Is Barack Obama Three-Fifths of a President?

Shameful

The question, in all of its absurdity, must be asked: is Barack Hussein Obama three-fifths of a president?

Since the inception of the office of the President of The United States there has always been a level of respect that is given to the office if not the man. This has not been the case for President Obama’s tenure.

It is a common occurrence in U.S. politics that to the victor goes the ire. Most often 49% of the population does not agree with a particular party or candidate. There is a guarantee for citizens to voice their displeasure in the first amendment and it is one of our most cherished rights. But that right can and often is a double-edged sword.

During the presidency of George W. Bush, I along with most of the people I know

(who didn’t vote for him-twice) were calling him everything but a child of God. In our eyes we had good reason as the man made numerous gaffes on the international stage and in all fairness he was a horrible statesman, worse orator and presided over the worst economic and domestic period in American history since the Civil War.

Enter Barack Obama; perhaps not a staggering icon of experience but a reassuring voice of reason at a time when America was two minutes from midnight.

After nearly a decade of having, as near as anyone could tell, a brain dead “cowboy” running roughshod over the U.S. Constitution and the people it was enacted to protect, senator Obama won the reigns of a nation that was entirely out of whack and headed pell-mell for the cliff of oblivion.

Clevon Little as Bart

It smacks of Mel Brook’s classic western send up “Blazing Saddles”. Bart, the black Sherriff (Obama), is sent in to Rockridge (United States) and of course, is hated by the people even when he is nice and prevents the town from being overrun by Mongo (terrorism, economic ruin, etc…) by tricking and placating him. The sad part is that in Blazing Saddles, the townsfolk-as ignorant and vile as townsfolk can get-eventually grow to respect and admire Bart. Here in the United States, the reality is that the more president Obama does to help, the less he is liked.

No president in history, from what history of such events can be compiled, has been as disrespected as president Obama. The office of the President of the United States is the most powerful office on the face of the planet, the most important position known to man since the invention of society and our president is, in the eyes of many, a nigger.

It’s not that he is being disrespected as a politician or a law maker-which he is-but he is being disrespected in such a way as to incite violence among his supporters and supporters of civil rights the world over.

Keep it down!

The man won a Nobel Peace Prize essentially for having common sense. He won arguably the most coveted and respected award in the world for injecting hope, not just in the American people, but in the world! The Global Consciousness Project measured a response in its network equal to then greater than other events that have affected the world! Around the world he is heralded, at home he is a witch doctor from darkest Africa coming for your god and your guns.  

Lauren Victoria Burke wrote a piece for politic365.com that lists the 10 most disrespectful events in Barack Obama’s tenure. First of all, the list is not exhaustive and there are at least two events that have never happened to a president-ever. So, not only are there 10 “most disrespectful” moments (so far) there are two unprecedented events. The list doesn’t include the myriad Tea Party rallies and other demonstrations depicting the president as a big lipped aberration.

Actually happened

So again, the question must be asked: is Barack Obama a three-fifths president?

For the uninitiated, the three-fifths clause in the Constitution allows a slave to be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of taxation and representation in the Congress.

This congress has been woefully inadequate in passing any type of legislature, even bills that uniformly help the whole of the United States, and I wonder if it has to do with the president’s creed or his color. The opposition heaped upon this administration has exceeded that of any other administration when facing an opposition congress. So the question is: why?

Found the crazies!

Why are there people falling out in the street begging to get their country back? Back from where or from whom? The “Birther movement”-a blot on the flag-asking to see president Obama’s birth certificate, as if the IRS, FBI, Secret Service, etc were not thorough enough. Also, let’s not forget he had a driver’s license, student loans and was a United States Senator! If we’re being honest, the founding fathers were not born in the United States; wouldn’t George Washington’s birth certificate prove that he was born in a British colony? Absurd, right? Yes. It is. 

I’m not going to do the math for you; fractions were never my strong suit. But by all accounts this president, who has done more in his tenure than the previous president did in two terms, is being treated like a second class citizen. Why?

You can read Ms. Burke’s Article here

America, LLP.

There has been a great deal of talk about job creation during the 2011/2012 presidential campaign season and it makes me wonder about the caliber of candidates the GOP is shilling.

 Now, let me be clear, I have no chauvinistic affiliations with any party, I vote based on merit. If I believe the Republican/Democrat/Libertarian candidate is what’s best for America, then they get my vote. Period.

That being said, I have not had cause to vote Republican or Libertarian in the few presidential elections I have been able to vote in. The reason being that the candidates from these parties seem to think that America is a business instead of a country a republic-an “idea” is the most apt definition I can give of this land.

It strikes me as cold, and I admit to leaning a bit left when it comes to some of the major issues, but it strikes me as cold when candidates relate their business acumen as a major tenet of their presidentiality (verb. Skill set needed to be president of the United States. Not actually a word-yet).  Is the United States a corporation? Are our Senators our immediate supervisors? How would that work and who do I talk to about getting a raise!?

If America, LLP, is to exist and the president is the CEO, is the Constitution the code of conduct? The Declaration of Independence must be the mission statement. Is the Civil Rights Act the employee handbook? Where is human resources because I have a few staffing issues I would like to talk to them about.

Candidates for the position of CEO from the GOP staffing office are trying to abolish the payroll department as well as get rid of the group healthcare coverage that many employees so desperately need. They are claiming to do good things as well, such as fix the fence in the backyard to prevent non-employees from doing jobs that employees themselves don’t want to do.

Is being an American a job? Can you quit? Can you get fired?

Having taken a bevy of political science classes during my tenure as a student in almost all levels of education, I never once thought of the president as a CEO. Maybe its youthful naïveté speaking but even as an adult, I cannot conceive of the fact that being a CEO is enough to garner the most powerful job in the world. What do you think?

The Electric Car - Old Idea, New Spark

Contrary to popular belief, the electric car is not a new idea. The first electric car was built in 1832-that’s right almost 180 years ago!. The recent popularity of the idea has been spurned on by unrest in the Middle East, rising gas prices, and concern over environmental effects of the burning of fossil fuels. But why are we interested now instead of 180 years ago?

The first advanced electric car was designed by Ferdinand Porsche.

In 1897, the first commercial application of electric vehicles was instituted in New York City with fleet of Taxi’s. In 1899, a Belgian built electric car set a land speed record-68 mph. Electric cars were easier to use with no gear changes necessary, cleaner than gasoline cars and easier to start than the steam powered option of the day.

In 2011, the electric car has resurged with new interest. With the strife in the Middle East, a booming Chinese demand for oil and the natural disasters that come from large oil spills such as the one in the Gulf coast-the public was asking for new alternatives. 

The Chevrolet Volt

The automotive industry has responded before with electric vehicles but they were unable to create mass appeal as gas was about $3 cheaper per gallon. So the idea was scrapped-literally. Until now, like a Phoenix struck by lightening, the electric vehicle has emerged from the scrap yards and into mass production.

Vehicles like the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf have captured the imagination and wallets of Americans who have become pump weary. The chief complaint about electric vehicles is the need for recharge stations. 100 years ago the same thing was said about gasoline powered cars.

Moving forward, we will need to have energy dependence from fossil fuels. It is a well known fact that there is a finite amount of oil in the world whereas electricity is a renewable resource. If we couple that with hydrogen-the most plentiful element in the known universe- in an electric/hydrogen fuel cell and our energy crisis has been solved.

 

There are detractors saying that a switch to electric vehicles would kill thousands of jobs in the oil refinery business. First of all, we use oil for many things outside of gasoline and oil changes. Secondly, people can learn new things. We are not talking about old dogs here. One of America’s best strengths has been its indomitable workforce. If we implement a federally funded training program for displaced roughnecks to work in the new industry then we will have the necessary infrastructure to sustain the new energy initiative.

That this has yet to happen is a testament to the nature of greed and the power of lobbyist in Washington. Energy dependence is a matter of national security. Imagine a world when the last drop of oil is siphoned from the core of the earth. It will be chaos and anarchy if we are not adequately prepared. It is time for the electric vehicle to be our dominant mode of transportation. 

Beaus and Eros - The History of St. Valentine's Day

Love is a many splendored thing. It fills us with hope and clouds our judgment with doubt. It can lift us to new heights or send us reeling into depressing depths. How ever it plays out, there is one day of the year when it is celebrated across the world: Valentine’s Day.

On February 14^th all across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom lovers will exchange tokens of the undying affection. This holiday is bitter sweet as those who have loved and lost may not find solace in the pink and red aisle at the grocery store. But for those still entwined in loves embrace, this is a day to show their loved one just how much they mean to them-by buying them a card or a new car.

Who is this St. Valentine and why do we celebrate his legacy in the middle of the coldest month of the year? The answer lies in antiquity and is shrouded in legend.

St. Valentine, as recognized by the Catholic Church, has many legends surrounding his romantic past. It has been said that he was a priest in Rome during the third century performing marriages while they were illegal according to a decree of Emperor Claudius II.

Another legend says that while he was imprisoned he fell in love with the jailors daughter who visited him during his sentence. It is said that he wrote to her just before his death and signed his letter “from your Valentine”…sound familiar?

St. Valentine had a romantic past to be sure, but why do we celebrate his romantic exploits in the dead of winter?

Some claim that we celebrate St. Valentine in February to commemorate the date of his death in 270AD. Others say that it was the Christian church’s effort to “Christianize” the pagan festival of Lupercalia which began on February 15^th. During the Middle Ages, it was celebrated on February 14^th as this was thought to be the beginning of the mating season for birds-a fitting day if there ever was.

In recent history, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated with a powerful token of appreciation: the greeting card. In the1840’s, Esther A. Howland-the “Mother of the Valentine” begin mass producing elaborately designed greeting cards made of lace and ribbon. The tradition has grown to the point where an estimated one billion cards are sent on Valentine’s Day making it the second busiest greeting card day of the year after Christmas.

When Cupid’s arrow strikes true it is a wonderful feeling. It is an experience that is known cross-culturally throughout the world. How ever you show your affection, Valentine’s Day is a global holiday that celebrates the best in human nature.