Okay, I went to the Rhyming Dictionary to get the title to this post. Sue me. In defense of the genesis of my post's title, I offer the following: I went on hiatus, it caused a ruckus, and we are at the nexus of a new day. (I am possibly the only person on earth capable of crafting such a torturous sentence!)
I've received emails (and calls from friends and family -- xoxoxo) asking why I haven't posted anything since Christmas day.
I told them what I will tell you. There is only one thing worth writing about - and that will be President-elect Obama's inauguration on January 20th. Finally, America will have a president who will (fingers crossed) honor his oath of office.
So, I am reserving my next post for January 21st when my eight-year long nightmare has come to an end. I am hoping to have processed the transition and to have some poignant (possibly snarky) thoughts on what the world has collectively been through with the Bush/Cheney Administration.
God save us and keep us safe. Thanks for your patience.
As everyone knows, California's financial situation is at crisis proportions. Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a package of spending cuts and revenue enhancements. Republicans have "taken a vow" not to generate revenue via tax increase/s, and have proposed an alternate and draconian budget of cuts to services and supports to California's most vulnerable citizens (disabled, elderly, children).
While democrats are the majority party in the state, they do not possess the super-majority required to approve the tax increase revenue enhancements without some republican votes as well.
The republicans have taken a hardline stand to "protect taxpayers" (insured and in perfect health) and corporate welfare. The result is that either the budget is balanced solely via cuts to programs and services to the elderly, children and people with disabilities... or they will hold up the budget until the state runs out of money, thus ending funding for all programs and dismantling and destroying California's network of care. California's new wrecking-crew.
Which brings me to the reason for this post:
How can otherwise "good" people perpetrate "evil" acts?
Read this excellent post by Matt Langdon at the Hero Workshop blog which highlights Professor Phil Zimbardo's speech at Stanford University on The Psychology of Evil and Heroism:
Also from Matt Langdon's post, his Cliff's Notes:
Evil is The exercise of power to: Intentionally Harm (phsychologically); Hurt (physically); Destroy (mortally); Commit crimes against humanity.
The Road To Evil Mindlessly taking the first step; Dehumanization of others; De-individualization of self (Anonymity); Diffusion of personal responsibility; Blind obedience to authority; Uncritical conformity to group norms; Passive tolerance of evil through inaction or indifference; Accepting an ideology that accepts evil.
Heroism is the antidote to evil We want to promote the heroic imagination by creating an educational system that instills in every child the self-belief that, “I am a Hero-in-Waiting. I will act heroically when my time comes.”
Banality of Evil: Ordinary people commit extra-ordinary evil deeds. Banality of Heroism: Ordinary people commit extra-ordinary good deeds.
Most heroes are one time heroes. They rise to the occasion.
The very same situation that can inflame the hostile imagination in those who become perpetrators of evil can also inspire the.. Heroic Imagination in others of us or… Render most people passive bystanders and guilty of the Evil of Inaction.
One day you will be in a new situation with three paths: Path One: You become a participant in evil Path Two: You become guilty of passive inaction Path Three: You go straight ahead and become a hero.
The Wrecking Crew could have been heros, instead they commit crimes against humanity.
"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course'.
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!' You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions.
That's not the promise of the "America" my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you? I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis! Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. What we got was A Hell of a Mess. So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way.
These are times that cry out for leadership. But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where in hell have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction and common sense?
I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point. Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it? Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change? Had Enough?
Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I believe in America . In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the 'Great Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action ' for people who, like me, believe in America .
It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'"
In this clip, Chris Matthews on Hardball does a segment with Joan Walsh of Salon and Michelle Bernard, MSNBC conservative pundit. The topic being Charlie Gibson's inverview with President GW Bush (and First Lady Laura Bush), and in particluar Bush's response to Gibson asking him what the biggest mistake of his Presidency may have been....
Shella is a disability rights advocate providing grassroots leadership throughout three counties in California.
It is her mission to ensure that the voices of people with developmental disabilities are heard, that their faces are seen, that their issues are known, and that impacts are communicated to our elected officials.
Shella is also an advocate helping develop and enhance access to affordable housing for people with developmental disabilities.
As the parent of a child with disabilities, Shella brings first hand knowledge of the challenge in supporting people to speak for themselves, getting accurate information on critical issues, and networking with others to transform public policy and create meaningful system change.
