Use your words...

Can we all use our words when dealing with politics, fear and the future? People I have known for years to be caring individuals with at least average intelligence, resort to hate speech, controversy and chain e-mail to make arguments. If I see another totally fabricated E-mail alert about how the Muslims are taking over, I'm going to puke! Flash back to the 50's when we were all going to be Communists if we didn't turn in our neighbors for blacklisting. This penchant for taking anything that will boost your own fears at face value has cost me friendships when I finally said enough is enough and asked if they could please think for themselves. How dare I reply-to-all! Warning: depending on how perturbed I feel that day I may do it again. My Momma used to say "Paper is flat, you can write whatever you want to on it. Doesn't make it true". Now "paper" is our computers linked to the internet with millions of people just waiting to suck up the drivel that comes across.

After seeing an interview with Dan Brown, I was looking for history books on Amazon that dealt with the forefathers and the construction of the government. When I searched I was inundated with books by Beck, O'Reilly and the like and as far as I am concerned these people know nothing of history and are only around to make money off the frenzy they have created on TV. So far the liberals have not been as successful at whirling up the masses for their own personal gain, although some would point to global warming. (Gee, well at least maybe we can get a cleaner environment out of that one.) I don't want to read a book by Gore or Obama on history either, but they didn't come up. Funny how the right wing thinks it is the only one who knows anything about it.

Finally I just plugged in Stephan Ambrose and followed the links from there. At least I know he was an above average historian. I like to think for myself. I wanted the federalist and anti-federalist papers to get an idea of what was going on then. I have already researched much of life in the 18th century. I also ordered an Ambrose book because I admire the man so much.
Now I am going to study and learn for myself. You can walk in a library and turn to either the fiction or the non-fiction aisles and then find the subject you are interested in. I tried to do the same thing on Amazon but apparently they need a celebrity blow hard version of non-fiction as well. What happens here, on the internet? Gotta think for yourselves people!

Now I know not everyone has the time or the interest in reading to do what I do. I love researching issues that are important to me. Whether it is politics, gardening or raising guppies I always get a book, google and speak to whoever I know to has educated info. Snopes is a very useful tool in ferreting out the truth and there are other sites like it. When you get an e-mail that says they checked it on Snopes...DON'T BELIEVE IT. That is almost a dead give away that it hasn't been. And, that can point to the damn e-mail being a virus or worm spreading piece of.... well you know. It would be lovely if we could all talk once in a while too. You know, use our words to discuss issues. :-O Yes I said it "discuss issues". Debate, make an argument, hypothesise, show evidence, a premise and conclusion! This is a great way to learn new things, but not if you are afraid of being made fun of, ridiculed and subjugated. Where is the art of persuasion?

Use your words people!

Nine people, no money, one bathroom...

The Oldest of seven children and still living to tell the tale. We were all born between 1960 (late) and 1969 (early). They called my mother Fertile Myrtle. Dad was a womanizing SOB and wasn't around much. Apparently he had not heard of the women's' movement but, neither had my mother. Barefoot and pregnant and eventually divorced and a single mother. She tried for ten years before she threw in the towel. Those who wonder why I defend a safety net (read welfare system) should know that my dear ol' dad just wouldn't pay child support. When they did catch up to him he had very little to disperse. Hence my left leanings throughout my adult political life. Don't pigeon hole me though, you would be surprised how conservative I can be. (I am not stupid enough to believe that changing one's mind means you are a flip flopper, I think it means you "think" unless someone is paying you to "think". Totally different.) But I digress.

I have three sisters and three brothers. Almost all equally spaced between the ten years from my conception to my youngest sister's birth, with a boy born after each sister and a sister after each ensuing bro. The sisters, sisters ugly as we have been referred to and referred to ourselves, have a connection that includes love, hate, sex, recycled boyfriends, clothes, shoes, hairbrushes, kids and divorces. My mother ran the house even with my step dad there, we refer to him as our Father Figure. I have a strong Grandmother and Great grandmother and we were a matriarchy for sure. Boys were there to take out the garbage, otherwise they were stealing our bikes or stripping our Barbies. At least, that's how we felt for a while. Later our brothers became big assets to us but as children they were often in our way.

Nine people, no money and one bathroom. It is amazing none of us ended up in jail or institutionalized; for longer than a day or so anyhow. It has made for some odd takes on life: politics, child rearing, love, marriage and common sense in general. Sarcasm is a genetic disease in my family. You have to have a huge sense of humor and love of the ironic to survive here.