State of the Union Address is Tradition, Not Law

Every year at this time, the president delivers his State of the Union address to a special joint session of Congress. President Obama will do so Tuesday night at 9:00 PM. The usual fanfare will accompany the event. Teevee talking heads will begin gushing and gossiping as early as 6:00. The U.S. Constitution divides our government into three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The courts are the judicial branch. Congress is the Legislative, or law-making, branch. The president heads the Executive, or management branch. The cabinet departments manage the nation’s daily business under the president’s direction. The president is the nation’s chief executive officer, just like the CEO of a large corporation. Eighteenth century communications weren’t quite as fast or thorough as they are today. So our founders required the president to report to Congress occasionally on how the nation was doing. Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution says: He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. . . .

Read More ….
http://voices.yahoo.com/state-union-address-tradition-not-law-10873589.html?cat=37

 

Presidential Czars and the U.S. Constitution

 One of the most absurd tools that the Republicans use in their distraction campaign  against us is the incessant whining about President Obama’s “czars”. Because the monarchs of imperial Russia were called czars, they assume that you will believe that anyone associated with that title is a communist and, therefore, evil. Yes, that’s what they think of you.

The term dates back as far as President Woodrow Wilson’s administration during World War I, but it has never been the official title for a presidential adviser. It is purely a creation of the media. Every president since Franklin Roosevelt has appointed special advisers, which the media have termed “czars” because the actual job titles are too long for newspaper headlines. 

Read More …

http://voices.yahoo.com/presidential-czars-us-constitution-10796905.html?cat=37

 

Executive Orders and the U.S. Constitution

There’s a completely absurd rumor out there now that President Obama has issued 15 Executive Orders giving himself the power to take control of all transportation, electrical power, communications media, food, and other national resources. It’s an absolute lie. President John Kennedy issued those order numbers–10990 through 11005–and they have nothing to do with those subjects. But many conservatives delight in criticizing Obama for using any of the many tools at his disposal when doing his job. Executive Orders are a particular favorite.

Once again, the goofballs exploit the public’s civic and political illiteracy to spread their lies. They claim that Executive Orders are unconstitutional, yet they didn’t have that problem with any orders issued by Republican presidents.

Read More …
http://voices.yahoo.com/executive-orders-us-constitution-10762057.html?cat=37

Know Your Bill of Rights

December 15, 2011 marked the 220^th anniversary of our Bill of Rights. As usual, it passed without much fanfare, yet it’s been protecting American rights for more than two centuries. The Bill of Rights is part of the Constitution–our nation’s primary legal document–and they are law.

Americans are quick to assert our legal rights. We know that we have rights and we expect our government to honor them. Unfortunately, most Americans are confused about exactly what those rights are, and have never read the Bill of Rights. 

Read More … http://voices.yahoo.com/know-bill-rights-10704007.html?cat=37

 

 

Tales Exaggerate Congressional Pay and Pensions

As long as I can remember, there has been a vague general rumbling that members of Congress collect exorbitant salaries and outrageous pensions and other benefits. The rumblings have changed form over the years, from idle gossip to organized viral email campaigns, but the substance remains. Despite efforts to spread the truth, many Americans still contend that members of Congress take home truckloads of money, don’t participate in Social Security, and get full pay for their lifetimes after serving only a single term in Congress. Sorry, folks, it just isn’t true.

Read More …

http://voices.yahoo.com/tales-exaggerate-congressional-pay-pensions-10609845.html?cat=37

 

What is the Constitution Anyway?

Our schools don’t teach this stuff.

The U.S. Constitution has been in the news more in recent years than at any time that I can remember. Many Republicans have been throwing temper tantrums about the Constitution. They screech and whine and holler that they just love it eversomuch, but they’re usually wrong about what it says.

Schools used to teach “Civics”, which concerns the rules by which our governments are organized and how they operate. Then the schools stopped teaching civics for a while; it just wasn’t fashionable. Now, some schools teach it and some don’t. When they do teach it, they do it very poorly. And today, America has two generations of citizens who have no idea how our own government works. But that doesn’t stop them all from hollering at each other.

Read More …
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/9198825/what_is_the_constitution_anyway.html?cat=37

 

Thanksgiving, the U.S. Constitution, and American Ignorance

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. American teachers tell us that we created the holiday to give thanks for the Pilgrims’ relatively safe completion of their first year in the New World. There were some offerings of thanks in that regard, but official Thanksgiving celebrations made only sporadic appearances in history until Congress declared a national holiday to honor the Civil War dead, wounded, and families in 1863.

But the first federal Thanksgiving Day Proclamation wasn’t about Pilgrims, or a difficult winter, or a civil war. It was about government. In 1789 Congress asked President George Washington to proclaim a day of thanks for the United States Constitution. The Constitution was about sixteen months old when Washington issued his proclamation on October 3, 1789. America celebrated its first Thanksgiving Day as a nation on November 26.

Read More …
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/9178217/thanksgiving_the_us_constitution_and.html?image=2079499&cat=9

 

Bachmann, Cain Would Defy U.S. Law Prohibiting Torture

During Saturday’s Republican presidential debate, Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain supported waterboarding suspected terrorists. Cain even said that he doesn’t “consider” waterboarding to be torture. Sorry, Herman. I can “consider” he sky to be red. That doesn’t make it so.

Americans debated the value of torture for a decade. Since our “war on terror” began after September 11 2001, we’ve debated torture’s definition, whether Americans have tortured prisoners, whether it’s justified, and whether we should prosecute the people who authorized and committed it. The debate focused primarily on waterboarding.

According to the Washington Post, former President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and others routinely ordered American personnel to waterboard suspected terrorist prisoners. President Barack Obama stopped the practice on his third day in office in 2009.

The U.S. Constitution’s Article VI states that the Constitution and all treaties made under it are the supreme law of the nation. In 1990, the U.S. Senate ratified the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. That treaty defines and forbids torture. It requires every nation to prevent torture and to investigate and prosecute all allegations of torture in any territory under its command, promptly and thoroughly. There are no exceptions. War, public emergency, value of the information received, and the orders of superior officers do not justify torture.

The Constitution says that the treaty is our law. The treaty forbids torture and requires us to prosecute. Therefore, even if it produces useable information, torture is illegal, no matter how many people say otherwise. The U.S. government has no excuse and no choice. Waterboarding has been classified as torture since the Spanish Inquisition more than 500 years ago.         

Justice is often inconvenient, costly, time-consuming, and messy. It is always necessary. Either we enforce the law or we don’t. Even John McCain said, “It’s not about what kind of people they are. It’s about what kind of people we are.” Torture is a crime. The people who order, commit, and excuse it are criminals.

Why is it that those who claim to love the Constitution eversomuch can’t be bothered to READ IT?

For More Information:
Cain, Bachmann Say They Would Support Waterboarding
The Bush Administration Made Waterboarding Almost Routine
Executive Order 13491: Ensuring Lawful Interrogations
United States Constitution
United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Amnesty International: Terror and Torture

Why We All Need to Vote on Tuesday

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. We should all vote. I know you’re fed up with politicians. Believe me, I am too. I’d rather go bowling than vote for these clowns, and I don’t care for bowling. But in times like these, it’s more important than ever to choose our representatives carefully.

I live in Brentwood, and often write in “None of the Above” in municipal elections. This year, I’ll be writing in four names for mayor and council – Jonny Gammage and three young Brentwood men. Gammage died at the hands of Brentwood police officer John Vojtas in 1995. Brentwood police, including Vojtas, Milton Mulholland Jr., and Gerald Mikelonis routinely violate the others’ civil rights. The young men symbolize my son and the hundreds of other victims of Brentwood’s ongoing criminal enterprise, which operates with the approval of the police chief, mayor, council members, and borough manager. Maybe one day the cowardly locals will wake up and take a stand against their criminal cops, instead of bragging that they all went to high school together.

You can do something similar in your town.

County and municipal elections happen in odd-numbered years. So Tuesday’s election covers county and local offices and a handful of state and county judges. If you’re not registered to vote, it’s too late this time, but you can still register for the next primary election in April here. If you’re already registered, you can confirm your registration and locate your polling place in Allegheny County here.  

Allegheny County positions open for election:
Judges, County Executive, County Controller, District Attorney, Treasurer, and Council Members
County Council members serve staggered 4 year terms. Voter will choose representatives for odd-numbered districts this year.

City of Pittsburgh positions open for election:
City Council, City Controller, Library funding referendum

Other municipal positions open for election:
Some mayors, many Council members, district magistrates and constables, School Directors

There are far too many candidates to list here, but you can look at the Keystone Progress voter’s guide for a list of county candidates.

So why should be bother to vote when it’s “only” a local election?

All elected officials in the United States take an oath to uphold, and are supposed to understand, the six purposes of government, as listed in our Constitution:
to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.

Elections are important because government officials – the ones we elect and those they hire – decide how much taxes we pay and how those taxes are spent.  They determine whether to build or repair our roads and bridges, what our schools teach, and what social services to provide, and to whom.  These folks have the power to clamp down on criminal cops who don’t hesitate to violate citizens’ civil rights.

Local elections are more crucial than ever before because the Republicans’ demands for federal and state governments to abandon their responsibilities force the local governments to try to take up the slack.

Government decisions favor the rich instead of the poor because rich people vote more than poor people do. People least likely to vote are new voters, people with lower incomes, with disabilities, with criminal records, minorities, youth, and women.  According to the US Census Bureau, people who earn more than $100,000 per year vote at a rate of nearly three to one over those who earn less than $30,000. 

So, if you don’t like current conditions, you CAN change them.  Voting is just the beginning.  Be informed about the issues important to you. Contact your elected officials, either on your own or as a group with your friends, neighbors, family, or co-workers. Join an organization that works on things you care about. If there isn’t an organization, start one. 

State and federal laws protect your voting rights.  You cannot lose your job, or your benefits, or be evicted for voting.  People with felony convictions, who are registered, can vote in PA once they are no longer incarcerated.  Homeless people who are registered can vote.  People with disabilities can get help from the person of their choice in the voting booth. No one can harass or threaten you at the voting station.

The Allegheny County Election Division supervises all elections in the county. There is a Judge of Election at each polling place to help you if there is a problem with your registration.  An Allegheny County Common Pleas judge will be on duty Election Day to handle voting disputes.  Call 412-350-5463 to report a problem. If you are not permitted to vote, insist on a paper provisional ballot. You can vote on that ballot and county election officials will confirm your registration status later. If your registration is valid, your vote will be counted.   

All polling places are open on Tuesday, November 8, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Take your children, so they can learn about voting.  You do not need your voter registration card to vote, but you do need to show ID if this is your first time voting at your polling place. All of the standard forms of ID are accepted.

If you’ve never voted before, don’t worry. There is a large sample ballot hanging on the wall of the room.  You can look at it all you want and chat about it with anybody working the polls (inside or outside) or other voters who might be there.  Take your time.  Think about what’s important to you.  Don’t worry about using the new voting machines.  If you can use an automatic banking machine, you can operate a voting machine.  There’s a demonstration video online.  The poll workers will help you if you ask.

So vote.  Believe me, you’ll feel great afterward.

For more information on the candidates
Keystone Progress: Pennsylvania Progressive Voter’s Guide

For more information on voting and elections
PA Votes
PA League of Women Voters 
Allegheny County Elections Division 

 

Occupy Pittsburgh. This is Your Movement

On Saturday, millions of people in more than a thousand cities in dozens of countries on six continents marched in peaceful protest of global financial corruption and economic injustice. Think about that. It’s never happened before. Even the multiple social movements in the 1960s didn’t organize a global event like this on a single day. Woodstock in 1969 and Hands Across America in 1986 weren’t this big.

More than 3,500 people gathered at Pittsburgh’s historic Freedom Corner to Occupy Pittsburgh. After an invigorating rally, they marched through Downtown, stopping at the headquarters of several local banks and corporations, and ending with another rally in Market Square. 

We were all ages, races, occupations, and lifestyles. Babies in strollers, little kids, soccer moms, employed, unemployed, self-employed, retired, students, LGBTQ, straight, veterans, young, old, rich, poor, religious, atheists, union leaders, union members, straight-laced, outrageous, aging hippies, second generation progressives, new hippies, middle class folks from the suburbs, anarchists, capitalists, elected officials, friends, families, and strangers marched together in self defense. I talked to a family from Ithaca New York who drove to Pittsburgh just for the event.

If you fit into any of those categories, this movement is about you.

Nathan Kilduff, a University of Pittsburgh student, said he skipped Pitt’s homecoming football game to Occupy because “Our generation has to handle these problems.”

The event was lively, friendly, happy, and peaceful. People helped each other. I got handshakes, high fives, and hugs from total strangers. The Pittsburgh police were remarkably helpful and calm. Uniformed officers stood on the fringes of the square, but not within the crowd. There was not a single tense or violent incident, and no arrests.

No, it’s not an “organized” movement of the corporate, top-down, authoritarian variety. But it’s not at all chaotic. I saw several TV news cameras early in the march, but they vanished quickly, as they always do. I didn’t see a single reporter interviewing participants. Yet the corporate media talking heads will continue to pretend that it confuses them.

We stand for the virtues and values that are missing from most of our public institutions. We stand for empathy, helpfulness, fairness, tolerance, caring, courage, respect, loyalty, responsibility, honesty, cooperation and opportunity. We stand against corporate and government greed and corruption. If any of those qualities are important to you, then this movement is about you.

The atmosphere was festive, but the messages were sincere and serious, as declared in the chants, signs, and T-shirts:

• We are the 99 percent.
• Separation of Bank and State.
• OBAMA – Wish you were here!
• Banks got bailed out. We got sold out.
• End racist police brutality.
• Stop the war on the working class.
• Wall Street is in it to make a killing. I just want to make a living.
• Free market = private gains, socialized losses.
• Keep it Made in America.
• Human needs, not corporate greed.
• For sale – Our future.
• The whole world is marching.
• End corporate welfare.
• You may say I’m a dreamer. I’m not the only one.
• Well-behaved women rarely make history.
• It’s about time.
• My future is f***ed.
• The people, united, will never be defeated.
• Stop corporate funding of elections. Campaign finance reform.
• When the poor get hungry, we’ll eat the rich.
• Bring the troops home.
• Health care not wealth care.
• Abandon the bought Congress.
• Don’t frack with Pittsburgh.
• This is what democracy looks like.

And my favorite,

“I’ll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one of them”.

 

 

 

 

 

As the rally permit expired and the crowd dwindled, a drum circle arose, filling the square with rhythm and dance. Eventually, the drummers formed a line and led the demonstrators up Forbes Avenue to Grant Street, ending at Mellon Green across the street from the William Penn Hotel.  They’ll be there, with permission, for the foreseeable future.

Anyone can attend a one-day event like this, but it takes a special kind of dedication and stamina to endure a long-term encampment. They’re occupying Pittsburgh to fight for your life, as well as their own, so stop in and visit. Take some food, blankets, magazines, medical supplies, or whatever you can spare. Show your support for their commitment. Take your kids and teach them about selflessness. You’ll be safe and you’ll be welcome.

No significant social change has ever happened anywhere in the world without public protest and demonstration. The world’s massive problems require us to launch a massive movement. This is just the beginning. The whole world is watching. If you want peace, work for justice.

WE ARE ONE

For More Information

Occupy Pittsburgh
Occupy Together
Public Demonstrations Do Bring Change
Al-Jazeera Occupy reports