"Lock Her Up!"

Well, it is official now.  Donald J. Trump is the official nominee for president of the United States.

Let the games begin!

As those who have been following my blog know, I am a political junkie.  I am a former Republican (first vote I ever cast was for Barry Goldwater in 1964), turned progressive Democrat.  I changed when I realized that the Bush administration and his Republican allies in Congress were trying to screw me out of my EARNED veterans' benefits during their Reign of Terror.  

I further became estranged from the Republican party when Bush and his Republican allies demonized gays like me to scare voters into voting them in office.  "Bar the door Katie!  The Gays are coming!"

I am a fiscal conservative.  I always have been and always will be.  I believe in what I work for should be mine.  But I could never vote for most of today's version of Republican which view me as a gay person as "less than."  For a party that purports to believe in "getting the government out of our lives" why is it that today's Republicans are so interested in what goes on in my personal life between consenting adults?  Why do they believe that it is their right to tell a woman what to do with her body?  While I don't personally believe in abortion, I think the decision is the woman's, not some political hack.

So what is my take on the Republican Convention?  I have to admit I'm using the mute button a lot.  I have too.  Hey, I got it.  Hillary Clinton is the devil incarnate.  Why even the esteem Dr. Ben Carson last night during his speech compared Hillary to Lucifer.  Nice move Dr. Ben.  I'm sure you'll sway those independent voters who haven't made up their minds yet who they're going to vote for.  

If you listen to those Republicans who are spewing out their unbridled hateful speeches, one would think that Hillary is responsible for everything from the rise of ISIS to the Zika virus.  Oh yeah, IT'S ALL HILLARY'S FAULT.

What was really rich last night was when New Jersey governor Chris Christy gave his speech "making the case for the prosecutor" against Hillary Clinton.  Christy, who is under investigation for "Bridgegate."  Oh you all remember that little episode don't you?  Christy and his minions (of which he claims to have NO KNOWLEDGE) closed down the busiest bridge in the world (the George Washington Bridge) on 9/11 to make a point with a local Democratic mayor who wasn't supporting him.  Yes, THAT Chris Christy who form mentor, David Samson, who he appointed to the cushy Port Authority head job; just pleading guilty to bribery.  Took a plea agreement so his corrupt ass wouldn't end up in jail.  So this Chris Christy is "making the case for the prosecution" of Hillary Clinton (I'm still trying to figure out the dastardly deeds that Hillary did that is worthy of jail time). Chris Christy, the head of a true conspiracy who is trying to bully his way through the mess he got himself in, making the case against Hillary?  GIVE.ME.A.BREAK.

Hey, I'm not big fan of Hillary and especially not her husband, Slick Willie but surely, any reasonable person can see that Trump isn't going to "build a wall and make Mexico pay for it" nor is he going to "ban all Muslims from the country" nor is he "going to deport eleven million undocumented immigrants."  

Looks folks, Donald J. Trump is on the biggest ego trip of his life.  God bless him that he's managed to con so many Republican voters who have real concerns.  

But watching last night, the chants of "Lock her up!" brought back those bad old memories I decided that the Republican party was no longer my party. 

That moment was at the 1992 Republican Convention in Houston Texas.  Pat Buchanan was the speaker.  He gave such a hate filled, homophobic speech that I was stunned.  And what really gave me chills was the mostly white crowd of Republican delegates cheering him on, much like the "Good Germans" at a Nuremberg rally for Hitler or the "good white folks" at a lynching of a black man.  Folks, I got scared straight Democrat after that speech which in effect said "If you're not straight, we don't want you in our party!"  

I was gone folks.  And last night, hearing the "Good Germans" in that Republican delegate crowd chanting "Lock her up!" reminded me again of why I can no longer support the Republican Party.  

It is a party of hate and fear mongering.  

Open Carry

OH YEAH!  This is where I want to be, out in public with a Second Amendment Righter like this

Folks, can we talk here? 

Something has been bothering me a lot.  It's these absurd "Open Carry" laws.  This is the law of thirty-one states that permit gun owners to openly carry their firearms.

Now I realize that my rant blog postings aren't my most popular postings (witness my last blog posting about "Pet Peeves.")  But this subject is one that I have to scream from the mountain top that is: 

STUPID!!!!

What is this all about?  Why carry a gun in the store?  

Oh I know all about the "Second Amendment Rights" but seriously folks, even those of you who subscribe to carrying your AR-15 to Walmart, would you feel comfortable at a public event with your children standing next to a doofus with his AR-15 automatic rifle slung across his round shoulders?  REALLY?

Demonstrating for their "rights"

It's been interesting to watch the Cleveland police chief defend the right of gun owners to carry their automatic rifles over their shoulders ("it's the law") while banning these items at the Republican Convention.

Yes folks, beer cans, tennis balls, and rope are banned near the Republican Convention site but GUNS ARE NOT. 

Yeah, and it shouldn't be

We all know that the NRA owns many of our lawmakers.  The NRA tells those legislators to turn around, bend over and grab their ankles and those spineless legislators cowardly comply. 

What's wrong with this picture folks?  

Just what we need, kids with automatic rifles

I don't know about you folks but in today's environment of mass shootings, why is this a law?
Are those legislators so cowardly and venal that they would endanger the whole public just so the NRA wouldn't go after them?  

When I was growing up I was taught that people in authority knew what they were doing.  That is a person was elected to a public office they were there to PROTECT us.  HA!  It seems that many them are only there to serve the interests of whoever owns them.  Be they the one percent of the one percent who contribute to their campaigns or the NRA who holds the threat over those legislators' heads that they will go after them.  

We are the only country in this world that has more guns than people.  We are the only country in the world that has these stupid gun laws that permit just about anyone to carry an automatic rifle in public.  And speaking of automatic rifles, why?  Their only purpose is to kill people.  They belong in the military, not with kids to brandish about in public.

Bubba and Doofus display their power

Even my state, Delaware, which I have often considered progressive and logical minded, has an open carry law.  

The last time I had a rifle in my hands was in 1962 when I did my annual rifle qualification while I was in the Army at Ft. Meade Maryland.  I've never felt the need to have a gun in my possession since.  I don't kill animals.  I depend on my local police force to protect me against criminals. That's what they're paid for.  

I would never in a million years have a gun in my house. Mainly because that gun would probably be used against me or be the cause of a fatal accident.  On that extremely rare occasion should you have a home invasion, a baseball bat is your best defense.  In fact you should always carry one in your car.  

When my father died in 2000, my Mother told me and my two brothers "You can now have Pop's guns."  My father was a hunter and had several rifles in a gun cabinet.  That gun cabinet sat empty until she finally gave the cabinet and guns to the son of my father's hunting buddy, who had died earlier.  

I know I'm pretty dumb in a lot of areas but this is one area that I am a genius.  Open carry laws are just wrong.  And I hope we don't have anymore senseless loss of life due to this asinine law passed by bought and paid for legislators. 

Where is the common sense?

Now this is a Mother

Voting

Running late here. Working full time is digging into my blog posting time. It is late at night now. I have to get up early tomorrow morning to be at work by 7 AM. However, I did want to post a blog about my voting experience on Tuesday. I wasn't aware that Tuesday was primary voting day. I'm from Pennsylvania where the primary election takes place in the spring. The last several years I worked the polls at a church nearby my home. It was a job I looked forward to every year. I got a chance to meet many of my neighbors plus participate in democracy. From my earliest memory I've been interested in politics. In fact, my earliest memory of a political convention was the 1952 Democratic Convention in which Adlai Stevenson threw his choice of vice president to the open convention. Estes Keufauver was selected. There have been many conventions since. I've watched all of them. Perhaps the most traumatic for me was the 1968 Democratic Convention that was held in Chicago Illinois. I couldn't believe the violence that was meted out to the Vietnam anti war protesters by the Chicago police. Perhaps the second most traumatic convention for me was the 1992 Republican Convention that was held in Houston Texas. At that convention both Pat Robertson and Pat Buchanan delivered hate filled homophobic speeches that were heartily cheered by the Republican convention goers. That was when I realized that the Republican Party didn't want me as a member. I am gay and both Pats made it clear that the Republican Party did not welcome gay men and women. I switched my registration to Democrat, not so much because I embraced all of the Democratic Party ideals but because I wanted to continue to vote in the primaries. Both Pennsylvania and Delaware require a vote to be registered to a particular party to vote. Independents do not vote unless it is for an independent candidate. I remember so well how I couldn't wait to vote for the first time. The first time I voted one had to be 21 years old. This was ironic because I joined the Army when I was 18 and didn't get out until I was 21 years old. Thus, even though I was serving my country, I couldn't vote. Thank goodness that inequity has been addressed. I have voted for almost every election since. Even if I didn't know all the local issues or local candidates, I felt it was my responsibility to vote. For the life of me, I cannot understand how anyone can complain about our current state of affairs and not vote. It just boggles my mind. That said, I voted yesterday. This is the second time I've voted in Delaware. I'll say one thing, they don't make it easy to vote in Delaware. First, I didn't even know it was voting day. Secondly, I didn't know where to vote. One has to do some digging. Thank goodness a good friend of mine who I was visiting on Tuesday asked me if I voted. I said "Vote? Is it election day today?" He said "Yes." I live in a different jurisdiction than my friend so after I left him I went on the hunt to where I vote. I live in the Milton district of Sussex County. I stopped at a local fruit and vegetable stand. I asked where to vote. The young man who was selling fresh ears of corn and tomatoes (I bought some), said they moved the polling place again. I asked where it is now. He told me the local school up the road from his stand. I get in my car and weave my way up the road into the school ground at about 10 MPH. School is in session. It's been a long time since I've been in a school building with students. In fact, it has been almost 50 years (the last time I was in school.) I have to say, I didn't like it. After some difficulty, I find the voting area. I approach the table manned (and womaned) by several senior citizens who volunteer their time to work at the polling state (why no young people?) I say my last name "Tipton." The elderly lady says "Lipson?" I say "No, Tipton." She says "Lipson?" again. I say again "TIPTON!" Well, to make a long story short, she didn't have my name. They advised me to go to the other polling station which was another school. Oh goody. This was an elementary school at the other end of the town. Now, the last time I was in an elementary school was maybe 60 years ago! Again, no easy thing finding the registration desk. However, I did find it, announced my name. Someone repeated my name (as we poll workers are supposed to do - that is the same procedure in both states), and then said "DEMOCRAT!" Damn right. DEMOCRAT! I was directed to a curtained voting booth. Upon entering and studying the names on the ballot, I realized I did not know any of them nor where they stood on the issues. That is my fault. I've been too busy with my own day to day life and concentrating too much on the national political scene. Besides, I don't get local TV because I have satellite TV by DirecTV which doesn't provide local channels. I'll blame DirecTV. Still, I voted and again got that feeling of butterflies in my stomach like I always do when I vote. As always, I experienced that indescribable feeling of pride and gratefulness that I always do when I vote. The next time I vote, I will know who I am voting for. That will be the presidential election in November. I will vote to end the great national nightmare of the past eight years.

The Republican National Convention

Here I am, sitting up late listening to Rudi Guilani knock Barack Obama. I'll have to admit, he's getting in some good shots. I should be in bed now so I can be all fresh and ready when I get up at 4:45 AM tomorrow to get ready to go to work. I'm interested in Sarah Palin's speech. Listening to Guilani I'm reminded of Anne Richards and her speech at a Democratic Convention knocking the first George Bush. That speech backfired on her because George Bush was elected president and she lost her job as governor of Texas. Interesting how Guilani feels the need to belittle Obama and build up Palin. While I'm sure she's a very nice lady, but a vice presidential candidate? One beat away from the presidency? I don't think so. Of course all those who are drinking the Right Wing Republican Kool-Aid will find that she is the MOST qualified candidate for vice president. This is going to be an interesting election. It will be close. There are those who will never vote for a black man, no matter how qualified. However, what really concerns me is how could anybody vote for McCain. This man is a hothead. Do we want someone like him with his finger on the nuclear button? This is what scares me to death. Not electing a woman like Sarah Palin as vice president but electing a man like John McCain as president.