Joplin Missouri

Joplin, Missouri; SuperStorm Sandy; Moore, Oklahoma: Reason To Pay More Taxes To Help Our Fellow Citizens!

America has gone through one natural disaster after another, more so in recent years, at greater cost of life and property.

The climate change deniers say it is par for the course, that nothing unusual is occurring, and that global warming is not the issue.

But even worse is that the same people in government who deny any concept of climate change and the need to react to it, also are the same people who, when a natural disaster occurs, fight against federal disaster aid, as in SuperStorm Sandy.

And if they, grudgingly, give up and say that disaster aid should be offered, they want the least aid possible, and only if there are budget cuts elsewhere to cover for the disaster aid.

So we have the two Oklahoma Senators–two of the absolute worst members of the US Senate at any time in our history—who represent one of the poorest states, but also a state of the oil industry, who take a hard hearted view on disaster aid, and budget cuts to compensate for such disaster aid!

James Inhofe and Tom Coburn have no problem in being “skin flints” on disaster aid, but if such is to be given, then hurt the poor, the sick, the unemployed, rather than make corporations pay fair taxes, make the wealthy pay more taxes, make all of us understand that when natural disaster hits, it is not just the people in the area of the disaster who suffer, but instead we all suffer!

It is the responsibility of all of us to help our fellow citizens, with the corporations and the wealthy being expected to pay more, but all of us need to pay more, and understand the Christian view that we are all our “brother’s keeper”!

What has happened to common decency, common dignity, and common humanity?

What has so sickened the body politic that all that matters is selfishness, greed, and lack of concern for our fellow citizens?

Is this the America that we want to live in? Is this the America that our Founding Fathers believed in when they created the Constitution? Is this the America that people have fought and died for in our wars? Is this the America we want to bequeath to our children and our children’s children?

This is a time to think about values and what really matters, rather than just money and things and possessions, and not caring about people we do not know!

It is a time to come together and strike back at these vicious right wing, narrow minded people who only care about themselves, and no one else!

Barack Obama At Joplin, Missouri High School Graduation: Salute To A Courageous City!

President Obama gave the commencement address this evening at Joplin, Missouri High School, held at the Missouri Southern State University campus, one year minus one day after the disastrous tornado that hit that Southwest Missouri city of 50,000 on May 22, 2011, a short time after graduation at the high school of the Class of 2011.

Thousands of homes and hundreds of businesses were destroyed, and 161 citizens lost their lives in the worst tornado to hit the nation since 1950.

Obama came to honor the city for its heroic recovery, and to emphasize that when people work together, and overcome their differences for the betterment of the entire community, that no obstacle stands in the way of progress.

Obama honored individuals who overcame adversity, added some humor to his speech, and showed the city what he is best known for, his empathy and sincere concern for the welfare of those less fortunate.

This trait in Barack Obama will be the magical factor, along with his likability, that will re-elect him to a second term in the White House, and it is possible that in a state, Missouri, which John McCain won by a few thousand votes in 2008, that the President might just carry the state this time. It certainly is in play, and don’t count Obama out!