It’s down to the wire on health care reform. Tomorrow’s the vote on the Hill. Rather than embed the President’s weekly, I thought today’s speech to the Democratic House was worth the post space. You can read and/or watch the President’s Weekly at this link.

This is the weekend of protests in the nation’s capital. Today was the peace march in observance of the beginning of the Iraq war. Though I support peace, I also am my grandmothers’ child: You make your bed hard, you lay in it. You clean up the messes you made. To pick up and leave for the sake of not being “at war” is in my humble opinion irresponsible. Occupation isn’t my preference; but no compensation or accountability for damages is something I believe shouldn’t be considered as well. At the same time the landscape has changed from conflicts between nation armies to more nation armies with “special interest” militias and/or gang warfare will be a major factor for the U.S. and other nations now and in the future. The question to all those who desire peace is “What is the strategic vision/plan for dealing with any and all interests who pursue violent means to achieve their goals?”

Tomorrow is the “March for America” event for a immigration reform. I hope Irish immigrants will be in that number. Immigration is not just a Hispanic issue.

Meanwhile peace is not on the minds of “tea baggers” who launched a “last stand” to kill the health care reform bill (Despite “Tea Party” protests, I’m using “tea bagger” for persons who hurled verbal epithets like “n*gger” and “f*ggot” at members of Congress on the Hill.) While there are those who fear change (even though somehow we seem to all adjust to nearly anything), there are others who desperately want to hold onto a status quo that has served their interests and boosted their self esteem based on their race and gender identity. Read white and heterosexual.

Yes, it’s getting ugly out there. Race/ethnicity/gender identity are issues in health care reform, immigration reform, even our two wars. But the contents of this evolving recipe for a more perfect union will inevitably be reduced to a simmer and then come back to a boil. That’s when it’s time to stir the pot once again.

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