Seattle is liberal in some ways, yet conservative in most others
While attending the University of Washington I wrote a paper on the ugliness of our country that is visible by African-Americans, not Caucasian-Americans, due too Institutionalized racism titled “Culture of Embedded Racism: No Legal Recourse, No Legal Mobilization, only Revolution”.
Racism in the United States (that dark little secret shared by more Caucasian-Americans than you’d believe), is the reason why we have not excelled as much as we have the potential too at this point in our society’s life.
To me, racism is secretly or overtly rationalizing to oneself that blacks, simply because they are black, speak Ebonics, are violent, make love better than a white man, are more endowed than white men, are less intelligent than white men, are not wired to lead, etc, etc, etc…I have attached a copy of a paper (please overlook the typos and grammatical errors and attempt to comprehend my train of thought in developing this research paper), I wrote in one of my LSJ (Law, Societies & Justice courses at the UW. I am in no way a racist; but a realist who has experienced and witnessed violence by institutionalized authority figures since I was three, when I had yet not developed the mental maturation to comprehend what I was exposed too at such a young age.
AS A CHILD, MY FAMILY MOVED AROUND LIKE NOMADS (I recently discovered documents, through the “freedom of information act,” detailing the barbaric treatment of my father by the military and NOAA, was the reason for this constant movement of our family. I am now attempting to get “Veteran’s Benefits” for my mother (81) before she passes away. He received the “Victory Medal” and “Good Conduct Medal” while serving in the Navy in WWII. He was drafted five times, first at the age of 16. He served a total of 23-years of Navy service, ending in “Honorable Discharges”.
While enroute to Virginia with military orders; to be shipped out to war, he got into an accident and rolled his car. He sustained back injuries that plagued the rest of his career, yet the Department of Veterans Affairs saw it as the right to refuse disability benefits. This led to arthritis in his back and internal damages, yet as in the case of most African-American vets, he was rejected benefits that would have given his family a more stable life. As with me and my wife, my father married my mother, even though she had three children to bring into the marriage. My sister Linda (11-05-1959); me (03-15-1962); and Charles Edward martin Jr. (03-28-1963), were his biological children. There was Rufus (05-10-1947); Margaret (02-19-1953); and Freddie (12-25-1956). My mother and father married on 12-01-1959, so Rufus was 12, Margaret was 6, and Freddie was 2. When I met my wife on 05-01-1990; Oliver was 12 (02-09-1978); Ramona 3 (05-11-1986); and Corinna 2 (02-04-1988).
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS I ATTENDED
Olympic View in Bremerton, WA; Frank B. Cooper on Delridge Way in West Seattle; and West Woodland Elementary in Ballard and each of these schools had a profound affect on my human development. I attended West Woodland in the sixth grade. My teacher was a German National with a very thick German accent named Mr. Entenmann. He may have been a naturalized citizen by then, but he obviously lived in Germany most of his life. He took our class to an opera, which blew me completely away. Of all of my teachers, he has always been my favorite.
I always felt that I was treated as less important than my white counterparts, but never did I feel that way when Mr. Entenmann was my teacher. I believe, even though most of my white teachers were wonderful, they were not aware, or maybe they were, of how they treated me versus how that treated my white counterparts. It was as if they pushed me along, even though I had not mastered the subject, because I was a good kid. Mr. Entenmann demanded excellence and I loved that!
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS I ATTENDED
Blaine Junior High on Queen Anne; Logan on Magnolia; Cascade Middle School in White Center/ Burien; and ASA Mercer Junior High School in Seattle.
Up until I attended ASA Mercer Junior High, our family was the only blacks at those schools, with the exception of Cooper, which had a few other black families, but not much.
I always thought of my dad as the one who took care of everything. At 6’3” and about 250 pounds, my father was a very imposing figure. In Burien, we all lived in a brown ugly shack with one or two bedrooms. I was bused from Burien to Blaine middle school (09-05-1974-10-03-1974) and called nigger everyday, with no friends. The kids surrounded me daily and one day I let loose. I went to the principal’s office and explained my story. The principal was a racist; the whole school was at that time. My father came there and for the first time, I saw a chip in his armor. He could do nothing, so my family had me bused to a different school (Logan). I must have been there for the rest of the year or a similar event unfolded and I was sent to the school closest to our home, Cascade Middle School. Again, I was called nigger and had fights with Tim Thornton every day. The 7th grade was the worst year in my life. I never learned fractions and whatever else was taught in the 7th grade because of the simply trying to survive everyday.
The next year my family moved to the Madrona neighborhood and I went to ASA Mercer Middle School. There were a lot of Asian students, black students, white students, Native-American students and we all got along so well! Bruce Mar (Chinese and Gerald Russell) were my absolutely best friends. We then stayed and I went to High School at Franklin. All of my friends were there too and I was finally living. I never got into the hardcore rap crowd because ASA was my first experience with black students who were proud and equals, but I has so many friends in all groups.
HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED
In High school we moved to the Garfield area and my family let me finish out school at Franklin. I caught a metro bus (14 Mt Baker) to school everyday. I then excelled, winning a Scholarship Award from The Seattle Public School District, “In recognition of academic excellence and contributions made to the quality of life as a student of Seattle Public Schools on 06-11-1980.
When I finished school I found that racism was still there, everywhere. I would be shadowed in stores, while whites were robbing them blind. Police Officers would look at me meanly for no reason at all. I wanted to get away from Seattle, so I joined the US Marines on 08-29-1980. I was a guide for a while and I even humped Mount Mother fu-ck-- with my Gunnery Sergeant “Gunny,” yet in the end they gave it to Costar, a white male. From then on, I saw that even though I tried twice as hard in everything I did, excelled over others, I would never get the accolades because that’s just the way things were.
I’m a Catholic, but I believe gays should be allowed to marry (no civil union), but marriage because I know what it feels like to be treated as less than… Less than should not even be in the American vocabulary.
Well, now you can read the attached paper, knowing I’m not a racist, but one who has been picked on all my life by my country. I love my country, which is why I served both in the US Marines and US Army. I’m just so hurt and can’t understand why my country doesn’t love me.
Seattle is liberal in a lot of ways, but with gentrification (forcing blacks out of their homes), because blacks are always turned down for higher paying jobs, e.g., I applied to Microsoft’s security team and they didn’t even call me back after just having served as a sergeant in the Army as a Military Policeman. My German son worked at Wal-Mart and then applied and they made him a supervisor getting the kind of money I will never get. My wife and I worked at Safeco Insurance Company in Redmond, Washington when Mike McGavick was the president of the company.
I worked in Manuals and Distribution. I made it clear that I wanted to stay there and become a supervisor or manager. Whenever my supervisor was out, I was designated as the one to delegate work assignment sand keep things moving. I received many pride awards for what I did. However, my supervisor and Manager kept telling me that this position would never come up, so I should put in for a transfer. They kept doing this for a few months until I finally gave in. Not two days later a fellow worker told me my supervisor was being promoted and they gave, I believe his name was Chad (a 19 year old redheaded male with shoulder length hair and a full beard) the job, without even announcing it.
I immediately confronted them, but they said there was nothing I could do. I went to HR and I was contacted by Mike McGavick who attempted to smooth things over. I told him this wasn’t right and that it was an example of institutionalized racism and something needed to be done. They told me he had college (1-year of junior college); I told them I had one year at the University of Washington and gave them my transcript. They said he had more experience and I stated that I was the one who performed the supervisory duties when the supervisor was absent; I also had an assistant with my manuals. I also told them I had managing duties as a sergeant in the United States Army and they stated that my military experience didn’t count.
My wife was made a lead in her department, a German national with little experience. My wife told me her Manager Karen stated that I was blacklisted because of my complaint and I would never advance at Safeco. She said the best would be for me to go to another company.
What my father had experienced before passing away 08-15-1997. My experience in school and the workforce and my brother’s lost case against the city and his company (His Company (Jore Marine Corps) was cited numerous times by OSHA for not having safety rails on their barges, because longshoreman could fall off. On 08-31-2000 my brother’s bobcat, which he was in, went off the barge into 40 feet of water in the Duwamish River. The fire Department responded immediately, but was forbidden to wear their scuba diving gear, as that was given to Mayor Paul Schell’s Police Department comrades. A fireman, Dave Powell, on one breath of air made numerous attempts to reach my brother, but would have to surface because of no oxygen tank. There were bubbles coming from the water, so my brother was still alive.
Dave Powell finally reached the bobcat and put a hook on it and they brought it up with my brother’s lifeless body inside. At this time, the police Department arrived. Judge Alsdorf ruled against our family and acquitted the city and Jore Marine Corp of all charges.
We found out approximately three years later that our lead attorney was a defense attorney for the city judges, getting them off on DIU charges and winning cases for their family. We believe this was a conflict of interest and that some deal was made to rule against our family.
It is for this reason, I wrote this research paper. You may not agree with it, but this is because of all that I have suffered, my family has suffered and other blacks have suffered. Once we realize this, rather than continuing to dismiss it, we will begin to heal as a nation. Should we continue the path of not going there, racist rhetoric, institutionalized racism, and other acts of subjugation of blacks and no legal remedy from our courts will continue to plague our nation and cultivate anger that will one day explode.
David Martin14014 Admiralty Way, #7FLynnwood, WA 98087
firstlisten@comcast.net
(425) 787-7976
I really do love you all...email me if you want me to email my paper to you, it's 33 pages of some really graphic stuff...it's real life
Why President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize
President Barack Hussein Obama exemplifies the qualities the winner of the Nobel Peace prize must possess. It's a no-brainer to me and the world's people in each and every continent. I could not be more proud and more in agreement why he won.
He represents a very dangerous sect within our society that needs to be dealt with openly or we may one day find our selves on the wrong side of history. Glenn Beck is a very dangerous virus within our society that continues to spawn off even more dangerous strands at every opportunity he has to speak to the masses. Wake up everybody and see this parasite for what he really is, the devil.
I hope this makes sense...with my wife's health, my mind is so scrambled these days. I hope I haven't made this so confusing that my argument is reduced to a lunatic's wondering mind.
Are we as a nation so mentally handicapped that we cannot wrap our brain around healthcare for all? Are we so selfish, to think that a government option would end all private care centers? This is not even remotely a threat to the existing healthcare providers (The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Fred Hutch, UW Medicine, Children's Swedish, Providence, Harborview and all of the rest would continue to provide the same quality of care they are providing today). Our military are continually all that they can be, manufacturing by far, the most advanced weaponry in the world, and this is a government protection for us all, no privatized protection for our country; yet our private vendors are more profitable than ever, with an increasing market for weapons on our streets.
A government option will not lead to a dumping of all bad (most liable to be an expensive claimant)into the government option, because there will be contingents put in place to prevent a dumping of the elderly and currently sick, from the private plans to the public plans, as this would obviously be discrimination and any such acts are unconstitutional and therefore prosecutable under the law. If no such section of the law has been clearly defined, then our congressional representatives owe it to us to have this taken care with expediency. So, for those thinking they would lose their existing care providers, Take a deep breath and exhale.
Also, there have been those who have stated that the government option would be flooded with illegal immigrants, which is not only inaccurate, but a flat out lie, aimed at misguiding those who blindly follow their every word. I don't understand these people; because this was done with Clinton too...so where is the Republican option? Bush was in office for eight years and had the anything he wanted. Did everyone just wake up with amnesia? What are you waiting on? Or, is it racism.
We keep being reminded that HE'S BLACK, or HE'S A SOCIALIST, or, HE'S NOT AN AMERICAN CITIZEN...Anything to distract you from what's being laid out in front of you. And, it works EVERYTIME, because we forgot the elections. The media was never on Obama's side, so why would they be now? They were always hard on him, giving relentless coverage to every racist inference. They would give relentless coverage then watch as people would spout out, "Kill him!" at campaign rallies for Palin and McCain, yet no one thought anything of it; to capture and arrest that person. Instead they all grew into this frenzy of hate? How did that make you feel about your country at that very moment? Really, be honest? Did you agree or did you feel sick, or as an African American, did you feel scared and disappointed because you saw where things were going? Did anyone really realize how close we were to another Civil War; we were VERY close. But, this time it would have been a rainbow coalition against…you know, the ignorant.
We now find that the Bush administration purposely raised the threat level at opportune times to benefit him politically. We now know that Cheney and Rove remained the stewards of that sinking ship that carried our nation into its biggest financial, social and racial turnaround for the bad, in the history of this nation.
Now, the wealthy owners of healthcare and pharmaceuticals are throwing every dollar into denying ALL Americans healthcare again, by playing to our primitive sense of survival. Our sense of caring for our self and only our self and damn everyone else. I say, "NOT THIS TIME!" This time we leave no one on the battlefield; we leave no one behind. A government option is the only way to guarantee all have Healthcare coverage.
Hi to all of our friends and those concerned WITH MY WIFE'S BATTLE WITH ANGIOSARCOMA CANCER,
AGENDA AND CURRENT HEALTH UPDATE
Margita does not have “chemo therapy”-Taxol this week, so we thought of this week being one where she would have an extra time to rest up and “recharge her batteries”. It doesn’t appear to be the case so far, as she has had very little appetite, stomach aches and diarrhea, pain on the top of her head, which is very tender, aching in her legs and joints, which feels like arthritis, soars in her moth( the corners and upper lip), as well as the usual week and dizziness.
LOSS OF HAIR DUE TO CHEMO
Since August 14, 2009 1:38 pm PST, we have collected a one half large zip lock bag of her hair. The amount is 1 ¼ inch thick, 4 ½ inch tall, and 7 ½ inches long. Her head is very tender in the area where most of the hair is falling out; top and back of her head.
MOBILITY
Margita has remained in bed most of the time, yet she also gets when necessary, e.g., go to the rest room, wash off a piece of fruit, get a jar of peanut butter, make a toast with some preservative topping, etc.
MENTAL STATE OF MIND FROM HUSBAND’S POINT OF VIEW
Margita remains the same stubborn women I love, yet at time she has gotten a bit mean, but last night, she quickly corrected herself and said out loud, so I could hear, “ That was mean and not right of me to say.” Margita has begun to recognize when she loses her ability to hold in her anger at having cancer, which I see as very normal. She has actually been an extremely strong woman; holding in her anger…always the professional.
WHAT ABOUT NOW; LITERALLY
This Tuesday evening, August 18, 2009, 8:48pm PST, she appears to be on the upward movement toward feeling better. Half of her hair is gone and I’m feeling better (her husband, David).
WEIRD
Last week, Saturday, August 15th, David could not get out of bed. His knees were badly swollen; he had headaches that would not go away regardless of the number of Tylenol or 15MG Oxycodone tablets taken. David has had an episode of a shortness of breath, a very heavy chest (upper right side) and waking up coughing and trying to breathe, then spitting out dark mucus with blood. This morning I have collected the mucus and will take it to the VA first thing tomorrow. I first contracted pneumonia while guarding sensitive weapons in the military, so I will bring those records with me.
SYMPATHY PAINS?
Aside from the shortness of breath, Saturday morning I woke up with swollen knees and swollen ankles, which I have never had before. My joints were very sore, prompting me to do my own Physical Therapy. Margita looked at me and stated I’m having sympathy pains and I’m beginning to believe her…what do you think?
Yesterday I was so excited for my youngest daughter; because now I could give her the info she had sought for, for so long. I found a free online High School she could attend and finally get her much sought out for, High School Diploma.
I called the number I got from a television add for those who did not complete HS to finally get their diploma. The name was Apollo Group 1-602-713-3140. I left a message last evening (Monday August 10, 2009) and received a callback this morning (August 11, 2009) at 10:00am.
I don’t remember the person’s name, but she stated that this program is for those who are under 21. This is the second time I must give my daughter this depressing information, as she was so excited and psyched about this opportunity to finish up and get her HS diploma.
I was told they had another program I could have my daughter enter into, which catered to ALL of those wishing to get their HS diploma. She stated their name as Olympus at 1-866-883-0522 and the tuition was $1,900.00! I asked why it wasn’t free like their program and she stated, because Olympus is a private school.
My daughters lost her job during this recessionary period, and because she doesn’t have a HS diploma at age 21, jobs are impossible for her to land.
Why doesn’t the government pay for ALL to finish up and get their diploma, regardless of their age, rather than throwing this segment of our society under the bus?
I consider myself a Liberal Democrat and a realist....yes; there are those of us who are liberal realists, but not Blue Dog Democrats. I believe they should have legalized gay marriage in California and I have been happily married to my wife for 17 1/2 years (living together for 19 1/2 years) with three beautiful step-children who are now 21, 23 and 31. I believe marijuana takes away the motivation of our youth to excel in all that they can be. Marijuana makes users lethargic and lazy. The arguments that say marijuana makes people violent are unfounded in my opinion; quite the opposite in-fact. Cocaine (powder), crack-cocaine (cooked), meth, speed, and any other type of drug that makes people more aggressive are the dangerous drugs as far as knowingly committing violent acts are concerned. Marijuana creates dangerous drivers, because of the lack in the ability to react quickly to all driving conditions, unless you're driving through Wyoming. Because of this, marijuana should continue to be an illegal drug unless used for medicinal purposes, e.g. to help with pain management, to help cancer patients with eating disorders as a result of the severe treatments needed to destroy cancer from one's body and saving their life. This new push to legalize marijuana, to me, is the wrong thing to do. It should stay the illegal drug it is regardless of those who wish to have it categorized in any other way. I further believe, the past presidential administration created an atmosphere of fear when it comes to marijuana that was excessive. This is not a violent drug, so one should not be sent to prison for possessing it, just as one is not sent to prison for driving while under the influence of alcohol, unless they get into an accident and kill someone as a result of its consumption. We need to get more realistic about the laws we make and the ability to truly enforce them. There will be those who use marijuana in the privacy of their own homes, which I have no honest argument for preventing this recreational use, however if one sells marijuana and does not pay taxes for doing so, then one should be imprisoned for tax-evasion. Like it or not, a large percentage of our working population's income is given to marijuana sellers, with none of that money being given back to the government in the form of taxation, so we as a nation should open our eyes to the obvious and put that money back into our economy rather than continually drain our nation's capital. So, I guess my stance is I'm against legalizing marijuana, but the real fact is, it is out there; draining our country's pocket, with no realistic way of enforcing its circulation. The money spent in creating commissions to come up with ways to punish those who possess or sell this narcotic is ridiculous and the enforcement even more so, with laws founded on stereotyping, rather than evenly enforcing it. What we end up with are the rich being allowed to freely use this drug without taxation and the poor being incarcerated and made to make up the difference. This is silly and just plain wrong. It is for this reason that legalization with taxation may be the only way to go. We are all allowed to have our own opinion and this is mine.
David & Margita Martin
Dear Mr. President,
My wife Margita Eva Margita has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer (Angiosarcoma) that is so far, incurable. We are now being cared for with The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), a part of The Fred Hutchinson Research Institute, UW Medicine and Children's Hospital.Please visit my wife, Margita's, SCCA site at <
>.I had back surgery on May 11th and Margita had surgery to remove a large section of aggressive cancer, from her abdomen wall, on May 19th. She now has no belly button, because they had to stretch her skin down ward and stitch back up from one side of her hip to the other. The got rid of the aggressive cancer, but not all of the cancer which stretches from the area that was stitched up to her upper thigh area.She had her blood work done last Thursday, her surgery for implanting a port on Tuesday, and then her first round of chemo"Taxol" on Thursday.
How are things with you and the family? How's the house? I hope you are having a fantastic summer and kiss and hug your husband and kids everyday, because you never know what curve life will throw at you.When they opened my back up, they found almost an inch of my L3 disc had extruded into the LS nerve root, which was the cause of all of the pain. When they opened this up, they found a large tear in my L4 disc. I had a L3-4 discectomy.I still have a lot of numbness on my left buttock area up to the area on my back where the L3-4 discs are. Usually this is most noticeable when I neglect to take my 15 MG oxycodone. I had been at 7-8 per day and I have been going down. I should be at 6 per day, but I took myself to 4, with an occasional 5 if I have been out all day with doctor's visits with Margita, and have to catch up to the pain when I get home, because I do not take meds when I know I have to drive.
My left knee took a major hit when I injured my back as well, tearing something or further eroding the lateral area of where my lateral meniscus was in my left knee. Sometimes the pain is completely unbearable, even with the pain meds.So, I've been told I need to think seriously about a knee replacement now on the left knee, rather than later. This also prevents the rehabilitative work on my back, so I'm in a mess. Senator Murray's liaison for the Department of Veteran Affairs has gotten involved in my case because I should have been granted a 100% disability when I was rejected from going back into the military because of my knees, but the VA only gave me 80%(40% for each knee) and purposely omitted the 20% disability I had always had for my spine.
As you know, because of this I had to work, resulting in my knee and spine giving way and requiring surgery on my back and acceleration on my knee replacement. It turns out that the Department of Veteran Affairs was simply ignoring my deteriorating health, which apparently is a common experience by African-American Vets from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
So I'm getting L&I for my spine, but not the additional damage to my knee which has speeded up the process of me having to have replacement knee surgery. After two months, Eberle Vivian stopped my physical therapy, chiropractic care and massage therapy. They also stopped paying for my medications, resulting in my spending over $200.00 for medications until I contacted Legislative Constituent Chuck Smid and having an additional MRI completed showing that as a result of the stoppage in care, almost an inch of my L3 disc had extruded into my L3 nerve root causing the pain and numbness down my left leg and in my back, which still persists today. Also, a large tear on my L4 was found when they operated as a result of the L3 findings that warranted surgery; surgery I may not have needed had I been kept on the physical theray, message therapy and chiropractic care .
There is not much they can do because of my knee problems, so they are trying to get me going to a school for 8 hours out of the day, so they do not have to pay for the permanent damage done to my back and the need for knee replacement now. I'm so angry! This is why we need government healthcare.
We all remember how during Desert Storm Jessica Lynch of the 507th Maintenance BN out of Fort Bliss, TX, was kidnapped by Iraqis when her unit was ambushed on March 23, 2003. She was later rescued by a Special Operations team, becoming the first American POW to be rescued. What also happed during that time was the rescue of Shoshana Johnson and four others from the same 507th Maintenance unit.
Jessica was rescued having never been shot or raped by her captors. Shoshanna on the other hand had been shot and if my memory is correct, was raped as well. Jessica was white and Shoshana was black. Jessica received 80% disability while Shoshana received 30%.
This is only one of many stories of institutionalized racism and mistreatment of African-Americans in not only the the military, but in all aspects of American big business. I too have been discriminated against, such as when I had the highest points of any Specialist (E-4) in our Battalion, while stationed in Germany, yet I was never promoted to Sergeant until some years later. An African-American Lieutenant, especially in the Military Police MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) was very rare; in-fact I only saw one during my entire Army and Marine enlistments, and he was a damn good officer
Senator Patty Murray is the ONLY Senator I have seen for myself that does everything to level the playing field and get all vets the equal respect that they deserve for their loyalty and sense of sacrifice for the most beautiful nation. It is because of Senator Murray that I have had hope even before President Barack Obama was elected our first president with African-American blood (He is HALF African-American and HALF Caucasian American, but most racists fail to see all of what and who he is; fixating only on his African American blood).
Being the true leader that she is, Senator Murray was very angry when she was made aware of the treatment I had been receiving from the Department of Veteran Affairs for the last 14 years and got things rolling with my PTSD, major depression, knee deteriorations from multiple surgeries and now arthritis due to no menisci, back and kidney injuries sustained because of the regime of 800 mg Motrin prescribed because the swelling would never go down in my left knee after having three surgeries on it in a 14-month period; leading to my being medi-vac’d from Landstuhl, Germany to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC for 6-months and then med’d out of the military. I'm currently awaiting the VA medical board's decision to finally put me at 100% disability, from the 80% disability I have now (40% for each knee and conveniently leaving out the 20% disability I had for my spine since 1998). Because I attempted to re-enter the military as a paralegal, the Veteran’s board found that the reasons for my being permanently denied re-entry into the military services was because of the extreme case of arthritis in both knees, so they up’d my rating to 40% for each knee. In doing this they retracted the 20% rating for my spine, so I would not get 100% disability, and then told me that if I wanted it would be no problem at rating me at 100%. Because, after trying to get employed at every business I could, with my new bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a minor in Law, Societies & Justice (March 16, 2007), I found that still, no one would hire me for anything accept as a Security Guard.
So I got a job as a Security Patrol Officer and lasted for almost a year, until my knee and spine gave out at the same time, requiring surgery on my back and a left knee pain that is never ending and has led to me falling on the ground four times in the last week. If I had been given the 100% disability I would not have the surgically altered back, extreme anger and depression and inability to care for my wife who now needs me more than ever with terminal cancer.
Because of all of this, I have just turned into a grumpy old man. I don't like speaking to people much; concentrating mostly on my wife and kids. I can't be cheerful to people, as I used too, or if I am, it can change in a split second. I don't want to put my friends through my moodiness (anger and depression). Sometimes I get so paranoid, that I lash out, or I get so angry, I speak while carefully enunciating with grinding teeth and an obvious annoyance at having to explain myself. I've become very impatient with everyone. Like I said, I've become a grumpy old man who would rather just be alone. I have insomnia, not falling out till 5 or 6 in the morning, constantly checking the doors, windows and rooms throughout the night. I have dreams of doing harm to others and when I finally do fall asleep, when I wake up my back and knees are locked; a paralyzed sensation. I wear my two bulky knee braces all of the time and use a cane. I try and walk upright because it limits the spasm pain on my back above where the injury occurred and sharp pain where the disc had been painful before the surgery.My wife has often said, if she should pass, I will immediately get married again and forget about her. I have responded; I will travel by car around the United States, not having to deal with anyone. I will never re-marry, because she is my world. I won't be a pleasant person to be around for quite some time, so I'll only be around for holidays until I can get my mind together by spending time only with myself. I feel I will eventually die myself from the excruciating pain and loneliness if my wife should be taken so prematurely.
What angers me so much about my wife’s current fight for her life is that it could have been prevented if not for selfishly greedy healthcare Companies who are now trying to prevent citizens from haviong the opportunity to have government healthcare plans which are better! and cheaper...
We had Aetna Healthcare while employed at Safeco Insurance Company. January 2001 she was diagnosed with stage 3B cervical cancer. One the first of February she went through surgery where they removed her lymph nodes from her hip(both sides) and then went through a regimen of radiation 5 days per week and chemotherapy once a week, for 4 months. She was determined to be cancer free at the end of May.
Because her lymph nodes were taken out, she lacked the ability to regulate the fluid in her legs. We lived in Auburn (30733 48th Ave, So, Auburn, WA 98001 and worked in Redmond; Safeco Insurance Company (4854 154th PL NE, Redmond, WA 98052). One way was 28.22 miles and roundtrip was 56.44 miles.
While my wife was going through her treatments, I had my hours changed to 4:00am till 11:30am (56.44miles roundtrip), then I would race home and pick her up and take her to her radiation or radiation and chemo (Tuesdays) at Virginia Mason Hospital 1100 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98111(48.46miles roundtrip), total miles = 104.9 miles. This while receiving less pay because my wife was on short-term disability, so she received only 2/3 of her pay.
She was supposed to have compressor stockings to omit the chances of her getting lymphedema, but the Aetna Medical Plan (supposed to be one of the best), of which we paid $352.55 per month for, would not pay for her compressor stockings or other care after treatment for cancer. Because of this, my wife had the ingredients of Lymphedema and radiation, which is the constant in the rare case of Angiosarcoma developing, which is so far an incurable form of cancer.
Government healthcare does pay for compressor stockings and all preventive care, necessary to reduce healthcare costs and save lives, like that of my wife. People need to be aware of stories like ours, so they can see the reasons for why they need to contact their Congressional Representatives and Senators and use my case as to why we need the option of government healthcare and not just private healthcare.
She returned to work, but three times she had to be hospitalized and given intravenous antibiotics, because of the exertion required to work everyday was too much and the fever she kept getting, probably because of the lymphedema. She went on short-term disability and then on long-term disability, and then Safeco fired her while on long-term disability.
Please, it is vital to not cave in on the healthcare plan giving us the option to take the government plan instead of the private “anything for a profit” plan, which cares for money more than the lives of their patients. No government option is NOT an option. Because of this, I may lose the one I love so much too soon. She’s only 53 years old and I am 47 years old. I served honorably in the US Marines and US Army. She was with me my entire enlistment in the Army. She deserves better. She deserves what we had while in the military.
I find it creepy that Senator McCain of all people would rip the torture probe < http://www.comcast.net/video/mccain-rips-torture-probe/1101353163/ >. Senator McCain remember, discredited many veterans who have been missing in action and the families left behind who have begged for the Senate to continue looking for their loved ones in Vietnam, He is despised by legions of Vietnam veterans, and particularly the families of MIAs, American POWs or Missing-In-Action never returned by the North Vietnamese Communists. Take a look at the video on YouTube about the disgraceful blocking of the 1992 POW/MIA Senate hearings by McCain, or the voluminous material provided on the Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain website. He is especially despised by the Swift Boat Vietnam veterans whose ads condemning the phony heroics of John Kerry prevented the nightmare of a Kerry Presidency. When the ads came out in August of 2004, McCain publicly denounced the Swift Boat veterans as "dishonest and dishonorable." “DOUBTING MCCAIN”. Dr. Jack Wheeler. DR JACK WHEELER’S TO THE POINT. Thursday, 07 February 2008.< http://www.tothepointnews.com/content/view/3077/2/ >.
Senator McCain is now scrutinizing President Obama and his policy of ending torture as a tool during interrogations. What torture may do, as Senator McCain may have an inside track on, is that torture can be used to brainwash and individual over time. There is so much we do not know about Senator McCain, yet so many have had to suffer because of the power he commands as a Senator.
Senator McCain is getting 100% disability, free medical and dental care for him and his family, yet can still receive money as a Senator and other avenues, which the rest of us mere veterans are prohibited from doing.
“It’s okay for Senator McCain, but not for those truly in need,” should be his motto.
PROOF THAT JOHN MCCAIN IS A TRAITOR TO HIS COUNTRY
By Juli Norwood - Nov 3rd, 2008 at 1:38 am EST
Proof that John McCain is a Traitor to his country, and that he covered it up and is unfit to be President!
He willingly gave up information that significantly increased the loss of military planes by 60% and significantly increased the loss of lives! People died because of the information he gave to the enemy. John McCain used his influence and power to have his POW and Military records permanently sealed from public scrutiny! What is he hiding; Americans deserve to know the truth about John McCain!
quote by Former POW Mark A. Smith, captured April 7, 1972 about John McCain below
"My concerns are simple. I believe that any and all of the intelligence held by U.S. Government agencies on Senator McCain's time as a POW must be made available to the media and public. There is too much danger of a President being held hostage by things in the files of Intelligence agencies and, even more dangerous, held in the files of foreign governments in Asia and Europe." Former POW Mark A. Smith, captured April 7, 1972 end quote.....................................
Republicans Allege McCain Covered Up His Collaboration with the North Vietnamese While a POW
http://www.alternet.org/election08/99663/republicans_allege_mccain_covered_up_his_collaboration_with_the_north_vietnamese_while_a_pow/
McCain's Military Record Shows He Is Unfit To Be President
http://goneblogwild.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccains-military-record-shows-he-is.html
I don’t trust this man and neither should the people of the United States. President Obama knows of what needs to be done and does not need Senator McCain holding him up at every juncture, because all that he accomplishes in doing so is harming hard all Americans because of this childish act of defiance.
Senator McCain and the rest of the right wing evil-doers need to go away and sulk in their own hate.
This is my opinion and in no way represents that of my friends, family and those I have chosen to send this email too; I’m just fed up with the hypocrisy we continue to be force-fed by the elitists in our beautiful country.
Ask any University of Washington women's basketball fan from the Mendiolas'(Giuliana and Gioconda- from Orange County in LA and played basketball for UW in Seattle) era and they will tell of the serious overstep in racism they from the ASU fans. I remember that time and was absolutely disgusted at how they behaved. It honestly reminded me of our racist past (and present); realizing at that time how much the Latino community must also endure.
Currently, Latinos are being stereotyped and viciously profiled when it comes to law enforcement's using the violence of law in abusing the Latino community, while we American citizens simply look the other way. We're cowards and we're lazy. We should do more.
Does anyone realize that we have more illegal alien Canadians than we do Mexicans in this country? They don't pay the taxes we do, yet they have homes here, they work here and yet they come over the border un-harassed everyday; often easier and with less harassment than Americans (black Americans and Latino Americans for sure).
When you know, from a very young age, that you will be harassed because of the color of your skin; when you see your Caucasian counterpart being treated as good, trustworthy and promoted as a leader with lightening speed, yet you are consistently denied, you are condition (brainwashed) into believing you are less human and deserving of the added violence of the law whenever your number is called. Well, this needs to stop now!
Illegal aliens have always been here and we need to find them and do what needs to be done to correct what we knowingly allowed before 9-11.
If we are going to check Latinos with methods of profiling, since Canadians out-number Mexican illegals, we should profile them as well. Every time we see someone who is white, we must generate a conversation. If during that conversation they end their sentences with "eh", we notify the local police and surveil these suspected illegals until local law enforcement or immigration officials can check their papers. Now, if you think this is silly or you can stomach this, yet you have ignored or cheered on the on-going harassment of our Latino Community members, you just might be a racist, or at the very least a victim of the conditioning we all have been subjected to in hating on ethnic members of color in our otherwise beautiful country.
I think this needs to be addressed because I absolutely love my Canadian friends and family and I absolutely love my Latino friends and family. I would not want to be faced with sacrificing one of my children and declaring "safe" the other in the spirit of "economic blaming," so why in the living hell would I agree to sacrifice either a Canadian or a Latino? Think America! Think about what we are being asked to do and for God's sake, speak the hell up! Damn, I hate ignorant lazy people! Get out of your little comfort zone and be a man or woman, get off your lazy ass and speak up before too many innocent people are harmed by the violence of our law, under our watch! I mean really, talk about a "slippery slope," when all of the persons of color are locked up our expelled from our country, will white brunettes be next? Oh wait..."Emos (black hair) will be next, then brunettes. Gotta get my secret American cast system correct...
Why we need a “Single-Payer” Health Care System
link: http://www.democrats.com/single-payer-petition?source=firstlisten%40comcast.net
As a US Marine Corps Veteran, as well as an 80% disabled veteran of the US Army, I fully support a Single Payer Health Plan for all Americans.
The Veteran’s Administration only covers healthcare of my “service-connected” disability left and right knee, as well as my back.
On August 31, 2000, I lost my oldest brother (Rufus Martin) to a tragic accident while working as a longshoreman in Seattle, WA. < http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20000902&slug=4040189 >; < http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030908&slug=policefire08m >; < http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20000902&slug=4040135 >. Even though his employer had been cited numerous times for OSHA violations that directly contributed to this accident, Judge Alsdorf ruled in favor of my brother’s employer and the city.
In December of that year, my wife (Margita Martin) was diagnosed with stage 3B cervical cancer. While recovering from her bought with cancer on long-term leave, my wife was fired from her job at Safeco Insurance Company-former Republican challenger to Democrat Senator Maria Cantwell in the US Senate.
With Social Security now, my wife does not have good healthcare benefits, as she only gets approximately $500.00 per month and no prescription discounts and no funding assistance for “compression stockings,” which has resulted in her having “elephantitus” of the legs, which have permanently resulted in her legs getting tighter and tighter.
The Republican Party believe less government is best, which includes no “Single-Payer” system, which would immediately cut costs because the government would be the only entity for hospitals to bill, as apposed to many documents with different forms to fill out all of the time. A cheaper system would mean that much more income into American pockets. This would obviously give middle-class Americans more of their own income to keep, strengthening the “middle-class,” Which republicans do not want.
Instead Republicans have their lobbyists, with their suitcases full of money, taking kickbacks to pass legislation that funds products for “erectile” dysfunction, instead of life saving products for woman after having survived the battle to put cancer into remission. It’s time our political leaders started using “ moral-common sense” when passing legislation.
My wife and I took in my late brother's youngest surviving son (Marc Martin) and we were already raising three other children of our own.
With losing my wife's income and only having my one income, we were unable to fulfill our financial commitments, resulting in our filing for bankruptcy and losing our home with predatory lender-Aames Home Loans and Countrywide Financial. Bad credit, as a result of this life-changing time, led to our being socially and economically discriminated against, when seeking gainful employment.
Social-economic outcast such as our family are denied decent medical coverage, as are millions of other Americans.
I have PTSD, and I am permanently handicapped as a result of my service to my country twice, yet the Veteran’s Administration continues to deny me “unemployability” status, which would increase my medical coverage and include my wife.
There are so many stories like ours in this country, which a “Single-Payer” Health Care System would address in a large way.
Please support a “Single Payer Health Care System.
Sincerest Regards,David Martin
Does anyone know of the societal history of the Weimer Republic? This was arguably the MOST liberal democracy before WWI; the German society, pre-Nazism. The Jewish population was ostracized and so had to create their own society outside the mainstream German society. The German society then experienced the great Depression, which did not affect the Jewish society because they had to operate on the outside. Hitler then used them as scapegoats to their financial troubles, which helped him gain mass support from the German people.
This doctrine of hate became a runaway generator of power for Hitler, which eventually morphed into destroying them (the enemy of the state). Hateful rhetoric from a political leader controlled the minds of its governing bodies. This was done by a domination of communication.
My mother is an 80 year old black woman, who has been conditioned into thinking FOX News is the gospel. I must periodically give her an alternative by showing her MSNBC as well as FOX. She then realizes that times have been changing to where she once dreamed it would be. She simply did not know. The conditioning has kept her locked in a perpetual state of inferiority because of the color she was born into, because that is the way the society she grew up in said it should be.
The power possessed by our elected leaders can not be underscored. Conditioning of a person has long-term ramifications; like the difference between a collision claim (repair physical damage, like a dent in your car, which ends when the vehicle is repaired and then you close the claim) and a casualty claim (fix damage from a medical disabling harm, which can last for years, claim will not close for years; long-tail) in insurance.
The US legal system only recognizes physical damage (a domestic violence victim has a black eye or broken bone), while the I.C.C. (International Criminal Court) recognizes mental harm (hate speech which ignites a group into creating laws that further subjugate a group of people because of the color of their skin, the religion they practice, or the preference in living their lifestyle). The US is not obligated by the ICC, which is why the Republican Party extremists are so blatant in their abuse of the economically lower class within our society.
We have a society which is unbalanced in the access to the protections of our legal system. White men have and still do hold the highest paid jobs by a large disproportionate majority (actually and by percentage of their population). White men, when charged with the exact same crime as a black man are highly more likely to get probation, while the black man gets incarceration. White men, before November 4, 2008 where 100% more likely to hold the highest office in America; women now fall to the bottom on that list.
Like it or not, or laws and societal structure are disproportionately favored toward white men.
It may not be legal to impeach those who would do harm to others, because there has not been a precedent set, or a law created to dictate such a justifiable outcome, here in the United States of America. However, the world thinks it should be the case. Every democracy in the world, except the United States of America, has a Parliamentarian style of government. In a Parliament, we would have that power to impeach the whole lot of them.
HB 1624 and SB 5522 basically cyber fitting our voting process
my recent response sent to a representative in response to an email from that representative, which I felt minimized my earlier reasons for stating my opposition to HB 1624 and SB 5522 (basically, cyber-fitting our voting process),
I completely disagree. This will only lead to another window of opportunity for those with deceitful intentions to infect our political process. In this time of cost-cutting and streamlining our societal functions in order to make for a more efficient nation; we must also exercise due diligence in not going to the extreme in fulfilling this goal. Our mission statement should take into account common sense applications that will assure our safety in fulfilling our democratic goals. My youngest daughter has been a victim of domestic violence and cyber-bullying. Even though she now lives with us and has a restraining order against the perpetrator, she still encounters acts of cyber-bullying which the law enforcement agencies have stated they just can't prevent from happening. Our legal system is based on addressing a harm after that harm has been realized, not preventing it from happening in the first place, which we know would be more efficient.
Our laws are grossly-flawed (grossly inadequate) when it comes to protecting our domestic violence victims, which we as a society have been conditioned to simply accept (lump-it). This appears to be the same template we use in adjudicating our election laws, should the internet be used as a tool for having access to this right.
Until we can truly protect those who would be victimized by our denial of the gray-areas that fall victim to our black-and-white lens by which we view any violation of ones rights when accessing remedies for being victimized by our laws, seeking to cyber-fit our 15th Amendment (right-to-vote) at this time, would do more harm than good.
This would indeed give soldiers deployed overseas and citizens not able to stand the long lines at the polls an additional avenue by which to exercise their Constitutional right, but we already have absentee balloting, which is the most efficient way at this time to safeguard this right. If we can fly a man or woman to the moon; we can surely get the absentee ballots from our soldiers abroad to the polling stations her at home before Election Day. We can step up the “early-voting” process, for our soldiers or a host of other measures that would not compromise the integrity of our 14th Amendment right, without subjecting that right to the hi-jacking of our short-falling legal system in remedying a potential harm by those who would intentionally jeopardize the execution of that Constitutional right. If we, as citizens, are harmed as a result of a breech in the safeguards put in place to protect our political process, we can then seek a remedy, but we cannot use our courts to remedy a harm from a presumption of a breech or a harmful act that does not physically harm us.
With that said; our legal system process is such that a wrongly elected leader can be put in place, and hold office, long after that harm has been addressed for remediation. The former president is indicative of this act, which was never remedied as Democratic Presidential candidate Al Gore did not pursue the issue, because he knew the cost was too great for a seeking of law’s protection, which was not equipped to clear the hurdle of a less than physically tangible harm. In the end, our nation has gravely suffered as a result of this illegality. Not allowing for internet voting is the only preventive measure we have, until a more efficient legal process can be created. It is for this reason I ask that you please voice my objections to its implementation.Sincerest regards,David Martin”
It angers me that I must attempt to make our elected leaders feel guilty by putting them into a place where they can actually feel the hurt and pain that one most effected by the violence of a law. Our laws have a large failure of creating an environment of zero-sum outcomes (there is a clear winner and a clear loser), which requires a re-examining on how we construct laws that govern our society. One side must clearly lose, while the other side clearly wins. I would argue that we are not so “black and white” anymore and so, we must reexamine our approach to the creation of domestic and foreign policies which encompass a more “graying (compromise)” of our laws.
We are all the product of a society that has pitted “us-against-them”. In this ever-changing “global-society,” we must move away from partisan politics and embrace a more “inclusive” approach to the laws that govern our society.
RESPECT is the new template we demand be used when crafting legislation by our elected leaders, because bi-partisan politics only creates new enemies and a further legitimizing of the hate the losing side references when “home-growing” our new enemies of “real-change”.
These days I find myself hopeful, but very vigilant of our societal leaders who struggle to keep things as they are, even when our country and our world grow united in the fight for change.
2008; Republican Presidential Candidate, Senator John McCain asked that his supporters during his concession speech to join him in supporting President Barack Obama in this time of a run-away national economy and terrorist threats that America finds herself facing today. I honestly thought he was a classy gentleman that night in Colorado, but now I see that he is a manipulative politician and a compulsive liar.
Watching as Senator McCain would change from one personality to another during the presidential debates, angrily chastising President Obama in an attempt to make President Obama appear as subordinate, while stumbling over facts in foreign policy which was supposed to be his expertise; Watching as Senator McCain gave orders behind doors to the Republican Party to release racists propaganda in an effort to de-legitimize President Obama when President Obama was not the person who committed the acts the Republican National Party-Senator McCain-Governor Palin had attempted to tie President Obama too, then uncomfortably denouncing these tactics when the next day polls showed this tactic didn’t work (throwing everything out there to see what stuck); and other failed attempts at keeping the American public enthralled in this yester-year conditioning which kept racist and misogynists in a state of complete power was something that literally made me sick.
This constant hate rhetoric and lies, requiring President Obama and every African-American and mixed American with African blood to explain ourselves was sickening. To watch as many in our country would not only listen too, but defend these tactics was literally heart-breaking and has placed me back in a place I thought I had rid myself of long ago. I’m overjoyed at the answer from my fellow Americans, but I am so sickened by the Republican politicians still in power. They anger me and sicken me.
President Obama has rightfully decided that in order to stimulate the economy, we must inject a large infusion of capital. The strategy needed at this time would be that of strategically injecting this capital into certain areas of our economy, while withholding this infusion from other areas, so that they do not cancel out each other.
President Obama has already explained to the American people the reasons for why we find ourselves in this dire economic situation. In my opinion, he honestly identified them correctly,
Now, President Obama has called for the American people to join him in his support for the House-passed Economic Stimulus Packet. This packet has very important financial aid for state economies suffering from this economic recession. Many states are experiencing a failing budget for unemployment benefits; veteran’s benefits; money for homeless shelters; food stamp programs; work programs; education; housing; as well as infrastructure projects that would create jobs. Most of our poor are feeling this need of state assistance more than anyone else, so the Republican Party naturally targeted state funds in their efforts to sabotage this important stimulus bill. Remember, President Obama won, not Senator McCain, so why are they allowed to harm the working class Americans further?
We need to honestly give our president the chance we ALL voted he should have. For the Republican Party to vote 100% against President Obama makes this old black man feel as if they are simply acting as the old racists their party endorses. The words or Rush Limbaugh and David Duke this past week were always expected, just like the silence when I waited for at least one Republican to separate their party from these two well-known racist individuals.
I think America is past our racist past.
Here are some facts of African-American life:
African-American adult unemployment has remained twice as high as Caucasian unemployment for more than 30 years; 3 times as high among young people. African-American women make 89% of what Caucasian women make; African-American men make 67% of what Caucasian men make. 53% of African-American men aged 25-34 are either unemployed or earn too little to lift a family of 4 from poverty. 21% of African-American high-school graduates are unemployed, 10% of whites. 34.4% of African-American high-school drop-outs are unemployed-18% of whites. African-Americans hold only 10.1% of U.S. jobs and are dramatically underrepresented in many professions. They are only 3.2% of lawyers, 3% of doctors, and less than 1% of architects. African-American males have both the lowest average level of educational attainment and the highest percentage-nearly 50%-of workers with more education than their jobs require. Caucasian males with a high-school diploma are just as likely to have a job, and tend to earn just as much as African-American males with college degrees. Light-skinned African-Americans have a 50% better chance of getting a job than dark-skinned African-Americans. African-Americans are rejected twice as often for small business loans than whites of comparable credit.
David Martin
Here’s the letter,
*********************
There’s more,
I hope America again takes another step away from our racist past by sending the Republican Party a resounding rejection at the next term elections.
I would love if impeachment proceedings would immediately be implemented against those Republican officials who have no valid reason for voting against the President’s stimulus plan, other than doing so because they were told to do so by their Party leaders. Unlike most allegiance to Party lines, this is due to the influence of a racist talk show host, when we are in such dire times as a nation. All elected officials take an oath to uphold the dictates of the Constitution, as servants to ALL of the people; elected office of service. If there is any indication that they have become an enemy of the state (Fascism: using their elected powers to act against the people, in favor of big business), that is immediate grounds for impeachment.
I would also like to add to Karen's email which I agree with fully. Obama is against the right for gays to marry and other civil rights matters which make his stance on issues like this hypocritical. Don't get me wrong, I love Obama and even served as a delegate in my precinct for him, but there are issues we completely disagree on and this is one of them. I'm a Catholic, but that does not mean I agree with all of the Catholic teachings literally. I believe the Bible is supposed to be interpreted symbolically, not literally. This is because it is supposed to be a "working" document, meaning it is supposed to grow with the times, making it everlasting. I believe abortion is one such subject. There are a host of reasons for having an abortion and to suggest that birth control is somehow deserving of being the major, rather than being the minor factor in that decision process is insulting (misogynistic) to women and to me is the ultimate form of disrespect you can give to God's only entity for creating life. If it weren't for women, we all would not be here to have these discussions in the first place. Women have always been the humanistic side to any argument, yet men have historically attempted to silence them and render them as 2nd class. We men need to grow some and stop acting like its weak to admit we have always been wrong, assuming that to acquiesce to a women's intuition is somehow weak and un-Godly. Where do we think we come from anyway? If you want to look for a villain in this argument, you need walk no further than the closest mirror. Women have this tool of abortion available to them for a host of reasons, the major reasons being for health reasons and violent rape with birth control being secondary to health or rape because you control the birth to save the woman's life at that time or later if she is to continually be victimized by a brutal rapist by carrying his child or being forever linked to this evil perpetrator because of our legal system designed to benefit men. That is to say, the legal system allows for this felon to have visitation rights with this child or even custody. They make arguments like the mother wanted to abort him/her or the felon has a right of law to file for visitation rights because he fathered the child. Or, in the case of our increasingly fascist [government and big-business working in concert against the "will" of the people, e.g. wall street and automaker bailout with Republicans threatening veto of bill with a bailout ($500.00 tax-cut) for the people] society, the felon may be some rich bastard who raped an under aged child of a poor working-class family, and given that our court system is flawed with a bias for those with the monetary might to buy the best lawyer to argue their case in an institution of secrets and traditions the ordinary public is not aware of unless versed in the highly advanced education of law. The felon will have a higher percentage at continuing his torture of any one of our daughters, which you now argue to make even more advantageous to a would-be destroyer of her future life. As a father of daughters and as an African-American who has constantly been conditioned in a society that has put me and women at a disadvantage, that is how I see it and I wish for only one day, you too could see it through my lenses. I applaud you Karen and full-heartedly agree with you. David MartinVeteran U.S. Marines/ disabled veteran U.S. Army
Obama is for abortion rights, but he stated birth control along with reasoning. I'm assuming he thinks as I do, having two daughters, and believes birth control is secondary to the other reasons I have stated as well. I don't know for sure though. Maybe he'll read this and comment.
