Sunday, March 5, 2017

GOP madness (years) in the making

With all the talk about Trump, some people seem to be kept out of the wind. I want to talk about someone else for a change. And I've found someone worthy of a polemic.




Meet Thomas Massie. Thomas is a Republican from Kentucky. Thomas likes to sponsor and co-sponsor bills. These bills are stupid. What I say is true, from a certain point of view. Thomas likes to end the Department of Education. I kid you not.

The website of the United States Congress is a treasure trove for those who are interested in bills put forward to enact legislation. The other day I was sharing this picture with my good friends and some of the most intelligent allies one could wish for.



What do we have here? HR 899 is sponsored by Thomas. For those who don't know what a Sponsor is, this is the first definition I encounter when I google the term: 

A sponsor in the United States Congress is the first member of the House or Senate to be listed among the potentially numerous lawmakers who introduce a bill for consideration. Committees are occasionally identified as sponsors of legislation as well. A sponsor is also sometimes called a "primary sponsor."

the entire text of the bill has been highlighted in the red box :




We have now determined that Thomas likes the idea of terminating the Department of Education. Has he gone completely mad? We know that Republicans don't like government agencies, but this is complete and utter idiocy. The truth is that Republicans want cut federalism and give back as much freedom to individual states. Is this a good thing? I doubt it. Why is this so important? When you allow all states to run their own curriculums, you may get unwanted influences in there, such as the pervasive anti-science sentiments in certain parts of the country. For instance, there are states where people believe that the Earth was created 6,000 years ago. This is complete and utter nonsense. However, if we grant them the power to completely adjust the school curriculums according to their beliefs, you create a new form of science-illiteracy. Essential scientific subjects such as Biology, Geology and Cosmology will be taught wrong, and students from those particular states will become poorer because of it. There needs to be an umbrella to shield students from theological anti-scientific nonsense. The Department of Education is essential in keeping certain standards and to make sure that education remains as secular as need be.

What else has this person been up to?

 

It's the safe students act, and it will keep students safe because it will repeal provisions that keep guns out of school, or keep guns from being fired at schools. Wait, WHAT? Yes that's right! This man thinks that Students will be safer if there are more guns in schools. Everybody knows that Kinder Garten Cop is real, right? John Wayneism is alive and kicking.

Let's see what else Thomas has been up to by co-sponsoring other bills.

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (01/24/2017)

Life at Conception Act
This bill declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual comes into being. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child.

Fortunately, Sponsor Alexander Mooney, added this final sentence keeping women safe from prosecution when their unborn child dies. These kinds of bills give credence to the theocratic nature of the GOP. What about getting tax exempt churches back into the political debate, de-secularising American Politics and government.

Little do Republicans and Conservatives know about the benefits of having the possibility of getting an abortion. And let's be honest about it, abortions are only a very small part of the activities organisations like Planned Parenthood deploy. In fact, Planned Parenthood is far better at educating young people about pregnancies, sexuality, safe sex, etc. A well funded Planned Parenthood will actually help combat teen-pregnancies by helping young people to prevent to become pregnant in the first place, and by providing vital aid and education. But here we go, if "Life at Conception" isn't enough there's always HR 354 - Defund Planned Parenthood i.e. put more stress on American Youths by taking away one of the safeguards that keeps them from getting pregnant at an early age.

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (02/01/2017)

Free Speech Fairness Act
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a tax-exempt organization to make certain statements related to a political campaign without losing its tax-exempt status. An organization may not lose its tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) or be deemed to have participated in, or intervened in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, solely because of the content of any statement that: (1) is made in the ordinary course of the organization's regular and customary activities in carrying out its exempt purpose, and (2) results in the organization incurring not more than de minimis incremental expenses.

Everybody knows that "Life at Conception Acts" are proposed to pander to the Protestant base of the Grand Old Party. And what would be better than to gain another army of constituents who have been indoctrinated by their religious ministers in their mega-churches? This bill does exactly that, it frees churches from their mouthpiece and helps them shape the tax haven they want. They help elect legislators, which will help the churches keep their tax exempt status.

We'll be watching the GOP in the coming months, for they have a lot of destructive bills in the making. Who knows, there may not be a federal department left when they are finished swinging their sledgehammers about.

Let's not be surprised that members of the Tea-Party, Like Thomas Massie, come up with all this tripe. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, lad! Don't have any bootstraps? Too bad...

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