salienne

So as many of you may or may not know, the House of Representatives recently passed the Pence amendment, which would cut federal funding of Planned Parenthood. Due to the Hyde Amendment, these funds cannot go towards abortions. Instead, they go towards such services as STD testing, pregnancy testing and cancer screenings. In other words, it would cut off basic health services for over a million impoverished patients, especially women.

I, naturally, told my representative this was not okay.

Here is the response that I get:

"Thank you for letting me know of your opposition to any attempt to restrict federal funding for Planned Parenthood in fiscal year 2011.

As you may know, on February 19th, the House approved H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, by a vote of 235-189. Attached to this spending measure is an amendment that would deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood for the remainder of this fiscal year. Despite what you may have heard or read, this amendment does not cut any funding for health services, and it does not prevent other organizations from receiving any health services funds as provided for in the Continuing Resolution. (What does he think the funds go to--wild gay orgies, followed by abortions for the lulz?)

While I appreciate knowing of your thoughts in this regard, I voted for this amendment because according to Planned Parenthood's recently released 2008-2009 annual report they received a staggering $363.2 million in government grants and contracts, a $13.6 million increase from the previous year. A fact sheet released in September of 2010 also revealed that for this same time period, Planned Parenthood performed an unprecedented 324,008 abortions. (Correlation=causation, apparently. Whoooooooooooo) Planned Parenthood continues to receive more government funding each and every year while they simultaneously perform an increasing number of abortions. It is my belief that subsidizing abortion providers under the umbrella of family planning – other than in special cases such as the life of the mother – must no longer be accepted. (THE HYDE AMENDMENT, YOU PIECE OF LYING SHIT. YOU DON'T EVEN MENTION IT.)

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. Although we may not agree on this issue, I am confident that there are many issues on which we do agree and it is my hope that you will continue to keep me apprised of your interest in legislative matters important to you.

With best wishes and personal regards, I am Bill Young, a rampaging douchecanoe."

Does he think I have the IQ of a doorknob? Seriously? Not only are abortions medical procedures, so even if I did believe his whole "we're funding abortions!" spiel he'd be wrong, but does he honestly expect me to believe these federal funds are just being given willy-nilly? If they don't go towards medical procedures, what do they go towards?

smh i can't even

My father likes to watch Glenn Beck. Oftentimes he'll sit at his computer, reading some Russian e-book or another, with Fox News on in the background. Naturally, I try to avoid, say, any part of the house that isn't my room when this is going on to control the rage.

I was in the kitchen grabbing a snack, and I heard maybe a minute of this man's show. A minute.

Have a direct quote:

“Who do you trust? Do you trust the experts anymore, or do you trust your gut?” (i.e. Truthiness or facts, pick a side!

Guess which option his tone implied was right. Really. Just guess.

And my father is standing there and watching this shit.)

I can't.

People listen to this. This is why so much of the US doesn't even believe in global warming/climate change. This is why so much of the US is convinced that, the more education you have, the less you know.

I just...

People listen to this, and they believe it. Including my father.

I give up on the world for tonight.

SANITY:


FEAR:


(I am the one on the left.)

Overall, I actually really enjoyed the Rally. It started off a bit slow with just a band playing, but whenever Stephen and Jon interacted, it was highly entertaining. I especially loved how they INTERRUPTED FAMOUS SINGERS and also sang their own song about who's more American.

Plus, R2D2. SERIOUSLY.

When Jon did his speech in the end, I admit, I had some issues. He was very much "balanced" and not particularly fair (e.g. the media montage... saying gay people are ruining America is FAR different than condemning racism in the Tea Party, and racism doesn't just come in the form of violence), and his and Stephen's privilege showed quite a few times.

That said, the message to calm down and stop listening to the media as they treat every problem as The End, to work together as we do on a daily basis, to recognize that we're all a community of Americans... was pretty damn good. You can tell Jon Stewart cares a lot about this country and believes in our ability to get it together, so I really have to give him an A for effort there.

Okay, I don't post about politics on here much, I really don't. Sometimes I bitch about sexism, sometimes I mention gay marriage, but this?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Gun Show - Barrel Fever
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

^Showing you the comedy version of the news, because anything else makes me want to beat my heat against a wall.

Seriously, say what you will about Obama or health care or gun control, but you do not bring fucking assault weapons to a rally, and you sure as hell do not bring one to a rally with the president.

It's common sense and basic decency, and if you honestly see nothing wrong with this bullshit, do not pass go, do not collect $200, and get the hell out of this country. Because you scare me.

ETA: Apparently the man with the assault rifle? His appearance was staged. He knew the reporter, the cops knew he was there.

This man, the reporter, and the police officers all thought bringing a loaded assault rifle to a rally with a bunch of people, the president nearby, was a good idea.

Just... are there any words?

About the "gay kisses" in Milk:

"See, if it's me, I'm kind of hoping I do screw it up," Letterman shot back. "That's what you want, isn't it?"

"To screw it up?" Franco asked.

"I mean, do you really want to be good at kissing a guy?" Letterman said as his audience howled with delight.

From here, which is actually a pretty good article.

People don't go to Church anymore. Thus THEY WILL START GIVING OUT SUICIDE PILLS.

*Gigglesnort*

So, let's say there's a bus. It's a nice bus, a big bus, a coach bus. Got leg-room, lots of space, A/C, whatever. Sure in the back some of the chairs a little ripped, an A/C unit or two busted, a slightly different view with a few scratched windows, but it's not a big deal. And at first, anyone who gets on the bus can sit down wherever, go however far they want on it. Pay the fare and you get the usual bus ride. So it really doesn't matter that some parts of the bus near the back just aren't as good, because people can sit wherever they want (although most prefer the front, because who wouldn't?).

Except then the bus driver decides, he doesn't like this whole "most people sitting near the front" thing, even though that's where all the best seats are and there's plenty of room. So he decides, say, every 10th person has to go sit in the back. As long as they pay, people can get on or off the bus however much they want, and there's always plenty of room, but every 10th person still has to go sit in the back. It's just better that way, he decides.

And it's not bad in the back of the bus. No crud on the seats, exhaust fumes, plastic seats. It's almost the same. Just... a little worse for the wear, a little hotter, a little bumpier.

But anyone who gets on this bus--old, young, college student, easily motion sick, model, politician, midget, whatever--has to follow the bus driver's arbitrary rule. Every 10th person must sit there in the back, even though sitting in the front wouldn't bother anyone else. Because the bus driver doesn't like having that many people in the front, even though people are getting on and off at a pretty regular rate, even though there's always plenty of room.

Even though there are some people who just don't like it in the back because it's not quite as good.

So I would personally like to thank you, Florida, for being such a great bus driver. And you , Arizona. And you too, California.

Really, thanks. Good to know we've got people like you looking out for the well-being of all those lucky 9/10 people who get the privilege of sitting in the front.

The fact that in the future, assuming I ever find someone worth marrying, there's a 50/50 chance I won't be able to because of completely ridiculous and bigoted constitutional amendments makes me more than a little furious.

("I love you." "I love you too." "Marry me?" "I'd love to! So who's getting the sex change, you or me?")

'Cos even though I voted "No" on Florida's fun little version of Proposition 8, it still has a very very good chance of getting through.

...At least there's always Massachusetts, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75J3TN9Zzck

*Gigglesnort*

The best part is, it makes a great argument for the other side.

"She said that mommies and daddies have to get married first [to have a baby]."
[My Addition"] "Well, honey, you can also have two daddies, and we'd love to raise you in a safe and steady marriage situation. But you see, there's this new constitutional amendment..."

Also, what kind of little girl thinks people only get married for babies? For little kids, marriage=love Disney style, with maybe a baby sometime in the future. I don't think you'd find one mainstream USA kid who thinks Shrek and Fiona got together because they really just wanted to make little Ogres.

When engaged in any sort of debate, but especially a political one, and especially one that begins to center around race, do not, and I repeat, do not attempt to make your point by calling the other person ignorant. Holding an opposing opinion is not ignorance; it's holding an opposing opinion. Now, I realize "ignorant" sounds like an intelligent way of sneakily calling someone an idiot and thus wrong in his/her beliefs, but you know what? It makes you sound like a pompous moron, and it pretty much brings the discussion to a screeching halt of rising tempers and name-calling.

If in the middle of a debate, someone pointed their finger at you and started going, "Hahaha, you're stoooopid," would you want to listen to them? Would you even want to bother with them? No. So please, tell me, why be a hypocrite and do it yourself? What on earth do you think it's going to accomplish except maybe make you look good (which, by the way, it also fails to do)?

That is all. Thank you.