The following originally aired on June 9, 2022, on WDIY’s Jennings Report.
I voted on May 17. I trust that you all did, too.
What a spectacle.
Lisa Scheller snubbed this show, allowing Kevin Dellicker to define himself as the
only candidate interested in getting votes from among WDIY’s listeners. And if
you are afraid to come on this show, do you have the necessary courage to argue
your case in the chamber of the US House of Representatives?
Without exception, Ms Scheller pushes all the hot buttons, making little effort to
hide her extremist positions on race and anyone who needs help.
Pat Browne, perhaps the most effective legislator who ever represented the Lehigh
Valley, apparently was toppled by a novice who supported Doug Mastriano.
Doug Mastriano?! State senator who is so reactionary he almost seems like a
cartoon character. Nobody has played the part of lap dog to Trump like he has. He
pushes all the buttons his lying, self-absorbed political mentor has. Why would
someone want the endorsement of the biggest liars in political history? And why
would you vote for someone who was endorsed by that liar? Party insiders wonder
about that too, openly expressing concern over his ability to defeat popular state
attorney general Josh Shapiro, Mastriano’s opponent.
The campaign for the newly-redrawn 134th state legislative district was a tough
one. Why would we take out someone with the experience of a four-term legislator
like Pete Schweyer just to elect someone who is Latin?. Well, because we want a
legislature that looks like its voters. But choosing someone based on race smacks
of the racism that usually goes in the other direction. Schweyer’s opponent, Enid
Santiago, who took a second shot at his seat, is an intelligent, well-spoken hell-
raiser who should have a future in elective office.
The critically-important Pennsylvania US Senate seat left open by the retirement of
very conservative Pat Toomey will feature at least one, if not two, unconventional
candidates in John Fetterman and either David McCormick or Doctor Oz.
And, finally, the newly created PA senate seat, the 14th district, is unresolved. The
Democrat will face Republican Dean Browning, who has run for every office in
the county.
Folks, the radical right likes to say that the radical left is too effective and too
successful. Are they serious?! Do we even have a radical left?
We clearly have a radical right and they are determined to set us back decades;
none of the progress we have made as a society, as a country, as a community is
safe. They are after a woman’s right to choose to end a pregnancy, set back
workers’ rights, they are actively race-baiting. They are trying to undo the gains we
have so painfully made on protecting the environment, with policies that will leave
our children and grandchildren a planet that is burning.
And the guns. What is it with the guns?!
The militia that the radical right has in mind is anything but well-regulated. Theirs
an anarchistic militia, an apocalyptic militia, a militia of white people storming our
capitol, the very symbol of democracy in our world. These people are well-armed.
The left doesn’t have a chance in the event of anything resembling civil conflict.
Nor do fourth graders or black people in Buffalo or any of the thousands before
them whose names have been all but forgotten.
How sick is it that the blood of our children is a price we are willing to pay to
protect the right of white men to own and use semi-automatic weapons.
The shooting in Texas was the 27th – 27th !!! – school shooting THIS YEAR! The
people who were supposed to be protecting the children were apparently too scared
to do their jobs. Two kids, ten years old each, smeared the blood of their fallen
classmates on themselves to make themselves look more authentic as they played
dead. How sick does our society have to be where that could even be considered,
much less by a ten-year-old?
How pathetic is it that Congress can’t make even the slightest progress in
controlling this madness because the Democrats can’t find even a few Republicans
to get the few votes needed to overcome a filibuster? Here is an example of how
the red states, like Kansas, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, the Dakotas, by
population, a small minority of Americans who have the same number of senators
as populous blue states like New York, California and New Jersey can control the
agenda.
Assault rifles have no place in the hands of civilians. They should be banned. If a
gun is used in a crime, the shooter as well as the gun owner should have an
automatic multi-year trip up the river. And the profits the gun companies make
following each of these tragic events should be taxed at 100%. Take every nickel
from these merchants of horror. Let’s even abandon the Star-Spangled Banner, a
militaristic ode to battle, in favor of America the Beautiful or This Land is Your
Land.
All of this is why every one of us must make voting the highest priority. Rise up!
Reasonable Americans can’t possibly believe that the lives of our children are
worth the right to own an AR15. If we do, then we have truly lost our way.