Samm Simpson

IssuesWe have serious issues to discuss. It's past time for a national reckoning, yet, unfortunately, contemplative, reasoned debate is not found on most network television or talk radio programs. Instead, we are subject to a cacophony of voices, sputtering diatribe and hyperbole with the main goal of being louder than the other. Is this how we are teaching our children to communicate? - Ms. Samm SimpsonI believe that when people hear the truth, great change is not only possible, it is inevitable. As we return to reasoned introspection - with a moral imperative - our collective social conscience will reject the fear, terror and imperialistic militarism that have reached its zenith in the Bush Administration. We the people can begin building a long-term process to heal our communities, our nation and our world. This will be a long-term struggle. It will require our collective sacrifice as we undo the debt, repair the destruction, demand accountability and, most importantly, seek the truth."We know, in the case of the person, that whoever cannot tell himself the truth about his past is trapped in it, is immobilized in the prison of his undiscovered self. The same is true of nations." A quote from “The Creative Process” by James BaldwinNo human has all the answers. But there are a few things upon which we can all agree. For example, seeking wisdom, utilizing sound science, establishing policy based on fact and honoring the truth are evergreen issues, as is a return to accountability, the rule of law and the balance of powers granted in our Constitution.Congress needs to be about the people's business, not the corporation. Lobbyists writing law and representatives bringing home the bacon are practices we need less of, not more. Restoring habeas corpus and our privacy rights, demanding an end to torture and extraordinary rendition, and reigning in executive power is paramount. We need to secure our ports and our borders, stop the NAFTA super highway and the North American Union.Nothing in our Constitution declares the need for us to be an Empire, with 737 military bases stationed around the globe.We need a strong Department of Defense, not offense. Our National Guard should be fortified with a restored commitment to utilization in the United States, not abroad. Re-equipping our Armed Forces should be done prudently, with a concentration on human power and urban warfare, not high tech weaponry.Most individuals are against new taxes I look at taxes as an investment - in our defense, our infrastructure and our general welfare. I think we can all agree that the middle class hasn't had tax relief like the upper income categories have in the Bush Administration. Is it possible to begin the process to eliminate graft, greed, pork, cost plus contracts, and gain back controls so the Pentagon won't lose another 2.3 trillion dollars?There's no question that we need a simplified tax system. But the immediate answer is new national spending priorities. Do we continue to fund our empire on the backs of our grandchildren via debt owned by foreign nations? Or we begin a serious reckoning of the priorities declared in our Constitution?We are increasingly dependent upon China, who is awash in cash, while the U.S. is now the world's largest debtor. If we intend to care for our veterans, preserve social security, fund an energy revolution, rebuild our roads, bridges and infrastructure, provide affordable higher education, housing and healthcare, we need to have a frank discussion of what sacrifices we are willing to make.We also need a serious look at the mechanisms of the Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve a private banking institution, that has, since 1913, usurped the Constitutional duty of Congress to "coin money and regulate the value thereof." While we are at it, let's revisit our trade policies with a priority of fair trade, environmental protections and fair labor practices.While I believe that the government should not be in the health care business, Medicaid and Medicare are critical for millions of Americans - especially who've been sold a bill of goods about meat and processed meat products.Another 47 million are unable to afford health care at all. I am not opposed - at this particular juncture of history - to engage in the possibility of expanding Medicaid for all citizens, provided we can figure out a way to pay for it. Other alternatives include Health Savings Plans that could be created - much like IRAs - as tax free growth vehicles. Health Care is a major discussion in our nation. Many don't like the idea of their tax dollars paying for someone else's health insurance. I'd much rather help American citizens who disabled or mentally ill and are homeless as a result than have my tax dollars paying for nuclear weapons in space.Again, what does the Constitution mean by "the general welfare? Where do you stand on single payer health care? It's up to us, not big pharma, HMOs or the insurance conglomerates. Whatever we do, I'm in favor of helping our citizens in need - at least for an appropriate time and season.One of the sad commentaries on our current culture is that the most common illness in America is obesity, which leads to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and other chronic diseases.As a collective, the U.S. has become fat, spoiled and, thanks to an impotent media and a streak of national laziness, oblivious to the critical issues facing our world. We need to encourage folks to turn off the television and read a book, go for a walk and stop eating processed and drive-thru foods. Is that the job of the Federal Government? No, but we could help jump start the process by encouraging physical exercise and alternative medical therapies, stopping subsidies of certain food groups, offering benefits to small family and organic farms and banning genetically modified foods.On a different note, I think drug companies should be banned from advertising on television and radio, the Medicare D program should not have a donut home or forced fines. Not being able to negotiate drug prices is inexcusable. Additionally, programs that force psychological testing of our youth, along with mandated psychiatric medications should be stopped.I believe we need a national dialogue on the role of the Federal Reserve, NAFTA, CAFTA, the WTO, the UN and all of the organizations that shape our world without the express knowledge or understanding of the American populous.I support declaring an end to the Iraq occupation and the measured and reasonable withdrawal of mercenaries, contractors and our military. I do not support a military strike against Iran.I support giving our Veterans every possible mental, health and medical treatment available, as well as doing what ever is necessary to assist their families well-being, be it counseling, education or housing. We need to remember that those who are willing to give their lives are not responsible for the lies of men who sent them into these wars. We must sacrifice for those who have been willing to sacrifice everything.I do not support military action against any nation with out a declaration of war by Congress, preceded by reasoned, sound debate and intelligence.I believe that we must open up the dialogue about the role of Israel in our foreign policy. The brutal mistreatment of the Palestinian people is an untold story in the U.S. Yes, Israel is our ally, but does that mean we continue to provide billions in cash and weapons, while we say nothing about the Palestinian homes and olive trees destroyed by American made tractors, or the many checkpoints where pregnant Palestinian women sometimes give birth, because they are not allowed to pass through to get to a hospital. Yes, Israel is our ally, but the relationship has become unbalanced. We must be an honest broker for peace in the region.I believe that we need to create a generation of Americans who seek peace.I believe in term limits and publicly financed elections. I believe the second Amendment to the Constitution allows individuals to bear arms. I believe that abortion will end only through a loving understanding of the value of life, not through coercive measures that remove the right to a woman's choice.I believe marriage is a church sacrament, not subject to a Constitutional amendment. Civil unions of same sex couples should afford identical rights and responsibilities of marriage and be subject to state, not federal laws.Let's return to the Constitution. Let's remember the rule of law. Let's begin the national dialogue. What is the balance of powers? What is justice? What is liberty? What is tranquility? What is security? What did our forefathers mean when they said our union was to "promote the general welfare" and "provide for the common defense"?The American psyche is suffering. The psychological warfare comes from all sides - lies, manipulations and greed at the highest levels of government, billions of our tax dollars lost and stolen, over a million dead in Iraq - yet it's called "winning"- the potential for another, immoral preemptive strike against a country with no nuclear weapons, the coddling of another with WMDs to spare, spiraling costs for gasoline, heating fuel, food, insurance, property taxes, the unknowns of climate change, millions with out healthcare, brain injured and suicidal Veterans with devastated families, job and pension losses, the yearly donut hole, the soaring cost of a college education, a disintegrating dollar, increasing unemployment, foreclosures and jail populations - even the threat of being tasered, arrested or called a "terrorist" or an "enemy combatant" if you dare ask a question about the 9/11 investigation, or happen to support Congressman Ron Paul. And, if you are a Kucinich supporter, you can be called a socialist, or even a Communist. What ever happened to the "middle ground?"For students of history, this playbook is not new. Greed, power and avarice lurches in when reason, moderation and justice are discarded. A video by Naomi Wolf, "The End of America," describes how the current conditions follow the blueprint from democracy to fascism. These times are not for the faint of heart. For too many years, "we the people" have taken our freedoms for granted. We've forgotten that a representative government requires our participation, our sweat and our diligent oversight. Now, it's time to remember.