Mother of Five Murdered; Her Only Crime - She Was Muslim

It’s a sad world we live in when innocent people are killed because of their ethnicity, color of skin, or sexual orientation.  It boggles the mind how much hatred there is in this world between people because of their differences.  Some politicians like to trumpet the idea that America is the freest country in the world based on the bedrock principles of “freedom of religion” and “equality for all”; “equality for all” does not exist when a Muslim woman wearing a Hijab is bashed repeatedly in the head with a tire iron until she’s left to bleed out and a young black boy wearing a hoodie is not able to walk through a gated community without being called a “f#cking coon” before being shot and murdered for the offense of being black.

In case you haven’t heard…a mother of five was murdered in her home for the crime of being Muslim – The San Diego Union-Tribune writes:

An Iraqi immigrant and mother of five died Saturday of injuries from a severe beating in her El Cajon home, where a note warning the family to “go back to your own country” was left next to her.

El Cajon police said they are investigating the possibility of a hate crime.

The attack on Shaima Alawadi, 32, has shocked and grieved Muslims and others in San Diego and beyond.

Some passionate white Christian Evangelicals are against immigrants who move to America even though most of their ancestors are immigrants.  There are those who are afraid of the “Negros” because of their skin color even though blacks are Americans too.  They rage against homosexuals because they disapprove of whom homosexuals choose to love.  This type of philosophy goes against everything that Evangelicals say God stands for and against everything that our country symbolizes.  Regardless of our differences – we all have one thing in common.  We are HUMAN beings and no one deserves to be treated in such a manner.

People around the world regard America as a place where all people regardless of their ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation can come together, be equal and express themselves freely and openly.  It’s a place we claim immigrants can come to for democracy and a better way of life; it should not be a place where you are harassed and killed because you don’t fit a certain mold.

“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction…The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.”
~MLK

These poignant words of Martin Luther King Jr. still ring true today; MLK fought for civil rights and equal treatment for all people in this country.  His effect on America and its people is beyond measure.  One can only wonder what Martin Luther King, Jr. would think about the racism and bigotry that still exists today.  We should not let his fight for civil rights and equality be in vain.  Instead of ignorance…EDUCATE.  The next time you see a Muslim…and think terrorist – get to the know the person and their culture; you may change your mind.  If you see a black person walking down the street…don’t assume that he is a criminal…certainly don’t chase him down the street waving a gun.  STOP the hate.

The 1% of the 1%

The differences between the middle class, working poor and upper middle class are not really that far off.  A person making $250k a year is doing well…but they’re not rich.  They’re just living the proverbial American dream that by the way…is nearly extinct in America.  The real issue isn’t necessarily the top 1% either – as in 2009 – you only needed to make $343, 927 to be in the top 1% of wage earners.  I know that’s not pocket change…but it’s hardly stealing democracy through obnoxious, hoarded wealth.  The real issue is really the 1% of the 1% or .01% of highest income earners.  Thanks to the wonders of “trickle down economics” – there has been a distribution of wealth…upward to the top .01%.

As David Kay Johnston at Reuters explains:

National income gained overall in 2010, but all of the gains were among the top 10 percent. Even within those 15.6 million households, the gains were extraordinarily concentrated among the super-rich, the top one percent of the top one percent.

Just 15,600 super-rich households pocketed an astonishing 37 percent of the entire national gain.

Saez shows that the top one percent’s share of real income growth is increasing with each economic expansion and it matters not whether the president is a Democrat or Republican. The top one percent enjoyed 45 percent of Clinton-era income growth, 65 percent of Bush-era growth and 93 percent of Obama-era growth, though that is only through 2010.

While markets are a factor, I think the evidence makes clear that government policy is at the core of the differing fortunes of the vast majority and the super-rich.

From Paul Krugman relative to incomes:

Notice that the rise is almost entirely concentrated in the top 1 percent; even the bottom half of the top 10 percent went nowhere, which tells you once again that this is about the 1 versus the 99, not the top 20 versus the lower class. And yes, the data are overwhelming support for a rise in inequality.

Now you have all these facts – empirical evidence and what to do with it?  Well – in an election year..we get to vote for the person we think will best represent our own needs.  Some things to consider….remember – David Kay Johnston said, “While markets are a factor, I think the evidence makes clear that government policy is at the core of the differing fortunes of the vast majority and the super-rich.”  Well – consider these policies for a moment…

WHO YOU VOTE FOR MATTERS

#1 – Mitt Romney refused to say he’ll get rid of loopholes for the 1% of the 1% – otherwise known as his neighbors and major donors.  Source: HERE

#2 - Study: Romney Tax Plan Heavily Tilted to Those With Highest Incomes

#3 – Under Mitt Romney – the top .1% of earners ($2 million+) will receive a $750,000 tax cut on average.  Source: Here

#4 – Romney is going to eliminate the vast majority of whatever social safety net we have left.  Source:HERE and HERE.

#5 – In order to pay for these tax cuts for the rich – Romney is going to increase the deficit by trillions more than President Obama.  Source: HERE