I’ve been writing on this site since my frustration with the Bush/Cheney administration (beginning with the invasion of Iraq) boiled over to the point I had to find a place to vent.  It turned out that cyberspace was the place – I didn’t know much about it and felt my writing could be my personal journal – no one would be the “wiser” – because I didn’t anticipate anyone finding it.  As it’s turned out, MANY people have found this place and that reality has further motivated me to continue writing (or should I say “venting”) in this “blog.” (honestly, I didn’t know what a blog was when I started – this Word Press format was simply available to me from 1and1.com with whom I had purchased a domain so that I could have my own email address.

That all being said, over the course of time – if you’ve read many of my posts – I’ve been pretty consistent in my “bashing” of the republican party (in particular) and the surge to the “right” in America (generally).  My biggest problem with the republican party (despite my almost complete disagreement with their agenda) has been what I perceive to be their “base.”  That is, my impression is that the leadership of the republican party has, for many years now, been able to count on a block of voters “come hell or high water” to support their agenda almost exclusively due to the issue of abortion.  This group, of course, is often referred to as the “Religious right.”  On many occasions, I’ve referred to myself as part of the religious “left.”  I’ve stated many times that I can’t understand how any Christian would be able to support a party that openly supports corporate welfare while “bashing” those Jesus would refer to as “the least of these” in what often ends up being perceived as a racist agenda. (among many other issues as well)

For example, many on the “right” scoff at the issue of “Climate change,” while their financiers continue to encourage republican legislators to support deregulation when it comes to the environment.  The leaders of the republican party have been almost, it seems, obsessed with somehow abolishing what they refer to as “Obamacare” (The Affordable Care Act which has made medical insurance available to almost 20 MILLION people as I’m writing this) without a single proposal (that I’ve seen) for a better alternative (like “Medicare for all” – for instance).  They have supported policies that make it harder and more expensive for those who want higher education to achieve those goals and, at the same time, policies that have almost encouraged our manufacturing base to moved overseas.  Additionally, they’ve made it almost routine for corporate interests and the ultra wealthy to “stash” huge amounts of their wealth in tax free “havens” in places like the Cayman Islands while, at the same time, CONSTANTLY trying to reduce the taxes of the “top 1%” who they consider the “job creators.”  The result of this one issue, in my mind, is that the “middle class” in America is shrinking and the “working class” – what I call the “blue collar” worker – is being (and has been) under valued.  Since the days of Ronald Reagan (if you’ve been around this site you know I’m not a fan of Reagan) shareholders and executives have been over valued and workers are unimportant (in the larger scheme of the “free market” right wingers).

Then there’s issues such as abortion.  I don’t disagree with those in the “pro life” movement that life begins at conception.  To me that is an un arguable FACT.  I would NEVER encourage anyone to get an abortion (unless, of course, the mother’s life was in danger).  However, to me, the issue is MUCH more complicated than it’s presented in right wing political circles.  How can I be pro-life and not support free pre-natal health care for women who are in poverty?  How can I support “pro-life” and not support health care for the mother and the child after the child is born?  How can I not support early childhood education for children born in poverty?  How can I support cuts to programs like food stamps and low income housing and expect moms who have unwanted pregnancies to be able to care for their child?  And, as the saying goes, it takes two to tango, why are there a lack of consequences for the father of the children in unwanted pregnancies.  I find it interesting (and, disgusting) that most of the people who I’ve heard ranting about abortion – and, sometimes in the most bizarre fashion – are right wing republican MALE politicians.  It bothers me deeply when right wing MALE politicians use this issue to “gin up” their conservative “base” who have no idea what else they get when they vote for these people.

The reason I’m bringing this all up is because I managed to listen to about 30 minutes of Pope Francis’ address to the joint “meeting” of congress on 9/24/15.  With the exception of the Pope’s kind of veiled references to “life” and “the family” (I was presuming – “reading between the lines” – he was referring to “gay marriage”) I thought I could have been listening to Bernie Sanders!  My first thought was, “I’ll bet Fox “news” will be apoplectic over the Pope’s speech and then Rush Limbaugh came to mind and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of attack the Pope would receive from the lead “Ditto head” of America.  Well, thanks to either Media Matters or the Daily Kos I was able to get footage of the response of both Fox and Limbaugh along with some other people that I didn’t quite recognize.  And, the response was HARSH.  Now, keep in mind this response was coming from the very people who’ve been USING the Christian community since the early eighties to get FILTHY RICH and undermine our government to the point where they have almost “free reign” on their abuses of our economy EVERY DAY.  They didn’t care at all for the actual GOSPEL of Jesus being presented pure and simple by the Pope.

And, I think what really scares them the most is that MILLIONS (probably BILLIONS) of people on this planet LOVE this Pope.  I’ve been trying to tell my republican friends (Christians) that the republican party is turning off more people to the Gospel of Jesus than those of us who are believers can encourage to get “turned on” by His teachings.  It kind of humored me listening to Limbaugh and various Fox “news” hosts calling the Pope names that have recently been aimed at our sitting President.  The most common name I heard was “Socialist.”  Well, as that is their major “talking point” of attack toward Bernie Sanders, maybe this address from the Pope will really have a positive transforming affect on this nation.  If people could just watch the video of Limbaugh as he almost fiies out of his chair ranting against the Pope maybe more would get the picture of what a disgusting person he really is.  In fact, I decided I should let you watch this – so, if you want to see the response of all these people who’ve been using Jesus to get rich over the past 35 years and what they think of the actual Gospel of Christ – click HERE.

I’m going to end this here – my point tonight is that I loved what I heard from Pope Francis – he reads the Bible similarly to me and I hope the “conservatives” in America will FINALLY wake up to the reality that the republican party has been using you for many years to pilfer the taxpayers of this nation out of TRILLIONS of dollars of wealth.  And, as the saying goes, “greed has no bounds” and they will not stop until “we the people” stop them.  In America, the “traditional” way to stop them would be at the ballot box.  We (progressives and conservatives alike) will be much better off when people like Rush Limbaugh and corporate interests that align with Fox “news” no longer have an audience large enough to support them on the mass media.  The closest thing to Pope Francis in American politics is Bernie Sanders!  Does anyone besides me find that ironic?

The final irony – it was announced today that John Boehner, America’s Speaker of the House, – who presumably was the one who invited the Pope to speak (I believe Boehner is a Catholic) resigned his position in the House (not just as speaker) the day after listening “up close and personal” to the Pope’s remarks.  I have to wonder if Mr. Boehner had a tough night sleeping trying to reconcile his own record with the remarks of the leader of his faith.  The thought went through my head that maybe Boehner is really a devout Catholic, as I’ve heard him referred on occasion, and he does actually have a conscience.  Who knows, one member of the republican party, knowing in his heart the wrongs he’s inflicted on this nation, repenting – that one thing in itself could end up ensuring that the Pope’s message has a monumental and enduring legacy on this nation. (I’m not holding my breath – but, we can always hope!)