Why do people follow someone blindly?

Donald Trump wants to register Muslim Americans whether or not they have any ties to ISIS or other radical groups and he wants to deport the same and ban Muslim Americans from returning home, to their country, simply because they practice a religion that is named the same as what these radicals claim to follow.

Let's do the same to Christians because they must all be secret KKK members because THAT radical Christian group claims to follow the Bible.

It's unconstitutional and un-American. And it's basically the same thing Hitler did to the Jews.

There's a lot about "The Donald" in the news since he began campaigning for President. But this latest vocal condemnation on Muslim Americans has even the Republicans distancing themselves from him. One can simply do a Google or Bing search for "republicans distance themselves from trump Muslim" and find a slew of recent articles stating this. Here's just one: "GOP leaders distance themselves from Trump Muslim comments". Even other celebrities are criticizing his hate speeches. "Donald Trump: Piers Morgan, Muhammad Ali and others criticizing [sic] Republican candidate after Muslim ban speech."

But that doesn't seem to dampen the spirits of those willing to get behind him and admit (publicly, no less) that they'll vote for him. Why is that? It's simple, really. There are, sadly, people today - just like there were in WWII and have been throughout history, that fall for charisma. They fall for the fake compliments and promises. They so desperately need to have someone speak for them that they follow the first lunatic (and it's always a lunatic) that speaks out. We saw it with Hitler and the German people. They were as downtrodden as many feel we are today and they saw no way out. So when this little Austrian Jew, son of an unwed prostitute, spoke out against the Jews, blaming them for all the problems in Germany, many listened. None stopped to think that the Perfect Arian he touted looked nothing like him. They never questioned where he came from or what his background or credentials were. They were blind to all that because - he was saying what they wanted to hear.

Today is no different. People want to blame someone for the problems they have, they NEED to blame someone, anyone, to make it all make sense and ease their pains. What they fail to comprehend is that blaming a group of people is never the answer to anything. No single group of people can be blamed for something - especially when the blamed group is as diversified as those listening to their Demigod. But prejudice and bigotry blinds the eyes and ears to this pure and simple truth. Not all people are alike and not all religions are alike and not all people practicing a same-named religion are alike. Do all Christians believe what the KKK preach? Of course not and to blindly ban all Christians for what the KKK radical Christian group does is just as wrong as what Trump and his followers want to do to American Muslims.

The United States of America was founded on Separation of Church and State - that means freedom of religion for everyone, not just Christian religions. If we take this right away from one group, one day it will be taken from us. Today America is a country where people are allowed to choose. They can choose everything from their religion to not even having one. That is their American right. All Americans have this gift ... white, black, Asian, Native American, Latino, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and all in-between.

Remember 2 things: 1] What you deny someone today will one day be denied to you. 2] If you can not show compassion for those less fortunate than you, you can not expect compassion from those more fortunate than you.

Sometimes a Constitutional right is just... wrong.

It's not rocket science - to end gun deaths - but it is greed and ignorance that keeps the US from being like other civilized countries. Sometimes a Constitutional right is just wrong.

A Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Shooting Deaths

When will the US learn that just because it's been in the Constitution from Day One doesn't mean it should still be there? So many things have changed in our lives since the Constitution was written and we've done amendments before. Why is this one so darn hard for some people to let go of? For me it boils down to greed. Greed is the motivator of so many things in the world today but killing has to be at the top of the list. Not just wars, shootings at schools, theaters, parks, social events ... it runs the gamut.

"Guns and Greed." It should be the new American slogan. We can put it on our money, in place of "In God We Trust," because, obviously, too many don't really trust in their god. They trust in their guns.

"Why not just vote for the person you like ... whether they can win or not?" Really?

Someone actually posted that to a thread I was in on Facebook. (insert astounded face HERE)

Is this really what our American voters are thinking? No wonder the turn out is so low. They probably aren't showing up because the candidate they "liked" isn't on the ballot.

NEWS FLASH: This is not a popularity contest, folks! This is serious, or in other words - S.E.R.I.O.U.S. I can't believe how many times I had to reiterate the fact that if you don't vote for the candidate running and choose to "write in the candidate of your choice," you are essentially giving your vote to the opposing team.

So, here's the nuts and bolts. Bernie Sanders is running for President and so is Hilary Clinton. But only one can be selected by the Democratic Party as the actual candidate that will appear on the ballot opposite the Republican candidate chosen by the Republican Party. So - what some are saying is that if Bernie isn't chosen, they will write him in before they will vote for Hilary. Their reasons run the gamut - some don't like her and her quasi Democratic ways (I call it a Republican in Democratic clothing) or others just want to remain loyal to Bernie. But none of them "get it." I try to explain that they have to vote for the best of the TWO that will be on the Presidential ballot and if they write Bernie in, they are just taking that vote away from the Democrats and giving it to the Republicans. But for some reason ... they just.don't.get.it.

But why? That's what I want to know. How hard is it to understand? Do they think Bernie is going to write himself in? Hell no! He'll vote for Hilary because he knows that the best Republican candidate will be worse than the worst Democrat. Hilary doesn't have all the honesty and genuine caring of the citizens that Bernie does but she's Democrat and she will do more to keep our freedoms, control over our personal lives, and guns out of the hands of lunatics. She'll work to get the minimum wage increased, pay for women to equal that of men. And she'll not let them over turn gay marriages or abortion rights. She will, just like Bernie Sanders, work to keep America a country where choice doesn't mean choosing only what the Republicans think is good by their god. Republicans want us to have freedom of choice, freedom to choose from what they give as options.

ABORTION: Democrats: Choose to have an abortion or not to. It's your choice. That's what Freedom of Choice means.
Republicans: Choose to have your baby, keep it and raise it. But don't go on welfare, get food stamps or any other kind of government assistance.

MARRIAGE: Democrats: Choose whom you want to marry, choose the person you're in love with to spend the rest of your life together. Plain and simple.
Republicans: Marry only someone of the opposite gender. But feel free to cheat on your spouse because you can repent on Sunday in Church and we all know god forgives all sinners (except for gays, Muslims, people that have abortions and ... heck, the list is too long to list here).

GUNS: Democrats: Only responsible people with no history of mental illness or violence should be able to buy a gun. Also, since this kind of information can be hard to come by at times, a background check and waiting period should be in affect.
Republicans: If you have the money, you should have the gun. It's your Constitutional right. Too bad children and innocent people are being gunned down by unstable people who have guns. If you're an American, you should be carrying (unless you're a Muslim-American because we all know they're just terrorists).

MINIMUM WAGE: Democrats: The economy does not run on the corporations but the "little people" that buy what those corporations sell. If citizens can't afford to buy, our economy collapses. Corporations, that make billions in profits yearly, can well afford to pay a living wage to their employees. They also need to keep jobs at home because farming jobs out to places where workers make pennies on the dollar and slave to make things they'll never be able to buy is un-American and down right evil.
Republicans: Without corporations there would be no America. Corporations are the backbone of the United States of America. Who would employ all those people if corporations had to raise their salaries of the peons? They certainly can't lower the salaries of their Presidents, COOs and CEOs. THAT would be un-American!

HEALTH COVERAGE: Democrats: Every citizen deserves to have health coverage. A country should provide for its citizens, not allow them to get sick, go homeless, hungry and die. No civilized society can sit back and watch while its people suffer. Everyone deserves to be healthy ... or at least the right to decide if they want to use a Universal Health Care Plan or not.
Republicans: Where in the Constitution does it say that health care is our right? And why should I have to pay for someone else's health care? If they're too lazy to get a good paying job that gives them insurance, then it's too bad. Never mind that Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry and comforted the downtrodden. It's my money and I'm not about to give it to some stranger so they don't have to get sick and die. (Besides, I need it to buy more guns.)

GLOBAL WARMING: Democrats: No one is arguing that climate doesn't change, sure it does, history proves that. But why can't it be sped up by humans? How can the amount of pollutants being pumped into the air not cause damage that in turn causes changes in our atmosphere? What is wrong with not polluting? What is wrong with recycling? What is wrong with alternate forms of energy? And what is wrong with admitting humans are at fault, at least for some of the problems? Who said humans are perfect?
Republicans: Humans are perfect. There is no way the warming of our planet could, in any shape or form, be connected to us. Man is god's creation; how can he do harm to the earth that god gave us? Why don't Democrats just have faith that The Lord will fix things?

And so the debates go on ...

I'm voting Democrat ... Bernie is my #1 Choice but Hilary will be who gets my vote if Bernie is not selected. Why?

BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT ... EVER!

So Donald Trump wants Muslims to register ...

As the saying goes, "Those that don't remember history are doomed to repeat it."

Well, I for one, will not repeat the hatred, bigotry and cruelty that countries, including America, have shown in the past.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let these speak for me.

Japanese-Americans in American Internment Camps During World War II

Why I Teach about the Holocaust: Photo Attributions

Thank you.

Walmart, Thanksgiving and their employees - and you.

It seems sad to me that Walmart is plastering our televisions and cell phones with ads about how YOU can have a happy Thanksgiving when they are making nearly 1 million of their employees work, and for below living wages I might add. Nearly 1 Million Walmart Workers Will Have To Work On Thanksgiving Day

Their TV ads shows a family gathered around a food-decked dining table as mom brings in the turkey. The tag line is "all it takes to become part of the family is to sit down, give thanks and share a beautiful meal together," (Walmart TV Ad).

It's sad that nearly 1 Million Walmart employees and their families won't be able to take those words to heart.

Walmart is one of the largest grossing corporations in this country and yet most of their staff has to rely on food stamps because they are not paid a minimum wage. Walmart tends to hire the handicapped and that is terrific, but it seems they may do it because they are most likely ones that will not stand up for their rights because jobs are extra hard to come by. But to take advantage of anyone that is trying to earn a living wage is beyond disgusting.

If you shop at Walmart, take a moment and look at the employees that work there and see if you can, in good conscience, continue to support this mega conglomerate. One of the things that is bringing our country down is the amount of greed going on. All criminals are not in prisons and many don't even break the law. But they sure do know how to bend them to their advantage.

I stopped shopping at Walmart a little over a year and no temptation will make me ever shop their again. I hope you'll join me!

Two Days Ago, on Facebook ...

... someone told me they were going to vote Republican to "take back our country."

I'm sorry but just when, exactly, did we lose our country? Do we have a foreign militia walking our streets? No. Did we have a coo that now occupies our Whitehouse (or any government buildings, for that matter)? No. Do we have air strikes on our homes and stores daily? No. Do we have curfews because being out at certain times we're likely to be gunned down by snipers or abducted? No. Are our boys being stolen from their beds or their mother's arms and forced to fight for the enemy, with the fear of knowing that if they refuse they will be killed and so will their family? No.

This is not America. We have not lost our country. Those that tell you it's been lost are liars and schemers wanting to put the same fear in you that's in them.

So, if you want to see a people that have lost their country, visit Iran, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries ... where people are fleeing for their LIVES. THOSE people have lost their countries.

Americans saying we've lost OUR country are liars, cowards and terrorist of the mind.

YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!

Where children sleep during the Syrian Refugee Crisis.