politics
Anger Disguised As Political and Religious Reasoning
Most of the extremist people I know, left or right, have troubled backgrounds. There is no other way to say it. Today I am going to use a dear troubled friend as an example. Of course, the name has been changed. Some will argue that this is mere anecdotal reasoning and thus not comprehensive enough […]
7Mar2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Anger Disguised As Political and Religious Reasoning | Continued
Is Ted Cruz The Republican Obama?
Bear with me please. Barack Obama stormed the castle in 2008. He conquered the dragon – and no one saw it coming – well, perhaps Dick Durban. But everyone today concedes that Obama is a masterful politician. Like him or not, agree with him or not, Obama came to play hardball. He came with masterful […]
15Jan2016 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
A Rebuttal of Trump Criticism….
My colleague, Nancy, posted this on facebook – we thought it rose to the level of an observation worth documenting and sharing. Two videos follow – one with Chuck Todd and a second with excerpts from a ‘focus group’ that seems to portray Trump supporters as fearful, less educated, and naive Americans. (Note: Nancy is […]
15Dec2015 | Gary Clark | 3 comments | Continued
Does Race Really Matter?
Transcript from Walla Walla Union Bulletin, Walla Walla, Washington December 20, 1950 Seattle (AP) – A blow on the head with a baseball bat in a neighborhood altercation was fatal Tuesday to Merritt Scotten, 33 year old Seattle pipe fitter. He died of a skull fracture Saturday night. Leon W. Venson 28 a neighbor has […]
25Nov2015 | Nancy Belle | 1 comment | Continued
Barking Dogs and Refugees
Nearly thirty years ago, I was living through a particularly rough patch of life. My husband and I were divorcing. All the usual ugliness that comes with divorce was going full force. My family was literally diminishing before my eyes. My oldest son was in the Navy on board the USS Forrestal which was in […]
18Nov2015 | Nancy Belle | 0 comments | Continued
The Cost of Illegal Immigration
Sometimes, I think with my heart and project my motherly instincts and experiences in an effort to understand others. In the case of illegal immigrants, I have often thought, if I were a Mexican mother living in the deplorable poverty and enduring the crimes that, reportedly, occur in Mexico. If the opportunity came, I would […]
13Nov2015 | Nancy Belle | 1 comment | Continued
Social Regulation, Political Correctness, Merry Christmas, and the Media
Sometimes we hear someone huffing with anger, “I can say Merry Christmas if I want to!!!” And they are correct in their assertion – while being incorrect in their anger. Some act as if Congress passed a law against saying Merry Christmas – no such thing has happened, and it will never happen in the […]
10Nov2015 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Social Regulation, Political Correctness, Merry Christmas, and the Media | Continued
Ben Carson Humor – 2015
Ben Carson is that neuro guy – which seems to be an enigma given his loose tongue. No matter – there are some really creative people running around with high tech opportunities to mix humor, politics, and technology. Enjoy:
9Nov2015 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Ben Carson Humor – 2015 | Continued
I Am Woman, Stand By Your Man – Helen Reddy vs. Tammy Wynette
Helen Reddy gained notoriety on her first hit “I Am Woman” (1972). Her hit stood in stark contrast to Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” (1968). Released just four years apart – these two songs reflected the division in a changing culture from the 1960’s to the 1970’s. In 2015 we stand at another reflection […]
27Aug2015 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Municipal Smoking Bans – Solid Redneck Reasoning
Some scoundrels in St. Joe, Missouri, are trying again to ban smoking at the places where they go for their Sunday morning brunch. The opposition swigs their beer and pops peanuts between puffs on their favorite means of getting their regular nicotine hit. Some prefer cigarettes, some a cigar, personally – I favor a pipe. […]
1Apr2014 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Surrender – Man’s Eternal Conflict
Surrender is personal. Every day we are faced with decisions that concern surrender. We surrender to traffic laws, to office protocols, to the School Evening Program of our children, to the irritable clerk at the grocery store, to unwritten codes of conduct spelled out by our particular culture. Sometimes we surrender to our base instincts […]
27Mar2014 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Surrender – Man’s Eternal Conflict | Continued
Founding Fathers Commentary on Religion
“If I could conceive that the general government might ever be so administered as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded, that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution.” – George […]
18Mar2014 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Founding Fathers Commentary on Religion | Continued
The Ressurection of Ohg Rea Tone
Ohg Tone and I have been friends for forty years. I first remember him when my oldest daughter was two years old. Ohg showed up and brought sarcastic humor into my family. As crude as he is – there is always a spark of humor. Ohg became a writer for thefiresidepost.com in 2007. After five […]
25Dec2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on The Ressurection of Ohg Rea Tone | Continued
The Somber Occasion of An Abortion
My friend, Jubila, and I were having our daily debate about how smart we are as compared to the people with whom we disagree. Generally speaking my friend and I are thought of as liberals so it should not surprise anyone that we think highly of ourselves. Oh if life were so easy. It is […]
16Aug2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on The Somber Occasion of An Abortion | Continued
Emerging Ideas on Medical Marijuana – Rethinking the Bias
This writer has changed horses. I have been in the stable for awhile – uncertain of the future direction. The recent documentary by Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN provided a compass with true north as the central bearing. Marijuana is probably not as devastating as we once thought. Note the qualified ‘probably not as devastating’. […]
12Aug2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Emerging Ideas on Medical Marijuana – Rethinking the Bias | Continued
Government Intrusion Into Our Lives – Not What It Used to Be
The headline for this post is a little misleading. Our government has not changed so much as our attitude toward our government. I am a senior citizen and for as long as I can remember the mailman always read Dagwood Bumstead’s mail – well, the postcards anyway. The mailman often had some snide remark about […]
16Jun2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Government Intrusion Into Our Lives – Not What It Used to Be | Continued
Congress Jokes
The Democrat and the Republican Congressmen were arguing. One said, “I’ll bet you five dollars you do not even know the preamble to the Constitution. The other said, “I pledge allegiance to the United States….” The first interrupted and said, “I didn’t think you would know it,” and handed over five dollars. “He’s so conservative […]
3Jun2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Congress Jokes | Continued
Trash Talk – The Elixir of Human Life
My predecessor at thefiresidepost.com, Ohg Rea Tone, was entertaining – if not always correct. He slung sarcasm like a pig in a sty. Mr. Tone recognized the elixir of human life was trash talk. Those moments in life when humans harmoniously agree on everything are just the one minute break between rounds. We can tell […]
18May2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Trash Talk – The Elixir of Human Life | Continued
Nostalgia from the Left and the Right – Shallow Thinking Prevails
The baseball player was right about one thing – Nostalgia is not what it used to be. Rewriting history to favor any particular opinion is not new or unusual. What is different is the opportunities of expression. Social media, for example, allows for immediate dissemination of whatever nonsense is popular at the moment. Little effort […]
9May2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Nostalgia from the Left and the Right – Shallow Thinking Prevails | Continued
Corresponding With an Inmate in the Missouri Department of Corrections
Geez – corresponding with an inmate in the Missouri Department of Corrections can be very rewarding – and very frustrating. I am learning the rules as we go. My friend Joey is serving time for his fourth DWI. I do not dispute the sentence – DWI is a serious offense. Driving while intoxicated is responsible […]
1May2013 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Prop 8 As A Catalyst For Positive Change
Irony is afoot. The latest polls show that there are now more Americans supporting Gay Marriage than before the turbulent reaction to California’s Proposition 8. Proposition 8 is a California initiative which denies the right of same sex couple to marry. I have to ask, “Why?” Why this swift change in ideology? What argument is […]
27Mar2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Prop 8 As A Catalyst For Positive Change | Continued
The Conumdrum of the 2nd Amendment in the Post Modern Era
We humans have crossed a threshold, a military threshold. When the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written there was an equality of arms between a ‘militia’ and any government. Governments of that era did have canons – but these were of limited mobility and accuracy. Most militia men living along the Potomac did not […]
5Mar2013 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Military Priorities – Education, Health Care, and Golf
The Sequester is upon us. I just saw a feed on CNN that the military is going to cut back on military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. One might think these nuts have their priorities out of whack. Anyone who talks revenue increases confine themselves to taxing the top 2% income bracket. But what about […]
28Feb2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
The Gun Control Debate is no Longer About Guns
The vitriolic language from the far right over Second Amendment rights tells a story beyond the fear of losing the right to a thirty round clip in the favorite 9mm semi-automatic hand gun. This debate is not about guns – this debate is about fear of government. That is one way to say it – […]
14Feb2013 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | ContinuedObama, Racism, And Gun Violence in South Chicago
A family buried their daughter today. 15 year old Hadiya Pendleton was killed earlier this week by that crazy phenomenon of irrational gun violence. Did I mention that Hidiva was black? Did we note she was killed on Chicago’s South Side – the epicenter of gun violence in new reports. This is tough to talk […]
9Feb2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
Gabrielle Giffords is a Real Champion
Wow, check out Gabrielle Giffords testifying before congress. The former Representative from Arizona was seriously wounded last year is one of those now obnoxious shootings that have come to be common in America. Ms. Giffords suffered extensive brain trauma when a bullet passed through her head. She has come to testify before Congress – to […]
30Jan2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Gabrielle Giffords is a Real Champion | Continued
Creepy Ad by drawtheline.org
My first take on this ad was that it was produced by some anti-abortion provocateur to discredit the celebration of 40 years since Roe V. Wade. This smooth talking black guy is offering a rose and a glass of wine as a toast to the judicial victory. I interpreted an image of Obama – clearly […]
24Jan2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Creepy Ad by drawtheline.org | Continued
Colbert and O’Reiley on Racial Insensitivity
Here is another great video from Colbert: The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
10Jan2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Colbert and O’Reiley on Racial Insensitivity | Continued
Lt. Gen. Boykin Conservative Video and Response
YIKES!!!! Check out the video and a response by a thoughtful man in Virginia. The following diatribe was cut from a conservative email floating around the country – this is an example oof how really crazy some people are – We are not talking about a healthy think-outside-the-box crazy – but dangerous crazy. Here […]
6Jan2013 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Lt. Gen. Boykin Conservative Video and Response | Continued
15 Amp Rovian Politics
Lee Atwater and Karl Rove can take credit for the partisanship of America’s 21st Century politics. By playing on the ignorance of the masses, the lack of critical thinking, the fears, the prejudices, and the perverted glory people find in righteous indignation at the expense of others – Atwater and Rove changed the face of […]
3Oct2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
The Crusades of the Religious Fundamentalists
The 21st Century is shaping up much like that of a thousand years past. A few Muslims poked us in the eye and all of our kinfolk came out of the woods to defend our honor – something like that. We do not intend in any way to suggest the the horrid attacks on our […]
2Oct2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
When The State Fails To Protect The Citizens
Long ago, in a less complicated time, my family lived in a quiet neighborhood. The homes were close together in that old neighborhood. This was not suburbia. The lots of the Harris Addition were fifty feet wide and one hundred and fifty feet deep. The depth was measured from the street to the alley. Our […]
4Aug2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on When The State Fails To Protect The Citizens | Continued
Old Women Talk and Gay Marriage
My mother is eighty-five years old. She has been living alone the past two months after my father, her husband of sixty-three years, passed away. She asked me to help refinish her dining room table – and what are you gonna’ do? So I sanded and polished while she sat and talked. I was surprised […]
7May2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 8 comments | Continued
Drop Secret Service Protection, Arm The Candidates
FOX News is making a big toot about a recent law that bans protesting within a certain distance from anyone who is protected by the Secret Service. FOX is proud to note that “Obama signed the Law” – as if the President acts alone in passing laws. The Republican House passed the law. The Democratic […]
22Apr2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
An Open Letter To Obama Haters
Once again my friend Herb Shane has posted something on facebook that is so well done that I am compelled to cut and paste it into a post on this site. Thanks Herb. Open letter to the Obama Haters: To your distress, for most of the rest of your life, you will bear this: […]
11Apr2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 8 comments | Continued
Atticus Finch Killed A Dog!
Is context important? Atticus Finch was a lawyer who defended a black man charged with raping a white woman. The locals were pretty angry with Atticus. And angry people will do just about anything to discredit the perceived source of their unhappiness. Imagine the headlines in the morning paper after Atticus shot the rabid dog. […]
10Apr2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Atticus Finch Killed A Dog! | Continued
George Carlin on the GOP of 2012
He may not be a saint in the eyes of all – but George Carlin has a way of getting to the truth. Carling strikes quickly. He is accurate and very precise. So why do working people continue to vote to support corporate greed?
6Apr2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on George Carlin on the GOP of 2012 | Continued
Profiling the Usual Suspects – We Are All Guilty
The facts are not yet clear. They are muddled more every day by people with agendas who leak information. One thing is certain – everyone with a comment about Trayvon Martin’s death has an opinion based on limited data. It seems the profiling did not end with the assessment by the neighborhood watch man accused […]
29Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Profiling the Usual Suspects – We Are All Guilty | Continued
Trayvon Martin – Racism – and the Media Message
We live in difficult times. The murder of Trayvon Martin in Florida has refocused our Nation’s conscience on racism. After a month of media review it appears that the murderer, George Zimmerman, was an over zealous wannabee-police-officer neighborhood watchman. Zimmerman was looking for his chance to be a hero. He saw a young black man […]
24Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Trayvon Martin – Racism – and the Media Message | Continued
80 Miles Per Hour – Republican Math
One of the people in this car is a Republican. There is clear Republican math being used. If we cut taxes we will reduce our revenue thus we will not hove as much money and so our debt will go down. The Republicans must have different size tires on their car. Video: Woman can't explain […]
21Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
“…a false sense of urgency.”
We are worn out from GOP primary fatigue. Is that redundant? Doctor John Sharp, Harvard Medical School psychiatrist and author of The Emotional Challenge, recently said, “…fatigue dis-emboldens us.” The 21st Century has proven to be fast and furious. War is present. Facebook dominates. Ipad, ipod, smart phones, wi if, financial upheaval – economic uncertainty, […]
13Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on “…a false sense of urgency.” | Continued
Save Yourself – Then Pull Up the Ladder
It is not in the nature of man to escape danger and then abandon fellow humans who face the same danger. We see examples in every war of courageous self sacrifice to rescue fellow soldiers. We often see firefighters or police officers risk their own safety to help others. The idea works well at an […]
8Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
“…Universal Masculine Purity” – The Conservative Ideal
Are we ready to return to the morale of Victorian England? It was the age of ‘class structure’. It was the age of male domination. It was the age of female submission. It was the age of child labor in textile mills. It was the age of long work days and poor health and nutrition. […]
29Feb2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on “…Universal Masculine Purity” – The Conservative Ideal | Continued
Santorum – The George McGovern of the GOP?
1972 was a desperate year for liberals. Civil Rights Acts were passed, anti Viet Nam protesting succeeded, Martin Luther King was gone, Robert F. Kennedy was gone, Richard Nixon was steamrolling with the Kissinger detente, women’s rights were on the table – and desperation to regain the White House led to fanatical overdoses of liberalism […]
14Feb2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
The Passion of Gun Lovers and Pit Bulls
Gun lovers can sure be passionate. We might have used the word fanatical – but that word has negative connotations. Is it possible to be passionate about guns and not be fanatical? Yes. Is it possible to be passionate about anything and not be fanatical? Yes. I wrote a post last week titled The Phenomenon of Modern Guns. That post instigated a healthy debate by gun lovers – and leads directly to this diatribe of values examination.
11Feb2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 13 comments | Continued
The Coming Culture of Mean-Spirited Dissent
Mean-spirited dissent has replaced statesmanship as a guiding principle. The maddening downward spiral of political retribution has become the norm. The madness is magnified and given inertia in direct correlation to the speed of modern communications and the unleashing of vast amounts of money in SuperPacs. There is no time for thoughtful reflection. Every encounter […]
29Jan2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
Traditional Conservatives – An Oxymoron
There was a time when to say someone was conservative was to say that they were invested in healthy tradition. Change for the sake of change was a foolish notion. In the world of the twenty-first century the conservatives have changed the meaning to something more like: Progress for the sake of Progress is a […]
5Nov2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
NFL Dispute – Three Parties: Owners, Players, Public
The NFL Labor dispute is really aggravating. Such a labor dispute might be none of our business – except we the public are heavily invested in the NFL. There are times in our history when labor disputes have so directly impacted the public at large that our government has been forced to intervene. Think of […]
24May2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on NFL Dispute – Three Parties: Owners, Players, Public | Continued
A Lax Regulatory Culture
Law, regulation, rules, structure, order, justice, fairness, equality – whatever we call the excretion of government – some of us will agree and some will not. From the Code of Hammurabi to the speed limits in Punkin Center, Missouri, rules have given structure and order to the culture of mankind. Hammurabi, as noted in the […]
23Apr2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Birther Bullstuff, Obama, Trump
Donald Trump with Meridith Vieira – This episode is a tragedy of American Journalism. Vieira let Trump ramble around without challenge. NBC should step up, as a network that claims professional journalism, and correct this travesty of justice. It is a travesty because millions of people get their world view from the NBC Today Show […]
7Apr2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued