Aesop and The Republican Party's Problem

by Nomad

Throughout the ages, the humble slave, Aesop was famous for his simple stories that revealed a hidden truth about human nature. I found this fable about trying to please others.

The Man and His Two Wives

In the old days, when men were allowed to have many wives, a middle-aged man had one wife that was old and one that was young; each loved him very much, and desired to see him like herself. 

Now the man's hair was turning grey, which the young wife did not like, as it made him look too old for her husband. So every night she used to comb his hair and pick out the white ones. 

But the elder wife saw her husband growing grey with great pleasure, for she did not like to be mistaken for his mother. So every morning she used to arrange his hair and pick out as many of the black ones as she could. The consequence was the man soon found himself entirely bald.

As I was reading, it struck me how much it seemed to apply to the dilemma that Republican party faces. 

Musical Sanity Break- Two by CCR

Don't Look Now

Who will take the coal from the mine?

Who will take the salt from the earth?

Who'll take a leaf and grow it to a tree?

Don't Look Now, it ain't you or me.

Who will work the field with his hands?

Who will put his back to the plough?

Who'll take the mountain and give it to the sea?

Don't Look Now, it ain't you or me.

Someday Never Comes

First thing I remember was asking papa, why,

For there were many things I didn't know.

And daddy always smiled and took me by the hand,

Saying, someday you'll understand.

From Father to Son: A Look Back at George W. Romney

by Nomad

I wanted to share some excerpts from a speech by Romney. Not Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate, but by his father, George Romney, who was at that time the president of American Motors, soon to be the governor of Michigan.

The speech was given as part of the annual address to male students at Brigham Young University on  November 1961.

In this speech, George Romney touched upon many themes in the speech, including his faith and how much faith in God played an important role in his life and his philosophy. 

His reflections on the American system show Romney to have been a careful observer. Like a lot of liberals today, he saw America as an unfinished experiment and keeping the status quo was not one of George Romney’s principles. 

Long ago I became convinced that very few of us really understand America. Very few of us have really thought through the fundamental things about the American system. I think we are too much inclined to take it for granted that the American Revolution has been completed, that we have arrived, that we have it made. We haven't. The American Revolution is in its very early stages. This is true politically, it is true economically, it is true socially, it is true religiously. And it is going to take some nonconformists in America to jolt America out of its lethargy and its smugness.

Romney Campaign Retro

Cameroon: Where Saying “I love you” Can Put You in Prison

I magine an existence where just texting a message to your lover could destroy your life and condemn you to a prison sentence of up to five years. 

As dystopian and far-fetched as it might sound, there are still places in the world where this can and does occur. 

Take the Mbede case in the West African nation of Cameroon.

Roger Mbede’s Story

Reporter Joe Mirabella in an article for the Huffington Post, highlights the plight of Jean-Paul Roger Mbede:

Roger was arrested last year for sending another man a text message that said, "I'm very much in love w/u." He was charged and convicted under Cameroon's law that criminalizes "homosexual behavior" and sentenced to three years in prison. He's spent more than a year in jail, while being subjected to abuse in custody, but is now finally appealing his conviction. Roger's hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 17.