A friend of mine from college is a libertarian in the truest sense. All you have to do is follow his Twitter feed to see that. Nonetheless, there are actually several points where our world views overlap. He wrote a post on his blog about why he thinks his fellow libertarians need to think about things a little differently. One of his points was that his fellow libertarians needed to avoid seeing this current election cycle as a war on socialism. It is really a war on corporate money.

Citizens United, for instance, did not release the reigns on free market capitalism. It put the free market in bondage to corporate powers. Big business now has the power to not only trample over labor and the middle class, but also over the small business entrepreneurs that make up the backbone of a healthy capitalist system. A healthy capitalist economy cannot last if it is ruled by an oligarchy. Without the possibility of upward movement, the middle class disappears. Once the middle class goes away, so does the free market. Who do you think dictates supply and demand?

This is not to say that everyone should be given the same amount of wealth no matter how hard they work. Still, all people should be given the ability to achieve equally. Equality does not guarantee success. Equality merely guarantees an even starting point. After that, you are on your own to make your life what you want it to be.

Success and riches are not in and of themselves a remotely bad thing. In fact, those are things that drive many of us toward healthy and productive lives. However, if we deny those among us that are less fortunate the ability to showcase their individual talents, we are betraying all that has made us great. Think about how many of our greatest Americans were immigrants. Think about how many of them were outsiders. Those are the people we should be lifting up.

Wednesday was the day that many of the internet heavyweights weighed in with their opinion on the SOPA/PIPA legislations going through the halls of Capitol Hill. Reddit and Wikipedia went dark, while Google showed their solidarity with the protestors in a different way. The bottom line? Enough people got upset about the orneriness of this legislation. No matter what you think about so-called online “piracy”, you will not fix it by overreaching. Taking away rights will not  save “jobs”.

One question I’ve seen on Twitter is asking why Progressives are upset about government overreach. Doesn’t government know best? Well…certainly not all the time. When the rules and regulations that we are forced to live by are controlled by big monied interests, it doesn’t matter if the overreach comes from government or business. Oh yeah, and trust me, this one was government overreach with a heavy dose of big business. Who do you think really drafts these bits of legislation?

In the case of legislation involving the internet, it certainly isn’t the elected officials. Patrick Leahy, Lamar Smith, et al. know nothing about the internet, and they proved it with their attempt to push this legislation through. Their attempt to reign in “piracy” was misguided, and worse, it was fed to them by industry lobbyists. Now, I know this happens all the time, and this was not particularly egregious as lobbyist fed legislation goes. Nonetheless, it’s another stark reminder that our system is badly broken.

Even before Citizens United, big money had too much influence in Washington. It’s certainly not a recent revelation, but this one was more disheartening because it was so bipartisan. I know…as much as I long for a more civil tone in D.C., this is not the issue on which we need agreement between Democrats and Republicans. A draconian law that solves no problem is not worth agreeing on. No…we need real problems solved with the precious little bipartisanship that actually exists in Washington.

This isn’t over. Not by a long shot. The MPAA and the RIAA will try again to get this garbage legislation pushed through. Hopefully we’ll be as vigilant then as we were now.

This past Wednesday, January 11, 2012, I turned 35. In some ways, I still feel like a 20 year old. In other ways…I feel a bit older than 35. It goes without saying that my priorities have changed over the years. Still, it’s the ways in which they’ve changed that have surprised me the most. Here are some of my most brutally honest confessions of growing older, whether you think 35 is old or not.

• Avoiding beer – Yeah, this is pretty honest. I love beer, but it really gives me gas. Laugh all you want, but after spending a few nights in the guest bedroom because your wife sent your stinky ass into exile, you’ll make different choices too! Wine is now my drink of choice.
• Being diabetic – I know not everyone deals with this, and it touches younger people too. Nonetheless, I was diagnosed in July of 2011, and it hit me like a tone of bricks. This is truly something that makes you come to terms with your own mortality. Bottom line…take care of yourself.
• My Father-in-law passed away – My father-in-law was a man of great intelligence. He was a book editor for most of his professional career, and he was very good at what he did. My parents are still with us, but it really hit home that those in our lives are not with us forever. Really cherish them. Don’t wait until you’re 35 to appreciate that.
• Alabama won the National Championship – This was really great. However, I must make an important point. My life hasn’t changed, at all. The same would have been the case if LSU had won the game. As much as I love college football, my life really doesn’t depend on the whims of a football game….for better or worse.

My lessons in life haven’t ended. Really, don’t we learn until the day we die? Next year will be number 36. I’ll let you know what else I’ve learned then.

In a break from this interminable political season, I want to talk about last nights beatdown of LSU by Alabama. After the slugfest on November 5 that saw the Tigers win in overtime, I had steeled myself for a repeat of that outcome. Apparently, I hadn’t needed to. Despite not scoring a touchdown until the final minutes of the game, Alabama dominated in a way that even your true believer fans couldn’t have imagined.

I think what was so remarkable about this particular display of dominance was how many people, myself included, had bought into the hype of LSU. They had beaten so many top ranked teams by such large margins. They had walked into Bryant-Denny Stadium, and escaped with a victory. While I thought Alabama could certainly win, I had no idea they would win in this way.

Amidst all the hype, I guess I forgot a couple of things. For starters, LSU made a big mistake by letting Jordan Jefferson take over full time at quarterback down the stretch of the season. He is a great athlete, to be sure, but great athletes do not necessarily make great quarterbacks. Being a great quarterback is about good decision making, and playing within your team. He’s never really been great at either. They should have stuck with Jarrett Lee, who had performed pretty well during the early part of the season, and let the cards fall where they may.

The other thing I neglected to take into account was the coaching mismatch. Les Miles has proven to be a better coach than I’ve given him credit for, but he is certainly no Nick Saban. Yes, he has built on the recruiting machine that Saban left when he went to Miami, but his game day coaching is quite simply, lacking. Saban and his staff thoroughly outcoached Miles. Even the great John Chavis’ defense could not hold up with an offense that inept.

LSU is a supremely talented team, and the Tigers and Tide will likely play another classic next year in Baton Rouge. However, when the proverbial bullets start flying, I’m glad we’ve got Nick.

Oh, Iowa! You’ve screwed up now. You have Rick Santorum thinking he has a chance at actually capturing the Republican nomination. It isn’t going to happen. There isn’t a serious GOP elite that is going to allow him to pursue his agenda of state mandated morality. Also, he has a bit of a Google problem. Besides that, allowing Santorum to win the nomination would all but guarantee the election for President Obama. If only we were that lucky.

Rick Santorum is a one issue candidate. Sure, he’ll spout some lobbyist fed nonsense about job killing regulations, and blah, blah, blah. However, rest assured, he only cares about 1 thing: what kind of sex people are having. Check out some of the gems he’s uttered over the years:

“And that’s sort of where we are in today’s world, unfortunately. The idea is that the state doesn’t have rights to limit individuals’ wants and passions.”

“In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing. And when you destroy that you have a dramatic impact on the quality —”

“If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything.”

The man literally wants to be able to intrude on a consenting adult’s sexual activities because he thinks it is going to somehow hurt “society.” I would argue this with him, but frankly, what’s the point? People that want to be able to control the way others find love and happiness can’t be reasoned with. Their dogma is too entrenched, and their convictions are too strong.

I just hope he actually wins the nomination. He’ll make an ass of himself on a national stage, and he’ll take the GOP down with him.

P.S. I would be remiss if I didn’t add to his aforementioned Google problem.

2011 was a year that was both incredibly frustrating and exceedingly hopeful. On the frustrating end of things, the political environment is as toxic as it gets. I mean, really, Newt Gingrich was a front runner? On the positive end, my work as picked up, and that is never a bad thing. Here are some of things I’d like to see happen in 2012. As usual, these are in no certain order.

• I want to see Progressive causes advance. This is probably a pipe dream. After all, I live in one of the reddest of Red states. Tennessee is not known for anything remotely approaching the progressive, but a man can have a dream. Let’s champion equality, tolerance, and understanding. You know, the hippy trifecta.
• Let’s change the tone in Washington. The best way to do this is to remove the fear mongers from office. Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor, John Boehner…you’re outta there. As my mom would say, they can scream, and they can squall. Pointing out the income disparity between the top 1% and the rest of the 99% is not class warfare. It is simply acknowledging the obvious. People can’t climb the ladder, because the ladder has been removed.
• Don’t take it anymore. If you are upset that your bank is going to charge unreasonable fees, dump them. There are plenty of banks and credit unions that want to earn your business. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase…you are on notice. People are tired of your crap, and you will be held to account.
• Love your loved ones. These are the people that keep you going. Family, friends and anyone else that keeps you grounded are the folks that are the most important. Remember that.

I will do my best to advance my goals this year, and I hope you will to. After all, without goals, life is pretty boring. See you next year!

‘Tis the season to express the joy all around us. Despite the fact that I talk quite a bit about things that bother me in this blog, I do have a lot of joy in my life. It manifests itself in a number of places. Some are very specific, like experiencing a new U2 album for the first time. Others are like the feeling I get when I’m close to my wife when she smells intoxicating (which is often).

In this vein, I’ll go over some of the things that brought joy to my world this year (in no certain order):

• U2 at Vanderbilt Stadium - I had only seen them once before at a monumental show in the summer of 2001 in Rupp Arena. That show wasn’t topped, but it was certainly equaled. The best part of this particular show? My wife was there to experience it with me. It didn’t matter that it was hot as hell that night. It was sublime.
• Paul Simon at The Ryman – For my wife’s birthday, I took her to see Paul Simon at the legendary Ryman Auditorium. She loves Simon, and I have to admit, I have grown to love him because of her. The highlight for me was his performance of Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes.
• My Parents Turned 60 - This may not be a point of joy for them, but it is for me. As an only child, they are the single biggest influence on my life. Having them around this long has been a huge part of any success I’ve experienced in life.
• My 6th Anniversary - Yeah, I know. A cynic would call foul on this, but so what. My wife is one of my favorite people, and each year this is going to be one of my favorite times of the year.

These are my major points of joy for the year. I hope your year has been as blessed as mine. Just remember, no matter what has happened to you, your life is what you make it.

As a progressive leaning voter in the state of Tennessee, it is easy to feel alone. While I may live and work in the politically moderate Nashville area (compared to the rest of the state), it is difficult to find elected officials that represent many of the things I hold as core values. We are a state that is overrun with conservative zealots whose only priority is to crush any and all opposition to their points of view. To these people, it isn’t about finding compromise. It’s about complete domination.

Let’s use Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey as Exhibit A. With a recent tweet to his followers, he made it clear he doesn’t mind sticking it to his political opponents. This example of shameless antagonism is a microcosm of the conservative mantra. Belittle your opponents. Make them out to be the enemy. Claim liberal bias in the media. Rinse and repeat.

A worse example of feeling unrepresented is Jim Cooper. He is my congressman, and I helped vote him into office. He has embraced many things I support. Others, not so much. The worst example of the latter is his support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). I understand why he is supporting this legislation. While he may represent the aforementioned politically moderate city of Nashville and surrounding areas, he also has big monied entertainment companies amongst his constituency. He is merely playing to that. However, this legislation will have a chilling effect on free speech.

Democrats in this region are feeling under siege. Anyone cast as “liberal” could possibly lose their position in public office. At least that is the fear. This fear of losing one’s elected office is causing my elected officials to vote with their jobs in mind, rather than their consciences.

I want the people I vote for to champion equality. I want the people I vote for to stand up for free speech. I want my elected officials to stand up for those that don’t have a voice. A functioning democracy should represent all people. Not just the majority. Not just the richest. They should absolutely represent the minority and the marginalized. This is why I feel profoundly unrepresented in Tennessee specifically, and the South in general. Who is going to speak for me?

Driving to the office the other day, I noticed a bumper sticker on a vehicle ahead of me. Since I can’t remember the exact phrasing, I’ll paraphrase:

Want to annoy a liberal? Work hard, and be happy!

I seem to forget when it was against the liberal credo to be aghast at hard work and happy people. Oh yeah, it must be that liberals want free handouts from the government, and jobs that aren’t dependent on skill or competency. Screw hard work!

Or…It could be that people just don’t want the first rung of the ladder of the American Dream to be beyond their reach. Perhaps it is just a matter of people wanting an overall fairness to exist in this great land of ours. I have a really hard time with the notion that the liberal end of this country necessarily wants a “socialist” state. Whatever that means. People, in general, just want a fair shake.

This is why bumper stickers are the bane of any great national conversation, in my mind. I have nothing against bumper stickers, per se. After all, I have a sticker of a once bitten Apple on my car. I’m referring to those stickers that say things like “Impeach Obama” or “Bush’s Last Day – 1/20/09″. There is simply no way to express the complexity of our political system in the space you have on a bumper sticker.

Whether I consider myself a member of the 99%, the 1% or any other %, I probably will not be putting any political statements on my car. You are, however, going to be seeing stickers paying tribute to the great loves of my life (other than my wife). There already is an Apple sticker. Next is a tribute to my beloved Alabama Crimson Tide. My expressions of political leanings are only going to happen in this space, and in conversation with the people in my life. The nuance that is the human condition can only be truly expressed in this way.

Not content to let the Alabama state legislature and the Mississippi Personhood movement solely vie for the title of Defender of Southern Ignorance,  the Tennessee Tea Party gave Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank a lovely send off. Of course, by lovely send off, I mean homophobic rant. At its core, though, this response was likely meant to generate attention for a group of people that desperately crave it.

This has led me to think about how we express outrage when offensive things are expressed in the public forum. It really is a conundrum. Our natural instinct is to assail those that spew vitriol against the things we hold dear. This can include everything from our favorite football team to a beloved politician. The thing we seem to forget in all of this, however, is the sticks and stones rule of the social media driven world we live in. To paraphrase, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but the more mentions on Twitter and Facebook, the worse it gets.”

So, where do we go from here? That is not an easy question to answer. Silence can often be interpreted as acquiescence. Such silence acquiesced to racism and bigotry, and allowed it to dominate this southern culture I hold dear for many, many years. Still, the Twitter and Facebook driven political discourse that currently dominates the national conversation can quickly spiral out of control. We can end up giving more value than we intended to the groups that we are denouncing.

So, what do we do? I’m not sure how to answer that question. I’ve spoken out many times against those that I find to be an affront to all that is lovely and fair. Nonetheless, I understand that I may be contributing to their cause. My only hope is that I also reach people of conscience. My only suggestion is that if you find yourself in a similar situation, you might measure your words for the best effect.

The right sure loves tout our American Exceptionalism. They run around saying it so much that I wonder who they are trying to convince. It is as if an admission of any fallibility on the part of any American is tantamount to treason. Unfortunately for them, however, it is that hubris that keeps us from being great. It keeps us from being exceptional.

Exceptional has nothing to do with prancing around the world, showing off our guns and telling everyone else how to live. Exceptional has nothing to do with browbeating anyone who has the temerity to question the way things are in this country. Exceptional has absolutely nothing to do with excoriating those that question the rights of the powerful few to stomp on the rights of the many powerless.

One of my biggest complaints is the fact that the evangelical church has become one of the biggest propagators of this myth of American Exceptionalism. The term evangelical comes from Matthew 28:19, which says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” It’s as if this one passage gives them carte blanche to bulldoze over those that disagree with them.

However, they seem to forget what Christ said in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12):

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, ²and He began to teach them, saying:

³Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

⁵Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,

for they will be filled.

⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.

¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Those 12 verses are exceptional. Those words tell all of humankind how to treat one another. Those words, if followed, can make us truly exceptional.

I watched Bill Maher make an interesting statement the other night on Real Time. To paraphrase him, Americans are more liberal than they would admit to themselves. I found that interesting, because most of the people that rail against Occupy Wall Street and “Obamacare” are really people who would be aided by both. How many Republican leaning voters would be greatly aided by the health plan developed by the Obama administration? How many people who watch Fox News have been screwed over by the very banks OCW is protesting against?

I could safely say the answer is a large majority of the country. Many of these same Republican voters have been scared into distrusting the “other” they don’t understand. Health care reform with a government mandated requirement to have insurance? Must be socialism. Young adults sitting outside in tents protesting? Must be hippies and other ne’er do wells. However, none of this is really true. It is simply a situation of a President and a group of citizens standing up for a sense of fairness.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Even though President Obama can cast a spell over me with his magic Kool-Aid, I can still admit that he is not a bastion of altruism. There is certainly a political calculation in his moves. Nonetheless, it is hard to argue against the fact that the Affordable Care Act would help people.

The bottom line is there are plenty of people that want there to be more fairness in our system of government these days. The people that put our economy in the tank should go to jail. There should be easier access to healthcare for all Americans. These are the simple truths of a free and just society. It’s about time conservative Americans realize they may not be as conservative as they think. When this realization hits, we may just be able to take our country back.

Governor Haslam,

I am having a hard time with your actions and the actions of state law enforcement regarding Occupy Nashville. Hastily drawn up ordinances and failure to release protestors after a judge ordered them to be released are the actions of a despot. Rather than governing like a popularly elected public official, your actions remind me more of those committed by recently fallen dictators.

Arresting a reporter? Sounds like what they do in Iran. Trumping up charges on said reporter? Sounds like what they did in Egypt under Mubarak. Hyperbole aside, this kind of thing should never happen in the United States of America, much less in Nashville, TN. I doubt your intentions were to trample on the Constitution, but your decision to push forward with the arrest of the protestors set this whole thing in motion. Worse, you sent the troopers in a second time even after a judge repudiated your troopers for the previous arrests.

I don’t care what your political affiliation is. If citizens are required to abide by the rule of law, so to should our government. Period. Our society is a little less free today. Even if your government has agreed to temporarily halt the arrests, the chilling affect of what has already happened has done its damage. It has already caused many people to doubt their ability to participate in what is supposed to be a free society.

Why haven’t you given a response that means anything? And no, removing the protestors for “safety reasons” does not cut it. In an ideal world, an independent body would investigate what happened, and ensure it never happens again. However, your continued silence on the matter says you don’t care about the disenfranchisement of the citizens you govern.

Will you ever give a thoughtful response to this matter? I would respect you a whole lot more if you did. Even if I didn’t agree with it.

UPDATE 11/14/11: Still no response from the Governor. I will post any response he gives. This is the second letter from me he has neglected to respond to. The worst part is even right wing nutjob Ron Ramsey had the courtesy to respond to me the last time I wrote him.

I just finished watching Red State, this year’s thriller from writer/director Kevin Smith. I have got to say that this one will stick with me for a while. Smith’s movies are usually the type that I watch when I’m feeling blue, and need a feel good, if profane, pick me up. Movies like Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Clerks and Clerks 2 are usually just what the doctor ordered. This is not one of those, however.

That is not a bad thing. I have heard Smith talking about a lot about how he went wrong with Zack and Miri. He felt he was playing to his past, and not moving forward with his talents. First off, I loved Zack and Miri, but I get where he was coming from. This movie stretches what people are going to think of a “Kevin Smith” movie, and people will just not be able to pigeonhole him anymore. The bottom line? The man is a great storyteller.

The story begins with 3 high school kids driving to meet a woman they think is going to have sex with all three of them. Instead, the woman is a part of a right wing religious cult that has much more sinister plans. Pretty soon the ATF gets involved, and maybe even the rapture. To give away anymore of the story would take away part of fun. This movie just works really well at going in unexpected places.

Michael Parks, as Abin Cooper, is probably the highlight of the film. He is perfect at playing the role of a true believing madman. His character is the head of a religious sect that is a cross between the Fred Phelps clan and the Branch Davidians. John Goodman turns in a solid performance, and you are going to notice a few very short performances from the likes of Stephen Root, Kevin Alejandro and Marc Blucas.

I would give this film a solid rating, and I really like where Kevin Smith is going with his career. He is great at comedy, but he clearly possesses a more varied talent. I hope he gives us more films like this in the future.

The GOP would have us believe that their economic policies are the ticket to American economic prosperity. John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and the rest of the funky bunch would have you believe that President Obama doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. However, as time has proven and the Tea Party would rather you forget, the Republican economic plan means the rich get richer, and the rest of us…get nothing.

Robert Reich does a great job of de-bunking the biggest GOP economic lies.