SHAME ON FEMA! SHAME ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!

The rural Virginia County of Louisa, suffered more than $80 million dollars in damage from the August 23rd, 2011 earthquake. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has determined this rare East Coast disaster somehow doesn't qualify the county for assistance.

So Louisa is left to their own devices to come up with ways to raise the needed funds. One idea? A Cut-A-Thon of $10 haircuts. Kicker...a paltry eight million heads would require trimming in order to acquire all of the necessary funds.

Shame on FEMA! Shame on the Federal government for not immediately stepping up to the plate to help its own citizens in Louisa and all the other areas affected by this incident.

The United States thinks nothing of giving away billions and billions of dollars in aid and assistance to Israel, Pakistan (two of our "so called" allies) and a plethora of other nations around the world for any myriad of reasons. Yet, here at home, schools are damaged beyond use, homes are destroyed, lives devastated and the government tells its people go pound sand.

The President and EVERY member of Congress should be ashamed of themselves. How ANY single politician can say they serve the people is beyond me. While State and Federal leaders from both parties in Virginia have stepped up to defend and justify aid for Louisa county, the fact that FEMA still does nothing, indicates they are not speaking or demanding loud enough.

As with Hurricane Katrina, FEMA has shown themselves to be both ineffective and an embarrassment. It is time for the political talking heads to raise a hue and cry, and put the needs of their own citizens above the desires of ungrateful third world nations.

A CRIME TO PARODY TSA

HR 3011 the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act of 2011, a bill introduced in late September by Rep Michael Rodgers (R-AL) contains an ominous passage buried within:

"Whoever, except with the written permission of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Security (or the Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service for issues involving the Federal Air Marshal Service), knowingly uses the words ‘Transportation Security Administration’, ‘United States Transportation Security Administration’, ‘Federal Air Marshal Service’, ‘United States Federal Air Marshal Service’, ‘Federal Air Marshals’, the initials ‘T.S.A.’, ‘F.A.M.S.’, ‘F.A.M.’, or any colorable imitation of such words or initials, or the likeness of a Transportation Security Administration or Federal Air Marshal Service badge, logo, or insignia on any item of apparel, in connection with any advertisement, circular, book, pamphlet, software, or other publication, or with any play, motion picture, broadcast, telecast, or other production, in a matter that is reasonably calculated to convey the impression that the wearer of the item of apparel is acting pursuant to the legal authority of the Transportation Security Administration or Federal Air Marshal Service, or to convey the impression that such advertisement, circular, book, pamphlet, software, or other publication, or such play, motion picture, broadcast, telecast, or other production, is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Transportation Security Administration or Federal Air Marshal Service."

In other words, if you happen to be wearing clothing that contains a logo with some type of parody or satire regarding the Department of Fondling, Groping and Federally Sanctioned Molestation (read TSA), you can be arrested for impersonation. Be it they, the Federal Air Marshall's Service or some similar federal thug type organization.

Now, how anyone who is mocking or making fun of these organizations by wearing a T-shirt or other form of clothing, can be confused with "conveying the impression that the wearer of the item of apparel is acting pursuant to the legal authority..." is beyond me. Personally, when I'm deriding or mocking an organization, I can be confused as many things, but being part of that group is NOT one of them.

Since September 11, 2001, the US Constitution has been under constant attack by the federal government. Americans First Amendment right to Free Speech is being eroded at an alarming rate, as evidenced by the above bill; as have Fourth Amendment rights to the protection of unlawful search and seizure, by DHS and TSA. All being done under the guise of keeping the homeland safe.

Bullshit. Most Americans sit idly back and sheepishly accept the abuses being heaped upon them with little or no complaint; accepting without question the GWOT and "We're keeping you safe" drivel that pours out of Washington. All the while, much like the frog, they are ignorant to the fact that the pot of water is slowly coming to a boil.

Bills such as HR 3011 must be rewritten or defeated. Americans must stand up and say ENOUGH! We must defend the rights guaranteed to us by the Founding Fathers. I fear, if there are not more citizens who do so, as time goes by, the end result may lead to open revolt. If it comes to that, sadly, we are too late.

Occupy Wall Street

Over the course of the last few weeks, there have been Americans exercising their right to protest in New York and other cities around the country. People who have risen up to voice their opposition to the corporate greed that infects this nation and has destroyed millions of families, their lives and livelihoods.

The response by the GOP is, in my opinion, appalling. Somehow though, I'm not surprised. They are after all, Republicans.

Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Eric Cantor, et al are "increasingly concerned about the 'growing mobs' represented at the protests," accuse the protesters of engaging in "class warfare," even going so far as to claim that they are "pitting Americans against Americans." My favorite, from that esteemed GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain: "Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks..." Perish the thought Herman. After all, they're not the ones who reaped billions of dollars over the last decade at the cost of everyday Americans.

This coming from the God's Own Party. That staunch group of hypocritical, chest thumping citizens, who piously wrap themselves in the flag and scream at the top of their lungs that we must return to the roots of our Founding Fathers. All the while, ignoring one of the basic tenants of that esteemed group of men, who put their lives, families and livelihoods on the line; the right to discard the shackles of tyranny and PROTEST. One simply cannot ignore the irony.

Thomas Jefferson said it best "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Has the time arrived? The Occupy Wall Street protests prove there are thousands of patriots and there's no question that there are plenty of tyrants to go around. Personally, I believe the tree is in dire need of refreshing. I would prefer to avoid bloodshed and see it refreshed through our democratic process. With the rampant corruption of our political system and the state of affairs in America today; with the inequities that exist and the repugnant lack of any semblance of a social conscience on the part of the GOP; that may no longer be possible.