Do Your Job or GO Home !

I am, as you are a product of environmental influences, i.e., family attitudes and beliefs just to mention two. My father and mother were raised in lower-middle class socio-economic circumstances and brought a mixed religious bag of Catholicism and Methodism to their marriage. I guess you could say that my father pulled himself up by his boot straps and forged a better life than that which he or mother had as children. It should go without saying but I shall state it anyway, my folks were East St. Louis hard-nosed, blue-collar union people who voted the straight Democrat ticket in the 1930's and 1940's. However, I do recall a pivotal moment in time regarding my parents' political persuasions. It was the fall of 1952, I was thirteen, my brother Tom was nine; baby Marty was still a gleam in my daddy's eyes. We were living in the house on Rosemont Avenue, Washington Park. My father entered the house from work one evening and announced to mother at the supper table, "Well Lou, I did IT." I quickly thought, holy shit what did dad do and is mother going to 'go nuts' when she hears the confession? Before sorting through imagination scenarios, mom spoke and said, "I DID IT TOO!"...Now, I am really confused  with puzzlement. Their 'joint confessions was they had both voted for Republican, Dwight Eisenhower for President. They had abandoned the 'donkey-party.' The reason? They said that they thought a military man would keep their sons out of war because he would know the horrors of conflict. I didn't buy that logic then and I sure in the hell don't buy it today. However, I do believe my parents always attempted to 'give' the boys a better life than they had. Actually, I believe that is the sustaining philosophy and mission over the passage of time; all parents try to make things better for their off springs. The problem is most parents don't have a clue in differentiating between 'better and 'easier.'

As time marched on most of the Roustio clan stopped marching in the labor day parade and got atop the Elephant. I remained Democrat for the following  factors: (1) Jesus Christ messed me up with His constant rebuking of money-greed and embracing those liberal teachings, plus (2) I never made enough 'money' to be a good Republican who concerns himself about increasing taxes for a new school house or a' Brown-face' person's food stamps and (3) the 'names' coach and 'jackass' seemed a perfect fit.

Politics today is truly a 'mess.' I can't pick up a newspaper or watch television news that I am not inundated with this swirling controversy about the government 'shutdown.' The tea bag intoxicated Republicans maintain a piss attitude about 'Obamacare.' That is as boring and predictable as a rerun episode of the 'Rifleman.' They are childish with their crybaby antics. It was back in the mid-1990's, the two parties agreed on a medical plan; it was geared to become law until the king of-tears, Newt stepped in and told his Republican buddies that passage would 'make Clinton LOOK good.' So much for 'My Country Tis of Thee.'

The Boehner Boner-Boys are of the same Gingrich cloak! Let's get this straight: Obamacare became LAW, the Supreme Court signed off stating that Obamacare is constitutional and yet as is still the case with the Social Security Law, the Republicans cannot accept some laws...so their attitude is-- let's not do the job we promised to do when elected to 'run' the nation's business...LET'S CLOSE BUSINESS!...As Jon Stewart said, "Don't fart and then blame the dog."

Several years ago, I saw a lot of pontificating Christians wearing those WWJD bracelets. You recall: What Would Jesus Do. Well what would your Jesus do about health care for all people regardless of financial concerns. Now before you answer, I am talking about the Jesus that 'touched' lepers.