Archive for category rant

I’m tired

Sep 17

Posted by JayByrd in The South, rant | No Comments

I was born, raised, and educated in The South. Lived here my whole life. I know I’m repeating myself.

Jimmy Carter and Maureen Dowd and Hank Johnson reveal more about themselves than about others. None of these people who claim that the opponents to Barack Obama’s policies has offered any direct evidence of racism. Joe Wilson may be a racist .I don’t know. I’ve never met the man, but the phrase “you lie” is not inherently racist, and he did not say “you lie boy”. That was in Maureen Dowd’s head. Maybe she needs to ask some probing questions of herself.

I’m white, I’m Southern, I believe Barack Obama is a Marxist, and I oppose most of his policies. I am not a racist. I am not a bigot. My best friend growing up, Johnathan Freemont, was black. I assume he still is, I just haven’t seen him in years. In high school one of my friends lived with me at my parents house for a year, also black. I have many coworkers who are black that I have worked with for years, whom I like very much. I don’t have any black friends currently, but I only have two friends.

I’m tired of being called a racist. I know if I confronted these people they would say “Oh, I don’t mean you, and that’s the problem. They don’t say who they do mean. These people are the ones causing race problems in this country.

I’m tired of Jimmy Carter. I’m a Georgian and the man has embarrassed us for far to long. Can’t he just go back to Plains and retire?

I Hate Politics

Sep 12

Posted by JayByrd in Politics, rant | No Comments

I’ve said it before. I hate politics. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not disinterested. I hate politics. I am disgusted that I have to worry about some grinning sneak thief public servant using the police power of government pick my pocket, to restrict my liberty. But like a toothache I’ve become accustomed to the machinations of these people and I am able to ignore it. However, a line has been crossed. I have two reasons for living. One is asleep in his bed, he’s safe. I spent all day with him. I hugged and kissed him. I laughed with him. The other is in Washington DC, or Maryland, or Virginia, or some goddamned place that isn’t here. She’s been there for three days and won’t be back for another. I have talked to her only briefly. I haven’t hugged or kissed her. Because of the brevity of her phone calls we haven’t laughed together.

Don’t get me wrong I understand why she went. Our government has all but burned our Constitution. And what little I have talked to her she has sounded like she’s having a great time. I’m not a petty or jealous person, but damn it, I’m not with her. I blame every political hack in washington DC. Every damn one. Leave the citizens of this country alone. Americans are good people. We don’t want to be socially engineered. Our creator engineered us properly and  we derive our rights from him.We don’t need you to tell us what to do, or what’s best for us. We don’t need you to manage our households. That’s what wives and mothers are for, and this home is without ours. I just want her home.

A response to Senator Voinovich

Jul 29

Posted by JayByrd in The South, rant | No Comments

Senator, you recently spoke disparagingly about southern Republican politicians, saying that “They get on TV and go ‘errrr, ‘errrrr.” You weren’t real clear on exactly what the problem with southern politicians is, but you seem to be questioning either their intelligence or their ability, because they are from the south. Or maybe you believe that the South has never contributed to American culture, so your constituents can’t possibly relate to folk from the South.

Now, I grew up in Georgia, I was educated here, and I intend to live my entire life in the South. All my life I have heard about how ignorant, racist, misogynistic, and generally backwards we are down here. So I have a deal for you and anyone else who believes these things about those of us from the South. We will take a step back and stay out of your way and form a southern conservative party or only vote for Blue Dog Democrats, but first there are a few things you need to do for us.

Don’t come down here and vacation on our beaches or play golf on our courses. Do not watch the Masters in April. Don’t shop at Home Depot or Lowe’s, and don’t drink Coke. While you’re at it, don’t listen to Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, or R N B. Don’t eat barbecue. The next time you give a speech, don’t qoute the Reverend Martin Luther King, and be sure not to give that speech at Duke, Emory, Vanderbilt, or Tulane. Don’t go to Mardi Gras, at least not in New Orleans. Dont read anything written by William Faulkner, Harper Lee, Tennessee Williams, or Mark Twain. Don’t watch any Nascar event from Charlotte, Daytona, Atlanta, or Taladega. Don’t watch the Sugar, Cotton, Orange, Gator, or Peach (Chick-Fil-A) Bowl. Don’t laugh at the jokes of Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, or Ron White. The next time you travel, do not fly Delta Airlines and be sure not to have a connecting flight at Hartsfield-Jackson.

If you are not willing to accept this, then you should apologize to George Bush, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Newt Gingrich, Sam Nunn, and posthumously to Dwight Eisenhower, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Not all Republicans, but all southern.

If you are willing to accept these terms, then, in the immortal words of Lynyrd Skynyrd “a southern man don’t need him around anyhow”.

Fortunately you’re not running for re-election.

The Day Racism Died

Jul 23

Posted by JayByrd in Politics, rant | 3 Comments

On March 3, 1991 Rodney King led LAPD on a high speed chase. When he finally pulled over, he resisted arrest and was severely beaten.

On July 16, 2009 Robert Louis Gates Junior refused to cooperate with a Cambridge Police officer who was investigating a reported robbery. Mr Gates followed the Officer out of the house, berating the officer with charges of racism and threats of  “you don’t know who you’re messing with”.  When Mr. Gates did not desist, the police officer cuffed him, had another officer recuff him more comfortably, retrieved Mr. Gates cane, and had a maintenance worker secure Mr. Gates house. When asked about this incident President Obama responded that the Officer acted “stupidly”.

Mr. Gates is a Professor of English at Harvard, and a black man. President Obama is – well President of the United States, and a black man. James Crowley is a Cambridge police office, and a white man. Officer Crowley responded to a report of a burglary at Mr. Gates house. When Officer Crowley asked Mr. Gates to provide evidence that he was in fact the resident of the house he refused. The reason the incident was reported was that Mr’ Gates and his driver were trying to force the door open, because it had been damaged in a previous break in. Instead of showing the officer his ID and thanking him for doing his job Mr. Gates called him a racist. So who acted stupidly in this situation?

Is racism actually dead? No. But it is no longer institutionalized. We will never be free of bigotry, prejudice, racism, et al. Go into any high school in this country and you will find this behavior between cliues that have nothing to do with race. Some people are mean, some are stupid, and all of us can be mean or stupid under the right/wrong circumstances. In this incident Mr. Gates was both mean and stupid. Is he mean and stupid on a regular basis? I don’t know, and President Obama admitted that he didn’t know much about this incident, and yet he passed judgement on Officer Crowley. Sometimes it’s okay to say “I don’t know”, even when your President. Mr Obama did more harm to race relations in this country with that one statement than any incident any recent memory.

I learned at a very young age, and had it reinforced often through my teenage years, that when you are  questioned by a police officer you respond “Yes Sir”, “No Sir”, “Thank You Sir”. Even when you are innocent and powerful insulting a police officer is a bad idea. In this country no one is above the law. No one. If you are pleasant to police officers they are usually pleasant to you, even when you are guilty. Or, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

My information regarding this incident came from the police report. If I find that this information is not accurate I will revise my opinion.

opportunity versus outcome

Jun 29

Posted by JayByrd in Politics, rant | 1 Comment

The Washington post reports that Justice Ginsburg wrote in her dissent.

“Congress endeavored to promote equal opportunity in fact, and not simply in form,” she said. “The damage today’s decision does to that objective is untold.”

I have nothing wrong with dissent or with opposing viewpoints, but a supreme court Justice of the United States of America should know the difference between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome. I read most of her dissent, work got in the way of my finishing it.