Republican legislator Leo Berman, famous for authoring extreme legislation, continues to dive political dialect farther into the gutter by proposing his latest bill to force a candidate for president and vice-president to provide an "original birth certificate" as proof of having been legally born in the United States. Well, we know who the target is of this legislation don't we?
Texas State Representative Leo Berman (R) furthered his campaign against President Obama Tuesday, a man that he has before characterized as "God's punishment on us," by introducing a bill that would require future presidential and vice-presidential candidates to produce "the original birth certificate indicating that the person is a natural-born United States citizen" to the Texas secretary of state.
I just don't know what to think these days anymore about politicians. Sometimes I think those who are to the right of crazy such as Leo Berman does this kind of stuff to just shock and awe people--you know, grab headlines for the sake of grabbing headlines. But I just don't know if that is the case anymore. Legislation such as what Leo Berman proposes is just not worth the ink wasted to write it. This bill is as ludicrous as ludicrous gets, but you know what? It's still filed. It'll still be heard in committee. Given the new Super Majority in place, it is quite likely to make it to the floor and by God it is highly likely it will pass. Disgraceful.
Berman's disgraceful legislation codifies a couple of things for me. First, extreme is mainstream. Ole' Leo isn't the only one authoring crazy legislation, I mean the state of Oklahoma just passed a ballot initiative to ban Sharia Law! Sharia Law for goodness sakes, folks! Forget that pesky U.S. Constitution and the first amendment which protects against establishing religion. After all, the constitution allowed a large majority of Americans to elect a Muslim to Washington, right? I'd be willing to bet that at least 1/3rd of Oklahoma doesn't even know what Sharia Law is, but by golly some fringe group and/or candidate (cough--cough--Newt Gingrich--cough--cough) let them know it'll protect Oklahoma from a Muslim takeover emanating from Washington D.C. so it MUST BE PASSED! I wish I could write these jokes myself folks but geez they write themselves!
On to my second point here which is Berman-esque legislation is the epitome of the demise of political dialect today. With almost 10% unemployment in America, public education on the decline, a growing income gap between wealthy and poor, students priced out of higher education, threats of slashing health care, a declining global footprint that is the United States, and this is the kind of legislation our state, country, and media for goodness sakes, wastes time on. People are hurting. Our country is floundering. I don't blame one particular political party more than the other these days I blame us all. Look in the mirror and blame yourself. Why? Because we've allowed extreme to become mainstream and we tolerate it. We live in fear and allow fear to cripple us. We don't want diversity it's too difficult to integrate. We don't want equality it's too difficult to tolerate. So this is the nation we've become? No. I won't allow it. Texans are better than Leo Berman's extreme legislation. Our nation is better than the slope we are sliding down. I channel the better angles of our society, from both sides of the political spectrums, and summon you to duty to build a bridge between these two extremes and stand with me on it. I only pray that I'm not left standing alone.
To borrow a line abused by the latest fringe political group in America: I want my country back! |
