Emilio

The first time I met Emilio, he was hiding behind the bleachers on the grounds of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Emilio had entered his very first Special Olympics games, but was too scared to compete. I took Emilio aside and we talked, for what seemed like hours...Emilio had Down Syndrome, loved Pizza and the Yankees..(despite my best efforts to convince him that rooting for the evil empire....took your soul away !! ) I told Emilio we were looking for forwards on our Floor Hockey team, and maybe it would be less scary, competing on a team than all by himself in Track events.

Emilio took his place on the 3rd line, (my muckers and grinders...) and in his first game, got hit twice in the face with the puck, whacked in the shins by a stick and tripped and fell headlong into the wall....but at the end of the day...The smile on his face lit up the room..Emilio and I were friends, and player and coach for the next two years...But that day, in that place....all was right in the world. Mrs Shriver....you made that possible. Rest in Peace!!

Town Hall Tomfoolery...

I've pretty much figured out a way to identify the loudest, most uninformed attendee of a Town Hall meeting, look for the white middle aged/senior citizen wearing an American flag shirt. These guys are screaming and yelling about "socialism", without realizing that their beloved medicare is "government run" health care. I spent eight years in the military, working and living with "government run" health care, and guess what?? It works!! Government run health care works!! The rabid right wingers quickly spin away from the health care debate at these town halls, to bring up issues like abortion, illegal immigration etc. The simple fact of the matter, is that every single Congressperson, against "government run" health care, receives platinum level......"GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE" and they aren't in a hurry to leave office to give it up. So the question remains, will Congress serve the American public or the insurance industry.....Thanks for reading!

Talkin' 'bout Unions

So the debate rages on, vis a vis the Health Care issue...and apparently our friends on the right, are highly agitated that Labor is organizing its membership in support of single payer health care. We all know that the working man standing up for his rights on the job, is an anathema to those on the right, who love handing out money to corporate fat cats and Wall Street party boys. Lets just take a look at what organized labor, made part of the American way of life.....

1. 40 Hour work weeks......The bosses just didnt hand that to you...Unions fought for it..(If you work more than 40 hours a week now, bet you arent part of a Union)

2. No more child labor....Gone are the days, of 8 year olds in sweatshops...(unless of course, you work in a sweatshop in Central America or Asia....owned by a non union American corporation)

3. OSHA....most people think its pretty good, that the owners of your company should maintain a safe working enviroment for you...and for that, you can thank the martyrs of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company...(if you dont know who they are, google or wiki it...you oughta)

Those are just three simple reasons, Union Labor has made America a better place to live and work......See ya around.

The Health Care Debate

The latest circuses surrounding health care Town Hall meetings, has me a bit puzzled. If you are against single payer universal health care, because you dont want a "bureaucrat" between you and your Doc, and you have for proft health care now, Guess What...You got one there already. Folks, the insurance companies have a whole lot of bureaucrats between you and your Doctor. The insurance companies employ loads of bureaucrats, from accoutants to "risk management" specialists to even Docs and Nurses to find the best ways to deny you coverage..The insurance companies are as big of a racket as the old steel conglomerates used to be..

Welcome to my Blog

This is my first foray into the blogosphere. I started this blog, to dispell the myth that all Liberals/Progressives were effete liberal snobs. I am a 38 year old, honorably discharged Veteran who prefers, jeans to khakis....pickups to volvos...regular coffee to latte..and beer to wine. I love football and Nascar and my dream job is to be a Dairy Farmer...I think Progressive values are American values, from national public service to rural electricification..So if like what ya see, Keep Readin'....Thanks