1. Repeal of the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
2. Elimination of the minimum wage.
3. An all-out assault on reproductive rights; from defunding family planning services to the striking down of Roe vs. Wade.
4. Indefinite extension of tax cuts for the wealthy. The gap between the rich and poor is wider now than at any other time in US history.
5. Repeal of financial reform.
6. Ending stimulus spending on infrastructure.
7. Scuttling meaningful energy legislation.
8. A general assault on science, including no funding for stem cell research.
9. Repeal of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (KY Republican Rand Paul).
10. “Drill, baby drill.” Using the economic crisis as an excuse to abandon Green Energy in favor of Big Oil and Big Coal.
11. Impeachment of President Barrack Obama.
12. The allocation of billions of dollars to finish the “dang fence.”
13. An all-out assault on gay and lesbian rights, from strengthening the Defense of Marriage Act to seeking a constitutional ban on gay marriage.
14. More funding for faith based initiatives. Many of the candidates categorically dismiss the idea of separation of church and state.

This is by no means a full list; I’m certain there are many things I forgot to include. However it’s enough to engender a fear based not on wild assumptions or conspiracy theories but on a very real agenda expressed by those poised to take control of Congress.
You’d think Democrats would have learned from the opposition. Fear has proven to be the most effective tool of the GOP for years now. Fear in the hands of the skilled does not paralyze, it mobilizes. Fear helps close the “enthusiasm gap.” Fear can motivate even the most passive observer to join the fray, to protect his or her family’s perceived interests.
Unfortunately, Democrats on the whole are not known for political savvy. Let’s face it; the Republicans are much better at controlling the message. When Democrats appeal to reason, Republicans respond with the gut. The American people see this as “decisiveness.” Republicans can sell an ill advised pre-emptive war with disastrous results and be seen as decisive. Meanwhile, Democrats flounder about, taking inarticulate stabs at the truth while leaving only a perception of fecklessness. For years now, it’s been John Wayne vs. Woody Allen. I say it’s time Democrats go Bobby Deniro on their asses. “Raging Bull” Deniro.
Cynical and disingenuous? Yes, but I’m tired of being beaten down by the constant stream of vitriol and poison from Fox News and the Tea Party extreme. If we truly care about the progressive advances we’ve made so far, if we want to move forward and not allow a draconian pall to cover Washington, then we should use whatever means necessary. I say fight fear with fear. I still believe FDR got it right in 1933 when he said those timeless words “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” But here in 2010, the only thing we have to fear is not being afraid.

When did this shit happen? Just this morning, I was a merry reveler, fumbling through new found freedom and thirsty for experience. Then, around lunchtime, I was traveling the globe, seeking adventure down every highway, a noble and worthy prince on a sacred mission. Later, at sun’s zenith, I heard my boy utter his first words. Now it’s mid to late afternoon and I’m sitting on my couch enduring the constant barrage of drug commercials, watching with horrified interest, wondering which designer malady will afflict me first. I figure restless legs aren’t such a big deal; I’ll just take a walk. But Lord, bless and keep me from the one which requires two bathtubs by the sea. I wonder when there will be a pill for moments like this, the creeping realization that life is passing you by?

I can see it now:

“Are your dreams slowly vanishing in the rear view mirror? Do you feel ‘washed up’ or ‘quixotic’? Do you have an unusually strong aversion to the idea of texting? Do you find yourself frequently reflecting upon times past and using phrases like ‘back in my day’? If so, you may have a condition known as SAAS, or Sudden Age Awareness Syndrome. Symptoms of this disease include mild depression and short periods of confusion. If left untreated, SAAS may lead to spontaneous, irresponsible, and sometimes dangerous attempts to recapture youth. Ask your doctor if Fukmeva is right for you!”

Perhaps I’m overreacting. The shock is beginning to wear off now. After all, there is a lengthy canon, a long list of quotes and homilies concerning the aging process left by those who have already traveled this road. Before the pre-eminence of pharmaceutical companies, we used words to comfort ourselves. Great thinkers, artists, scientists, politicians–they’ve all weighed in at some point or another because aging affects us all…if we are lucky. And that’s the one thing that artificial panaceas can’t give you: the appreciation that every minute, every day, every year of this life is an endowment, an interest-free loan, a boon beyond measure. It’s hard to remember that fact when your knees give out, but it is the truest thing I know.

So maybe I should turn off the loud, insistent TV and turn to the quiet power of words. There are many well worn shields to choose from when SAAS rears its Gordian head. One of my favorites comes from The Beatles:  ”And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” On this day, however, I’ll try to move forward with the words of Abraham Lincoln: “It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Fast forward 77 years. A young, bright president is handed 2 mismanaged wars, an economy on the brink of total collapse, a deeply divided, distracted, and distrustful electorate, and a country largely despised by the rest of the world. In his inaugural speech, he too invokes scripture, saying “the time has come to set aside childish things.” Further he adds, “on this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.” To quote another proverb of sorts, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

President Obama was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his concrete accomplishments. And frankly, with an opposition more committed to his failure than to any real solutions to our problems, no one knows how his presidency will pan out. He is being honored for something more intangible, a force that drives innovation and encourages achievement. His very election is proof of his promise:  all things are possible.

But his motivational skills are not his only triumph. His presidency is a repudiation of the past eight years, a public cleansing of the American soul. Upon announcing the award, the committee cited Obama for fostering “a new international climate where multilateral diplomacy has regained the central position.” Last November, we renounced the cavalier hubris of the Bush Doctrine and told the world that a majority of Americans are sensible people who believe that war is only a last resort.

There was a domestic cleansing as well. As fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel said this morning, Obama “made history by allowing America to correct its own racial injustices” and brought “hope and dignity” back to the Oval Office. With the country still deeply divided and major decisions on the horizon, some might argue that it’s a little early to be heaping platitudes and praise upon this  self-annointed and unproven agent of change. But that is precisely the point. The committee is honoring the great potential they see in Obama. It is both as an honor and an expectation, another burden on his already over-taxed shoulders.

It will be fun watching the Wacky Right  writhe in a collective apoplectic seizure over this. There will be a feast of insanity from the likes of Michele Bachman, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and whoever writes for Sarah Palin: “What good ever came out of Scandinavia anyway? Expensive vodka? What do you expect from a bunch of elitists snobs and closet communists? Hell, they have Socialized medicine over there!”

They will say these things to cover up their lack of vision. They are on the wrong side of history and they know it. They wish they could turn back the clock to a time when white male hegemony was a given. They want more than the policy defeat of Obama; they want to destroy him as a man, discredit the change he stands for, and tear down his legitimacy. From shouting down Democracy at town hall meetings to calling the President a liar during a speech before Congress, the GOP has become a sad shadow of its former self. “It’s Morning in America” has become “Falure at All Costs.” It’s hard to see where the optimism of a Ronald Reagan would fit in now.

With the hindsight of history we can see that, in essence, FDR was winging it. Not all of his efforts hit the mark. Very reputable historians argue that it was WWII that brought America back from the abyss, not the alphabet soup he and his administration prescribed. But it was his guiding moral principles–a belief in fairness, equity, diplomacy, and most of all hope–that picked us up and made us believe in ourselves again. And that is what the Nobel committee hopes Obama will do now.

Something insidious is being done in your good name.  Some really bad apples out there are trashing the 2nd Amendment. Their worrisome actions are shedding new light on an old debate. If they aren’t stopped soon, violence may ensue and your fundamental right to bear arms may be infringed. Quite simply, they might spoil things for you.

Who are these bad apples? Liberal Democrats in Congress? The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence? Michael Moore and that Hollywood crowd? No, I’m talking about your fellow armed citizens who lately have been using their weapons to bully and intimidate. Though staying within the parameters of current state laws, these folks are wearing their guns like jewelry in an attempt to influence the political discourse. They are not displaying their guns for protection or–as the current interpretation of the law under the 2008 Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller allows–for “the purpose of immediate self-defense.” Instead, they are making a statement. What should be distressing to you, lawful gun owner, is that the statement has nothing to do with gun rights.

One gun toting individual at an Obama event in New Hampshire held up a sign that said “It’s Time to Water the Tree of Liberty,” a reference to this famous quote from Thomas Jefferson: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” The meaning is pretty clear. This guy wants Obama’s head and he’s backing up his sentiments with a Glock pistol. At that moment his rights under the Constitution appear arguably stronger than those of the unarmed citizen standing next to him. His 1st Amendment rights have the force of 2nd Amendment semi-automatic firepower.

As a responsible gun owner you may be asking, what could possibly motivate someone to bring a loaded gun to a town hall meeting or a Presidential event? If we accept the mendacious argument that the person is bringing a gun for protection, then the right of armed self defense can ultimately be stretched to ridiculous lengths. It would be logical to allow the open display of firearms at youth soccer games, in church, or while jogging in a 5K charity run. By the same token, it would be perfectly sensible for any passenger on any commercial flight to be packing heat, especially since airplanes are targets for terrorists.

But this is not about self-defense. This guy has a political agenda. He wants ‘his’ America back. He believes that by abusing the words of Thomas Jefferson, he can somehow legitimize acts of violence against his government. He shares a common bond with many in the militia movement. He is philosophically tied to folks like James Von Brunn who shot and killed a security guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington and Timothy McVeigh who, on the day he murdered 168 innocent men, women, and children in Oklahoma City, also purportedly wore a T-shirt that said “It’s Time to Water the Tree of Liberty.”

As a law abiding gun owner you may argue that it is unfair to make this comparison, that this is a case of guilt by association. Though this may be an accurate criticism, perception is more powerful than reality when the media tends to focus on the wackos. Where is your voice, responsible gun owner? You are letting the people on the fringe speak for you. These misguided souls are going well beyond the common acceptable practice of 2nd Amendment rights and they are doing it in your name. They are getting attention from anti-gun activists who want to restrict your rights. There are many test cases winding their way to the Supreme Court. If Obama gets the chance to appoint another justice or two, this added attention will not help your cause. If one of these guys actually commits an act of violence, it could be really bad for you and your annual hunting trip, if not to mention the country.

The gun wielding protesters are not the only advocates who speak for you. The National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America are very visible in this debate and often take positions that stretch the boundaries of common sense. In a truly shocking example of reductionism, John Valleco of the GOA recently admitted on Chris Matthew’s Hardball program that he not only supports guns at rallies, he finds nothing wrong with a hypothetical wherein the President of the United States would speak to a gym full of armed Americans. Could you imagine the Secret Service detail on that gig?

I’m just an old school liberal Democrat; why should you listen to me? Because I’ve got your back. It is in our mutual interest to help each other. Though I believe strongly in strict gun control, I will support the lawful and reasonable exercise of your 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. In exchange, I would hope that you would speak out against those who abuse that right in your good name. Resign your membership to the NRA or GOA. If you can’t go that far, at least let the leadership of those organizations know that fomenting an atmosphere of violence is not in the long term interests of gun owners. The intersection of guns and politics has a dark history in America. Four presidents have been assassinated. In the past 46 years alone, one president has died by the bullet and two more–Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan–narrowly escaped death. In that same span of years the murder of other prominent leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr, Robert F. Kennedy, and Malcolm X have left a dark stain upon the national psyche. Please, make my day. In the name of peace, civility, and common sense, let’s strike a deal. You keep your guns and we keep our presidents safe.

Yes, evolution. Conservative opponents of health care reform know that the system, if left to continue on its present course, will eventually collapse under its own weight. And if they are truly honest with themselves, they will admit that sooner or later the United States will join the other civilized industrial nations and provide universal health care for its citizens. Insurance lobbyist warlord Dick Armey at Freedom Works, the old culture warrior Pat Buchannan, the hypocritical obstructionists in Congrees—they know this. Even Ann Coulter, in some shriveled chamber of her malnourished heart, understands that the arc of history bends toward toward inclusion and empathy. Her world view is slowly becoming irrelevant. She knows, for instance, that her personal crusade against civil rights for gays and lesbians–though it sells books–will eventually fail because evolution is at work. When the full story of these struggles is written, conservative fear mongering will amount to a sad and somewhat embarrassing chapter. This is small comfort for those who actually hoped for reform in their lifetimes.

One could endlessly argue the reasons why the opportunity slipped by. Perhaps the insurance and pharmaceutical industries are just too powerful to overcome. They have vast resources and plenty of friends in high places. Or maybe the Republicans just don’t want to see this president succeed. The election of Obama is an anathema to them and they will do anything to sabotage his administration. Finally, it is possible that Obama mishandled the moment. He may have misjudged the national mood and thought we were farther along in our evolution than we really were. In light of what has transpired, the Democratic health care bill should have contained only two things: a single payer plan and a middle finger.

But we can’t condemn Obama or the completely ineffectual Democratic Party. We can’t fault Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, or the loud protesters at the town hall meetings. In the end, we will have only ourselves to blame for not marching on Washington and demanding change like so many did one August day 46 years ago. Despite a similar climate of fear created by vitriolic conservative voices and fervent opponents of change, 300,000 people showed up at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate our great democracy by demanding full and equal participation in it. No one would dare argue now that the resulting Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act the following year did not represent two landmark steps in our national evolution.

Just as conservatives in 1963 could see the writing on the wall, today’s critics of Obama’s health care reform know that the American health care system cannot survive under its current model indefinitely. They know as well that public opinion is moving toward a government option. They know that they are on the wrong side of history. Yet it looks like this time inertia will help them win a temporary victory.

Last night I watched with embarrassment as a few of my fellow Americans disrupted and effectively killed a town hall meeting in Arkansas. The sublime irony was obviously lost on these would-be patriots as they undermined democracy by shouting down their Congressman and other citizens who had gathered for open and honest debate. I was trying to figure out why these people were so deeply upset. Were they in a lather about a “government take over” of health care even when there is no bill currently in Congress that comes close to proposing that? Were they up in arms about “socialized medicine” even though many in their ranks are probably Medicare recipients?!

The town hall meeting was supposed to be a forum for discussing the health care issue, but you couldn’t have surmised that by the language of the protesters. There seemed to be a larger concern. The protesters were angry and they were scared. One woman broke down in tears and mourned the loss of her country. “I have never seen my America turned into what it has turned into and I want my America back!” she cried. The people screamed and applauded. She had apparently hit a nerve. She had voiced the shared despair of the 99.9% white audience. The Change that the rest of America voted for in 2008 had become the pinpoint of her fear. Apparently, sometime after January 20th, 2009, she and her worried neighbors began to realize that their president was indeed black.

I am not trying to cheapen my argument by calling the protesters racists. Many Republicans have strong political convictions that transcend the color of the president’s skin. Yet, there is an undeniable racial undertone to much of the rhetoric surrounding the debate. Race tinges the desire of some to see this particular U.S. president fail. It shows itself in the inane ramblings of Sarah Palin and in GOP Rep. Todd Akin’s use of the word ‘lynch’ when making a joke during his own town hall meeting. It shows itself every time Rush Limbaugh opens his well fed mouth. A worrisome byproduct of this hyperbole is that it encourages and legitimizes acts of violence in the minds of the whackos on the fringe who may contemplate picking up a gun or making a bomb.

The sad fact is that these protesters are pawns in a much larger struggle. They parrot the talking points of the conservative white media whose luminaries are far too rich to worry about health insurance. They are encouraged by conservative Christian Republicans in Congress who take advantage of a great health insurance plan courtesy of the U.S. government. They are supported by groups such as Conservatives for Patient’s Rights, Freedom Works, and Americans for Prosperity led by white ultra-wealthy lobbyists who also enjoy the best health care our system has to offer. Ultimately, the protesters are fighting for faceless corporations that profit from their illness.

In capitalism, you must necessarily have winners and losers. But certainly, some fundamental aspects of life in a civilized society–like clean water, breathable air, and medicine when you are sick–should be beyond the reach of Adam Smith’s invisible hand. Why in the world should being healthy have a price tag attached to it? As Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter recently said, “It’s bad enough to be very sick without having to worry about how you will pay for it.”

Take a look at the people who are trying to kill health care reform. Do the heads of pharmaceutical and insurance companies look anything like those protesters in Arkansas? Would they or the wealthy lobbyists who carry their water be caught dead with any of these regular citizens? No, but with a little race baiting, misrepresentation, and fear these powerful interests can use people like my angry Arkansas woman as foot soldiers in their desperate war on reform. They can count on the rage of old emotions and the deep roots of racism to keep them blind to their true interests. It is a cruel and time tested bait and switch.

In the end, it all comes down to a few simple questions. Do you believe that Americans should have to worry about losing their homes or going bankrupt just because they get sick or do you believe equal access to free or affordable heath care to be a fundamental right of citizenship? Do you think that the same health insurance companies that saw profits rise 428% between 2000-2007 will suddenly drop pre-existing condition clauses and voluntarily offer affordable premiums, or do you think that health care should be universally guaranteed by your government, just like in every other wealthy industrialized country? Do you feel that the poor and the ill should be sacrificed at the altar of free market principles or do you feel it a moral responsibility for an affluent nation to provide for all of its citizens? And in this same light, Christians should ask themselves, was Jesus a capitalist or a socialist? An honest answer to that question might take some of the sting out of the ubiquitous “Obama is a socialist” chant.

WWJD indeed.

After receiving a record setting 42,000 albums and over a half million songs from 163 countries around the world, grassroots music organization Just Plain Folks (JPF) has announced their 2009 nominees. The organization’s team of music industry representatives, fellow artists, songwriter peers, and music fans filtered the entries down to both song and album nominees in 95 genres of music. This year’s nominees come from over 80 different countries around the world. Scuffletown and ATOM Records are pleased to announce that BLUE STATE BOY has been nominated for BEST POLITICAL ALBUM. Other nominees in this category include Todd Snider’s PEACE QUEER and Nashville friend Ross Falzone’s exceptional LIFE HERE ON EARTH. “Song for Bob” from BLUE STATE BOY also garnered a nomination for BEST TRADITIONAL FOLK SONG. Other nominees in this category include folk mainstays Tim Grimm and Joel Mabus.

JPF started as a friendly effort to recognize some independent artists who made great music which had been overlooked by the mainstream media.  Organization founder Brian Austin Whitney quickly realized there was a big empty gap and need in the world of music to recognize more than just the top commercial sellers.  ”We were getting amazing albums from unknown musicians and composers that screamed out for attention.”  He continues “Whereas larger televised awards are well suited to recognize music’s most popular and commercially successful recordings, we felt we could fill the need to recognize the music made by the other 98% of the world.”   Whitney added “all the music that is judged is actually listened to in each round.  Most awards, including the most famous, simply hand out a list of names and say ‘vote’ so it’s based more on fame and name recognition than it is on their actual music.”

The organization spent 14 months from the initial entry date to screen all the music and narrow down the field.  JPF uses a unique mix of judges that come from the music industry, fellow artist and songwriter peers and music fans.   “We feel that those groups mixed together make for a balanced and compelling process which identifies a lot of music that any one group might miss.”

Smaller genres are treated with the same respect as their large mainstream counterparts and often new trends in music show up long before the mainstream music industry notices.   “We’ve also found some amazing talent years before a wider audience catches on” says the groups Project Director Linda Berger.  ”It’s really gratifying finding new talent, but we also love it when we can recognize established artists who are still making music that moves us even if they don’t lead the current day commercial marketplace.”

So what is the criterion for judging all this music?  ”One simple question: Does the music move you?” Whitney explains.  ”I was an active musician, songwriter and most importantly music lover myself before starting this and when I went to write the instructions for our first awards process back in 1998, it occurred to me that people often use strict and rigid measuring sticks to judge music.  That seemed unnatural to me.  People listen to and love music that moves them.  It doesn’t matter if it was recorded by a world class superstar in a million dollar studio or by an unknown songwriter with a laptop and a microphone in their bedroom.   There are no actual rules for why music moves people and you can’t build a formula around it though industry always tries.  It either moves people or it doesn’t.   Our awards process focuses on finding music that moves people collectively from all walks of life.” Whitney goes on “what better way to motivate these great artists and writers to do more great work than to recognize their music not for how many units they sold or who they are dating on the Hollywood hot-list, but for how it can bring a tear, cause a giggle, make someone’s jaw drop open, get them dancing out of their seats or simply make someone feel connected with the universe.   We’ve found music from around the world that does all those things. We’re just happy to share it with the world through our awards and give these creators a sincere nudge of support.”

The 2009 Just Plain Folks Music Awards show will take place in Nashville, TN on August 29th, 2009 at the Wildhorse Saloon. Winners will be announced live at the show and then posted on the website the next day. For a complete listing of this year’s nominees and more information, please visit www.justplainfolks.org.

]]> http://donalhinely.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/blue-state-boy-nominated-for-2-jpf-awards/feed/ 0 donalhinely bluestateboy http://donalhinely.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/concert-at-arc/ http://donalhinely.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/concert-at-arc/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:05:23 +0000 donalhinely http://donalhinely.wordpress.com/?p=9 ]]> Here are some photos from the ARC Fun Day picnic in Columbus on June 5th. ARC Industries is a terrific organization that “provides employment and training opportunities for more than 2,000 adults with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities” in Ohio. Along with me on guitar is ARC employee and good buddy Chris Noon. It was a gorgeous day for a picnic with an estimated 200 or so clients attending. Chris and I played 2 long sets of music, including original tunes and some fun covers of Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, and Elvis Costello.  I’m always grateful for the opportunity to learn important lessons from the people who are served by ARC and from those who do such an incredible job working with them. It is an experience that I truly value.  Plus, ARC  folks are always the best audience around!

Sehyung, a client at ARC, loves the song “Gasoline” and joined us when we played it. What a fine experience it was.
I’m now known as ‘The Gasoline Man’ at ARC…