One Plantation at a Time!

Dolores M. Klein, Peoria, IL

Those of us who participated in, and lived through the struggles to enact the Civil Rights Act of the ‘60s, remember well the unwillingness of many who did not support it. They insisted on “States Rights” insisting that individual states, and not the Federal Government should give black citizens equal rights. States like Mississippi and Louisiana would somehow be expected to wipe out segregation laws and customs on their own. As we put it at that time: “You mean One Plantation at a Time?”

This comes to mind when I hear presidential candidate Romney promising to wipe out the Affordable Care Act, enacted during this administration’s term of office. He contends that his own medical act’s benefits he supported while governor of Massachusetts, should be a model for other states to enact “on their own.” This proposal ignores the historical facts that have had many former presidents and leaders of both political parties down through the years calling for basic health care as an essential right for all U.S. citizens, as being long overdue!

Should we now, having achieved national support for this basic right, wipe it off the books, and propose that each state take up the task of enacting it on its own???

Hope Springs Eternal

Ed. Klein, Peoria, IL

Governor Romney was riding high in the saddle following the first debate with the President. He had been telling us that hope, referring to a remark made earlier by the President, was not a program. That being the case, what has the governor to offer us but hope? As a contender for the presidency, he can mouth all kinds of platitudes about what he would do if elected, but he really has nothing he can point to. But, the President has, which he listed during the second debate. So, compared to what Mr. Obama has accomplished, Mr. Romney can only talk about what he hopes to accomplish if he is elected.

Let’s take into consideration some of the forces motivating the governor. For one, there is that grise eminence – the power behind his throne, so to speak -Grover Norquist. [Editor’s Note: link to info on this Norquist pledge: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57497502/the-pledge-grover-norquists-hold-on-the-gop/] He must have signed the pledge Norquist demands of those seeking office to never even think about raising taxes. That’s a hard and fast condition for receiving funds for your campaign. So with big bucks coming his way, we can assume Romney bent his knee and bowed his head to be knighted by the powers that be.

And we must not forget ALEC, [Editor’s Note: link to news report on ALEC: http://www.democracynow.org/2012/9/27/the_united_states_of_alec_bill] the American Legislative Exchange Council. Billed as a non-partisan group of state legislators, ALEC is funded by several far right corporations who, in the main, funnel millions upon millions of dollars into the campaigns of Republicans with large sums designed to lubricate the wheels of the Romney-Ryan machine.

Along with funding candidates, ALEC pours money into such nefarious schemes as voter suppression … keeping as many voters as possible from casting ballots for Democratic contenders.

Then, Romney and the Republicans union busting activities are nothing but paying obeisance to their big donors who boost their profits by keeping wages as low as possible. Is this the great middle class Mr. Romney was so adamantly defending that that second debate?

Obamacare is basically the same program the governor put into place in Massachusetts. Now he and his Republican friends want to throw out – along with about three million people who rely on. He wants to let the states implement their own versions of it. Is that something we should be concerned about, seeing what happens to states’ civil rights when it was left to them?

Another promise he makes is to get tough with china, to whom we owe billions, and incidentally where Romney has some sizeable investments. As the President said, it ain’t going to happen. And while on the subject of toughness, he wants us to flex our military might with the Syrians, as well as with the Libyans by sending armaments to the rebel forces fighting in those countries. Of course, there’s no way of guaranteeing whose hands they’ll fall into. Then we must create a no-fly zone in Syria and maybe drop a couple of bunker busters on Iran’s nuclear installations. Great! That’s pretty much a guarantee of starting another Mid-East war. That’s something we all need, isn’t it?

Finally, speaking of hope, the greatest hope Governor Romney can offer us is to remain Governor Romney.

It’s Important to Vote, It’s Important to Do Your Own Research!

Debbie L. Adlof – Editor/Owner Community Word

Peoria, IL

Whenever I truly begin to believe that people can no longer surprise me, I’m always proven wrong. Our country’s citizens seem to have extremely short memories and an uncanny ability to turn a blind eye to things they don’t want to face.

Doesn’t anyone remember the mess this country was in at the end of the Bush administration? We were already in the worst recession in 75 years, we had 13 straight months of job losses, unemployment was climbing while Dow Jones was down and the DJI plummeted 35% in 2008, we had a $1.4 Trillion deficit, GM & Chrysler were on the brink of extinction, we were involved in two wars, and Osama Bin Laden was on the loose. Please allow yourself to remember.

Do you also remember that the majority of the country voted for change? President Obama won by over 9 million votes. At his election, suddenly all those problems that he inherited were his fault.

The hate mongering started even before President Obama began his presidency. The majority of Congress worked at undermining the President’s every action. It appears that they didn’t have the best interest of our country at heart, but rather their own agenda to make sure he didn’t get a chance to serve another term. In spite of their efforts, the recession ended, we’ve had 27 straight months of job increases, over 4 million private sector jobs recovered, unemployment is down, Dow Jones is up, the DJI has regained all lost value and more, we have $1.3 Trillion deficit, GM & Chrysler are now profitable, one war has ended and there’s an exit strategy for the other one and Osama Bin Laden is dead.

As soon as the President began with his promises of change, he’s endured battle after battle on many different levels. When the Health Care reform efforts began, hate mongering put a lot of fear in our senior citizens who believed that their Social Security and Medicare would be changed or eliminated. Where are those concerned people now with the Romney/Ryan challengers actually pushing to do just that? Where’s the outrage?

The Missouri Representative who believes that rape victims cannot get pregnant is just one example of ignorance. Please remember that VP candidate Ryan worked with this man to write legislation to end the choice of abortion. Women especially need to educate themselves before going to the polls. Our rights on many levels and issues are in danger. Once they’ve been successful in one aspect of removing rights, they’re not likely to stop there.

Read about their sudden zeal to protect us from voter fraud. Where were they when the former President Carter was appointed to do that very thing? Nobody cared. The care they’re displaying is about stopping the poor, or should I say the non-rich, from voting. Why? Could it be that they fear they might vote to re-elect Obama?

If you don’t believe there are organized efforts already in place working against America, please consider further research. Google ALEC and Grover Norquist to see what’s been going on with many of our elected Congress members!

Vote Smart!