The Good Democrat

The American Civil War, Fought Over Slavery, Begun by South Carolina

From the Archives, I offer the following post. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War

With that shot on the Union ship “Star of the West” the Civil War officially began. The causes of the Civil War are complex and deep, however one word describes the heart of the division of America that led to actual fighting: slavery. Continue Reading The American Civil War, Fought Over Slavery, Begun by South Carolina…

Barack Obama’s SOTU Speech

I love this part:

Our schools share this responsibility. When a child walks into a classroom, it should be a place of high expectations and high performance. But too many schools don’t meet this test. That’s why instead of just pouring money into a system that’s not working, we launched a competition called Race to the Top. To all fifty states, we said, “If you show us the most innovative plans to improve teacher quality and student achievement, we’ll show you the money.”

Race to the Top is the most meaningful reform of our public schools in a generation. For less than one percent of what we spend on education each year, it has led over 40 states to raise their standards for teaching and learning. These standards were developed, not by Washington, but by Republican and Democratic governors throughout the country. And Race to the Top should be the approach we follow this year as we replace No Child Left Behind with a law that is more flexible and focused on what’s best for our kids.

You see, we know what’s possible for our children when reform isn’t just a top-down mandate, but the work of local teachers and principals; school boards and communities.

Take a school like Bruce Randolph in Denver. Three years ago, it was rated one of the worst schools in Colorado; located on turf between two rival gangs. But last May, 97% of the seniors received their diploma. Most will be the first in their family to go to college. And after the first year of the school’s transformation, the principal who made it possible wiped away tears when a student said “Thank you, Mrs. Waters, for showing… that we are smart and we can make it.”

Let’s also remember that after parents, the biggest impact on a child’s success comes from the man or woman at the front of the classroom. In South Korea, teachers are known as “nation builders.” Here in America, it’s time we treated the people who educate our children with the same level of respect. We want to reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. And over the next ten years, with so many Baby Boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

In fact, to every young person listening tonight who’s contemplating their career choice: If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child – become a teacher. Your country needs you.

well done, Mr. President. Here is the whole text of his 2011 State of the Union address

Conservatives Require Mass Bloodshed

In their own words:

Here at RedState, we too have drawn a line. We will not endorse any candidate who will not reject the judicial usurpation of Roe v. Wade and affirm that the unborn are no less entitled to a right to live simply because of their size or their physical location. Those who wish to write on the front page of RedState must make the same pledge. The reason for this is simple: once before, our nation was forced to repudiate the Supreme Court with mass bloodshed. We remain steadfast in our belief that this will not be necessary again, but only if those committed to justice do not waiver or compromise, and send a clear and unmistakable signal to their elected officials of what must be necessary to earn our support.

In other words, if the Supreme Court does not overturn Roe V Wade, conservatives will see it necessary as before to repudiate the Supreme Court with mass bloodshed. Whose blood do you think they’re talking about shedding?

Forget Jobs, Forget Fixing Budgets, Stop Abortion!

No one should be surprised that this is where Republicans choose to go once in power. Forget actually solving the problems facing states or the federal government.

Barack Obama

The face of a father of a nine year old contemplating the death of another father’s nine year old.

Sarah Palin’s Blood Libel

It’s not her that is saying it, it’s a concerted effort from the conservative “intellectual” crowd as well. They think they have a winner, that associating their ugly, charged violent rhetoric with the assassination attempt on Representative Giffords is equal to charging Jews with killing Christian children to use their blood for Jewish rituals. Yeah, I see the connection as well….in Bizzarro world. Where are the sensible conservatives to denounce such ugly rhetoric?

Glenn Beck Promotes Violence

Why does Glenn Beck need to be holding a gun while wearing a suit? Is he a policeman? An FBI agent? Secret Service agent? Nah, he’s just a radio and TV personality. So why exactly does he need to promote an image of himself carrying a gun as if in action?

Of course, the obvious is the contrast in the image with his text saying “we must stand together against all violence.”