Thursday, September 15, 2011

'The Hell I'm Not!'

    Those words were spoken by a young Marine when told he could not go out and get his wounded comrades who were under fire in Afghanistan.  He was recently awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama. 

 
     Bravery and courage are highly admired traits.  People die because of their bravery and courage.  People live because somebody shows bravery and courage.  Too often, in these difficult times, we say "It can't be done."  We stand by and watch a car burn... we stand by and watch someone drown... we stand by and watch our country, our state or our community drift into an intolerable situation.  We don't speak up when people are treated like it's their fault for not having a job.  Their fault because they are uninsured.  Their fault when their children have to go to school hungry or cold, or both.  Their fault when the job they had is shipped overseas... they just didn't work hard enough. 

 
     Our leaders tell us that programs like Social Security and Medicare are getting too costly, we can no longer afford them.  Our returning Veterans can't receive the medical care they earned... it's too costly, we can't afford it.  Our government can't provide the economic boost that the country needs... it's too costly, we can't afford it.

 
     I say, BullShit!  We can afford to give tax subsidies to the most profitable corporations in America.  We can afford to allow corporations to mine, drill and pump the natural resources of this country and not pay reasonable fees for the privelege.  We can afford to give tax subsidies to corporations who routinely close plants with American jobs and ship those jobs overseas for cheaper labor to perform. 

These folks didn't stand by and watch... they did something!
 

 

Public opinion polls report that most Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction.  It seems to me that the direction the country needs to be headed in is: 

In the direction of Justice!   
  • Justice for people who are willing to work but have no job or even the prospect for a job. 
  • Justice for people who are too old or too sick to work anymore. 
  • Justice for children who want and need a good education so that they can make their own way in this world. 

    There needs to be a change in the direction of the wind! 

 


   So, the next time someone tells me that I won't be making a difference by getting informed and involved, my answer will be: 

"The Hell I'm Not!"

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Stairway of Tears

Recently, a school mate passed away.  Her passing was sudden, totally without warning.  A friend of ours posted a poem on our friend's Facebook rememberance page.  It's a simple poem, but so touching and so heartfelt, I had to post it here. 



Stairway of Tears

If tears could build a stairway
and memories a lane.
I would walk right up to Heaven
and bring you back again.

No farewell words were spoken,
No time to say "Goodbye".
You were gone before I knew it,
and only God knows why.

My heart still aches with sadness,
and secret tears still flow.
What it meant to love you -
No one can ever know.

But now I know you want me
to mourn for you no more.
To remember all the happy times
life still has much in store.

Since you'll never be forgotten
I pledge to you today –
A hallowed place within my heart
is where you'll always stay.

Anon


Judy Kaye Lamb    Judy Benton Lamb 1950-2011


Sunday, September 4, 2011

Liberty will reign!

Those who seek to gain power... should realize that with power comes responsibility. Not to the few, but to the many.



I would submit that in this speech attributed to John Adams, he is not speaking of 'freedom to make wealth.'  He is speaking of the fundamental right to basic needs.  Food, clothing and shelter. The fundamental right of human beings to live as human beings with dignity and respect.

In all the uproar over deficit spending and the debt ceiling, not one word was uttered about just what 'Freedom' really is. FDR established the 'Four Freedoms'in a speech before World War II. Without those 'Four Freedoms,' a people cannot be truly 'free.' 



After ten years of war... the Nation finds itself in dire straits financially, spiritually and politically.  We cannot depend on our leaders to find solutions to our problems in a way that would benefit all Americans.  We are told we must 'tighten our belts,' expect less from our government.  Working people who want to work at good paying jobs to provide for their families are told that tax cuts for the wealthy will provide those jobs they so desperately need.  The question must be asked:  'Where are those jobs?' 

Recently, a facility advertised for applicants for 40 job openings... 400 people showed up the first day.  This in a community where unemployment is not nearly as high as the national average.  Similar scenes are being repeated throughout the country.

The people of America deserve 'economic justice.'  A good job at a fair wage.  The ability to organize, if they choose to do so, to bargain with employers for better wages and working conditions; to expect that when government makes a promise, it should keep that promise.  Especially, when that promise is funded with the contributions of those people.  Anything less is corruption most foul. 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

What Kind of House?

Dog Trot House

     The 'Dog Trot' house.  A common residence in the late 19th Century throughout the South.  In the hot summers, it was a cool place for the family to congregate.  It was quite common for folks to sleep on quilt pallets in the breezeway in the days before air conditioning or even electric fans. 
    
      Houses have been used as metaphors for families, communities and nations for thousands of years.  "A house divided against itself cannot stand."   'Build your house on a rock foundation, not on sand.'  These two come to mind immediately.  I'm sure there are others. 

       In today's political climate in our country, it would seem that our 'house' is divided as it has not been since the Civil War.  Friends and family members are sometimes literally 'at each other's throats' because of differing political views.  Our two main parties are attacking each other with the 'steely knives' of inflammatory rhetoric.  Some even going so far as to refer to the other side as 'traitors' and 'treasonous' because they are convinced beyond reason that the viewpoint that differs from their own is either 'stupid' or just plain wrong.  I'm reminded of the old saw, "A stopped clock is right twice a day."

        Conservatives insist that 'out of control spending' is the reason we're in the mess we're in today.  Progressives cite 'tax cuts for the rich' and unfunded wars as the main reasons.  As with most arguments, the truth is somewhere in the middle.  Actually, both sides are right; because it's an 'all of the above' choice as to why things are so bad.  The difference comes in as to the solution to the problem.

       Generally, when two of our children get into an argument, the only fair thing to do is to recognize that both have to 'win.'  In the current argument in Washington, curing the deficit and debt problem cannot be achieved in any reasonable way without a 'balanced approach.'  The 'Vast Middle' must be found.  Most economists agree that allowing the 'Bush Tax Cuts' to expire, thereby raising tax rates by just less than 4 %, would eliminate the bulk of the deficit within the 10 year time frame.  Ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would cut the current massive spending in the Defense budget.  Eliminating wasteful and unneeded military projects would add to the savings.

       So, just as the 'Dog Trot House' provided a cool and inviting place to escape the summer heat... maybe our elected leaders could 'cool off' and meet in the middle.


Thursday, June 30, 2011

A Heart Touched With Fire

As the 4th of July approaches, let us remember who we have to thank for being able to celebrate another one.

A Heart Touched With Fire from Harry Short on Vimeo.

Monday, May 2, 2011

News of the Day

"I cannot rejoice in the death of another human being - however, there are obituaries I have read with great pleasure." Mark Twain

"Hey, Osama, those 72 virgins are wearing chastity belts!"

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Friday, April 22, 2011

Friday Ponderings


“Workers are usually paid based on their production; the Congress seems to be paid in spite of the complete lack of it.”

“At times it seems that the Republicans and the Tea Party wing of the party are headed off a cliff; perhaps the wise thing for the Democrats would be to not get in their way.”

“At any given time, 100,000 viewers are watching the Decorah Eagles; another good spot to watch ‘birds feathering their own nest’ is C-Span’s coverage of Congress.”

“The community of fools might be small if it were not such an accomplished proselytizer.”

“Experience is the ability to recognize a mistake when you make it again.  Wisdom is the ability to recognize a mistake before you make it.”

“A fool will argue with a signpost – a wise man will read it first.”

“If members of Congress are elected to serve the people – why is it that I feel I’m being serviced rather than served?”

Wasteland of the Free

Nowadays, it seems that working people are getting the blame for all our ills.

Working people  want a living wage - they can't afford to pay it.

Billlionaires ride on yachts - working people ride on worn out shoe leather.

Working people pay their taxes - rich people get a free ride.

The rich get to live 'The American Dream' - working people get to live for the next paycheck.


Sunday, April 17, 2011

Ah, poetry in song.

Saturday Morning Ponderings II

“One thing I have found over the years is that many people have the attitude: 'Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up.' Having a prolonged argument with people like that is like the fellow banging his head against a wall; he walked away with blood on his face and a headache... the wall was unfazed.”

“I’ve heard it said that politics is for the birds; a bird works from dawn to dark for its own survival – I’d say that was true of politicians, too.”

“A fellow I know compares politicians to strippers: ‘A whole lot of wiggles, winks and empty promises.’”

“They say a politician keeps his finger in the wind – lately, I’d say their fingers are firmly planted somewhere else.”

“Politics can be compared to the Animal Kingdom: Republicans are like coyotes – they run in packs chasing a solitary rabbit; making a lot of racket for a minimal gain.

Democrats are like birds – a lot of flapping and squawking just to end up pooping in their own nest.”

“It’s a sad commentary on American society that more people are interested in the next ‘American Idol’ than who’s running the country.”

“Elections nowadays seem to be based on advertisements – if you have slicker ones and more of them, you win. Somehow, selecting the leadership of our government like we select our toothpaste doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Hump Day Observations Redux

“Congress wants to cut spending at the same time they’re cutting revenue – kind of like trimming your toenails with a meat cleaver – blindfolded.”

“Having a heart to heart conversation with a Republican is a one-sided affair.” “I read that Congress is considering cutting school lunch programs – the last time that happened to me, I wound up with a black eye and hungry.”

“If my daughter came home one day and said that she had a choice between marrying a Congressman and working in a brothel; I would have to know what the starting pay was before offering any meaningful advice.”

“A governor who has referred to police officers as ‘idiots’ might want to keep an eye on his state trooper security detail.”

“During the recent uproar over Health Care, it seemed to me that the people most against it were most in need of it.”

“The people who were the most responsible for the current deficit problems now want to punish those who had no responsibility at all for it.”

“The Speaker of the House is taking a lot of ribbing for public weeping. When the American people find out what the Republican agenda really is on deficit reduction; they are probably going to do of lot of private weeping.”

“A fellow at the feed store the other day referred to our Congressman as a ‘horse’s ass;’ he was promptly criticized for insulting horses.”

“It’s said that some politicians stand by their convictions; I think it would be better if they would serve time for them.”

“A fellow I know dreamed the other night that he had fallen in with a crowd of drunkards, thieves and ne’er do wells. Turned out he had been elected to Congress.”

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Saturday Morning Ponderings

    
“If you put two Democrats in a locked room, they would argue over who put them there.  If you put two Republicans in that same room, they would immediately start looking for the safe.”

“The American people think that electing ‘the right people’ will get the job done.  I would think it comes down to electing people to get the job done right.”

“I got an email the other day warning me that the Democrats are coming after my guns.  Frankly, I’m more worried about the Republicans coming after my wallet.”

“Our politicians assure us they are working to preserve ‘The American Dream’ – if that’s the case why are a lot of us waking up in a cold sweat?”

“Congress continually worries over cutting the budget – I worry about the Congress cutting our throats.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Hump Day Observations

“If we had a business and put Congress in charge of it – we’d be broke in a week.”

“If I was a betting man and unfortunately, I am; wagering on Congress getting anything of consequence done would require a bet on ‘Double Zero.”

“The recently unveiled Republican Budget Proposal seems to have a lot of ‘give and take’ in it. The working people are giving a lot and the billionaires are taking a lot.”

“A horse has a brain the size of a walnut and uses every bit of it. A politician has a brain the size of a coconut and uses the portion equivalent to a raisin.”

“I read where the top 2% of people in this country control 80% of the wealth – it would appear that they control 100% of the politicians.”

Barn Chores At Crazy Woman Farm

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Barn Swallows Came Today!

Saw our first barn swallows today.  All is right with the world, it will keep on turning. 

This is the group from last year. 100_0769

Monday, April 4, 2011

Blue Monday Observations


“The Republican agenda of cutting spending to stimulate the economy is akin to the man who cut off his leg because he had a blister on his heel.”

“If one laid Republican members of Congress end to end – it would be impossible to form a straight line.  If one laid the Democrats end to end – it would be impossible to form a line at all.”

“The Republicans took power in the House with the refrain:  ‘Jobs – Jobs – Jobs,’ who knew they were only talking about their own.”

“In reviewing the news of the day, it would seem there are two meltdowns underway:  One in Japan and the other in Washington.”

Saturday, April 2, 2011

All I Want

If one listens to conservative politicians and pundits, the working people of America have become greedy, blood-sucking leeches; sponging off the largesse of the wealthy.
If one would subscribe to the commentary presented by Fox News, the unions personify this greedy, ‘we want it all’ mentality. Everyone knows that the wealthy create the jobs in this country. Since they create opportunity, they should get the lion’s share of the fruits of prosperity.

This is the scenario that the conservative politicians and their wealthy backers would have everyone believe. Is this really true? Have we become so unreasonable that we should forfeit the rights that trade unions and progressives have fought for these many decades? Have the working people of this country become evil enough to merit the downright scorn of the ruling elite? I for one, do not think that at all. My mother was a ‘child of the Depression.’ She told me stories about life in those days; about having nothing to eat but biscuits and thin gravy for weeks on end; about having dresses made out of flour sacks; wearing shoes with holes patched by cardboard; about wearing clothes until they literally became rags; about Christmas presents consisting of pieces of fruit. She left home with her older sister to work in an ammunition plant in Jacksonville, Arkansas at the age of sixteen; finishing high school by day and working in the ammo plant at night. They sent money home to their parents to help out. She and her sister were part of that ‘Greatest Generation’ we hear so much about these days; doing their part to win the war and preserve the American way of life.

That woman raised me and when my grandparents died, she continued the job alone. She refused public assistance of any kind, even the ‘commodities’ that served as ‘aid to the poor’ in those days, saying, “That’s for poor folks.” She worked at the local five and dime store for 75 cents an hour, putting in at least 44 hours a week; even longer at Christmas time. At the age of twelve, I worked odd jobs to help out. By the age of fourteen, I was working after school and summers taking any job I could… car hop, farm hand, grocery bagger, you name it. We were poor but Mom always said that we would work for what we got; nobody had to ‘give’ us a damned thing. I grew up and entered the military since that was the only avenue open to me to get free job training and even get paid while learning. A few years later, I married and had a family. I left the military and entered the work force. My first job out of the service was as a painter in a casket factory for $2.00 an hour. Later on, I began working for the water utility in my home town and progressed in the trade; finally finishing my career as Director of Utilities in a medium sized Arkansas town.

In all those years, I drew perhaps two unemployment checks. I am now retired on Social Security and a pension from the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System. Combining the two, I make less than half what I made working full-time. If one listens to the rhetoric, that pension and Social Security check are more than I deserve. I should be grateful for having the opportunity to have had a job at all. It’s my fault for not having the foresight to establish my own retirement fund; my fault for settling for a public service sector job instead of creating my own business and growing wealthy in the process. My fault for believing that all work is honorable and that public sector jobs contribute to the common good. (Rich people take baths, too, you know.) Delivering clean water and taking away dirty water is pretty much essential in our modern society.

Protecting their property from theft by criminals and damage by fire has a price, but when it gets too high the people who provide those services become greedy leeches, not dedicated public servants who deserve respect and dignity. When the cost of educating our children becomes too high, rather than raise revenues to cover rising costs, our leaders look for the easiest route; the route of cutting funding for facilities; lowering teachers’ pay and denigrating them in the process. They say we don’t want the ‘best and the brightest’, we want the place holders biding time until they can find something better. They say we don’t want our children to learn, we want them out of our hair. They say we don’t want to build a future, they say we want that boat, new car or vacations to Disney World.
Any fool knows that a house cannot be built without a foundation. A good education is the foundation for a prosperous society. A well educated worker is more productive and more dedicated. Paraphrasing a Bible proverb; ‘Have you beheld a man [woman] good at their work? Before kings they will station themselves.’ Just as a builder would not think of building a house without a firm foundation, a society should not dream of prosperity without the best education system attainable.
In Arkansas, the state is raising standards and requiring school districts to comply. In many cases, these school districts have been forced to raise property taxes to fund their compliance with these standards. Republicans would have us believe that the American people are weary of taxes and would rather gut social programs, education and public services rather than pay for them through tax hikes. If that were so, you would think Arkansas voters would be defeating school tax issues left and right, forcing schools to consolidate in order to meet these requirements. I don’t know what the percentages are, but the majority of school districts in Arkansas are being successful in getting voter approval for those tax increases.

At the same time, Arkansas has become so conservative that Republican candidates in 2010 swept long serving Democrats out of office and took over everything but the governorship. Yet, even in a poor, rural state like Arkansas these tax increases put on the ballot are passed with large margins.
Republican dominated state legislatures and the federal congress are busy cutting taxes for the wealthy, cutting services for the poor, demanding public sector workers absorb wage and benefit cuts and justifying these actions by claiming that this is what the American people want. Yet in poll after poll, the American people seem to want just the opposite. The polls reflect that the American people want economic justice rather than free rides for anybody, including the wealthy.
Republican politicians claim to be ‘hearing the voice of the American people.’ I don’t know from whence those voices they hear come, but I have serious doubts they come from the ‘American people’ I know.
Is the news media reporting on these polls and pointing out the apparent disconnect between what Americans are saying and what Republican politicians say they are saying? No, they are not. They continually parade before us both sides and expect us to make the distinction between truth and falsehood. Rather than dig deeper into the argument and present both sides of a complicated issue; examining the facts and presenting an objective review, we get sound bites and the latest rants of a deranged actor. Or worse, we get seemingly endless discussions of the role the US should assume in the emerging human rights battle in the Arab countries.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m interested in global affairs; I’m interested in stopping an Arab dictator’s attacks on his own people. But, frankly, I’m much more interested in following the ‘Peoples’ Uprising’ in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey and Idaho than I am in a situation in which I have no personal or economic interest. If one watched the network and cable news shows exclusively and did not farm the internet for news of the largest protests since the Vietnam War, one would think that those protests are by a bunch of people who are just a nuisance and will soon fade away and all things will be as they were before.

I began this diary with the title ‘All I Want,’ well it’s time to tie this whole thing up by answering that question.

I don’t want ‘bread and circuses.’ All I want is dignity and respect. I want to be able to feed my family. I want to be able to educate my family. I want to be able to live out my remaining years with decent health care; with a decent level of income to prevent me from having to rely on ‘the poor folks’ handouts. I don’t want, as Pete Seeger sings, their diamond rings, their yachts, their mountain cabins, their fancy cars. I don’t want to live like the ‘little dogs’ of Jesus’ parable, waiting for the scraps to fall from the ‘tables of their masters.’

I don’t think that the workers in Wisconsin and Ohio want more than they deserve. I think they want to be treated with respect and dignity. I don’t think they want ‘Masters’, I think they want Leaders who have the best interests of the People at heart. I don’t think they are protesting because they are ‘selfish whiners,’ I think they are protesting because they are a free people who deserve a seat at the table and this is the only way they can have their voices heard.


Originally posted to Arkieboy on Sun Mar 06, 2011 at 02:59 PM CST.

Tags

Deficit Hawk Pecks At Teleprompter

In my constant efforts to stir up trouble, I recently emailed my freshman member of the House, Steve Womack regarding his amendment to HR 1, which sought to defund the TOTUS (the Teleprompter of the United States.) This diary is the record of the correspondence thus far. I thought some here would find it interesting.

I apologize for not having the text of the original email to Rep. Womack. I sent it on his webpage email and neglected to save a copy. The gist was that I thought he was wasting my time and his by proposing the ridiculous 'teleprompter defunding' amendment.
This is the reply I found in my inbox this morning.
March 29, 2011
Dear ***,Thank you for contacting me regarding the President's teleprompter. It is good to hear from you. 
During consideration of H.R. 1, the FY2011 Continuing Resolution, I dropped an amendment that would prohibit funding for the use and operation of the President's many teleprompters. I did not offer the amendment on the floor since the Congressional Budget Office was not able to provide me with an accurate score. Put another way, while we know the teleprompter involves a significant cost to taxpayers, it is difficult to determine just how much.

The issue drew nationwide media attention and even made the monologue of Jimmy Fallon on NBC. While the TOTUS (Teleprompter of the United States) has been the subject of national media discussion, it serves as an example of the waste in Washington. President Obama does not need this type of platform—he is a gifted orator—and his excessive use of the system could be avoided.

Given the economic issues facing all Americans, I would like the President to lead by example in demonstrating restraint on unnecessary expense of taxpayer dollars.
Again, thank you for contacting me regarding the President's teleprompter. Please continue to keep me informed of the issues that are important to you and be sure to visit my website, www.womack.house.gov, for more information and to sign up for my newsletter.
          Sincerely,
Congressman Steve Womack
Member of Congress
I saw no real justification in the email for his amendment. Therefore, I responded to his email as follows:
Dear Congressman Womack:A better example of the waste in Washington is the cost to pay and support the Congress of the United States. Republicans such as yourself were elected to live up to the mantra we heard repeated so often in the 2010 campaign:: 'Cut spending - create jobs.' During the campaign a target of $100 Billion was bandied about. As the year has progressed, that figure has been reduced to $60 Billion. Great!

Unfortunately, the $60 Billion that the Republicans want to cut out of the Federal budget does not come from the Defense Dept nor does it come from closing corporate tax loopholes. It comes right out of the hide of the working people of this country. The real unemployment rate in this country is not 9.6%, it is actually closer to 20% or higher. So, it would seem to me that the Republican solution to our problem is to make the lives of working people even more miserable while making sure that the wealthy get their tax breaks. The Democrats are no better, they refuse to stand up for the people that built this country with the sweat of their brow.

Now, you can give me the standard line that rich people create jobs so we should give them tax breaks and the jobs will follow. You and I both know that doesn't work. It hasn't worked for 30 years, but Washington insists that it will. I can also swear that one of my horses will rear up on his hind legs and recite the Gettysburg Address. I can tell you that, but we both know it isn't going to happen.

You spent several years as Mayor of Rogers. You know full well that you can only cut spending so far and then you have to raise revenue. Most cities in Arkansas, including Rogers have at least one penny sales tax going to the General Fund. Some cities have other penny taxes going to other worthy projects. So you may be able to BS a lot of people into believing that cutting spending will magically solve our deficit; you know that is absolute manure.

I read the other day that General Electric made $14.2 Billion in profit for 2010 and paid no corporate income tax; meanwhile getting $3.2 Billion in tax credits. All the while, shipping American jobs overseas. I also read that approximately 2/3 of American corporations pay no income taxes at all. American corporate profits are at record highs. This country is not broke, you know that and I know that; so why continue the charade?
I recall the quote from the 1930's bank robber, Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks, he replied: "That's where the money is."

So, Congressman Womack, I would suggest that instead of reaching into the pocket of hard working Americans, you might just 'go where the money is' and make these corporations pay income taxes at the rate that working people pay, which is about 25-30%. If that were the real tax rate, I believe we would have the deficit problem licked.
           Respectully,

My purpose in emailing him was not to even attempt to change his mind. I would have more success training my quarter horse to recite the Gettysburg Address. I like to think that at least he knows that one of his constituents can recognize BS when he sees it.

Those of us that live in the country know bullshit when we see it and smell it. I wanted to have the proverbial 'picture is worth a thousand words' visual aid. Since I don't have any cattle on my place, I had to rely the infinite supply of horse manure for my 'Show and Tell' video.

Any fool should be able to recognize what we are being fed is a 'Steaming Pile of Horse Manure'


  Here's the link to a story about it in the Arkansas Times.
http://www.arktimes.com/...

What’s Funny About That?

In these times that ‘try men’s souls,’ we are barraged by bad news.  Daily reports of murder and mayhem assail us from every direction.  When I was a boy in the hinterlands of Arkansas, we had three TV channels; ABC, NBC and CBS.    It was much the same in those days; bad news always dominated the evening news.  Just as it is now, so it was then.  The Middle East, Asia and Africa seem to be an everlasting fountain of bad news.  However, with only three channels to spew heartbreak and sorrow, one had at least a fighting chance to cope.
But, today, we have a mind-numbing plethora of news sources.  Add in the internet and Al Jazeera and you can have news 24/7/365.  Bill Mahr describes this non-stop bad news coverage as “Disaster Porn.”  An apt description if there ever was one.  We hear of earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear meltdown in Japan; bloody uprisings in Africa and the Middle East.  We hear of elected officials in ‘the home of the brave’ legislating the deprivation of the rights of working people.  It just goes on and on and on. 

What’s a person to do?  We could just turn off the TV, read a book, play with our kids and grandkids; talk with our spouse about the mundane things of our lives.  Unfortunately, that isn’t in our nature.  Just as a wreck on the highway will cause traffic to back up for miles because of motorists slowing down to get a good look just in case there might be blood on the asphalt; we are drawn to the bad news raining down on us like cluster bombs.

Surveys attest to the fact that depression is at an all time high.  Millions unemployed, bankruptcies skyrocketing, deficits and the national debt are seemingly out of control.  Is there any wonder why the nation is depressed? 

How does one cope?  How does one attempt to make any sense of our world today?  The only way I have found to blunt some of the pain and suffering is through humor.  Down through the history of our country, humorists have analyzed the events of the day.  The ‘Bumpkin Philosopher’ put it this way:

“One has to view these things through the prism of humor – lest we hang ourselves in the closet of our frustration.”

The Bumpkin Philosopher:

“In my neighborhood, if the election was between a Democrat who could heal the sick and a one-eyed mule; the mule would win every time.”

“It is entirely appropriate that the symbol of the Democratic Party is a donkey; since every time we put them in office, they make jackasses of themselves.”

“The Republican Party symbol, however, is a bit ironic.  The memory of an elephant is legendary; but the memory of the Republican Party only goes back to the last election.”

“Since I’m now retired, I’ve been contemplating a second career.  My first choice is politics; especially since Minority Leader Cantor has demonstrated that a passing grade in Junior High American Government is no longer a requirement.”

“The Republican agenda of cutting spending to stimulate the economy is akin to the man who cut off his leg because he had a blister on his heel.”

Mark Twain:

“It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either.”
- Following the Equator, Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar

“...the liberty of the Press is called the Palladium of Freedom, which means, in these days, the liberty of being deceived, swindled, and humbugged by the Press and paying hugely for the deception.”
- "From Author's Sketch Book, Nov. 1870,"
reprinted in The Twainian, May 1940

“It is a free press...There are laws to protect the freedom of the press's speech, but none that are worth anything to protect the people from the press.”
- License of the Press speech

“The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.”
- Mark Twain in Eruption

“In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.”
- Autobiography of Mark Twain

[In the Galaxy Magazine]: “I shall not often meddle with politics, because we have a political Editor who is already excellent and only needs to serve a term or two in the penitentiary to be perfect.”
- Mark Twain, a Biography

“All large political doctrines are rich in difficult problems -- problems that are quite above the average citizen's reach. And that is not strange, since they are also above the reach of the ablest minds in the country; after all the fuss and all the talk, not one of those doctrines has been conclusively proven to be the right one and the best.”
- "The Privilege of the Grave," Who Is Mark Twain?



Will Rogers:
















Lewis Black:


Bill Mahr: