception to get an abortion (or at this point even perform an abortion), but by trying to make their beliefs legislation they are literally forcing their beliefs on everyone, forcing their belief that life begins at conception and their religious values onto the rest of the country. So much so that they attempt legislation that would prevent a pro-choice doctor from performing abortions, even those that are medically necessary.
We hear so much about anti-choice doctor's rights, that they should be allowed to morally object to giving abortions, but yet these same people have zero problem trying to pass legislation that would prevent a pro-choice doctor from doing something he feels is morally just. So anti-choice doctors should get the choice whether or not to perform an abortion but a pro-choice doctor isn't given the same right. Fan fucking tastic.
Their morals mean more than our morals apparently, and it's that sort of hypocrisy that I can't stomach.
Want to add (thank you Katie :D):
Pro-Choice does not mean you are pro-abortion, or that you don't believe that life begins at conception, it means that you believe in the woman's right to choose.
Want to add (thank you Katie :D):
Pro-Choice does not mean you are pro-abortion, or that you don't believe that life begins at conception, it means that you believe in the woman's right to choose.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
A Rant
Inspired by: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/gop-struggles-to-contain-birth-control-fallout.php?ref=fpb
"Blunt introduced the legislation at the height of the contretemps over the Obama administration’s contraception rule, and Republicans pushed hard to secure a vote for it as an amendment to an unrelated transportation bill."
Attaching a contraception bill to a transportation bill is a dirty move, that sort of game playing is so frustrating! This is done to get people who would otherwise disapprove or vote down the bill to pass it, they attach it to useful, reasonable legislation in order to manipulate votes. I hate it.
“[T]he Majority Leader often offers amendments on behalf of other Senators—of both parties. And I appreciate the Majority Leader pointing out that Republicans insisted on having this vote. As everyone saw from the floor speeches [Wednesday], there is significant interest in protecting religious liberty despite the President’s health care bill’s mandate.”
Deflection. I mean serious deflection. Their amendment would give ANY employer the ability to decide what employees insurance provides. That's ridiculous. This amendment would take rights away from the INDIVIDUAL and give them to Corporations and Religious Institutions. Awesome, exactly what the 1st Amendment is supposed to protect people from.
I am thrilled that this bill was defeated today. This would have been terrible for
Women's rights, for reproductive rights, and for American freedom in general! The GOP is playing some serious games right now. If they're going to play this dirty to get ideological legislation through when they aren't in charge, what lines would they be willing to cross if they get all of the power?
"Republican aides privately say the cause is not an ideal point of focus, an admission evinced by the GOP’s recent messaging blitz on fuel prices."
Oh so you mean it's not a coincidence that all of a sudden Republicans are screaming about Obama and the price of gas? I'm shocked.
The president does not control the price of gas, this correlation is nothing more than rhetoric, and grasping at straws.
"Crude oil - The biggest portion of the cost of gas goes to the crude-oil suppliers. This is determined by the world's oil-exporting nations, particularly the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which you will learn more about in the next section. The amount of crude oil these countries produce determines the price of a barrel of oil. Crude-oil prices averaged around $35 per barrel (1 barrel = 42 gallons or 158.99 L) in 2004. And, after Hurricane Katrina, some prices were almost double that. In April 2008, crude-oil prices averaged around $104.74 per barrel. During that month, the price of oil reached a record price of almost $120 a barrel [source:DOE]. By May 16, prices had topped $117 per barrel [source:MarketWatch]. On May 22, markets in New York and London reported prices past $135 per barreland, and on July 11, oil hit an all-time high of $147 [source: Forbes, New York Sun]. Analysts speculated that everything from investment in oil futures to increasing demand from countries like India and China contributed to the spike in price.
Sometimes, gas prices go up even though there is plenty of crude oil on the market. It depends on what kind of oil it is. Oil can be classified as heavy or light, and as sweet or sour (no one actually tastes the oil, that's just what they call it). Light, sweet crude is easier and cheaper to refine, but supplies have been running low. There's plenty of heavy, sour crude available in the world, but refineries, particularly those in the U.S., have to undergo costly retooling to handle it."
(Source http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/gas-price1.htm)
Do you know what did affect the price of gas? That massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That massive oil spill that BP tried as hard as they could to not be responsible for. And do you know how they got away with it for as long as they did? That wonderful thing called Neo Liberalism and the "Free Market" which has encouraged countries to strip away regulations all in the name of Profit. So BP doesn't have to do as many checks to make sure their shit isn't going to explode so that CEO's that aren't even from the US can make money. Fucking Awesome.
Also, and I want to stress this, the Republicans are not fiscally responsible. Both Bush's and Reagan drove up MASSIVE deficits! The fiscally responsible conservative is a myth, and people really need to stop believing it.
So since they aren't fiscally responsible, and since they've done absolutely NOTHING for the economy, people who give these people their votes will be doing so based on ideological ideals alone. That means if you don't agree with their stances on abortion and Equal marriage and you vote for them, you'll be giving them license to focus on those ideologies. These Dangerous ideals that really do run the risk of taking what was once considered one of the most free countries in the world and making it unbelievably repressive, and ruled by religion.
"Blunt introduced the legislation at the height of the contretemps over the Obama administration’s contraception rule, and Republicans pushed hard to secure a vote for it as an amendment to an unrelated transportation bill."
Attaching a contraception bill to a transportation bill is a dirty move, that sort of game playing is so frustrating! This is done to get people who would otherwise disapprove or vote down the bill to pass it, they attach it to useful, reasonable legislation in order to manipulate votes. I hate it.
“[T]he Majority Leader often offers amendments on behalf of other Senators—of both parties. And I appreciate the Majority Leader pointing out that Republicans insisted on having this vote. As everyone saw from the floor speeches [Wednesday], there is significant interest in protecting religious liberty despite the President’s health care bill’s mandate.”
Deflection. I mean serious deflection. Their amendment would give ANY employer the ability to decide what employees insurance provides. That's ridiculous. This amendment would take rights away from the INDIVIDUAL and give them to Corporations and Religious Institutions. Awesome, exactly what the 1st Amendment is supposed to protect people from.
I am thrilled that this bill was defeated today. This would have been terrible for
Women's rights, for reproductive rights, and for American freedom in general! The GOP is playing some serious games right now. If they're going to play this dirty to get ideological legislation through when they aren't in charge, what lines would they be willing to cross if they get all of the power?
"Republican aides privately say the cause is not an ideal point of focus, an admission evinced by the GOP’s recent messaging blitz on fuel prices."
Oh so you mean it's not a coincidence that all of a sudden Republicans are screaming about Obama and the price of gas? I'm shocked.
The president does not control the price of gas, this correlation is nothing more than rhetoric, and grasping at straws.
"Crude oil - The biggest portion of the cost of gas goes to the crude-oil suppliers. This is determined by the world's oil-exporting nations, particularly the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which you will learn more about in the next section. The amount of crude oil these countries produce determines the price of a barrel of oil. Crude-oil prices averaged around $35 per barrel (1 barrel = 42 gallons or 158.99 L) in 2004. And, after Hurricane Katrina, some prices were almost double that. In April 2008, crude-oil prices averaged around $104.74 per barrel. During that month, the price of oil reached a record price of almost $120 a barrel [source:DOE]. By May 16, prices had topped $117 per barrel [source:MarketWatch]. On May 22, markets in New York and London reported prices past $135 per barreland, and on July 11, oil hit an all-time high of $147 [source: Forbes, New York Sun]. Analysts speculated that everything from investment in oil futures to increasing demand from countries like India and China contributed to the spike in price.
Sometimes, gas prices go up even though there is plenty of crude oil on the market. It depends on what kind of oil it is. Oil can be classified as heavy or light, and as sweet or sour (no one actually tastes the oil, that's just what they call it). Light, sweet crude is easier and cheaper to refine, but supplies have been running low. There's plenty of heavy, sour crude available in the world, but refineries, particularly those in the U.S., have to undergo costly retooling to handle it."
(Source http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/gas-price1.htm)
Do you know what did affect the price of gas? That massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That massive oil spill that BP tried as hard as they could to not be responsible for. And do you know how they got away with it for as long as they did? That wonderful thing called Neo Liberalism and the "Free Market" which has encouraged countries to strip away regulations all in the name of Profit. So BP doesn't have to do as many checks to make sure their shit isn't going to explode so that CEO's that aren't even from the US can make money. Fucking Awesome.
Also, and I want to stress this, the Republicans are not fiscally responsible. Both Bush's and Reagan drove up MASSIVE deficits! The fiscally responsible conservative is a myth, and people really need to stop believing it.
So since they aren't fiscally responsible, and since they've done absolutely NOTHING for the economy, people who give these people their votes will be doing so based on ideological ideals alone. That means if you don't agree with their stances on abortion and Equal marriage and you vote for them, you'll be giving them license to focus on those ideologies. These Dangerous ideals that really do run the risk of taking what was once considered one of the most free countries in the world and making it unbelievably repressive, and ruled by religion.
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