Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty(rafflaw)-Guest Blogger
With the end of 2013 fast approaching, I have begun to wonder what the New Year holds for the country. It looks like the Affordable Care Act is finally getting its website to function properly and the sign ups are now being counted in the millions. Wall Street is still booming with the Dow Jones over 16,000, but yet unemployment is still too high and Congress is still trying to push austerity for the middle class and the poor, while doing everything in its power to prevent corporations and the wealthy from paying their fair share of taxes. The Citizen’s United decision opened the money floodgates and needs to be curbed. The military budget was spared in the recent Budget Deal, but yet unemployment benefits for millions have not been extended.
The gun lobby continues to prevent reasonable gun control legislation and needless scores of innocents continue to be slaughtered. Instead of closing the gun show loophole or mandating reasonable and effective universal background checks, Congress did nothing. Although there has been some recent movement from the Obama Administration to push Congress to allow the closing of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, the facility remains open after 12 years. With all of the bad news or non-action on many fronts, is it possible to have hope that 2014 will bring better news for all Americans?
I do have high hopes for the country in this New Year, but Congress and the rest of Washington will have to make some significant changes before the hopes can be realized. Ever since the Sandy Hook school shooting, the NRA has been pouring money into Washington in an attempt to stem the tide of public support for reasonable gun control legislation. It is obvious to me, that without a culture change in how Americans and government officials look at guns in this country, the mass shootings and needless killings that happened in 2013, will continue unabated.
Even though the killings are still rampant, one of my biggest hopes is that Congress will see past the NRA and corporate money and agree on universal background checks in 2014. I don’t have any evidence that my hope will come to fruition, but at some point, the killings will over take our Wild West mentality and people will come together to help relieve the problem. Maybe that will begin to happen in 2014.
Another of my hopes for 2014 is the closure of Guantanamo military prison. We have seen some movement on the part of Congress to agree with the Obama administration’s plans to close the facility. However, much has to be done and President Obama needs to use his bully pulpit to move the closure ahead, but President Obama’s actions to push for closure leave something to be desired.
“As a notable improvement, NDAA 2014 includes a provision that Obama called a “welcome step” toward fulfilling his longtime promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. The bill relaxes regulations that have held up the transfer of detainees out of the detention center.
The defense act also includes provisions aimed at intervening in the epidemic of sexual assault in the U.S. military. But, as the Washington Post noted, “it stops short of the broad reforms that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and other advocates have been calling for.”
While legislative movement on Gitmo’s closure is necessary, it is insufficient. As Amnesty International USA’s director Zeke Johnson commented, “[the president] should move forward with foreign transfers immediately and lobby Congress hard to end the ban on transfers to the U.S. mainland. Guantanamo must be closed by ensuring that each detainee is either fairly tried in U.S. federal court or released to a country that will respect his human rights.”
Meanwhile the troubling NDAA provision first signed into law in 2012, which permits the military to detain individuals indefinitely without trial, remains on the books for 2014. Efforts to quash or reform the provision (especially with regard to the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens) have failed and have been fiercely fought by the administration.” Salon
Hopefully, Congress will allow for detainees to be transferred or tried in a Federal court, as suggested by Amnesty International. We need to keep the Democrat’s feet to the fire.
My last hope for the New Year revolves around reforming the NSA. As we have seen and heard here and in the mass media, the NSA has turned the 4th Amendment into a mockery. The latest Federal court judge’s decision that the mass retention and collection of phone data is legal, is in conflict with another recent District Court decision and the Supreme Court may need to decide once and for all, just how far the NSA and other intelligence agencies can go.
It is amazing that in the judge’s decision, he stated that the 4th Amendment is not absolute. However, why is it that the 2nd Amendment seems to be absolute, but the First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment must be subject to limitations? If the NSA is allowed to continue to collect all calls and all data, shouldn’t they at least have to pay a portion of my phone bill? It is my sincere hope that the NSA can be restrained in the New Year, but it may be a long fight.
I have listed just a few of my “hopes” for the New Year. I have some others, but I want to hear what your thoughts are for the New Year. What hopes do you have for 2014? Let us know what you are hoping for and why you are think it is important for the country. It doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you favor, because most of these issues should be non-partisan. It is not a Democratic or a Republican problem when scores of people are being murdered and killed by people who have no reason to own guns or could have been prevented from acquiring the deadly weapons.
It isn’t a partisan issue when the NSA is collecting almost all of our phone calls. Just where does the Fourth Amendment begin and end? I look forward to reading your hopes and the reasons why they are important to you and to the country.
Happy New Year to all and let’s hope that Congress and the President can make progress on my Hopes and on your Hopes.
Mike S.,
Yes, he is indeed an angry person.
“I guess he really isn’t too uncomfortable to continue the discussion any further. I do wish he’d make up his mind.”
Elaine,
His problem is that he is such an angry person that he barely exercises self control when he writes and then later realizing that he’s exposed himself tries
to abruptly end the creation of his own rage. He wants to portray himself as a world wise fun loving blue collar guy, but the reality I think is that on some level he considers himself a failure and lashes out without control. Now that’s not to say he is a failure. Indeed he might be quite successful, but people’s self images are strange things. His demeanor sort of reminds me of Donald Trump, without the money or fame. As for his projection of people into the upper middle classes, I would have always loved to travel the world, but alas I never could afford it and yes I’m comfortable financially. With the traveling he claims to do my guess is that he himself, perhaps through his wife, is at least as comfortable, or far more so than you and certainly than me.
annie,
Nick doesn’t have much of a sense of humor. He took umbrage at a harmless comment that I made upthread.
Elaine, your intelligence and integrity will always make him look like the small man he is.
annie,
At 12:40 pm, nick said: “Elaine, You’re talking about choices of how you spend, use, save, you income. The IRS and govt. don’t determine your demographic and taxes on your expenditures and choices, it’s determined by your INCOME. This is a conversation fraught w/ danger and I’m uncomfortable continuing it any further. I just find it hard to believe you and your husband don’t fall into the upper middle class demo. Do you know the parameters? They’re not based upon time spent w/ grandchildren, where you choose to travel, how big a house you have, etc.”
Then at 12:24 pm, nick said: “I don’t consider this toxic. Is challenging a statement you made toxic? I won’t use your strange clothing thing but you seem a bit flustered. Again, if you don’t want to discuss your assertion that you are, or are not, upper middle class, just say the word and it’s over, done, finished!”
*****
I guess he really isn’t too uncomfortable to continue the discussion any further. I do wish he’d make up his mind.
😉
What have I said that gives the slightest indication I’m upset. I’m cureently laughing w/ my wife over a YouTube video she just showed me. This is your MO. Project much?
annie,
Nick finds it hard to believe what he doesn’t want to believe. Imagine this–he knows better than I what class I am a member of. He gets very upset when he can’t get me angry.
I don’t consider this toxic. Is challenging a statement you made toxic? I won’t use your strange clothing thing but you seem a bit flustered. Again, if you don’t want to discuss your assertion that you are, or are not, upper middle class, just say the word and it’s over, done, finished!
Spinelli’s behavior today is in high dudgeon, that is quite evident.
Elaine, You’re talking about choices of how you spend, use, save, you income. The IRS and govt. don’t determine your demographic and taxes on your expenditures and choices, it’s determined by your INCOME. This is a conversation fraught w/ danger and I’m uncomfortable continuing it any further. I just find it hard to believe you and your husband don’t fall into the upper middle class demo. Do you know the parameters? They’re not based upon time spent w/ grandchildren, where you choose to travel, how big a house you have, etc.
Someone is attempting to hijack the discussion and make Rafflaw’s post into a “toxic thread”–and it isn’t me. For shame!
And you are as predictable as the tides.
This obsession w/ knickers is kinda spooky.
I doubt that. But, I’m NOT going to be sucked into the personal info gulag. But, based merely on the info provided by yourself, on a nice Taxachusetts pension, and your husband operating or having operated a biz w/ employees, it strains credulity you are not upper middle class. This is not shouting but caps just to emphasize, I AM NOT SEEKING ANY PRIVATE FINANCIAL OR OTHERWISE PERSONAL INFORMATION. Maybe you should research the parameters of upper middle class and then amend your remarks. Because it is VERY RARE for someone w/ you educational and professional background, combined w/ a family business, to not fall within the parameters of upper middle class. There’s nothing wrong w/ being upper middle class, white, etc. Hell, in the vast majority of this country, there’s nothing wrong w/ being upper class, but that makes one a pariah here w/ some.
Nicky’s knickers are in a knot again, I see. Keep poking all you want. I’m not bothered by your juvenile attempts to upset me/make me angry.
Let’s see who is from the upper middle class. Hmmm?
You wrote on another thread: “We spend Winter in San Diego.”
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/08/29/were-number-1-were-number-1/
I can’t afford to spend the winter anywhere but in my home in New England. I don’t even travel to Florida for a week or two during the chilliest months of the year. Yet, you can afford to winter in sunny California. In addition, I’m busy in my retirement years providing daycare for my granddaughter. I’m not carefree like you.
Elaine, As a GBer, you should lead. Part of leadership is setting an example. It is a very poor example to bring to a thread, that was @ the time pleasant and positive, the negativity from another toxic thread. This is leadership 101, for chrissake. Obviously something I said over @ the toxic thread[which will eventually vanish], did bother you and you brought it here. Your last comment tacitly admits that. Well, not only is what you did poor leadership, it’s unhealthy. It’s passive aggressive. Hell, if you got a problem w/ me say it then and there, have it out, and then let it go. “Better out than in” is how I was brought out. I express what I have to say then and there. Try it, it’s much healthier.
nick,
We are not an upper middle class family. You already know that–so quit making stuff up.
Have a nice day!
I thought that video was of Jackie Mason, another short Jewish comedian. He’s a lot funnier.
Elaine, I forgot to mention, since your granddaughter is female, she’s assured a good education. Upper Middle Class, White, Female is the gold standard for the Education Industry. That’s why it’s primarily White, Upper Middle Class, White, Females fighting any reform. Don’t want that money going to those kids on the other side of the tracks.
“That’s why it’s primarily White, Upper Middle Class, White, Females fighting any reform. Don’t want that money going to those kids on the other side of the tracks.”
So Nick,
Since you feel it is okay to bring Elaine’s family into the discussion then I think it is fair to say that I think your anger towards Elaine has to do with her being an intelligent woman. In my opinion your animosity derives from the fact that your wife is more successful and intelligent than you are and so you project your inner seething anger at that state of affairs outward at other women. Now start your whining, little man of big ego, covering up your feelings of inferiority.
You try to play the game of being someone of good will, but you are really a vicious angry person, with little self control and the need to make everything about you. Your “good nature” is the thin veneer covering your rage at your own inadequacy in life.