1000 x 90

LETTERS / A New Low Point in Claiming to Love America, But Hate Americans.

Dear Editor,

So I’d like to share with those on the other side of the isle a favorite link from addicting info called “The Muslim Test.” 

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/09/the-muslim-test-how-to-expose-the-hypocrisy-of-the-religious-right/

How does this work? Quite simple really. As the website puts it…

“Take any conservative claim that they are being oppressed by evil secularists or rival religions, replace “Christianity” with “Islam” and see if the offended party is still quite as gung-ho. Conversely, take any demand  for special privileges, insist that they be granted to Islam as well and watch the odd conservative head explode.”

And I’ve realized why stop at religion? We can use this for all sorts of things! Here’s another good example, just done fill in the blank style.

Getting input on how best to plan _____ proved difficult  as vocal protesters shouted out slogans and objections to the process.

“What is social justice?” called out _____ an _____ resident who is a _____ party leader.

“This is a rigged meeting,” shouted a protester.

“Decisions have all been made by _____ and _____,” said another protester. “We’re being asked for our opinions on things that don’t matter.”

Obviously of course I’m talking about the fuss caused by that “Angry mob” of Democrats at the BOE meeting. 

Except I’m not, those were quotes from a Tea Part protest. 
http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/show_story.php?id=8515

In fact I invite anyone to google the phrase “Tea Party disrupts meetings” and enjoy the laundry list of links that come up.

At least we didn’t follow Luke Eggers home. Unlike these true patriots here. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/20/996640/-Tea-Party-Thugs-Disrupt-Peaceful-Rally-in-Roseburg-Oregon

And this is what truly amazes me about the complete hypocrisy and radicalism that has infected your party Republicans. As you seem to have hit a new low point in claiming to love America, but hate Americans. And god forbid we try to use the values the country was founded on to say so! Much less try to vote right?

Muslim Test time. If it was tricorn hats and gun toting “good” Americans at the capital every Monday? Ones with signs that said “Impeach the half white Muslim!” Or perhaps people breaking into a rousing chrous of “Ba Ba black sheep.” http://freakoutnation.com/2013/08/07/republican-protesters-sing-bye-bye-black-sheep-hold-racist-signs-impeach-the-half-white-muslim/

I wonder, would people like state Sen Thom Goolsby have called that “Moron Monday”? And since the NAACP wouldn’t be involved I guess we wouldn’t have people accusing us of “pulling the race card”? We certainly wouldn’t have had people like Gov Mccory accusing them of being part of the “Divisive far left fringe engaged in scare tactics.” And if if the police had started arresting them? Every right wing blog in the state would be screaming about how liberals can’t stand true patriotic dissent! And it’s more signs of how Obama wants his socialist police state!

Because of course when the right does it that’s patriotism, when the left does it you’re a traitor. We’ve seen that one clean back to those of us who protested the Iraq invasion.

Sort of like when “good” gun owners have personal information made public.  We have to howl to the heavens about their rights being under attack! It’ll get peoples homes robbed as criminals come for the guns! 

But of course when the Art Pope backed Civitas Institute puts up the actual pictures of “bad” Moral Monday protestors? Perfectly fine! They’re “outside agitators” anyway. Now please pay no attention to all these ALEC written bills the NCGA is pushing through.

Speaking of gun control? Another fun argument against restrictions? The claim that no amount of legislation would prevent a determined criminal from getting his hands on a gun. Instead, laws passed to stop him will simply interfere with law-abiding Americans’ constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms. 

Muslim test time again, let’s replace “gun” with “fake ID” And “right to bear arms” with “right to vote.”

And I invite those on the right to tell me the difference, if they can find one.
Meanwhile after passing what is nationally known as the single worst voter suppression bill in the entire United States? No big deal! These are sensible measures anyone can approve of (more so when you have Civitas doing your polling) We have to stop voter fraud after all, all 0.00174% of it. https://www.verifiedvoting.org/widespread-voter-fraud-not-an-issue-in-north-carolina-data-shows-wncn/

A couple other questions I’d like anyone on the right to answer. 

Please explain how eliminating Sunday voting protected my vote from fraud.

Please explain how telling polling places they can’t extend hours protects the right to vote. 

Please explain how repeal of the “stand by your ad” law and increasing the already toxic amount of money in politics by raising contribution limits protects the integrity of the Democratic process.

Just a short list of the rest of the garbage in your “sensible” voter suppression bill.

“But you need an ID to buy Sudafed!”

This isn’t Breaking Bad, and buying medications isn’t a constitutional right. Unlike voting!

So to bring this to the local level it’s sad to see our now nationally disgraced BOE joining into this brand of Republican Radicalism. Again isn’t the goal to ensure everyone has a chance to vote? So why did they just eliminate ASU’s early voting location and lump Boone into a mega district of 9500 voters with 35 parking spots? To protect the vote? To make things easier? Ample parking at the AG center when the queen street parking meters one block from the administration building have easily double that?

How “darn” stupid do you think we are?

This has nothing to do with voter protection and EVERYTHING to do with voter suppression of groups Republicans don’t like, but groups that have to be attacked because their fringe demands it be done. As these days in Republican land the inmates have taken over the asylum.

To go national again for a moment it’s the same Reason that Radical Tea Party members are launching a primary challenges against  Sen Lamar Alexander of Tenn. and told him to “retire”. What did part of the letter to him also say? 

“Our great nation can no longer afford compromise and bipartisanship, two traits for which you have become famous.”

Seriously?

It’s why on the state level you have the hypocrisy of Republicans claiming they hate Washington interference in our lives, yet across the state have done everything possible to interfere in the local control of every town out there from the Charlotte airport battle, to stealing Asheville’s water supply, to the attempted elimination of ETJ’s statewide. That’s before we even get to the motorcycle (17 words) plus abortion restrictions (100+ words) bill. And people like Ruth Samelson and others telling us it’s to protect women’s health.

Then why did you not let the bill stand on it’s own, and why did you try to push it through when no one was looking?

How “darn” stupid do you think we are!

And it’s why to come full circle we have our own radicals in control pandering to a brand of crazy that thinks ASU students take their marching orders from Pam Williamson, and “bad” Boone has to be stopped in the name of the “Good” rural folks of the county once again. Not to mention the same old song of an Eggers and a Yates trying everything they can to help a Templeton get what he wants…

Now where have I seen this before? I think a piece of property might have been involved?

And once again Watauga Republicans you (or to be fair your leadership) blew it.

Again, 9500 voters into one district? ASU voting eliminated due to “security” or “confusion” concerns, New river moved to the “geographic middle” of the county away from every major population center?

Just how “darn” stupid to you think we are!

Instead of trying to convince people to vote for you on your ideas you took the easy way out, you pandered to your radical rural base, you decided that if you can’t win the vote just make sure no one can vote.

Did you even ask the college Republican student groups for input before taking away their voting too?

Did you stop to notice that Dan Soueck lost ASU by a mere 34 votes?

Do you want to also know what I heard when I got to the protest at the courthouse? From the woman who took the sign up sheet from me.

“I’m a Registered Republican and even I can’t believe what they are trying to pull here.”

Do you know what every ASU student I’ve told about this move has said? Language much harsher then “darn” Including not buying your bogus arguments in the slightest, and asking me where they can find out more about it.

If those students were possibly receptive to your ideas (if you even have any past looking for jobs in the lady parts of NC women) how do you think they feel now after being told you just made voting that much harder for them?

Seriously GOP, you aren’t fooling anyone anymore. Not even your own supporters, much less the students you just attacked.

Your open hostility may play well with the people already voting for you anyway, but the rest of us? The people you need to actually win long term? The more you try to keep us from voting on every level the more you’re going to see us rise up against you!

You have Jesse Steele, someone liberal as you can get agreeing on a national level with Richard Burr of all people! When he said the tea party fight to shutdown the govt over Obamacare was, “The dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.”

And now your idea of trying to get more people to vote for you is having debates moderated by Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh? By all means please go right ahead and do this, let’s see how small you can get that tent.

It’s this tone deaf attitude, refusal to even try to engage those on the other side with anything more then a plate of cookies, and a mean spirited mentality that thinks everyone not you is the enemy that is killing you as a party. Did you not see the demographics from the 2012 presidential election? You lost everyone but old white Christian men. So what are you trying to accomplish with moves like the assaults on young voters not just here but across the state as well? http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2013/08/15/gop-leader-taking-his-attack-on-student-voting-on-the-road/

Between this and every other action you’ve taken as of late from here to Raleigh?

This is  why you saw thousands on that lawn every Moral Monday. 

And barely a couple hundred on your thankful Tuesday.

This is why we had 10000 in Asheville protesting your actions.

And you’re lucky to get a couple dozen on an overpass holding impeach Obama signs.

This is why we had a room full of people standing up for Democracy and the right to vote at the BOE meeting. 

And you had one shrill little voice in the back desperately directing her sock puppets to squash it.
 
And it’s why no matter what you try we’ll be at the ballot box waiting to show you exactly what we think of these actions.

Because we’re not as “darn” stupid as you think. 

Sincerely

Jesse Steele

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68-2ZuvHyDU&feature=youtu.be

“The time is over for you to be bowed down. The time is over for you to let the voices of oppression dominate the microphone. The time is over for you to be silent. The time is over for you to wonder if the God of justice is still alive.” — Rev. Dr. William Barber, II, Aug 10, 2013.