US Blues

[Sigh.] This is getting more and more difficult by the minute...

You know, I couldn't give two shits for Tookie Williams, but they shouldn’t have killed him. We’re never going to get there by government sanctioned killing. No way. No how. It is disgusting and despicable.

And spare me the “What he did was disgusting and despicable.”

No shit.

I hate criminals. Lock their asses up and never let them out to do it again. If they write books and produce DVDs to help kids avoid making similar mistakes, good on them, but that doesn’t undo the pain and suffering they’ve caused.

But government organized killing in cold blood does no one any good either. The more violence you have, the more you have. Less is better.

In the meantime…

Record deficits, tax-cuts for the richest people.
Jobs leaving and never coming back.
Wanton disregard and destruction of the ecosystem.
Record profits for the oil companies with gas prices soaring.
Heating oil and natural gas prices sky-rocketing.
Rampant corruption in the Republican controlled congress.
Lies and more lies being told.
Homeland security unable to cope with a hurricane, never mind terrorists.
A few people getting richer and richer.
A bunch of people getting poorer and poorer.

And a War. Not an unavoidable “you shouldn’t a oughta done that you godamn Nazis” war, but a “we’re gonna scare the shit outa you and lie to you and make shit up so you’ll support a war” war.

What can I do? I can’t tell if it is permanent or not, but I am left more or less speechless. The country is in a shambles, but what is the point of talking about it? I mean, all of it is in plain sight now, isn’t it? Do you need to tell someone who is watching their house burn down in the middle of the night that their house is on fire? What if they turn to you and say, “My house isn’t on fire, you’re just a bleeding heart liberal who hates my house, so why should I listen to you?”

You know what I think did it? The stupid “War on Christmas,” and all the other non-issues that get trotted out and hyped in the MSM as if they were something important. It is a device that is used over and over and over again. Dixie Chicks. The French. The 10 Commandments in Alabama. Calling people like Howard Dean treasonous for telling the truth. [Note: If you google "In Defense of Howard Dean" a link comes up that bypasses the free registration to read the linked article. Definitely worth the read.] And now we got a potential front-runner, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, co-sponsoring a bill to make flag-burning a crime. I mean, flag-burning? Hillary? C’mon, have a little mercy on us! Jesus Christ on a motorcycle with Mary in the sidecar!Even she doesn’t notice the house is in flames? What a waste of time.

[Time for a mini-rant: Down here in the 'burbs of Atlanta, I'm surrounded by patriots who get all fired up at the prospect of some no-good liberal-pansy-assed-yankee burning up old glory in an anti-war protest march nevermind that most of 'em never ever witnessed that not even on TV but in the meantime they adorn their Hummers, McMansions, mailboxes, even their torsos with old glory and they leave them out 24 /7 , with no light shining upon them in the dark of night, exposed to the elements until they are torn and frayed, but that's ok, that's just fine, but if someone has become outraged at the mess these fools have made of our country and wants to express that outrage by burning a flag, these "patriots" want to take away their freedom and put 'em in jail, freedom that they are always yammering on about, "that's why we're over there you damn commie!"]

I agree with George Clooney.

This song comes to mind, but I don’t know why. Maybe I’ll see if I can get my band to play it.

U.S. Blues
Music by Jerry Garcia / Words by Robert Hunter

Red and white/blue suede shoes
I'm Uncle Sam /how do you do?
Gimme five/I'm still alive
Ain't no luck/I learned to duck

Check my pulse/it don't change
Stay seventy two/come shine or rain
Wave the flag/pop the bag
Rock the boat/skin the goat

Wave that flag
Wave it wide and high
Summertime
Done come and gone
My oh my

I'm Uncle Sam /that's who I am
Been hidin' out/in a rock and roll band
Shake the hand that shook the hand
Of P.T. Barnum/and Charlie Chan

Shine your shoes/light your fuse
Can you use/them ol' U.S. Blues?
I'll drink your health/share your wealth
Run your life/steal your wife

Wave that flag
Wave it wide and high
Summertime done
Come and gone
My oh my

Back to back/chicken shack
Son of a gun/better change your act
We're all confused/what's to lose?
You can call this song/the United States Blues

Wave that flag
Wave it wide and high
Summertime done come and gone
My oh My
Summertime done come and gone
My oh My
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