Tag: poor

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Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore_Roosevelt_Autobiography_1201Teddy Roosevelt has always been one of my favorite presidents.  Reading this book has just reinforced and increased that feeling.  How wonderful it would be to have such a man minus his 19th century sensibilities in our politics today.  Of course, it was probably those 19th century sensibilities that made him the man he was.

This book is first and foremost a politic document, but that does not distract from its value.  Mr. Roosevelt spends much time touting his accomplishments.   When he praises someone it is with multiple superlatives.  When he criticizes an individual it is with faint praise or kid gloves.

Born of wealthy parents Roosevelt could afford to pursue his interests without worrying about providing for the basic needs for his family.  He was an avid outdoorsman, spent time as a rancher out west, led the famous group of volunteers, The Rough Riders, in the Spanish-American War, served in multiple capacities of public life ranging from Police Commissioner of New York to President of the United States.

He was first and foremost an advocate of the people, but did not believe in tolerating freeloaders.  Continue reading “Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt”

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A quote from Theodore Roosevelt for our times

Theodore_Roosevelt-PachWe of the great modern democracies must strive unceasingly to make our several countries lands in which a poor man who works hard can live comfortably and honestly, and in which a rich man cannot live dishonestly nor in slothful avoidance of duty; and yet we must judge rich man and poor man alike by a standard which rests on conduct and not on caste, and we must frown with the same stern severity on the mean and vicious envy which hates and would plunder a man because he is well off and on the brutal and selfish arrogance which looks down on and exploits the man with whom life has gone hard.

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Sitting Bull’s Speech Still Rings True

indian_heroes_1210I was raised a military brat.  I was born the year that Eisenhower started his presidency, and thus my early education was in the 50s and 60s.  The result of the two was a deep pride of country, and an admiration of our history.  As I grew older, as I studied more and as I read more I retained an admiration for our founding fathers.  They were remarkable men alive at a pivotal point of history, but they were still men.  Many things that happened then were the sausage of compromise. So much of our history after that point was colored by the institution of slavery and the genocide of the native populations.  Those two, in my mind, make the history of the United States less than glorious.  So much of our history from Vietnam onward is less than efflugent.  We have a sense of global empire that bothers me deeply.  Our government has basically been hijacked by the corporations and the mega-wealthy.   I would love to have a sense of pride and admiration in my country again, but it does not seem to be in the cards.

In my work commute of 54 miles round trip in big city traffic this week, I have been listening to the audio book, Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains by Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa).  In this book he included a speech by Sitting Bull that rings true even today for our society.  I have included it here with Eastman’s  introductory paragraph:

His bitter and at the same time well-grounded and philosophical dislike of the conquering race is well expressed in a speech made before the purely Indian council before referred to, upon the Powder River. I will give it in brief as it has been several times repeated to me by men who were present.

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! Every seed is Continue reading “Sitting Bull’s Speech Still Rings True”

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Can you get any more red neck than this?

Can you get any more red neck than this?   “BUBBA” for your license  plate. Now add in hanging Truck Nutz, but not the purchased sort.  The sort made from over-sized real machine nuts!   The quality of the picture is poor as I had to drive 80 mph to stay up with him, and only caught him when he ran into slower traffic in the passing lane.  Robin shot this through my dirty windshield with a camera phone.  I just had to have evidence of what I saw.

 

Bubba

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Wal-Mart Could Easily Pay $12 an Hour

I referenced this same article in a previous blog, but I think it is important enough to pull out by itself.

“Raising the pay of Wal-Mart’s U.S. workers to a minimum of $12 an hour would lift many out of poverty, reduce their reliance on public assistance, and cost the average consumer, at most, $12.49 a year.

That’s the conclusion of a new study published by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education.  The study is primarily concerned with the question of how raising Wal-Mart’s wages would affect poor families, including both those who work at its stores and those who shop at them.  The benefits to poor families, the study concludes, would far exceed the costs. “

Read the whole article at Wal-Mart Could Easily Pay $12 an Hour

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9-9-9

I do have a question for presidential candidate Herman Cain with his 9-9-9 tax proposal.

If we institute a 9% Federal tax is that to be added on top of state and city taxes?  In Tennessee very little is excluded from sales tax. That would have citizens in this part of the world paying close to a 20% sales tax every time they buy anything.

Can you say regressive, and let’s tax the poor a bigger percentage of their incomes.  I suppose his argument would be to point to the 9% income tax, but many of the our poorest citizens pay little or no taxes now.  There is another whammy on this group.  Especially so since many of these folks are the hard core unemployable, uneducated, disabled, or facing other life circumstances keeping them down.  ( I know a lot of folks will argue with me, but I do not believe that the percentage of folks willing to not work and live hand to mouth is that large.)

Could there be some meaning to 9-9-9.  If you turn it upside down it is 6-6-6.

I ran across this little tidbit after I posted this article:

“Without bold alternatives, Americans desperate for big solutions are attracted to bold crackpot ideas like Herman Cain’s “9-9-9” proposal, which would raise taxes on the poor and cut them for the rich.”

The above quote is from an article by Robert Reich at commondreams.org

To see the whole article follow this link:  The Meagerness of the Republican Debates, the Smallness of the President’s Solutions, and the Need for a Progressive Alternative

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Abe Lincoln and Eric Cantor

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There floats around a story of a trusted advisor of President Abraham Lincoln who recommended a candidate for Lincoln’s cabinet. Lincoln declined and when asked why, he said, “I don’t like the man’s face.”

“But the poor man is not responsible for his face,” his advisor insisted.

“Every man over forty is responsible for his face,” Lincoln replied, and the prospect was considered no more.

Personally, I think there is a lot of truth in the above story. Most folk can recognize a face that is habitually angry or happy or sad.  It does take living awhile for what has happened to you and what is inside of you to become stamped on your features.

I don’t like Eric Cantor’s face.  It strikes me as a combination of arrogant, angry and prudishness (picture someone sucking on green persimmons).   Every time I see a picture of this fellow it appalls me that he is a Congressman, let alone a leader in the not so august body.   I want to see someone with compassion and acceptance stamped on their face.

On the other hand John Boehner looks like he wants to fleece me.  Not so surprisingly that is exactly what he is doing to the middle class and poor in this country.

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Worthy Small Charities

Yes I did a cut and paste operation bringing in these links from an article in the New York Times by Nicholas Kristof:  The Gifts of Hope. Mr. Kristof is an advocate journalist. His whole professional career is devoted to reporting on issues like these, especially issues involving females.  If there is a man that can smoke out small worthy charities, I am betting on him.

Here is another of his editorials.  It details some charities that has gone astray:  When Donations Go Astray

If you are looking for alternative giving this year, consider these.

Panzi Hospital (panzifoundation.org) treats victims of sexual violence in eastern Congo, rape capital of the world.

Camfed (camfed.org), short for the Campaign for Female Education, sends girls to school in Africa and provides a broad support system for them. Continue reading “Worthy Small Charities”

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Trailer Trash on Display

Okay, okay…I’m all for freedom of speech.  God knows that I would not want somebody limiting my wonderful ramblings.  At some point, some self censorship should take over.   Occasionally, the question should be asked, “Is this classy?  Is this really how I want to represent myself to the population at large?”

We’ve all seen the urinating boys doing their thing on “FORD” or “CHEVY”.  I saw one the recently that I thought represented the ultimate in poor taste.  Continue reading “Trailer Trash on Display”

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Eavesdropping Terrorism

I’m really not an eavesdropper, but I am an observer.  Sometimes you cannot help but hear little snippets of conversation.

I was at the park stretching out before a jog.  A couple parking spots away from me were three twenty-somethings,  two gentlemen and a lady.  The young lady was highly tattooed and on crutches.  The two young men looked like a cross between 60ish hippies and members of an Indie rock band.  They seemed to just be out to enjoy the day.

As I stretched I heard a little snippet of conversation when the wind was coming at me, “Did you hear that she said that Ryan’s second child might not be his?”  Continue reading “Eavesdropping Terrorism”