Today, people are asking “where are the jobs”? What happened to the urgency of creating jobs, rebuilding a faltering economy, getting government out of our lives and smaller government? As of this writing it has been 238 days, 10 hours, 4 minutes and 15 seconds since the U.S. House Republicans took control of the Speaker’s gavel and not one job creating bill has been introduced, no real solutions for rebuilding the economy have been put forth and government has become more, not less, intrusive in our lives. Across the country state lawmakers, including those here in NC, have brushed glossy campaign promises aside to enact social, turn back the clock legislation that neither create jobs nor cast a favorable light on a country in turmoil. There is a “rule or ruin” agenda at play in this country.
After the 2010 elections and the swearing in of legislators, the first order of business in the U.S. House of Representatives was to cast a vote to repeal health care reform. This same script was played out in NC and many other states across the country with Republican legislative majorities. This vote should have sent a clear message to all of us. These legislators don’t give a rap about people with preexisting conditions being denied insurance or those of us who have insurance paying the bill for those who do not. To add insult to injury, members of the U.S. House immediately passed a resolution precluding the disclosure of the names of those legislators enrolled in a Government Health Care Plan. In fact, the majority of these legislators are enrolled in a Government Health Care Plan, but they do not want their constituents to know. Renee’ Ellmers is reported to have stated she enrolled in a Government Health Care Plan because living in Washington, DC is expensive. I guess the expense of coverage for the uninsured being subsidized by those of us who are insured is not a consideration.
We are witnessing states, including NC, passing laws that will suppress voter participation in the form of a “voter ID” requirement, which is nothing more than a modern day poll tax. District lines are being drawn to dilute the minority vote, eliminate the number of minority legislators and ensure Republican rule for the next ten years. Unions are being attacked and stripped of their bargaining privileges, “a woman’s right to choose” is becoming more and more under government control, tax breaks for the rich are being guarded like a bear protecting her cub and the quest to dismantle public education, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security moves onward. “Rule or ruin,” that’s the name of the game.
What we’ve got here is a small group of extremist, the Koch Brothers, Art Pope, Dick Armey, Karl Rove, Grover Norquist and a few others, who have literally bought many of the people we call politicians, including some here in NC, to carry out their extremist agenda. This accounts for the unleashing of robot politicians all over the country who are adhering to an agenda prepared for them and enacting laws written exclusively for them by a free-market organization called ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council). This organization recently held a “pilgrimage” in New Orleans and more than 30 conservative members of the NC legislature attended. House Speaker Thom Tillis was one of eight lawmakers honored as “a legislator of the year.” Yes, it is true, the most controversial and extreme legislation being enacted is being written by ALEC.
What we’ve got here is a bunch of flag flying, Bible carrying, God Bless America hypocrites whose hearts and souls are filled with bigotry and hatred. What we’ve got here is a bunch of hypocrites who profess to be Christians but have no respect, compassion or tolerance for people of color. They are mean spirited, tear down and elude fairness and equality. They flock to churches on Sunday, and in between, but their actions and deeds remain contrary to Christian principles. What we’ve got here is a bunch of hypocrites who want to make women jump through hoops before having an abortion, for whatever the circumstances, but are unwilling to rear any of these babies women may be forced to have. It is doubly hypocritical, after restricting the right to choose, to slash the budgets of programs some women may seek assistance from after giving birth.
In a nut shell, what we’ve got here is a bunch of hypocrites whose “real” objectives are “to get a man of color out of a white house” that was built by Black Slaves and to reincarnate the era of Jim Crow laws. They have preyed on ingrained racism to lure followers and sympathizers who are willing to sacrifice, suffer, remain jobless, encourage companies not to hire and work against their own best interest to achieve “the goal.” It would be wise for those committed to ruling or ruining to revisit this country’s turbulent history as a reminder of what the consequences of acts of suppression can be.
Gardenia B. Hobbs
Rocky Mount, NC
Note: Right on!! Amen and Amen!! As always Gardenia Hobbs tell it like it is. She could not have made it any clearer. Oh, but yes she could because the Republican followers don’t get it. Everybody black, white, brown and/or other be they Democrat or Republican ought to see what is going on as it relates to the Republican leadership. Curmilus Dancy II – The Political Agitator
