An imaginary dialogue with President POTUS
Q: POTUS, Have you abused the office of president for your personal advantage?
POTUS: I have not abused the Office of President of the United States for my personal advantage in any way, shape or form. Certainly not! I had the largest group of people ever in Washington, D.C. after my election.
Q: Did you refuse any subpoenas?
POTUS: Yes. I refused some subpoenas, and what is your name, address, and why do you ask?
Q: Did you try to get personal favors from a needy country in a phone call while delaying money promised to them?
POTUS: Yes. I tried to get personal favors from a needy country in a phone call while delaying money promised to them, and they love me.
Q: As you know, Americans respect and teach their children to tell the truth. Have you consistently told Americans the truth about the Ukraine phone call?
POTUS: Um, would you like to buy shares in Greenland real estate? Do I have a deal for you!
Q: Have you have disrespected the laws of subpoena, have you have avoided transparency of any kind, including your taxes, have you have used your leverage to frighten people and other countries to benefit yourself personally? Have you shouted, “Off with their heads!” like the queen in Alice in Wonderland when anyone disagreed with you?
POTUS: I cannot tell a lie, I ate the last piece of cherry pie. And, yes, I put the empty box back on the shelf.
Louise Love/Boulder
Oaths should be respected and honored
It seems our current leader and a few fellow travelers have become obsessed with a narrative that 63 million voters will be denied their desires if/when a certain fellow gets impeached and removed from office.
Fact is, 66 million American voters can’t muster much sympathy for their predicament, and every time it’s mentioned it’s a reminder of how unfair life can be sometimes.
My advice to the aforementioned 63 million is simple… get over it. Your guy is a loser and a fraud.
America’s Constitution is still alive and well, and justice dictates that oaths taken are to be respected and honored.
All American leaders take the same oath… don’t they?
Time to go to work.
Tommy Holeman/Superior
Another record?
Sad to read about the negative records when it comes to climate change, but grateful there is still hope! (Re: “Another year, another record, and COP 25” The Danish Plan, Dec. 4, 2019) And speaking of hope in this holiday season, why not “another year another record” for participation in our democracy? Call, write, and/or visit those who represent you in Congress, after all, constituents have the most influence according to the Congressional Management Foundation. It was those voices that caused an increase in America’s pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, making possible a three year plan to save 16 million lives, prevent over 200 million new infections, and keep us on the path to controlling these pandemics. The power of our voices, let’s go for a record, and a safer climate, ending hunger, and making sure everyone has enough!
Willie Dickerson/via internet
Seniors and cars
Thirty-four parking spaces for 106 poor seniors at Fruehaufs and 304 spaces for 95 rich seniors at 311 Mapleton. Is this to say that seniors don’t drive? Not with my math! But then I’m 66, so maybe I can’t add anymore.
Lynn Segal/Boulder
Opinionated news is harming democracy
Can we not see it?
Opinionated news befouls all citizens, twisting reality with “facts” that are not facts. The tortured logic is presented as gospel truth in emotional messages that destroy our confidence in each other and the institutions our fathers, their fathers and their fathers before them built to protect us from such abuse.
Studies have shown that opinionated news, both liberal and conservative, is saturated with inaccuracies and blatant falsehoods. That, coupled with the fact that 80% of the money we give to support candidates is no longer used to support them but to trash opponents, eats at the heart of The People’s ability to self-govern.
If there is no difference between fact and fiction there can be no democracy. But 2 + 2 DOES = 4 and we know it, so why behave like monkeys on a rope?
We are organized and managed through every dollar spent on messaging that moves us emotionally instead of intellectually.
We are learning to hate each other. How could we, in the birthplace of democracy and freedom, be so willingly led to the slaughter by such shameless political preaching when the remedy sits right before us, patiently waiting to hear us say “enough” and begin to fight back.
It does not have to be this way -— and cannot be this way if our experiment in self-governance is to continue its success!
At Votesmart.org, the tools are there for The People to regain control and take charge. It is right there in front of us all, reality is there for the taking by anyone with the will. Both the technology and the data exist to put reality back in play.
Every essential fact about candidates for the presidency, the congress, governorships and even state legislatures can be captured: every biographical detail, every public record, every vote, every issue position stated, every public statement and even every independent review by every conceivable special interest is gathered and easily searchable by any citizen.
We only need the will to be the boss, use the technology currently available and make the facts easily available to any citizen, right wing or left.
We are the employers and our job is simply to do what was intended: ignore the self-serving nonsense and take charge just the way anyone would hiring for any lesser position than those applying to run our lives.
Richard Kimball/Vote Smart president
