Liberal Democrat

Liberal Democrat
Individual Freedom For Everyone

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Thom Hartmann: Senator Sherrod Brown: 'Not Your Eisenhower Republicans'

Source:Thom Hartmann- President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican, Kansas) 34th President of the United States.

"Thom Hartmann talks with Sherrod Brown, Senator Sherrod Brown
Bio: U.S. Senator (D-OH)
Website:Senator Sherrod Brown about changes in both political parties over the years." 


In case it isn't obvious enough, (and if it isn't, you were probably born last night, at least when it comes to American politics) today's Republican Party, is not even the Dwight Eisenhower Republican Party, let alone the Grand Ole Party. And in complete fairness, today's Democratic Party is no longer John F. Kennedy's party, the faction of the Democratic Party that I'm from. I completely agree with Thom Hartmann (for perhaps the first time this year) and Sherrod Brown, who I tend to agree with more often, on a lot of other different things.

CBS News: Mitt Romney: 'I Won't Round Up Illegal Immigrants and Deport Them'


Source:CBS News- Governor Mitt Romney (Republican, Massachusetts) sounding reasonable on immigration. But he also goes by Flip Flopper, so wait til tomorrow and you might get a different position from him.

"Mitt Romney on Wednesday said at Univision's "Meet the Candidates" forum in Coral Gables, Fla., that his plan for immigration reform "isn't to deport people."

From CBS News

Looks like Mitt Romney is on a "who can I offend next tour." Yesterday it was 47% of the country. Today it was Tea Part Nationalists on illegal immigration. The way he's going, whose going to be left to vote for Mitt, especially after his family votes?

Brave New Foundation: 'Law & Disorder- How the System Really Works'

Source:Brave New Foundation- Dennis Farinia, when he was on Seasons 15 and 16 of Law & Order. RIP
Source:The Daily Journal

"On Law & Order, everything makes sense: the police chase after violent bad guys, the accused get a fair trial, and justice is blind. But is that the reality in the United States? Watch this video to have your mind blown about how unjust our system truly is.

Produced with the partnership of the American Civil Liberties Union, Constitution Project, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers."

From Brave New Foundation

A lot of these law enforcement shows about the justice system, all though most of them are entertaining, only focus on a small percentage of the crimes. But again we are talking about entertainment here. Who would want to watch a show that’s about shoplifting, or traffic stops, drunk driving an so-forth. People need to be able to differentiate between reality and entertainment and many times they are not the same thing. But even if the law enforcement shows showed the criminal justice system for what it is that it a lot about drug crimes and drug offenders and that a lot of these supposed crimes happen in African-American communities in urban areas, these shows would be accused of racism. For always highlighting young African-American men as suspects and criminals.

If these law enforcement shows showed the criminal justice system for what it really is, that it is basically about low-level felonies like shoplifting and misdemeanors, who would watch? Again I get back to the entertainment factor here. A lot of these shows as far as the crimes and how the detectives and prosecutors do their jobs even though they aren’t completely accurate, are at least realistic. As professionals in the criminal justice system will tell you. And even though they do tend to concentrate on a low percentage of crimes that are committed in America, they tend to do a good and accurate job. And they are realistic in the sense that crimes in America are committed by all Americans as far as ethnicity and race. And they don’t focus on one racial, or ethnic group in America.

Again to go back to Hollywood and reality it’s not the job of Hollywood to show exactly what life if like and the subjects that they cover. Their job is to be entertaining and hopefully realistic. Smart viewers want both, but unfortunately for lot of Americans they simply want to be entertained when they are watching TV. And even if these shows don’t show the criminal justice system for exactly what it is, again its Hollywood and if you’re a smart person you’re going to anyway how realistic the show is anyway by how informed you are about how the country works. And how much you know about current affairs in America including criminal justice, or whatever the issue is.