Laguna Madre Blues: 2014

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

About time for a new Cuba policy

Today President Obama revealed a deal had been struck with Cuba's Raul Castro to release U.S. Prisoner Alan Gross and another unnamed prisoner who is thought to be an undercover agent.
Normalized relations is the next step. Needless to say, this is a controversial decision but one whose time is overripe!
For over 50 years the policy of embargo and confrontation has been in place. It has helped entrench the Castro government.
The old policy met Einstein's definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

It is time for this new era in Cuban-U.S. relations to begin.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

John McCain and other Arizona politicians scheme to give away Apache lands for foreign copper mine

Arizona Republicans in the state and national government are trying to slip something by in the omnibus spending bill currently before Congress. They want to allow a foreign mining company, with ties to Iran and China, to begin mining for copper on land considered sacred and protected by treaty with the San Carlos Apaches. The proposed mine is the most destructive and environmentally disastrous type of mining, which is much less expensive and time consuming for the mining company.

Read more here:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/03/ndaa-land-deals_n_6264362.html

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Climate change deniers to lead Senate; a bad sign for agreement with China on curbing emissions

Mitch McConnell, the senator from coal country and Jim Inhofe, the senator from EXXON-Mobil, are up in arms over the just announced accord with China to curb green house emissions. McConnell appears to be set to take over as Senate majority leader in the next Congress and Inhofe seems a likely choice to head the Senate Environment and Public Works committee. These two are beholden to the huge carbon conglomerates and are staunch in their stand against environmental regulations.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Perry says states are "lavatories" of democracy

Many have wondered if Rick Perry was truly prepared to campaign for President once again. Maybe not so much...
Governor of Texas, Rick "oops!" Perry, was off and running for Prez again in New Hampshire yesterday when he made a startling claim.

“We need to look at the states, which are lavatories of innovation and democracy, reform. We need to unleash the competition between the states for jobs, innovation and opportunity.”

— Gov. Rick Perry speaking at an Americans for Prosperity event on Friday in Manchester, N.H.

Texas Tribune: 8-25-2014

Perhaps this was a Freudian slip. Perry has enriched his cronies with state funds and abused his power when going after his political enemies. He sure needs to clean his act up!

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Lois Lerner got it right!

“Lois Lerner, the former Internal Revenue Service official at the center of a scandal involving that agency’s targeting of conservative groups, called Republicans “crazies” and “assholes,” according to emails released Wednesday.”

…Time magazine

I agree with Ms. Lerner’s assessment and offer these pictures of GOP members of the House and Senate as an illustrative example of the correctness of her statement.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Remembering Esequiel Hernandez Jr.

From Wikipedia:

Esequiel Hernández, Jr. (May 14, 1979 – May 20, 1997) was an 18-year-old American high school student killed on May 20, 1997 by United States Marines in Redford, Texas, located approximately one mile from the United States–Mexico border.^[1] Hernández was the first American civilian to be killed by active United States Armed Forces while they were on duty since the student massacre at Kent State University in 1970^[2] and led to Defense Secretary William Cohen issuing a temporary suspension of troop patrols near the U.S.–Mexico border.^[3] The shooting inspired the 2005 movie The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada by Tommy Lee Jones, and the 2007 documentary The Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez.^[4]

Death

U.S. Marines on drug patrol heavily camouflaged in ghillie suits came upon Hernández herding goats. The camouflaged Marines observed the 18 year old high school student from concealment at a distance of approximately 200 yards maintaining radio contact with their unit.^[5] Hernández, who was carrying a .22 caliber rifle that family members said he used to fend off predators, shot in the direction of the Marines.^[1] Continuing to call for Border Patrol assistance, the Marines proceeded to track Hernández for twenty minutes, until the Marine fire-team leader shot and killed Hernandez. The bullet entered Hernandez' armpit on his right side.^[6]

Investigation

A congressional investigation into the killing was scheduled for September 1997.^[7] A grand jury examined the fatal shooting and considered criminal charges against the four Marines,^[8] but did not indict any of the Marines involved in the shooting.^[9] The Justice Department subsequently dropped its investigation.^[10] The Marines also investigated the killing.^[11] In 1998, the U.S. government paid his family $1.9 million to settle a wrongful death claim.^[12] The U.S. Marine who fatally shot Hernández was not charged.^[13]