Holiday cheer.

There were more weather related deaths over the weekend in the South than the amount of people killed in the San Bernardino terrorist attack.

That said, I have to wonder if right-wingnuts now still believe that it's a joke to think about climate change as a serious threat to the country.

Something else happened over the weekend that has me wondering why Rham Emanuel still has a job.

"Family members of two people killed by Chicago police during a weekend shooting joined activists Sunday to call for sweeping changes in the way officers interact with the city’s black residents.
“Police are supposed to serve us and protect us, and instead they kill us,” said Janet Cooksey, whose 19-year-old son, Quintonio LeGrier, was shot and killed early Saturday when police were called to his house for a domestic disturbance. “What’s wrong with this picture?”

Bettie Jones, 55, who lived downstairs from LeGrier, also was shot and killed. The officers were responding to a report of a man carrying a bat, and opened fire after LeGrier became combative, Chicago police said in a statement. Jones was shot by accident, authorities said.
The deaths were the first fatal police-involved shootings in Chicago since the release last month of a video showing the 2014 police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. The video’s release led to a series of demonstrations in the city, including Christmas Eve protests on Michigan Avenue.  

City and church leaders responded to the latest shootings at a news conference and vigil Sunday. They criticized Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s response to police shootings and pushed for changes to the way officers treat residents and are trained to respond to volatile situations." [Source]

The good Mayor has been ignoring  his police department for years and he has failed to take steps to correct their behavior on prior occasions. Frankly, I am surprised that the people of Chicago allowed the problem to fester for this long.

And, with all due respect to Dr. Ben, race does play a role in these poor police decisions.

Finally, another incident over the holidays has me wondering how our Christian brothers and sisters can celebrate the spirit of Christmas by burning the house of worship of members of another  religion.

"A fire caused major damage at a Texas mosque on Friday afternoon, and authorities are calling it somewhat suspicious.

Firefighters shortly arrived on the scene, followed by arson investigators. There was major damage to the inside of the mosque and there were apparently multiple points of origin, suggesting it was arson and not an accident."

I am still waiting on some of the GOP front runners to condemn this act of hate. Because, let's be honest, if this was a Christian church (the exception being a black Christian church of course) burned by people who we suspect to be Muslims, the pontification and condemnation would be endless.

I hope you all will enjoy what's left of your holidays.


*Pic from wnem.com





  




 

Tearful apology not needed, and the evolution deniers.

I must say that it's nice to be home. I always enjoy my vacations, but I enjoy coming home after a long time away even more.

Anyway, I caught Melissa Harris-Perry's tearful apology about her comments relating to Mitt Romney's (adopted) grandchild, and I have to tell you that I was incensed.

I know that I was one of the people saying that the panel on her show should have just left the issue of this child alone, but the right has blown this thing way out of proportion, and they are now using it to try and revive Mitt's political fortunes.

I have said this before and it is worth repeating: Nobody plays the victim card like these wingnuts. Sarah Palin has made a career out of it. (I see you Mr. Bashir)

The sad thing is, of course, that the right will vilify their political enemies and their children and they will never have to apologize for their actions. This is called a double standard.

Now quoting my man, Jason Easley:

"Harris-Perry took responsibility for the segment, even though she never said what the right accused her of saying. Her apology was heartfelt, intelligent, and insightful. It was typical of what viewers see on her program every weekend. What it wasn’t was necessary.

MHP brought up a great point about families being off limits, but that is something that the same critics that have called for her to be fired have ignored when it comes to President Obama and his family. The fact that Harris-Perry has now apologized multiple times raises the question why do those on the left have to apologize multiple times for things that Republicans get away with daily?
Please spare me the argument that the left is somehow morally superior to the right, and thus held to a higher standard. The left, right, and center are all the same. Partisans like to think that they are morally superior, but each are still human being expressing political views that should be held to the same standard.

The problem is that there is a basic hypocrisy in the media that allows the right to not be held accountable bad behavior. Not only is the right allowed to get away with worse things than the MHP segment on a daily basis, but no one on the left is ever cut the same slack.

Harris-Perry turned her apology into a teaching moment. She demonstrated once again why she is one of the best on cable news. However, the apology was unnecessary. The left should resolve to only apologize when the right is held to the same standard of accountability for their behavior. The only way that the media will ever treat them fairly is if it is demanded. "
 [Source]

Amen!

Finally, there is a new poll out showing that most republicans do not believe in evolution. Yes, the majority of them indeed believe that man has been in his current form since creation.

To them, evolution, like climate change, is a liberal creation. It is not to be believed because the scientists who come up with these ideas are leftists. They have a hidden agenda. Science is not to be believed. It is your preacher and local Tea Party person who has all the answers. No wonder we keep hearing crazy stories about people like this.

"That's what makes the evolution survey extraordinary: The Republican Party is achieving the seemingly impossible feat of becoming even more theological. Democrats and independents haven't moved much in their views, while Republicans took a sharp turn toward fundamentalism.

As a matter of political Darwinism, the Republicans' mutation is not likely to help the GOP's survival. As the country overall becomes racially diverse and more secular, Republicans are resolutely white and increasingly devout. If current trends persist, it will only be a couple of decades before they join the dodo and saber-toothed tiger."

Now now, apparently there was no "dodo" or "saber-toothed tiger" to begin with.