The First Amendment comes before the Second Ammendment

The following is a proposed bill to protect Americans while not, in any way, infringing on the rights of gun owners or their Second Amendment protections:

112th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 20

To require employers, business owners, states, cities and all other public entities to provide adequate protection to all Americans from second amendment remedies

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 20, 2011

A BILL

To provide adequate protection of American’s first amendment rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness from American’s second amendment rights to carry firearms.

      Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REQUIREMENT FOR EMPLOYERS, BUSINESS OWNERS AND ALL PUBLIC ENTITIES TO PROVIDE MANDATED PROTECTIONS IN AREAS WHERE EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS OR ANY INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN MAY HAVE, UNDER THE LAW, ACCESS

     

(a)            Each of those stated above shall provide one armed guard for every 10 employees, customers or others who work, shop or egress into a facility, whether enclosed or open air.

(b)           Each armed guard shall receive 60 days of training at the FBI at a cost to the employer, business owner or other responsible party of $265,783.20 per trainee.

(c)            For this highly skilled and dangerous work, guards shall receive minimum mandatory salaries of $245,000 and shall receive minimum benefits consistent with those offered by the federal government to its employees.

(d)           If a facility is open for more than six hours, a guard shall be provided for each six-hour shift.

For example, this Spring at the next home game of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix, owners Ken Kendrick, Mike Chipman and Jeff Royer will have to have in place at Chase Field — assuming a sellout crowd of 49,033 people — a force of 4903 guards each armed with a SIG Sauer P229 pistol and a concealed FN P90 submachine gun in order to protect the fans First Amendment rights from being violated.

At retail store, for example Walmart — where estimates are that 19.7 million Americans shop at its 3609 stores daily — it would need to provide approximately 1,970,000 guards per six hours per day or 7,880,000 if all of those stores are open 24 hours at a cost of approximately  $2.167 trillion per year.

BUT by enacting this legislation, no changes or restrictions shall be made to the rights of those wishing to own and carry weapons under the Second Amendment.

Palin and conversatives suffer a "blood libel"

A congresswoman is shot and the woman is Jewish.

So here comes Sarah Palin to cause a train wreck.

"I agree with the sentiments shared yesterday at the beautiful Catholic mass held in honor of the victims. The mass will hopefully help begin a healing process for the families touched by this tragedy and for our country," says Palin.

Then there is this from the former partial term governor, " ...especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel [emphasis added} that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible."

It does not occur to Palin to mention the prayer service held this past Sunday at Congregation Chaverim where more than 100 people attended or the pride in Tucson's Jewish community that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is the state's first Jewish member of congress.

No instead Palin chooses to mention the "beautiful Catholic mass" and than with a disregard for anything humane uses the phrase "blood libel." 

Blood libel of course being a phrase to describe the false accusation that Jews murder Christian children to use their blood for making matzos for Passover and other religious ceremonies.

Even taken without the insensitive use of one of the most vile of anti-Semitic remarks, is Palin suggesting that the media discussing if — or even saying that — the language and symbols of her and others on the right is related to the acts by the shooter in any way comparable to nations and groups using an accusation the Jews murder Christian children to bake matzos comparable?

Is it a lack of understanding history and culture, a lacking of intellectual capacity or a way to incite her followers and gain the spotlight?

Whatever it is, she is a national figure who is listened to by millions. You "betcha" Sarah Palin has given us her wisdom after four days of reflection.

Unfortunately, like the media covering that mustached politician in Germany in the 1930s, her statement will gain national attention through non-stop coverage on the internet, cable television, radio and print.

I thought I'd throw in that Nazi reference just to keep in line with the new commitment of both political parties and all others to learn from this terrible tragedy and raise the level of dialogue and debate.

Twenty-five years ago Linda Ellerbee was right when she said, "And so it goes."

Glenn Beck as Howard Beale

Is it possible that art is imitating life in the case of Fox News' Glenn Beck?

In the 1976 movie "Network" writer Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant script tells the story of network news anchor Howard Beale, played by Peter Finch, who after some personal tragedies becomes depressed, drinks heavily as the ratings for the evening news broadcast decline. President of the news division Max Schumacher, played by William Holden, is forced to fire Beale, giving him two weeks left on the air.

Ending the following evening's newscast Beale announces live that he will commit suicide on next Tuesday broadcast. His boss and old friend Schumacher agrees to let Beale do one more broadcast the following night at Beale's request so the news anchor can apologize and leave the business with some dignity.

Beale does just the opposite going into a tirade about life. A tirade that would make any of today's cable show's host proud.

The network loves Beale's tirade as ratings soar (sound familiar) and decide to keep him on the air extending the newscast to an hour. The program's ratings soar and the show becomes number one in the ratings. But when Beale decides speak out regarding the truth about a pending corporate merger he tries to get stopped, things change. One of the companies involved is the parent company of Beale's network.

If the deal is stopped by Beale, money will be lost.

The corporation’s CEO Arthur Jensen speaks to the news anchor and Beale who has become insane believes Jensen is God saying, "I have seen the face of God."  Beale agrees to speak only about the good of the corporation and all corporations. Once he does this of course, he show becomes boring to his audience and his ratings fall.

Enter Glenn Beck who describes himself on his show as being like Howard Beale in that he was also "mad as hell."

 I'm not certain whether Beck meant mad as hell at the world or mad as hell in that he's nuts.

 But in turning good this week in his pulling back from him calling President Obama a "racist" and "a guy over and over and over again who has a deep seed hatred of white people..."

 He then went on Saturday at the Lincoln Memorial to make a speech that spoke of God and how the crowd should pray and pray for their children. No hate, no lies, no President Obama bashing, no Nazi references.

Has Glenn Beck "seen the face of God" and if so will he now as the fictional character Beale did preach only about God and prayer?

If so, does he risk losing his fanatic audience that gets empowered and motivated by Beck's hateful race baiting, religious intolerance, misinformed labeling of individuals and other such divisive nonsense?

In an April 2010 Forbes magazine article, Glenn Beck Inc, Beck told reporter Lacy Rose, "I could give a crap about the political process." In that interview Beck also said this about his company, "We're and entertainment company."

Why would Beck risk the $32,000,000 that his company earned in the preceding 12 months ending March 1, 2010 by trying to be inclusive, compassionate, thoughtful and truthful?

Remember what happened to Howard Beale's ratings when he did that.

Tax devil is hiding in the details

"And I can make a firm pledge: under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase – not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."

President Obama spoke those words during a speech in Dover, NH on Sept. 12, 2008.

The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, widely referred to as the Bush tax cuts, will expire on December 31, 2010.

President Obama has said recently he will keep his pledge that "no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase."

But is there a devil hiding in the details that will make the president's pledge not completely true?

One provision of the JGTRRA is that individuals in the 15 percent tax bracket, those earning less than $34,000 and couples earning less than $61,300, would pay no taxes on capital gains held for longer than one year.

There are restrictions regarding this provision.

If the capital gains are high enough to push the taxpayer into the 25 percent income bracket, they would pay capital gains taxes on some of that gain. So there are limits on the gains that can be tax free.

But any capital gains that keep the taxpayer under the income limits are currently not taxed.

So back to the president's pledge.

If he allows this provision of the so called Bush tax cuts to expire, an individual earning say $16,000 or couple earning $38,000 who in buy a stock today and sell it in 2011 for a profit of $5000. would have to pay a capital gains tax on the profit earned on their 2011 taxes. A tax they would not have had to pay on their 2010 taxes.

A tax increase on people earning "less than $250.000." Right?

If the president is planning to extend this provision of the Bush tax cuts I comend him for his honesty and statesmanship.

However, if the president plans to let this provision expire along with the lower tax rate on individuals earning $200,000. or more, he will break his pledge.A pledge made to some of the lowest paid individuals and couples in the country who need every dollar than can earn, whether it be from their hard labor or smart investing.

Because remember in the president's own pledge he also includes, "not your capital gains taxes."

Slipping from politics into delusion

karl Rove was kind enough to add to the ever futile attempt of old, conservative white men who do not want the "Mad Men" version of the world they grew up and still want to exist, to change.

Watching Rove and the others continue their fight has in many ways has become like watching a wolverine backed into a situation facing no escape yet fighting viciously in an unsuccessful attempt to save it's way of life.

It is sad.

But for Mr. Rove and others who, unlike Mr. Beck and Mr Limbaugh who are simply in it for the money, this political fight through grand lies and rewriting of events to maintain their way of life may be bordering on something far more serious than politics.

The  Web site, webmd.com, has perhaps, a better definition for what Rove and his friends are experiencing,

 The Web site states, "Delusional disorder, previously called paranoid disorder, is a type of serious mental illness called a "psychosis" in which a person cannot tell what is real from what is imagined. The main feature of this disorder is the presence of delusions, which are unshakable beliefs in something untrue. People with delusional disorder experience non-bizarre delusions, which involve situations that could occur in real life, such as being followed, poisoned, deceived, conspired against, or loved from a distance. These delusions usually involve the misinterpretation of perceptions or experiences. In reality, however, the situations are either not true at all or highly exaggerated.
People with delusional disorder often can continue to socialize and function normally, apart from the subject of their delusion, and generally do not behave in an obviously odd or bizarre manner."

For Mr. Rove and the other old white men this is sad enough, but I must offer my sympathies to the friends and family of Liz Cheney, a young woman who appears to also be so afflicted,

That is why I believe it is important for the president to offer what would be a a real and lasting good by taking the bi-partisan step of including in the health care bill an act to spend $300 million annually to fund a mental health programs to allow free consuling for any republican conservation who wishes to take advantage of the program.

The new program could be named, "The National Republican Reality Recovery Act of 2010."

Got five minutes to fix health care in America?

Monday morning in the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi will direct the Clerk to read the following bill and then call for a vote:


An act to provide for the health and well being of all American citizens, provide that health and no or little cost to any individual and to build the best health system possible.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the " Health Care Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Health Care Act of 2010

Sec. 2 Health Care Act of 2010

 Amend the Social Security Act of 1965, Title 42> Chapter7> 

Subchapter XVIII> Part A> 1395c paragraph 1 as follows:

 In said paragraph strike the words "age 65 and over" and 

substitute the following,

 "age one minute and over" so the paragraph shall 

read as follows:

"individuals who are age one minute or over and are
eligible for retirement benefits under subchapter II 

of this chapter
(or would be eligible for such benefits if 

certain government
employment were covered employment under such subchapter)

 or under the
railroad retirement system,"

 Amend the Social Security Act of 1965, Title 42> Chapter7> 

Subchapter XVIII> Part B> 1395o paragraph 2 as follows ;

 In said paragraph strike the words "has attained age 65" and 

substitute the following, "has attained age one minute" 

so the paragraph shall read as follows:
" individuals who are age one minute or over and are

"has attained age one minute and is a resident of the United States, and is either

(A) a citizen or

(B) an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence who has resided in the United States continuously during the 5 years immediately preceding the month in which he applies for enrollment under this part,

is eligible to enroll in the insurance program established by this part."

The bill passes the House and the Senate passes it using reconciliation and the President goes to Austin, TX to sign the bill 

Now, what's next? 

Oh yes minimum wage, then a one-half of one percent tax on all stock sales for individuals who have any type of income that exceeds $250,000.00 and then overhaul of the Fair Labor Standards Act.