‘Voices & Thoughts’ Archives
The KKK and the Tea Party
The following article appeared in the September 17 edition of the Fort Collins Coloradoen. It is a short history of the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado and I was struck by the similarities with the present day Tea Party. You could easily substitute "Tea Party" for "KKK" through out the article and not be far off including the jingoistic patriotism and the anti-minority or anti-other religion stance. KKK had strong presence in Colorado By Barbara Fleming The Ku Klux Klan in Colorado? Hard to ... Full Story
Revolt of the Rich
Our financial elites are the new secessionists. By Mike Lofgren It was 1993, during congressional debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement. I was having lunch with a staffer for one of the rare Republican congressmen who opposed the policy of so-called free trade. To this day, I remember something my colleague said: “The rich elites of this country have far more in common with their counterparts in London, Paris, and Tokyo than with their fellow American citizens.” That was ... Full Story
Is Team Romney to blame for Middle East violence?
It all seems too well timed. At a critical point in the campaigns, with Romney trailing in the polls, an inflammatory video insulting the Prophet Mohammad is placed on YouTube and demonstrations begin. Team Romney is listening in and cannot wait to make a statement and blame the president. Why did this happen just now? Why was Team Romney so closely monitoring the twitter account of the Egyptian Embassy? The answer may be found by following the money. Who ... Full Story
Preserving or dismantling Medicare
Working as a rural family doctor the past 30 years, it is most disheartening to see someone who has worked hard all their life have a catastrophic illness which throws them into bankruptcy. We must ignore the negative TV ads and campaign rhetoric to determine which political party will preserve Medicare. The U.S. House has passed the Ryan budget, (which Romney endorsed) which will fundamentally change Medicare as we have known it since 1965. The plan replaces guaranteed defined benefits ... Full Story
Confessions of a Former Republican
Joining the Reality-Based Community Or How I Learned to Stop Loving the Bombs and Start Worrying By Jeremiah Goulka I used to be a serious Republican, moderate and business-oriented, who planned for a public-service career in Republican politics. But I am a Republican no longer. There’s an old joke we Republicans used to tell that goes something like this: “If you’re young and not a Democrat, you’re heartless. If you grow up and you’re not a ... Full Story
Obama not a Sociaist
Is Obama a Socialist? By Tom Head, About.com Guide Answer: Not by any definition of the term that mainstream socialists would consider acceptable. It's true that both the Bush and Obama administrations introduced government subsidies in industries that the government has not historically subsidized to the same extent, but this is not, strictly speaking, a socialist move because it does nothing to concentrate power over the businesses in the ... Full Story
Romney Suffers From Pre-existing Positions
A Commentary By Froma Harrop in Rasmussen Reports Tuesday, September 11, 2012 What Mitt Romney truly believes is anybody's guess. Whether Romney as president would act on those beliefs is also a guess. And we can't rule out the possibility that he doesn't have any beliefs outside of religion and investment strategies. Why he's running for president remains unclear, though commander in chief looks impressive on a nametag. Asked over the weekend whether by killing Obamacare he would let insurers ... Full Story
RNC, the good, the bad, the bizarre
The 2012 Republican National Convention was a bizarre combination of misleading and deceptive speeches, poorly scripted and produced media, and a wholly ineffective public relations campaign around Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for President who doesn’t really seem to have too many people on the American right-wing excited. As Newt Gingrich said, he doesn’t PARTICULARLY dislike Mitt Romney. This seems to be true of many Republicans, who certainly prefer President Obama leave ... Full Story
Obituary: Mary Katherine Kaiser
Mary was welcomed home to Heaven with open arms on August 10, 2012. She was born November 2, 1913 in Berthoud, Colorado to John and Margaret Sterkel Krieger. Mary grew up on a farm west of Berthoud and attended school in Berthoud. On December 2, 1934 she married William Kaiser at the First Congregational Church of Loveland. They had a dairy farm for many years east of Johnson’s Corner. After retiring from the farm they moved into Loveland. She worked for many years for Edith Woelfe, ... Full Story
Obituary: Elizabeth “Betty” Hurd
Elizabeth “Betty” Hurd, 94, of Berthoud, went to visit God and liked what she saw and decided to stay on August 2, 2012. She was born on May 20, 1918 in Topeka, Kansas to Harry and Jessie R. Smith. She was raised in Topeka, Kansas. She married Robert R. Hurd on May 11, 1935. She did not graduate high school because she was married. She worked at various places in Topeka. With WWII she and Robert went to work at Hercules Defense plant near Desoto, Kansas. During a stand-by period, she ... Full Story
