Ticked Off Vic and the New Voting Prohibitions in Georgia

At the core of our country’s ideals is the promise that every adult citizen has a right to vote. More importantly, the vote is accepted and counted, regardless of any affiliations or labels. But there are some politicians, who for either personal gain or ideological reasons, would prefer to limit who has access to the voting booth.

In Georgia and Arizona, several GOP lawmakers have presented bills that if passed, would put boundaries on this most important of political actions. These people are not dumb. They know which members of the American public they are placing roadblocks in front of. They also know that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prevents them from outright discrimination. Instead, provisions are sneaked in under the radar using specific language and details that are not always obvious upon the first read. I could go on further, but I will let Vic DiBitetto (Ticked Off Vic) take it from here.

Warning: this video contains language that some may find offensive.

The fact that it takes a foul mouthed New York comedian to reveal the truth speak volumes.

Cry Me a River: The DC Rioters Ask For a Pardon

For every action, there is a reaction. In some circumstances, the reaction is taken by law enforcement and the legal system when laws are broken.

In the week and a half since the rioters broke into the Capitol building, there have been multiple arrests. Following the footsteps of you know, they have been complaining about mistreatment. The QAnon Shaman (otherwise known as Jake Angeli) has been whimpering that he is not receiving organic food while in prison. One of his fellow “protestors”, Jenna Ryan, claimed the following:

“I thought I was following my president. I thought I was following what we were called to do, flying there. He asked us to fly there. He asked us to be there. So I was doing what he asked us to do. So as far as in my heart of hearts, do I feel like a criminal? No,”

Cry me a f*cking river.

We all have the right to protest and speak out when we disagree with what our government is saying and doing. But there is a distinct line between protesting and mounting an insurrection because you are dumb enough to believe you know who’s lies.

What bothers me the most is Ms. Ryan’s statement is akin to the defense the Nazis made during the Nuremberg Trials. Otto Ohlendorf pleaded his case via the following:

Don’t you see, we SS men were not supposed to think about these things; it never even occurred to us. . . . We were all so trained to obey orders without even thinking that the thought of disobeying an order would simply never have occurred to anybody, and somebody else would have done just as well if I hadn’t. . . . I really never gave much thought to whether it was wrong. It just seemed a necessity.

I am going to end this post with the latest video from Ticked Off Vic, because he speaks the truth.

Thoughts on Ticked Off Vic: Elected Officials Who Think They’re the Ruling Class

The purpose of democracy is to ensure that the voice of the average citizen is heard. There is no aristocratic type hierarchy in which a ruler and the wealthy classes are more important than the average person on the street.

At least that is the idea.

The latest news from Washington D.C. is that the traditional Congressional August recess has left a few unresolved issues on the table. One of these is whether or not to continue to send an additional $600 a week in unemployment to those who are still jobless due to Covid-19. I have a few opinions on the topic, but I will let Vic DiBitetto (Ticked Off Vic) share his perspective. The nail has been hit on the head.

As usual, his videos contain language that might be offensive to some people.

Thoughts On Statue Removal & Ending Racism

The first step in solving a problem is admitting that there is one to begin with. But that is sometimes easier said than done.

The United States has had a problem called racism for 400 years. Politically and culturally, we have done some work to write the wrongs of the past. But that work is only a drop in the bucket compared to what has yet to be done.

It is nearly a month since George Floyd was murdered. Since then, Americans have protested his unnecessary death and the structural racism that is part of this country’s DNA.

Across the nation, there have been calls to remove statues and rename buildings that memorialize those who were responsible for the enslavement and subjugation of Americans of color. In my neck of the woods (aka New York City), the Teddy Roosevelt statue that greets visitors to the American Museum of Natural History will soon be non-existent.

Some say that this is going too far. There are other ways to redeem our past other than tearing down these monuments to history. If we take down statues of men like Robert E. Lee, we must take down statues of our Founding Fathers, who also owned slaves.

Warning: This video contains adult language.

As Ticked Off Vic says, there is a difference between Robert E. Lee and our Founding Fathers. While these were men of their time, there is a marked difference between their actions. The fact is statues and images speak volumes in ways that words cannot touch. If we are to move forward as a country, we must face up to our past and take some of these statues down. If we don’t, we will never be able to move forward as a nation.

Congressional Fail: The Hands in the PPP Money-pot

Government is supposed to work for the people. It is not supposed to be the other way around.

When the Paycheck Protection Program was created by Congress, it was enacted to provide financial aid the average American business owner who was affected by Covid-19. It was not enacted to line the pockets of Congressmen and women. And yet, some received loans from the PPP.

Now granted, they did not receive the loans directly. The loans were given to businesses run by their partners/spouses or families. That being said, members of Congress make a healthy annual salary of six figures. I doubt that they would be headed to the poorhouse if these businesses went under.

Some on the left may assume that it was only Republicans who took advantage of the lax rules that gave them access to these loans. The Congressmen and women accused of accepting the money come from both sides of the aisle. Two things bother me about this. The first is that some of the Republicans who voted against the bill received the loans. The second is that it brings up serious moral questions as to how they were able to secure the loans, given that members of Congress are technically barred from even applying in the first place.

*Warning: the video contains adult language that may be offensive to some people.

The fact is that it is our hard earned tax dollars. It does not belong to the government. It belongs to the American people. We give the government our money so they can provide for us. The fact that there is little oversight and too many questions bothers me. It should bother you.

We have an election coming up in less than six months. We need to tell those in the halls of power that we demand answers and transparency. If they are unwilling or unable to provide that information, they will no longer have a job. Period.