Newt drops a beaut

Ahh, the party of tolerance strikes again. Really, I got nothin' on this one - I'll just let the clip speak for itself.

Here's a portion of the Associated Press story:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich equated bilingual education Saturday with "the language of living in a ghetto" and mocked requirements that ballots be printed in multiple languages.

"The government should quit mandating that various documents be printed in any one of 700 languages depending on who randomly shows up" to vote, said Gingrich, who is considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He made the comments in a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women.

"The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. ... We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," Gingrich said to cheers from the crowd of more than 100.

"Citizenship requires passing a test on American history in English. If that's true, then we do not have to create ballots in any language except English," he said.

Peter Zamora, co-chair of the Washington-based Hispanic Education Coalition, which supports bilingual education, said, "The tone of his comments was very hateful. Spanish is spoken by many individuals who do not live in the ghetto."

He later went on Hannity & Colmes to clarify his remarks. I don't think he does a very good job. From the transcript:

COLMES: You spoke over the weekend to the National Federation of Republican Women. You’re quoted as having said, The American people believe English should be the official language. And then you went on to say that people should learn the language of the country and not the language of living in a ghetto, referring to Spanish. Is that your definitive comment or was that a misquote? Were you not properly quoted?

GINGRICH: Well, that did not refer to Spanish. The point I made was that we ought to have a program of intensive education so that every person who comes to America learns English as rapidly as possible. And I’ve talked to experts who believe that an intensive program, young people could learn to be relatively fluent in four to six months, and older people could learn in a year.

COLMES: What do you mean language in the ghetto?

GINGRICH: What I meant is very clearly, Alan. I’ll let you pick the right word for me. We should not have a program which traps people into not being able to speak English by failing to teach them the language that is the prominent language of prosperity, the dominant language of government, the dominant language of politics. Now, I’ll let you pick — frankly, ghetto, historically had referred as a Jewish reference originally. I did not mention Hispanics, and I certainly do not want anybody who speaks Spanish to think I’m in any way less than respectful of Spanish or any other language spoken by people who come to the United States.

Click on Think Progress to read more, and to watch Gingrich's appearance on H&C.

I really do tire of the whole "English is the official language of the United States" debate. Gingrich is right on one thing - people who come to America should learn the language. But, passing a law saying that English is "the official language of the US" accomplishes little, other than alienating the many immigrants who come to our country every year. People lose sight of the fact that at one time or another, almost all of our ancestors were immigrants in this country, unless you are 100 percent Native American.

My point, and my pipe dream, is this - I'd love to see America adopt Spanish as a second language some day, but it's doubtful it will happen in my lifetime, unless I live one long life. Hispanics and Latinos now make up 13.5 percent of our population, and growing. The harm in having Spanish as a second language would be what, exactly?

Too many Americans, a vast majority, in fact, wouldn't know the meaning of bilingual if it bit them in the face. I count myself among this unfortunate majority. Most other first-world countries in the world have a much higher rate of bilingualism than America does. There are many reasons for this, but I don't feel this fact reflects very many good things about America. In fact, it speaks to our arrogance and hubris when it comes to matters of language and culture.

I know full well that some conservatives would jump all over my comments above, wrap themselves in an American flag, and shout, "You hate America!" These rubes, Gingrich among them, aren't to be scorned - they're to be pitied.

Please run, Newt. Your brand of conservative intolerance is just what Democrats need to not only recapture the White House, but to widen control in both Houses of Congress. Your 15 minutes were up in 1998.

I realize that there is a certain percentage on the right who believe that the existing presidential candidates are not "conservative enough" for their liking. I'm not sure whether that's true, but if they look to Gingrich for a more conservative candidate, they surly are courting disaster.

Run, Newt, run.

GOP 101: Burn a fag, but not a flag

So, the predictable Karl Rove 2006 election strategy has come to pass: trivial, divisive issues that will fire up and distract an American public that is otherwise sick to death of this administration's disastrous policies.

First divisive issue - flag burning. This cartoon probably states my feelings on this better than any 50 paragraphs I could type:

I don't know what I find more incredulous: that Republicans have the balls to try this tactic again, or that the American public can't see right through it. A Constitutional Amendment to ban flag burning would cut right at the heart of what our democracy stands for, period. We have the right to express dissatisfaction with our government, and if a few wayward souls think burning our flag is the way to express those feelings, let them. Would I ever do it? Not a chance, but I'm outraged the government wants to outlaw it.

This is a replay of President Bush Sr., circa the early 1990s: His popularity was going in the toilet (and in the current case, the president's party as well), so he wrapped himself in the American flag. The amendment failed then, and it failed now, but there are two chief differences between then and now: the country is in much worse shape now, and the vote was much closer this time. The measure passed the House, and it failed in the Senate by a single vote. A single fucking vote, people. If this doesn't wake you up, I have no idea what will.

Spearheading the flag burning Amendment is this stupid ass:

Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch. This guy must really hate our Constitution, because since he took office in 1977, he's proposed amending it over three dozen times. It makes one wonder if this idiot has done anything other propose Amendments. Banning flag burning takes the cake, but a close second was his half-baked attempt in 2003 to tinker with the guidelines of who can be president as outlined in the Constitution.

Back then, Hatch proposed amending the Constitution to allow foreign-born citizens to run for president. A quick recap, if I may, with some research from the San Francisco Chronicle:

Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Schwarzenegger political friend, proposed allowing anyone who has been a U.S. citizen for 20 years and has resided in the country for 14 years to be elected president. Hatch denies that he proposed the amendment with Schwarzenegger in mind, but it turns out that the 56-year-old actor-businessman was naturalized in 1983. [Emphasis added]

Coincidence? Yea, sure. A little more from Hatch:

"I believe the time has now come to address the antiquated provision of the Constitution that requires our president to be a natural-born citizen," Hatch said. Hatch spokeswoman Margarita Tapia denied the proposal had anything to do with Schwarzenegger, who has raised money for Hatch. "It was a policy judgment. We didn't do it with one specific person in mind, " she said Monday.

Fucking liars. But, I digress.

Back to the issue at hand, and that's Hatch's idea to ban the burning of the American flag. When asked the day before yesterday if he thought this was the most important thing the Senate could be debating, Hatch deadpanned, "You're darn right." Really, Orrin?

Maybe you've heard of: the war in Iraq, exploding deficits, our porous borders, immigration problems, our deteriorating environment, stem cell research, energy problems, etc. I could go on and on. But this is what our leadership in Congress elects to spend its time on? Why am I not surprised?

Hatch continued, and I QUOTE:

"Bringing it up at this time is not an election year ploy. We have Democrats and Republicans who feel deeply about this issue. It is bipartisan. Last time we brought it up was the year 2000."

Was there an election that year, Orrin? And it's worth noting that yes, some Democrats supported this Constitutional Amendment proposal, and that's because they are pussies - too afraid of being painted as unpatriotic for not supporting such a measure. (Or perhaps it could be "not supporting the troops," it just depends on what the Republican slogan du jour is.)

Here's a pretty big issue Congress could be spending its time on - how about Hurricane Katrina fraud? How is it that some assholes of unspeakable morals and ethics always find a way to defraud our government, victims, and ultimately, taxpayers, in times of national crisis? And how is it that our government never seems sage enough to prevent it? 9-11 is the most horrifying example, but Katrina is the latest, to the tune of about $2 billion. Federal prosecutors estimate they will be prosecuting Katrina fraud for the next 6-8 years.

Take a look...

...at all of these new mobile homes that the government has spent $600 million on to purchase for Katrina homeless. I'm so proud that my government has procured these mobile homes to gather so much rust. They sit at this site, while people continue to struggle in New Orleans, many without homes. You're doin' a heckuva job, Dubya, a heckuva job.

***

On to wedge issue number 2, and that's gay marriage. Again, I turn to cartoon for laughter, and to finely illustrate my point:

Ahh, I could probably stop typing right here, and that cartoon says it all. Hell, all DNC Chairman Howard Dean needs to do is make this the slogan of the Democrats: "Republicans - the party that tried to write hate and intolerance INTO the Constitution." Yea, that would just about do it.

This is yet another election-year ploy to fire up the radical religious right. The only mystery about it this time is whether this trite red herring will be enough to distract right wingers into voting for a party that has failed miserably on so many fronts, or will this tried-and-true tactic of distraction work magic for Bush and his minions once again? Funny how we didn't hear much about gay marriage last year, but in the spring of 2004 it was an issue of vital importance.

I'm not going to trot out statistic after statistic about gay marriage and straight marriage again. The numbers are convincing, but there are some on the right who will never let go of the idea that homosexuality is for beasts and devil worshippers. And I have nothing but all the contempt and scorn in the world for people who believe that, most of whom have probably never even known a gay person.

How funny is it that the Department of Defense still classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder? That's something that mental health professionals stopped doing back in the 1960s. Hey, some year our government is bound to catch up.

***

The third wedge issue that the Republicans are trotting out to tremendous PR effect, because it's on the lips of many people at water coolers every Monday morning, is our language.

Aah, I love the smell of xenophobia in the morning. I heard similar sentiments like the one above come out of the mouths of many of my relatives this past weekend when we were all gathered at my aunt's house after my Nan passed away.

This hysteria that's sweeping the nation about English and Spanish is comical. Ohmygod! Unthinkable! Americans learn a second language, get cultured, and be open minded? The fucking planet could stop rotating and we could all fall off the other side.

Hey, this just in, you agents of intolerance - Latinos are now the number one minority in America (or will be by the beginning of next year, they are neck and neck with African-Americans). Imagine these same intolerant people in 1863:

"Niggers? Free?!? What are we going to do next, allow them to vote?!?"

Okay, a bit dramatic, but the connection isn't too obscure. I find people who oppose a bilingual society just about as offensive as the N word in the above paragraph.

So, Republicans are now trying to capitalize on this wedge issue, too, declaring that English is the official language of the United States. Wow, thanks, geniuses. I guess bilingual signs signal the impending collapse of civilization. I ask you, what would be so horrible about a bilingual society?

Need an example of a bilingual society that works? How about we look to Canada? In many parts of that country, there are bilingual signs.

What's so horrible about that? What's more, we have many bilingual signs here in America, too, and you may not have even noticed them, nor cared about them until politicians started beating the drums of intolerance. Here's one you probably see every time you are in a shopping mall or restaurant:

Know what? I actually like having signs like these around. They help me learn a language, Spanish, that any American who hopes to be successful this century will have to know. Put our having a bilingual society to a vote tomorrow, and I vote yes, just like I'd vote yes to gay marriage, and an absolute no fucking way to banning flag burning.

I'm sick to death of Republicans and their agents of intolerance on the right shoving their morality down the throats of us all. You see examples of it every day - in addition to the three wedge issues above, the "War on Christmas", "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance (that phrase was added in 1954 by a Republican controlled Congress - it wasn't even in the original version), The FCC dramatically increasing fines for people uttering swear words that I hear every day on the street, etc.

Hey Republicans, this is not a Christian nation, and God is not a Republican. Pick up a history book and you'll quickly find out - this nation was founded on religious freedom, not religious freedom as long as you are a Christian. Deal with it. I'm sick to death of Republicans getting election year amnesia by forgetting the Bill of Rights, which guarantee me the right to express my opinion and say what I like. Hey, Congressional Republicans - fuck you.