Good morning!

President Obama spoke last night on the pressing and very serious hot topic of the moment: The *Debt Ceiling. Did you watch? And did you watch Boehner’s response speech?

Here it is:

Did it make you want to cry out of frustration and anger? It did for me.

Switch on over to Jon Stewart’s “Armadebtdon 2011″

As America heads toward an economic crisis unless an agreement can be reached about raising our debt ceiling, Jon Stewart wonders why it’s so hard for this 112th Congress to do what’s been done 172 times in the past. He further pointed out how the ceiling was raised 17 times under President Reagan, five times under Bush, four under Clinton and seven times under George W. Bush.”

I’ll tell you why Jon. It’s because the republicans will do whatever it takes to make Obama fail. And yes, at the expense of our country. It is as simple as that, and has been said by many here besides myself. In my opinion, anyone who sees it any other way is simple blind to the racist reality.

We can laugh at Jon Stewart; I’m laughing too, because sometime in the insaneness of it all one has to just laugh. But the reality is the debt ceiling isn’t a joke. (Nor is racism.)

“It is a dangerous game we’ve never played before,” Obama said, “and we can’t afford to play it now.”

Anything to say? Say it here. Blog me. 

Oh…How could I forget, Obama asked us to take action…tell Congress how we feel. It seems last night many did, and the websites were jammed and shut down. Don’t give up…give your two.  Now is not the time to be quiet. 

********

Holly: I 100% agree with you. And while the information in my computer means nothing to anyone else, it means a huge amount to me. It has been debilitating, stressful, and exhausting, to say the least. And I learned some big lessons along the way.

Playing the skin flute might not make you more brilliant, but I bet you’ll master it and whoever is on the receiving end will love you more for it. :)

Anonymous: I posted this awhile ago, but thanks for reposting! We can not see something like this enough.

Bill: Thanks for sharing your story. I am curious to hear more about your planet since Earth is 300 years ahead of you technologically. If you don’t mind me asking, what is it that you are stationed to do here on Earth? And interesting that you don’t need a “suit”. – How does that work?

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin ©
copyright 2008-2011

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Here’s a nice follow-up to yesterday’s blog.

NO

MORE

TAXPAYER

BAILOUTS

This morning, a group of public servants showed up to work at a brand-new agency created to protect everyday Americans from the abuses of Wall Street.

They’re the folks of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and they’ll be the cops on the beat protecting consumers from predatory credit card and mortgage lenders, bait-and-switch creditors, and anyone trying to make a quick buck by deceiving or manipulating Americans who are just trying to secure their financial future.

Many Americans don’t know it, but this bureau is just one part of a sweeping Wall Street reform law — the most pro-consumer and pro-taxpayer reform of our financial system since the Great Depression — that President Obama signed a year ago today.

Whether you watch the video or not, please share this email with someone.

It’s important that everyone knows what this law means for all of us. Simpler mortgages. Clearer credit card rates, fees, and rules. Fairer loan terms. It’s based on the simple idea that if you make sure that people get clear information, they’ll make the financial decisions that work best for them.

And we can all rest a little easier knowing that our common financial future is more protected from the irresponsibility of a few. This law made structural reforms to ensure that the financial crisis we experienced in 2008 never happens again and that taxpayers aren’t on the hook to pay for Wall Street’s risky bets.

It’s up to you to make sure more people know about this. Most Americans don’t have all the details on how this law is working for them, and it’s our job to change that.

Amazingly, each and every Presidential candidate on the other side opposes this law.

And the same opposition that tried to block it more than a year ago is still alive and well.

Right now, lobbyists are at work trying to weaken the tough regulations this law imposes.

That’s no accident — its provisions are designed to rein in the Wall Street, credit card, and mortgage banking interests these people represent.

As we know, there aren’t a whole lot of high-powered lobbyists in Washington looking out for the common good of everyday families.

That’s exactly why this law is necessary, and why our growing organization in all 50 states is so important. It’s up to us to make sure our friends and neighbors know about it.

Watch our video about Wall Street reform today — and then pass it on:

Readers: Another feather in Obama’s cap. Why would anyone want to spend hundreds of million of dollars to roll back this law? Oh yeah, the greedy people who care more about money, and care less about our country.  Can you imagine what our country would be like if Obama wasn’t the president?  I don’t want to imagine and I don’t want that to be a reality for 2012. Are you with me?

PS:  In case you may have noticed that I am keeping my comments to a minimum, the reason is because my MAC is still getting repaired. I am working on a borrowed baby MAC. And let me tell you…size does matter. I never thought I would say that 12″ is not enough.

Anna of Guam: I just have to make one comment to you before I sign off. That story you posted in just horrific. When I read the description of how small the 14 month old child was at death, I was stunned. That is cruelty at its worst.

Peace out.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin ©
copyright 2008-2011

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Here’s the latest from Scambusters:

Fraudsters are using a documents-checking process known as a mortgage securitization audit as a means of scamming foreclosure-threatened homeowners.

Even when the process is legitimately carried out, the Federal Trade Commission suggests it’s worthless. Some in the legal profession disagree.This week, we outline both sides of the debate, but, more Importantly, explain how to avoid an out-and-out scam.

<>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>~<><>~<>

Mortgage Securitization Scams Add to Homeowners’ Woes

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Masquerading under the impressive-sounding title of a “mortgage securitization audit,” a new scam is bleeding financially-pressured homeowners out of their dwindling funds.

Also sometimes simply called a “mortgage audit” or a “forensic document review,” the service supposedly combs through all of the documents relating to a mortgage, looking for mistakes or even frauds in those documents.

The purported aim is either to help homeowners escape foreclosure or to strengthen their case for a loan modification, which will ease their repayments. And that sounds like a pretty good idea, except for two things:

* Many so-called mortgage securitization companies actually do nothing at all but collect a couple thousand dollars from their victims. Or maybe, they’ll produce an impressive looking set of documents that are actually publicly available and have no legal value.

* The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer watchdog, has publicly denounced the use o mortgage audits, even if they’re done properly and legally.

It’s only fair to point out here that some lawyers disagree with the FTC. They maintain that a securitization audit, done at the right time and under the direction of an attorney, does help to strengthen a homeowner’s hand in a foreclosure fight.

One can imagine this seeming to make sense, since any evidence that a lender has behaved incorrectly would surely weigh on a homeowner’s side. But then, we’re not lawyers, so we can’t really argue that one.

What’s certain is that those who say the practice is worthwhile insist that you should hire a specialist attorney first and let them decide what audit work needs to be done. You shouldn’t take the opposite route, they warn, of starting off with a firm or individual offering mortgage audits.

One lawyer argued in a recent blog that mortgage audits “are a necessary and essential element to a successful foreclosure defense” and that in every successful case he had handled a mortgage audit and securitization analysis had been “at the foundation of the success.”

But he adds: “Let me make it very clear that an audit is not the first step to mounting an effective foreclosure defense.”

And he warns that many so-called mortgage auditors provide inadmissible evidence while charging around $2,000 for their service.

Moe Bedard, who founded the online consumer advocacy community loansafe.org, takes an even stronger stance. He says a lot of the firms offering mortgage audits are “reincarnated loan modification frauds with a new name or they are out of work mortgage brokers working from their kitchen tables.”

He adds: “These unlicensed auditors are charging from $200-$7,000 for services which are essentially worthless to a homeowner looking to stop foreclosure. “More often than not, these firms are offering mortgage audits with no attorney representation, which is the primary reason why they can be of no help to homeowners.

“The homeowner is left with an expensive stack of papers that are essentially worthless.”

(Note that we are not connected with loansafe; it is a privately operated, advertisement-supported site.)

If you opt to go down the attorney route, you should, of course, always check with your State Bar Association about the status and standing of any law firm before you deal with them.

However, before you even do that, listen to what the FTC says. In a consumer alert that you can read in full here

(http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=K26YH1cdMGtWfo&b=zFQrGJlFnAe6RqGZAIGHTA) the Commission warns that when “auditors” say you can use their reports to avoid foreclosure or speed up loan modification, nothing could be further from the truth.

“There is no evidence that forensic loan audits will help you get a loan modification or any other foreclosure relief, even if they’re conducted by a licensed, legitimate and trained auditor, mortgage professional or lawyer,” says the Commission.

And they note that although it’s possible under certain circumstances to sue a lender because of mistakes in loan documents, even winning the case doesn’t compel the lender to modify the loan terms just to ease your payment terms.

The FTC points out that mortgage audit scams are just one of many tricks that defaulters may encounter and suggests avoiding any companies or individuals who:

* Guarantee they can halt foreclosure.

* Tell you not to get in touch with your lender or attorney and ask for money upfront before doing anything for you.

* Suggest you lease your home under some sort of buy-back program.

* Tell you to pay your mortgage to them instead of the lender.

* Make a cash offer to buy your home at a price that doesn’t match current market rates.

* Present you with documents that supposedly need to be signed immediately.

Instead, the best thing to do if you’re having trouble making your mortgage payments is to contact the lender and try to work out a new repayment plan. The nonprofit Home Ownership Preservation Foundation, which is certified by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has a help hotline on 1-800-995-HOPE, or you can go to www.hopenow.com.

Footnote: We’ve warned of this before, but we heard recently about a mortgage scam in Nevada in which homeowners received a letter saying their mortgage had been transferred to another to whom they should now make their payments.

It was simply untrue and, if the alleged operators hadn’t been caught so quickly, no doubt many owners would have fallen for this.

The action here is simple: If you get any kind of notification about a change of mortgage owner, just get in touch with your lender and check it out with them. Of course, don’t use any of the contact information given in the letter!

One way or another, the fraudsters are out to make the most of ignorance and upheaval in the house and mortgage market of the past few years. Knowing about their tricks, like the mortgagesecuritization scam can keep you one step ahead.

 ********

Readers: Well, I think the glitches are resolved. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we have seen the last of them. Thank you again for your patience and understanding.

So…what’s the written word? Blog  this BABE.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin ©
copyright 2008-2011

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Well…I knew chocolate was good for me personally. But I have to say that I am delighted that my almost daily bite of chocolate brings me more than just a smile to my face.

Unfortunately my post this morning doesn’t do the same.

Climate change affects our shores

Coastal erosion, wild fire, hazardous material accidents, high wind, hazardous surf and rip currents, transportation problems, disease, drought, earthquake, flood, landslide, lightning, tsunami and typhoon — these are all risks we have on Guam due to our geography and climate.

Climate changes have been elevating these risks, making events more severe and possibly more frequent. Many of you remember the storms of 2002: Typhoon Chataan, causing landslide, flooding and 55 deaths between Chuuk and Guam in July; followed by Supertyphoon Pongsona, igniting fire in the Apra Harbor tank yard in December. Just five years prior to these storms, the Pacific islands were hit by Typhoon Paka in December of 1997. The islands had varying damage due to fluctuations in the storm, including drought, wildfires, flooding, sea level variation and erosion.

Climate change

Globally, people have been contributing to the greenhouse effect through everyday activities such as: burning fossil fuels for electricity, gasoline and natural gas; agricultural practices; and clearing vegetation, especially for development. The natural greenhouse effect is a warming process of atmospheric gases, such as carbon dioxide, that allows us to survive on earth — if we had no greenhouse effect, the world would be too cold for human survival.

Humans have increased the amount of greenhouse gases released into the environment, intensifying the greenhouse effect relatively quickly. Within the past three centuries, the structure of the earth’s atmosphere has changed, which is causing global climate change.

The effects of greenhouse gasses are being studied extensively on and off island. There is evidence of global climate change such as glaciers retreating, plants blooming earlier or in a different season and the rising sea level.

According to the Climate Impact Group’s publication, “Preparing for Climate Change: a Guidebook for Local, State, and Regional Governments,” the sea level is projected to rise seven to 23 inches this century from melting snow and ice and the thermal expansion of ocean waters. The Climate Impact Group also emphasizes the increased risk of drought and stronger heat waves lasting longer and happening more often, along with more extreme precipitation and the disasters caused by excessive precipitation.

The climate change can significantly impact our water supply — droughts, flooding, contaminants — causing competition for safe water and difficult living conditions. Many plant and animal species will not be able to withstand the warming temperatures and may go extinct, reducing food sources.

Guam impact

According to the National Weather Service, during the first quarter of 2011, Guam had rainfall at 166 percent of the average, islandwide. From 2009 to 2010, equatorial Pacific water temperature was above normal, creating an El Niño effect.

Warmer water temperatures cause coral to lose their symbiotic algae, zooxanthellae, which are essential to the corals survival. Consequently, the coral is bleached and will eventually die if not rehabitated. Sustained bleaching events will significantly impact Guam’s fish populations.

These temperatures started to fall and led almost directly into significantly below normal temperature water, known as La Niña. These climate patterns are known as El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. ENSO events are created by the warming (El Niño) and cooling (La Niña) of the tropical Pacific waters along with air surface pressure change. Many regions of the world have been significantly affected by extreme weather due to ENSO. Predictions from the National Weather Service and UOG Water and Environmental Research Institute continue around 110 percent to 120 percent of average rainfall through March 2012.

People have observed and described changes in shorelines and water availability on Guam, as well as many other Pacific Islands. There was significant shoreline change during and shortly after World War II due to purposeful alterations made to the island.

According to a 2008 assessment conducted for Guam Coastal Management Program, images and studies show significant shoreline change on the northern and western-facing shorelines over the last 60 years of 150 to 250 feet. Many of the island’s beaches and parks have experienced coastal erosion and increased sea level due to human alterations, natural disasters and overall climate change.

More severe weather, especially during ENSO, will continue to threaten the island with numerous natural disasters endangering our people, economy and island sustainability. There will inevitably be climate change, but increased shoreline development, coastal management and increased population in limited space creates vulnerability for severe impact from weather-related events.

Superior coastal management practices and community consciousness can help protect and improve the sustainability of our island community.

Kim O’Connor is the communicator for the University of Guam’s Sea Grant Program.

~Guampdn

**********

Christine: Since you are a newbie to my blog, I wanted to let you know that it is best to make a comment on the most current day regardless of what write you are referring to from a previous day, and/or person you are conversing with. This ensures that the person you are conversing with will see your comments. Most of my regular readers know to keep their comments contemporaneous by posting on the most current day. Hence I am not sure your comment to Ursla was seen by her.

There’s enough issue just seeing and posting on my blog, so regard this heads-up as just a gentle notice to you and any other newbies, so that you get the most pleasure and ease in your experience here. For more about posting comments please refer to the left-hand column under the heading “Blog Rules of Conduct”. Thank you.

AH: I just wanted to say hello. And that I had no idea “B the K”, was such a stud who died so young. As always…wishing you, Bita and Adam my best.

Hugs and Love to all.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2011

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

So today, the 4th of July, is a day in celebration of our independence. And, in light of what I am about to post,  I am not saying that you should not celebrate with family and friends. I’m just saying to think about this day in a different light than you usually do.

Like always…just keeping it real.

The Damaging Three Words of the Declaration of Independence

When I moved to San Francisco decades ago, I was invited to any number of July 4th gatherings. They all had two things in common.

First, they were freezing. What was with this fog?

Second, at someone’s suggestion – I think mine, but cannot claim authorship for sure – we started reading the Declaration of Independence out loud. I had a World Almanac that contained a copy. Yes, the New York Times prints a full page version of the original, but those old f’s for s’s, among other stumbles, made us choose more modern type.

Our tradition was to set out the picnic stuff, run back to the car for another jacket or sweater, maybe a hat or gloves, then, once the shivering merriment was underway, pull out the Almanac, and open it to the Declaration.

We took turns, each person reading a paragraph or two, or part of one, depending on such factors as the reader’s dramatic interpretation inclination, or shyness. Then the reader would pass the book to the next person.

I really liked doing this – if not then, when? – but the tradition took place years before I started working on my book, Indian Voices: Listening to Native Americans and, well, I was not paying a lot of attention to certain phrases. My Euro-centric background was just fine with Th. Jefferson’s prose. So much of it was thrilling. “He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts …” Whew! “… circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy” what rhythm, what cadence, I thought.

Eventually, however, we get to “domestic Insurrections amongst us,” and here it comes, the phrase that distresses me so much after spending close to a decade meeting, and listening to, Native Americans, that I can barely stand to read it, nor type it.

“… the merciless Indian Savages.”

Say what? From the elegantly-quotable Jefferson? Yes. “… the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.”

While Native Americans celebrate this 4th of July weekend, probably with hotdogs and fireworks, and possibly a powwow (as far as I know, the day has not attained the level of dislike or dismissal in Indian country that there is towards Columbus Day), I wonder whether we might all read the Declaration of Independence out loud, consider what that three word phrase wrought, not to mention the words about “undistinguished Destruction.” Destruction of who by whom? Native people, among others, may ask.

The words themselves are so savage, it is a wonder to me that there had already been a celebrating of Thanksgiving.

***********

Comments? Blog me.

Daniel: Thanks for the advice. I haven’t done any upgrades to my blog for awhile and was just talking to someone who is going to help me with the upgrade. But it sounds like that may not be the answer. If I change to another service, do you have any suggestions of where I should go? Thanks.

Lucy, Stepfan, anonymous, and any one else who is frustrated posting: I know it sucks. It just isn’t my service though. There are other things that come into play. Sorry for the hassle. I am working on it.

Have a Happy 4th of July everyone! Have fun – Be safe. And if you’re biking, don’t be stupid – wear a helmet. :)

Peace out.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

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All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2011

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