Having said that, I believe we can disagree without being disagreeable. The purpose of the blog is to spark discussion and debate. Different points of view are welcome as long as we keep the discussion civil and respectful.
I appreciate the feedback and have chosen to respond to your comments below. Please feel free to comment at the blog or submit an article of your own.
"I do not know. I only know that there was no way I would have voted for McCain-Palin. I can't even watch/listen to either of them. And, I live in SW Ohio and dread the times Boehner and McConnell are on camera."
I didn’t vote for McCain-Palin either. I voted for Nader-Gonzalez because I believe we must always vote our conscience and if the American people stopped voting out of fear and started voting their values and beliefs the country would be transformed rather quickly. I dread Boehner and McConnel as well.
Glenna: "What do you expect him to do? He is out numbered. You are blaming him for something that is out of his control. If he hadn't made this deal, many would be in worse shape. What is your group doing to change things other than complain."
Glenna, thanks for your comments. President Obama isn’t out numbered. The Democrats still control the House, the Senate and the White House. Nobody is beyond criticism, especially politicians that can’t keep their campaign promises and then have the nerve to show contempt for their own base when the people that elected them complain because he’s failing to deleiver. I pay taxes and have a right to complain.
"A true patriot is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins" - Frederick Douglas
The Coffee Party is working to help get people engaged in politics in a way that is more meaningful than simply voting for a lesser evil. Voting is important, but voting is the bare minimum for a citizen.
Our local group is currently working on a campaign to educate about the New Jim Crow also known as the prison industrial complex. We are contacting our members of council and encouraging them to repeal that anti-marijuana ordinance which disproportionately affects young black males. And we are contacting our representatives at the state level about reforming laws at the state level.
If you have any suggestions for things we can work on we are happy to hear them. Thanks!
"Thank you Glenna-I think he is doing the best he can do under impossible circumstances. Therefore, I am leaving this page. Our president needs support, not negative criticism."
The President has had huge majorities in both the House and the Senate. He hasn’t delivered on many of the things that he promised and what he has delivered hasn’t been good. He has pursued a strategy of triangulation which means he’s moved to the right. Now he is further embracing that strategy which is bad for the country, the world, his legacy and his chances of being reelected. Patronizing his base isn’t good for him.
"I thought the coffee party was neither a republican or democrat movement, but one where we can discuss civily our points of view and hear others and perhaps in the process begin to understand and even respect others views which may temper m...y views. This article, (written by whomever) sounds very much like a far left liberal democratic view ( I am more a liberal than a conservative) but realize that we may have to meet somewhere in the middle on many issues. Isn't that what the "discussion wheel" was all about, finding out where we agree, disagree and which points/issues we could find common ground and MOVE FORWARD. Ithink the last thing we need is to sound angry if we are tryng to communicate in a civil way."
Thanks for your comment. I wrote the article and yes I’m an unapologetic independent liberal. I don’t support either party because as I stated in my article they are both beholden to the corporations. Money has an undue influence on our political system and I think that is a view held by a majority of the Coffee Party members and citizens in general across the country.
I’m not sure what the “discussion wheel” is, but I don’t think my article was uncivil or angry. It was an analysis of the President and his party’s record. I see no reason to beat around the bush, his policies are largely a continuation of the Bush administration’s policies.
You are free to disagree and to counter my argument. The point of this blog and my article is to spark debate.
Glenna: "I never said I would be leaving your group, however, if I am being dropped because I disagree with your comments, then so be it. If my voice is only good when I agree, then your are like the Tea Party, I thought you were different. I see where there were others who agree with me."
Glenna, your views are welcome here and I'm sure there are others that agree with you. I think that when you said you are leaving the page people took that to mean you were leaving the group. Nobody wants you to leave. I just wanted to express my views on the current political climate. I’m sure we can find plenty of common ground. But I don’t think blind support for any politician is a pragmatic strategy for bringing progressive change to our city and country.
Glenna: "We have a President, who is doing an impossible job. The Republicans are determined to say "no" to anything they can to stop progress, and the Democrats don't stand by him either. He isn't a magician, that can turn a rock into an apple. He's dealing with a bunch of people acting like 2 yr. olds. He must feel alone in trying to bring our country back to where it leads the world. The Dems did this to Jimmy Carter too."
Glenna, we agree about the Democrats and the Republicans. We disagree about Obama. Nobody expects him turn a rock into an apple. We expect him to deliver on some of his campaign promises like letting the tax cuts for the rich expire, ending don’t ask, don’t tell and ending the war in Iraq etc. Obama was given a mandate for change and large majorities in the House and the Senate. He had an army of citizens that were willing to take to the streets in support of a progressive agenda. But that agenda was never on the table and he squandered the opportunity he was given to be a transformative figure.
His accomplishments as President aren’t very impressive. His base is demoralized and he and his party are responsible for that. Is it mean of me to point that out?
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