Mr. Profitt, You have asked that I apologize to you. Perhaps this is not the apology that you are looking for, but I do have some things to say.

I have been called a progressive, a liberal, a professional agitator. You have been called a conservative, a Republican, a member of the Tea Party movement. Fundamentally and most importantly, you and I are both human beings. We are also both American citizens. These two facts, to me, are far more meaningful than the multitude of labels that we carry. And if these two facts are true then it means we are on the same team.

I have not been for one moment angry with you and your actions. Instead I feel thoroughly devastated. It is evident that your physical assault on me is symptomatic of the crisis that this country is struggling through. And it seems that I will heal from my injuries long before this country can work through our separation. Only when we decide let go of our hate, our violence and our aggression will we be able to communicate to each other about the issues that divide us. Right now, we are not communicating, we are stomping on each other. No one can ever win, no one can ever be heard, with violence.

You and I, as fellow citizens, and we, as a country, have a choice. Either we choose to continue the cycle of inflicting violence upon each other, screaming at each other, insulting each other and putting one another down or we and find a way to sit down and start listening to each other. We’ll see how far we get. We are all viciously and vociferously feeding a fire that will only burn us down together. We must reach inside ourselves and make space for each other. We must forgive each other. We must believe in our capacity for transformation. The moment we choose compassion and reconciliation is the moment that we will begin to move toward freedom. There is no other way.

I believe that you should be held accountable for your actions but I also recognize the incredibly negative impact that the consequences must be having on your life, and I wish you all the best as you yourself heal from this. Violence hurts everyone.

I have known for a while that right wing violence would increase just by the extremist rhetoric, claiming that left wing violence was sure to come by political blow hards such as Glenn Beck. Extremist always justify their extremism by claiming their opponents are worse. Right Wing Violence has been at all time high with progressive bloggers and activist being attacked at various conservative  meetings. I thought these were the liberty, free speech people?  Weren’t these the people who flooded into town hall meetings chanting, yelling and doing anything to disrupt the meetings? Now they receive some opposition and this is how they respond?

What does Tim Profitt want Lauren Valle to apology for? Having her head in the way of his stomping motion?

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule – and both commonly succeed, and are right. ~H.L. Mencken, 1956

Working Together For A Better America

300 million people in the U.S. and most people are completely lost as to what the Real Threat to America is. You talk to a Democrat they will say Republicans, You talk to a Republican and they will say Democrat, You ask a Libertarian and they will laugh and say both even though they typically drink from the same cup of tea as Republicans. The Real threat to America is distrust of other Americans. Republican don’t trust Democrat, and Democrats don’t trust Republicans. The problem with this is the answer to our problem isn’t going to be solved by only Republican or only Democrats.

Take Health Care the hot button issue of the hour, which everyone knows about unless you have been living under a rock. While most intelligent people agree that our Health Care system is broken. We disagree with how to fix it. Democrats want to fine people that don’t have insurance, which I disagree with it. Republican haven’t really brought any solutions but you have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not know what their issue is, the Evils of Socialism! I admire Obama’s almost naive optimism that the Town Hall meetings would go well, and people would some how stop reading crazy uncle benny’s health care socialism, death panel emails! Then there was Glenn Beck who despite his own negative experiences and small crusade against the horrible health care system that wouldn’t give the president of GE good care, all off sudden changes his tune once he arrives at the Fair and Balanced folks at Fox. I think no one sums up and exposes Glenn Beck’s hypocrisy like comedian Jon Stewart.

People trust what Glenn Beck says, but my question is why? Does he really care about people or their health care? He changed his tune just a few month after going from the almost unwatched Headline News to the blatantly conservative high ratings Fox News. Instantly becomes one of their most flamboyant and charismatic news hosts. A great career move, he has made millions from his sweet heart deal with fox and all the books he has pedaled. Why should he care about your health care, when he has millions to make sure his family is taken care of.

Why would anyone at fox risk their job by giving people the facts about health care? Has Anyone on Fox even read the latest American Journal of Public Health report on our nations health care? The one that said 45,000 adults die every year due to health care or lack there of, that is one ever 12 MINUTES! But information like this gets lost in the static of Death Panel talks, and Government funded Health care scares, talk of Socialism and Nazi regime.

People act like the 45,000 people dying a year only affect the opposite party or the poor lazy people. Why would someone wait till their family member is being denied health care before they did something? By that time, it is too late.  Imagine the horror some people are going to feel when they realize they fought the thing that might have saved their loved ones life?  Are you going to care then about your political party?  Will Glenn Beck or any other Anti-health Care Reform person be there to give you the money for the operation that Aetna is denying payment on? We know the answer to that question.

So What Is The Real Threat to America? In short, It is Americans, and to be more specific Americans that are so loyal to either major political party that they are willing to campaign against their own interest.  Republican’s need to stop only bringing criticism and lies with the intent to sinking health care reform, and come to the table with alternatives.  American’s need to DEMAND cooperation, that doesn’t mean the Democrats or Republicans get their way.  It means we find some common ground, put our thinking caps on…  and solve the problem.  Fighting and Tearing down the other side doesn’t make America stronger, it only weakens the foundation that our society sets on.

So with the first blog of hopefully many, I call on people to demand Republican and Democrates work together for a better AMERICA!