June 12, 2015

Overturning Citizens Unlimited Must Come From Grass Roots Level

If there is one thing this country can do to balance the political scales in favor of the people it is to overturn the Citizens United ruling made by SCOTUS in 2010. John Roberts and his activist conservative renegades literally put the wealthy and corporations in charge of elections. The flow of dark money has been unlimited and forced some to rethink their candidacy. New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall proposed a Constitutional Amendment in 2014 that was backed by 54 Senators but was stymied by a Republican filibuster that stopped any action.

Enter Bernie Sanders, who had been an advocate for repeal since it was passed into law, who said, “I am extremely disappointed that not one Republican voted today to stop billionaires from buying elections and undermining American democracy." So now it goes back to the grass roots level to gain momentum for the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment. John Bonifaz, president of Free Speech for People said, “We have amended the US Constitution before in our nation’s history. Twenty-seven times before. Seven of those times to overturn egregious Supreme Court rulings. For the promise of American democracy, we can and we will do it again.”

Nasty Jack

June 12, 2015

Argument Over Beer Ping Pong-Where Did he Get the Gun?

There was a party for Texas A&M graduate Landon Duke in College Station, and now 19-year-old Lacie LaRose is dead, killed by 39-year-old party-crasher Ronald McNeil. The whole problem erupted over a disagreement about the rules of Beer Ping Pong. McNeil said it was an accident but he fired off 14 shots to get the job done which might indicate a fit of rage since he had been thrown out of the party. McNeil lived across the street from Duke and was a convicted felon. I know we're talking about Texas but where did he get the .40-caliber Glock gun?

Ronald McNeil is currently being held in Brazos County Jail on charges of murder, deadly conduct for discharge of a firearm and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A 19-year-old young lady's life was snuffed out just like that, once again using a gun. One of 300 million in the U.S. With many states that have extremely loose gun laws. Texas being one of them. From now on I would like to see the media leave these stories of gun violence open until it has been proved where the gun came from. Maybe then the public will understand just how stupid is the National Rifle Association's call for more guns on the street.

Nasty Jack

June 12, 2015

Has Charlie Manson's Helter Skelter Finally Arrived?

Charlie Manson talked to his many followers about the racial wars that would come, naming them Helter Skelter. It was at a New Year's Eve gathering of the Family in 1968 that he coined the term. He said blacks without an outlet for their frustrations would lash out in violent crimes against whites resulting in a murderous rampage against blacks by frightened whites, as recorded in Wikipedia. Although Charlie's goal was a Shangri-la for his family and an outlet for his music, what he described as the events leading up to it, Helter Skelter, were very similar to what is going on today between blacks and law enforcement.

Two anonymous Baltimore police officers said, simply, they are "feeling scared." Baltimore PD leaders have put them in a mode of just reacting instead of being proactive, which has allowed the city's streets to run wild, resulting in 42 killings just in May. But in Helter Skelter Charles Manson was considered by his followers as their savior, Jesus Christ, a leader who interpreted for them Chap. 9 from Revelations, which describes, as one biblical professor put it, when "All Hell Breaks Loose." If there is a leader in today's violence it has to be the gun lobby led by the National Rifle Assn. because of their persistence to put more guns on the street, thus, more murders. Racial tension has always been there but the gun rights bunch gave blacks the means to follow through on Helter Skelter.

Nasty Jack

June 11, 2015

"Dirty Harry" Hasn't Learned to Keep His Mouth Shut

Clint Eastwood, the “Dirty Harry” star, pretended to hold a conversation with a seated, imaginary President Obama, at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. It bombed just like his recent attempt at humor at Spike TV’s Guys Choice Awards:

"Eastwood was introducing 'San Andreas' star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and referenced athletes who had transitioned into acting, and then he listed “Jim Brown and Caitlyn Somebody…”

Adam Howard on MSNBC reported, "...the 'joke' drew groans instead of laughs from the audience." And Spike TV let it be known they didn't like Eastwood's comment and said the remark would be cut from the show. You have to appreciate the talent of this man based on his huge collection of work, but there comes a time when Hollywood just needs to shut up with the political remarks.
This is definitely one of them.

But it isn't the first time. Those who have already taken a shot at Jenner are Rapper Snoop Dog, Cavaliers star J.R. Smith and R&B singer Chris Brown, among others. Jenner shouldn't be concerned; she will receive the ESPYs annual Arthur Ashe Courage Award next month.

Nasty Jack

June 11, 2015

Has Charlie Manson's Helter Skelter Finally Arrived?

Charlie Manson talked to his many followers about the racial wars that would come, naming them Helter Skelter. It was at a New Year's Eve gathering of the Family in 1968 that he coined the term. He said blacks without an outlet for their frustrations would lash out in violent crimes against whites resulting in a murderous rampage against blacks by frightened whites, as recorded in Wikipedia. Although Charlie's goal was a Shangri-la for his family and an outlet for his music, what he described as the events leading up to it, Helter Skelter, were very similar to what is going on today between blacks and law enforcement.

Two anonymous Baltimore police officers said, simply, they are "feeling scared." Baltimore PD leaders have put them in a mode of just reacting instead of being proactive, which has allowed the city's streets to run wild, resulting in 42 killings just in May. But in Helter Skelter Charles Manson was considered by his followers as their savior, Jesus Christ, a leader who interpreted for them Chap. 9 from Revelations, which describes, as one biblical professor put it, when "All Hell Breaks Loose." If there is a leader in today's violence it has to be the gun lobby led by the National Rifle Assn. because of their persistence to put more guns on the street, thus, more murders. Racial tension has always been there but the gun rights bunch gave blacks the means to follow through on Helter Skelter.

Nasty Jack

June 10, 2015

Bernie Sanders is Packing All His Rallys

It all started out small but with big expectations that have proved to be correct and, perhaps, surprising to everyone but Bernie Sanders himself. He drew five thousand in his Vermont kick-off rally. Three thousand in Minnesota. Largest crowd of any candidate this year in Iowa. It was standing room only in New Hampshire. But Wisconsin proved to be the best news where he came in a close second to Hillary Clinton in the state straw poll. It was 49% to 41%, leaving Martin O'Malley at only 3%. Although straw polls are not rocket science, it is a measure of the support for the Senator.

As Alex SeitzWald said on MSNBC, "...it shows a desire for an alternative to Clinton and an interest in Sanders among the party’s most committed members, at least in Wisconsin." It would be nice to see the results of a straw poll pitting Bernie Sanders against Wis. Gov. Scott Walker, another presidential contender. At the end of May CNN had him at 15% support from Democratic voters nationwide which triples where he was a month prior. I'd like to see Nate Silver's predictions for Sanders with these early results.

Nasty Jack

June 10, 2015

Sam Brownback Wants to Abolish State Court System

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has now decided to do away with the state court system...if they don't do his bidding. It has something to do with state courts taking away some of the powers of the Kansas Supreme court in connection with 2014 rulings on education. It ruled the state of Kansas failed to provide equity in public education as required by the state constitution. This was a part of Brownback's typical Republicanized budget which has put the state in dire financial straits. If Kansas courts agree with the Gov. they can go on their merry way. If not, their funding is cut.

This guy is almost as crazy as former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who passed the loose gun laws in her state that Brownback copied recently, posted by me in April.

But Brownback wasn't finished. Just recently the Republican governor indicated he was planning to expand Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s (R) authority “to prosecute voter fraud cases.” Even those state prosecutors have decided not to take to court. Voter fraud is a big GOP issue, which has been proved to be a huge exaggeration by the right, and is actually a cover up for forcing a certain Democratic block from the polls. Kobach's new powers are designed to do just that.

Sam Brownback has shown once again just how pig headed Republicans can be and just how steeped in their stupid ideology they are.

Nasty Jack

June 9, 2015

Hispanics Would be Out of Their Minds to Vote Republican

President Obama does the right thing but the courts and Congress kick him in the teeth. He issued two Executive Orders to protect the parents of American citizens and so-called “DREAMers” brought to the U.S. as young children. Their names are Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) and an expansion to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). They were enacted to protect some 4 to 5 million undocumented immigrants that the President has been trying to coax out of the shadows. Their obvious concern is deportation.

What still amazes me is why this country doesn't understand that if these people were to be deported, restaurants would be unmanned nationwide, there would be no one to work the farmers' fields, the landscaping business would be down the tube, and there would be no one to clean the homes of the rich. And if they are not going to be deported, why not take the step to legalize their residency and provide a path to citizenship. The gutless Republican Congress won't do it but Barack Obama had the balls to take these Executive Actions that the conservative courts are now shoving down his throat. Amanda Sakuma on MSNBC said these folks will probably have to wait until the summer of 2016 before the courts decide their fate.

Jordan Fabian of The Hill reports there will be no emergency request from the Justice Dept. to lift the order blocking the Executive Action. Instead, it will concentrate on an appeal to the 5th Circuit Court in July. Every Latino in this country should take note who is behind the drive to push these people back in the shadows...the GOP.

Nasty Jack

June 9, 2015

DNA Has Completely Changed the Death Penalty

Henry Lee McCollum, a black man age 50, had been on death row for 30 years for the 1983 rape and killing of an eleven-year-old girl. He didn't do it. DNA evidence finally "implicated another man, a known sex offender the police had not investigated, despite the fact that he lived next to the crime scene," according to Slate. McCollum, who was 19 at the time, confessed after police pressure along with his half-brother, Leon Brown, who was 15 then. Both recanted several times but Brown ended up serving a life sentence, McCollum went on death row. They were both freed from prison back in 2014.

Conservative Supreme court Judge Antonin Scalia used this very case to dismiss Justice Harry Blackmun’s concerns about the death penalty some 20 years ago. He pointed to convicted killer Henry Lee McCollum as an obvious example of a man who deserved to be put to death. Scalia used McCollum as the perfect illustration of a heinous crime that "stood as a testament to the merit of capital punishment itself." Well, on June 4, 2015, the two men were pardoned by No. Carolina's Gov. Pat McCrory.

Each man now qualifies for $50,000 for each year they were imprisoned, up to a maximum of $750,000. They needed a gubernatorial pardon in order to collect the compensation.

Steve Benen, who wrote the MSNBC article commented, "As best as I can tell, Scalia has not yet commented."

Nasty Jack

June 9, 2015

Bernie Sanders Must Come Out NOW for Minority Vote for Credibility

The Bernie Sanders team should look at this graph and decide today to point their candidate in the direction of the minority vote. I mean African American and Hispanic specifically. A better place does not exist to prove his point of economic and income inequality than these two voting blocks. I did a post back in May that outlines his positions and voting records on race and immigration. They are favorable on both but Sen. Sanders is not making this clear to the public. If they don't know you want their vote, they won't vote for you Bernie.

Jason Johnson of NBC News did a piece asking the candidate questions for African Americans on whether they should vote for Bernie Sanders. First of all there is the implication that Sanders has slim or no chance for winning. This group did not even support Obama until he won in Iowa, but in Sen. Sanders last trip to Iowa, he did great with large crowds at his events. And Johnson wants to know if the candidate understands African Americans when they make up only 1% of Vermont's state population. He pursues this question with another, "how he plans on galvanizing this crucial demographic in order to win a national election?"

This could be the big year of the Hispanic vote since people who harass the Mexican community like Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio have been put in their place, thus, many who were in the past, won't be afraid to come out and vote. This could change, though, if voter ID laws persist and there are 32 states that enforce this that you can see here. Hispanics voted for Mr. Obama en masse in 2008 and especially in 2012, and recently Bernie Sanders said, “We have 11 million people in this country living in the shadows, living in fear. That’s got to end. We need a path toward citizenship for all of those people.”

Bernie Sanders must make racial and immigration reform an integral part of his campaign and do it soon. Without it he cannot win.

Nasty Jack