House Of Public Discourse
Is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action.
It seems like decade's but just a couple years ago new GOP Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz led a GOP charge to shut down the Government over the Affordable Care Act.[ACA] Cruz claimed it would run up the deficit and that nobody wanted it. Well just a day prior to his announcing a run for the highest office in the land a very favourable report on the ACA was released. Most anyone who follows politics knows that Ted Cruz is a favorite of the Tea-Party Crowd. It does not surprise the House of Public Discourse that this GOP nut-case was the first to throw in his hat for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. . If Cruz's position on the ACA is any indication of his political mind and savvy, the Democrats are salivating for this political charlatan to win the GOP bid.
What If Ted Cruz Would Have Got His Way?
Estimated 16 million gained insurance since health law took effect.
For starters, these 16 million Americans would not have become insured and to this very day Cruz and the rest of the seditious, traitorous , and law breaking Republicans are trying to shut it [ACA] down. When it comes to matters of politics people, tend to have short memories. At the time of this heated debate back in 2010-11 there were an estimated 49 million Americans uninsured.That number has decreased significantly to about 35 million no thanks to Ted Cruz and the rest of the GOP sloth.
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act has made it illegal for Insurance companies to ask about someone's medical history. Before, and if Ted Cruz would have had his way Insurance companies could deny coverage based on this history or charge higher premiums. And, now he wants to be president. If Ted Cruz would have had his way millions more Americans would have to rely on Emergency Room care which is often ineffective and expensive. More times than not the taxpayers foot the bill, and this gives these vulture capitalist insurance companies the excuse to raise rates on those who do pay for private insurance. Scam 101.
The GOP Health Care Plan
Now, under the ACA the law requires nearly all Americans to have health coverage. This provision works very much like the law requiring people to have automobile insurance. Now, that the Republicans have gained control of both the House and Senate due to lack of involvement of the Democratic base in both 2010 and 2014 mid-terms the Affordable Care Act is in danger. If Ted Cruz wins the election, you can all but kiss it good-bye. We in the House of Public Discourse will do whatever we can to see this doesn't happen. This message can be a winner for the Democrats. But, for that to be a reality we must clarify to the casual observer of politics why repealing Obamacare would be a step back for America and more importantly Americans.
Before, Obamacare losing health coverage was a way of life for young Americans who were routinely dropped from their parents coverage by insurance companies. Now, these same young Americans can remain on their parent's plan until the age of 26. If Ted Cruz would have had his way this would not be the case. Ted Cruz and the rest of the Republican Party advocate buying your own health insurance at full cost which makes health insurance out of reach for most Americans and the 49 million who were without health insurance before Obamacare is proof positive of this factoid. Now with the health care exchanges through the Affordable Care Act Americans can purchase subsidized health coverage. These are the very exchanges that now presidential hopeful Ted Cruz said nobody wanted and were obstructed and sabotaged by the GOP and the rouge Supreme Court.
Republicans and their followers are political " ScrewBalls."
Unlike known idiot Sara Palin, Ted Cruz has made a name for himself for being a Harvard-educated political nitwit. He[Ted Cruz] like Sara Palin created a furor in the uneducated poor white voter base known as the Tea-Party and these so-called Christian organization that the ACA would create death panels. However, the reality is that Medicare is considering a regulation to allow payment for end-of-life counseling and is asking for public comment. This counseling would be voluntary, and the idea has broad support in the medical community.
In closing, before President Obama even signed the Affordable Care Act into law the Republicans led by now presidential hopeful Ted Cruz were preparing a constitutional challenge to the " must have coverage" mandate in this law. A divided Supreme Court upheld the order with the position that the fines for not having insurance worked like a tax. However, the high court decision to not force states to extend Medicaid Expansion, in fact, is the only thing close to a death panel and its because of the Republican Party led by its now 2016 presidential hopeful.
Over the course of Obama's presidency, many so-called experts claim populist anger has been at an all-time high. Neo-Nazis groups are reemerging, and other hate groups have sprung forth as well. Ever since the election of America's first black president, we have seen a drastic rise in these subversive groups.[See Article]
It doesn't matter that Obama has taken an economy that was in shambles and put it back on course. It doesn't matter that when he[Obama] took office our country was accumulating a debt like never before, and Obama has put measures in play that have turned it [deficits] around. Obama has done these positive things with a backdrop of pure seditious Republican obstruction. Moreover, the right-wing media, backed by deep-pocketed billionaires like the Koch Brothers have blasted the liberal president agenda as being a fascist, socialist, and communist one, as if there is even such a thing.[See Article] All of this bogus rhetoric has been directed at the very lowest common denominator of our society. Uneducated poor racist white people who call themselves the Tea Party and their cause has been coined " The Patriot Movement." [Read: Why Do Poor Uneducated White People Vote Republican?]
It has been a remarkable scene. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are 939 active hate groups operating in the Unites States.[2013]All hate groups have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.
Hate group activities can include criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing. Websites appearing to be merely the work of a single individual, rather than the publication of a group, are not included in this list. Listing here does not imply a group advocates or engages in violence or other criminal activity.[Southern Poverty Law Center]
What has exploded more than any other faction has been the formulation of the so-called militia. In this writer's view, it's nothing more than a bunch of grown-ups of both genders playing Army in the woods. The Tea Party and the Patriot Movement has been the spark that has opened this nasty can of worms in America. [See:Personality Traits Of The Right Wing Extremist]
Should We Rename The Tea Party The American Taliban?
The Tea Party A Vehicle For Anger
Anyone who denies that the Tea Party is a racist organization is either kidding themselves or suffering from the worst case of denial ever recorded in the history of man.[See Article] The politics of hate are the benchmark of the Republican Party. And now with a black president in the White House, organizations like the Tea Party, which have been co-opted by the Koch Brothers have a " green-light," to turn up the volume on racist activity all in the name of GOD and country. Factor in the reality that [America Loves A Good Conspiracy Theory!] and what you have is a Molotov cocktail ready to explode. Obama is going to take your guns. Obama is going to turn our country over to the Muslims. Obama is a dictator. Obama is the anti-christ and facilitator of the New World Order.[NWO] The conspiratorial rhetoric has been in a word " pathetic." Now, for the dangerous element of these most unholy associations, we have seen high-ranking " good-old-boys" in law enforcement; mostly Sheriffs and Judges form partnerships for lack of term, with the Tea Party and the subsequent Patriot Movement.
A Prime Example-- If This Would Have Been The Black Panthers We Would Have Seen Helicopters Mowing The Protesters Down In Cold Blood
The American South Has Become An International Disgrace, Why?
If you take a look at it, yes there are hate groups all over the country. However, a closer examination finds the American South inundated with these groups of hate. There is this springboard of hate groups from familiar states Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Texas. The thing that's sad is these people wear this malfunction as a badge of honor. The behavior of these citizens is not only legendary and historical, but also predictable. The radical-right wing of the Republican Party in the rural South have taken over the party. What happens when you have uneducated racist and bigots controlling your party with well-funded media echo chambers like Fox News force-feeding them trumped up unfactual red meat? A rise in domestic terrorism.[Domestic Terror: The Deadliest Game! ]
This increase in domestic terrorism has spiked since the election of America's first black president.
A report says extremist groups have used President Obama as a recruiting tool.
“Most statements by rightwing extremists have been rhetorical, expressing concerns about the election of the first African-American president, but stopping short of calls for violent action,” the report says. “In two instances in the run-up to the election, extremists appeared to be in the early planning stages of some threatening activity targeting the Democratic nominee, but law enforcement interceded.” [See Report]
Then you have this sovereign nation movement. There are groups who are seriously advocating secession from the United States. Their platform would make a persons home an embassy. The person would call themselves diplomats. Therefore, you can't arrest us. We don't have to pay taxes. And, lastly, we do not have to follow the laws or regulations of the United States. These groups are nothing more than off-shoots from the "Tea Party and Patriot Movement." Here is just some of the lustrous sovereign nation citizens.
Sovereign Nation Citizens Hall of Shame
The Montana Freemen were a Christian Patriot movement based outside the town of Jordan, Montana. The members of the group referred to their land as "Justus Township" and had declared themselves no longer under the authority of any outside government. They became the center of public attention in 1996 when they engaged in a prolonged armed standoff with agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[See Source]
The Montana Freemen story tell us something very interesting. There are various versions of these sovereign nation movement groups. The members of these groups feel they can just join these organizations and declare their sovereignty and not have to pay their taxes. They don't have to have driver's licenses. This whole idea originated from radical groups back in the 70's and 80's. Their whole legal argument rest on the Posse Comitatus Act.
The Posse Comitatus Act is the United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385, original at 20 Stat. 152) that was passed on June 18, 1878, after the end of Reconstruction and was updated in 1981. The purpose of the act (in concert with the Insurrection Act of 1807) is to limit the powers of Federal government in using its military personnel to enforce the state laws.
The Act does not apply to the Army and Air National Guard under state authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within its home country or in an adjacent state if invited by that state's governor. The United States Coast Guard, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, is not covered by the Posse Comitatus Act either, primarily because although the Coast Guard is an armed service, it also has both a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency mission. While the Act does not explicitly mention the naval services (United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps), the Department of the Navy has prescribed regulations that are generally construed to give the Act force with respect to those services as well.[See Source]
Posse Comitatus Act Explained?
There were back then as there is today these groups of people who feel they are the organic citizens of this country.[White Privilege] They believe they were placed in this country by GOD Almighty himself. They claim to have this divine connection with the heavenly father. That this land[United States] was given to them and that no government can interfere. What these groups are saying is that " we white people were given this land by GOD and that we can't be told what or what not to do."
In legal jargon, what these groups contend is that they are not 14th Amendment citizens.
What is important here to point out is that all of this crazy right-wing madness are all just remakes of the John Birch Society. See article, Why Understanding The John Birch Society Is Important . Is it not remarkable, that we are seeing a reemergence of the John Birch Society?[JBS] The JBS has become an annual sponsor of those CPAC conferences were we see one Republican nut-job after the other try to woo the Republican minion. CPAC back in the early 90's denounce several conservative groups as being racist. The JBS was one of those groups. Today America is a very different place.
Now, by allowing the JBS to be a co-sponsor of this annual conference should tell even the most casual observer of politics where this country is heading and moreover what political party is behind this civil-injustice.
As we have seen in foreign lands ruled by theocratic organization like the Taliban. People are having their heads chopped off for not following their doctrines, and we are seeing these same type Christian groups here in America advocating the very same but under the guise of Christianity. [See Article]
Then you have these self-righteous, self-proclaimed, and self-absorbed people who call themselves " Oath Keepers." These deluded people believe that the United States is about to impose martial law on us all. And, they are the " Holy Warriors" to save us. The majority of these nutcases are ex-military and law enforcement. [See:Are We Creating Holy Warriors In Our Military? ]
They[Oath Keepers] are the main ones proclaiming that We The People are going to be herded into concentration camps by our mean and menacing government. It's that New World Order conspiracy with a new twist or two.[ See: America Loves A Good Conspiracy Theory! ] The bottom line this is very far a field. What is surprising is how little this craziness has been called out by the mainstream media. One could argue this is because there is no one central charismatic figure. However, the reality is these ideas and mindsets are completely groundless. Mindless pundits and political figures like Sara Palin, Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity, and news outlets like Fox News say and report things routinely that are entirely false. What is happening with news outlets like Fox News and others is who can out spook who, and it all goes to rating and profits. What is dangerous is the way it affects many unstable Americans to act out in violence and much of this reverts to the electing of the first person of color to the " White House."
In America, we have seen a materialization of cops meeting the military. Once upon a time, cops and the military had very different missions. It was widely held to conflate the two wasn't good for a free society. What we have seen happen over the last generation or so, beginning with the " War on Drugs," is the military selling weapons to police, including, tanks, armor-coated vehicles, helicopters, guns, and other heavy armaments.....even the old bayonet! One of the first results of this practice was for police agencies across the country, big and small, to form S.W.A.T like teams within the police force.
In fact, the number of S.W.A.T teams across the country has risen dramatically. It's this drastic rise that has Americans in every corner of the country in protest mode. Pencil in the NSA and America has a very serious problem. What's totally unfair and evil is " We The People" are paying for our peril with our hard earned tax dollars, .[Buy Source Below]
Before the Reagan " War on Drugs," most towns with 25K individuals who had S.W.A.T teams was about 15% but today that has risen to well over 80%. What we see now is a domino effect from the 'Military Industrial Complex.' For example, we see Drones being used by police now. This development is problematic. America does not need a militarized police force! The recent events all over the country exhibiting police overkill have enlightened many Americans and motivated them to the point of national protests.
The Root of the Problem? Under the Justice Department's COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program, 629 of the 800 police jobs funded for the next three years – all the newly hired officers – must go to veterans who served at least 180 days' active duty since 9/11. This is the first time the 18-year-old COPS program has required cities and counties seeking grants to hire veterans exclusively.[See Source] Why is this a problem one might ask? Thousands of Vets are getting ' less than honorable' discharges because they have (PTSD). How many of our Vets turned Cop suffer from this disorder in some capacity that, for a variety of reasons have slipped through the cracks?[See Article]
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?[PTSD]
According to a CNN report, the suicide rate among Veterans could be as high as 22 a day. That equates to a suicide every 65 minutes. The point here is that Veterans of wars have known mental issues. How many of these psychological issues have been masked by Vets looking for work in the civilian workplace? How many of these former soldiers turned cop have gone undiagnosed? What has come to reality is that America has loose cannons running around in a uniform with a gun and, based on the history of police related shootings and the conviction rate thereof, a ' licence to kill' unarmed American citizens with no recompense. This civil injustice has caused millions of Americans to become larrikin, which in turn creates trigger happy police who shoot first and ask questions later.
This Is Not A War, It's a 12 year old kid!!
Earlier this year, the House of Public Discourse also found evidence of our nation's military brainwashing and encouraging our impressionable young soldiers to become " Holy Warriors." Killing in the name of God was posh in the Dark Ages; are we returning to the Dark Ages in America? Is there a crusade against certain segments of our society? If these questions seem far-fetched, why are our nation's police forces buying military gear at record levels at the expense of the tax- payer?
WE THE PEOPLE ARE PAYING FOR OUR PERIL!
There are lots of things going on here concerning the militarization of America's police forces. What we don't know is important. What's even more important is why we don't know it. This ambiguity is one reason, in the House view, the Ferguson community reacted in the way they did. For instance, the Ferguson Police Dept. has had cameras their officers could wear. Their cruisers have dash cameras installed. For whatever reason, they decided not to use them. Why? If they did use these devices as they were intended, we would know what transpired on that day Darren Wilson shot an unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown dead. We would know a lot more as to who was at fault. In fact, these devices could have justified the action of officer Wilson. In reality, what we got was a grand jury process run amuck.[See Article]
Is America In A State Of Emergency?
What has added fuel to the fire is how America's
police forces have reacted towards this civil-
disobedience. For example, who can forget the
nonchalant press conference held by St. Louis County
Police Chief Jon Belmar.
In retrospect, there was a peaceful protest shortly after this news conference. Police met this protest with a substantial resistance, including snipers who had guns pointed at unarmed peaceful protesters. This show of force by the Ferguson Police Dept set the stage for this entire travesty of justice. When you show up at a protest expecting violence you, in fact, are self-fulfilling a narrative of seeing the protesters as the enemy. All the protesters were doing was exercising their rights provided by the U.S. Constitution. When the protesters look at police and see this posture of Robo-cop, the people see these cops not as a protector of the community but the centerpiece of the very institution they are protesting. When you immediately respond in such a manner what you are telling the protesters is you don't have the right to public expression, and we are here to curtail this expression.
We The People Must Demand Transparency and Accountability from Law-Enforcement.
One of the significant problems our research found was the demographics of the Ferguson Police Dept, which was a far cry from the demographics of the Ferguson community, and this is prevalent all over the country. It is critical that the community see itself in the police force they are funding with their tax dollars. Our study into this situation has shown that communities need to see the cops as representations of their ranks; not some ex-military person from who knows where, hired because of some government program to show favoritism over a non-military local applicant from the community. It's imperative that the community sees that the local law-enforcement has a stake in the commonwealth of all the people of the city, town, or nation it is tasked to serve and protect. When a community doesn't see itself reflected in the police force, like in Ferguson, they see these individuals as outsiders imposed upon them. By the same token, when the police officer does not identify with the people from his/her area, it's harder for him to feel a part of that community.
What human psychology suggests is when this situation is self-evident, people are less likely to see each other as neighbors and more as threats.
One of the major side-effects of this societal condition is a lack of corporation between citizens and law-enforcement. This situation is dangerous because there is this attitude that if you talk to police you will be labeled a snitch. What is troubling is that this goes to violent crimes as well as non-violent ones. What is so profound about the fiasco in Ferguson,MO is that, not since the killing of students at Kent State University in the 70's, has the American public witnessed a police show of force that mirrored a military type endeavor on the streets of Baghdad, by supposedly civic- minded policeman. Throughout our nation's history as a ' rule of thumb,' we have been adverse to using our military for domestic law enforcement.
The business of being a soldier is very different than that of a street cop. What concerns this writer is the fact our military trains soldiers to become killers. What has become evident by the escalating questionable police shootings in America is that we are putting trained killers on our streets with psychological issues like PTSD, to oversee communities that many do not identify with or relate to, and in some cases loath. A police officer in America is supposed to be a civic-minded civil servant. In fairness, the United States Military has for the longest time held the position of staying out of civil law enforcement and does not want to be involved for the most part. However, this has not stopped them from selling outdated and overstocked military equipment to state and local police agencies. Where the problem festers is with civil law enforcement who have a strong desire to become more like an army. No matter if a cop is an ex-military or a civilian recruit, when we supply them with war-like equipment, train them in military tactics and tell them they are in some war, it begs the question: what type of mindset are we cultivating?
Our founding fathers were extremely aware of having the military enforce civil law. They got a high dose of it from the British and was one of the main reasons for the American Revolution. This tension came to a head in the Boston Massacre, which ultimately led to the American Rebellion. There are some bottom lines here. Soldiers are trained to kill people, not protect them. By having individuals with this indoctrination and training now in civilian policing, what you have is a time bomb and what we see in the here and now is an explosion. What must not get lost is that these killings by cops have become an everyday event, with very few reaching the national media attention as did the Ferguson and New York cases.
In closing, our advocacy here at the House of Public Discourse contends we must reverse these trends we see playing out in our news feeds on a day to day basis. How many more of these police shootings will be tolerated by the American people before the country erupts from civil discourse to civil unrest? How many more unarmed suspects have to die before we return to some sanity in America where we demand justice for all with a sense of fairness for the everyday citizen? The fact is "We The People" need to take back our government from the corporations who have our elected officials in their hip-pocket. The cops are employees of the people. Our taxes pay for their salaries, equipment, pensions, and in most cases, health care. I for one, am sick and tired of my tax dollars going to fund this abhorrent and racist behavior by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. America is in a backward free fall across the board regarding civil rights. America has regressed into a corporation owned fascist government with an attempt to dumb-down this nation by cutting funding for education and having a military police force on stand-by when we as people try to express our rights and express our dissatisfaction through constitutionally protected public discourse. What should make us all emboldened to take action is how "We The People Are Paying For Our Peril!
President Obama Has Taken Some Positive Steps.
Source of Article: Rise of the Warrior Cop by Radley Balko
