Wednesday, October 22, 2008

What does "Un-American" mean?

Sarah Palin has branded Barack Obama as "Un-American" and claims that he "pals around with terrorists." What exactly does un-American mean? According to Wikipedia the term refers to people who are spies. It's a synonym for treason. The term has been used in the past to combat Communists, Nazis, and the KKK. Un-American - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Palin is making some pretty serious accusations/innuendos about Senator Obama. I say, prove it or shut up about it. What she is doing is immoral. It's guilt by association. Her claims have incited shouts of "kill him" at rallies. Scary stuff which further polarizes our country. And the only thing McCain has said about it is, no m'am, Obama is not an Arab, he is a decent family man. Okay, so does that mean Arabs are not decent family people?

Obama is not a Muslim, and even if he were, that does not make him someone who is un-American, or connected to terrorists. Should we be sending the message to Muslim-American children that they cannot dream about becoming President of the United States? Are Muslim- Americans less patriotic, less American? My maiden name is Muslim. Does that mean I am un-American? My good neighbors are Muslim. Sometimes I pal around with them.

I am glad Republican Colin Powell had the courage to speak out against the divisive tactics of the McCain campaign, and declare his support for Barack Obama. He said that Obama has style and substance. He expressed his disapproval of the way they have branded Obama a terrorist. He does not think that Sarah Palin was a good choice for VP. He's right. In a CNN interview he also called out that whacko senator from Minnesota, Michele Bachmann, who wants an investigation into the patriotism of all members of the U.S. Congress.

Where I grew up, in Elizabeth, NJ there were more Sam the Plumbers (Sam DeCavalcante - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) than Joe the Plumbers, fugedaboudid. Does that make me less of an American than small town Mary Smith? You betcha not.

What we have seen recently from the McCain campaign and the far right is the kind of negative hate that will further divide our country into "us" and "those people" at a time when we should be coming together as Americans. I believe that the majority of Americans do not share the views of the extreme right. I'd like to believe that the majority of Allentonians don't share those extreme views either-- although the openly racist comments at the Morning Call Forum and the Allentown Commentator blog are very telling.

Speak out against the hate.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
UPDATE: Please read this about the new RNC mailer which connects Obama to terrorists. This goes way too far. And John McCain has approved it. GOP mail ties Obama to terrorists - Yahoo! News

39 comments:

Bill Villa said...

Only one (1) Democrat in the last 30 years has been President (Bill Clinton) and you can bet it will be a long time (and 30 years has a nice ring to it) until another Republican is U.S. President.

I hope the Republicans use their already in progress lengthy hiatus time wisely to transform themselves back into the Grand Old Party of Abraham Lincoln and Barry Goldwater.

To quote the B-52s, the Republicans have become a "party out of bounds." They're also clean out of ethics, morals, and true patriotism. They've become a lunatic fringe extremist group. And most importantly, they have proven themselves to be just awful at governing and a mandate majority now believes this.

Good riddance for now, Republicans. But we wish you success on your makeover because we need at least two good political parties in the U.S. In the meantime, we'll take care of America and it's in good hands again finally.

Family Law Attorney Robert Sharpe said...

Because the FM radio station that broadcasts "Focus on Family" is very near the Public Radio station I accidentaly caught Palin's interview with a religious broadcaster this morning in which she speaks of "prayer warriors" and says God will sway the election. I thought I was insane until I saw the text of the interview on CNN.com later today. You should read it. It's on the political wire.
Be afraid. Be really afraid.

Angie Villa said...

Bob Jr, thanks for your comment. I have heard the interview. It's hard to listen to. Here's a link:

http://www.citizenlink.org/
clspecialalert/A000008476.cfm

They talk about so much hatred directed at her and her family during this campaign, and how unfair that is! But God has given her the gift of a thick skin!
And the election is "in god's hands."

I understand that this is a religious broadcast, but her views are really radical. And she is a hypocrite. Not good for America.
Scary stuff.

Bill Villa said...

"God has given her the gift of a thick skin!" -Mrs. Dottie

... and (as every Republican I know has pointed out to me) a great figure! Yep. Them's VP-Qualifying curves, baby.

Angie Villa said...

And the R's have spent 150K to outfit that curvy figure! That's 1,000x the national average spent on clothing.
All for the hockey mom! Country first! And Barack Obama walks around with shoes that have holes in the soles.

Anonymous said...

Sarah Palin's husband, the first dude, or, first doucebag, Todd, was at one time (and maybe still is?) part of a group that wanted the state of Alaska to secede from its union with the other 49 United States. Is there a more un-American or more anti-American mindset than this?

Angie Villa said...

So who is the REAL elitist?
from:

Angie the Art teacher

Anonymous said...

"the new RNC mailer which connects Obama to terrorists."

Now this is Un-American.

Angie Villa said...

Obama said this yesterday, but it has been his consistent message. While McCain takes cheap shots, Obama leads.......


"With the challenges and crises we face right now, we cannot afford to divide this country by race or class or region; by who we are or what policies we support. There are no real or fake parts of this country. We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation - we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from."

Anonymous said...

I love it: "We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation - we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from." - Obama

This is why he's going to win. McCain is a desperate fool at this point. And Palin should quit her whining about being picked on - she dragged her knocked up daughter to the RNC with her, she committed a corrupt act with that firing back in Alaska, and her husband was in a group that wanted to secede from the rest of the states. These people are whackjobs. McCain has said that he only met her once before asking her to be his VP. Some vetting process and lousy judgment!

Anonymous said...

I got an e-mail from the Obama campaign yesterday about McLame's new "Terrorist" mailer with an invitation to contribute as a way of "pushing back." After seeing the rnc's new vile mailer, I immediately pledged my third $100.00 to Barack Obama. I understand Obama has bought up ALL THE TV TIME in many of the swing states so McSame/Phalin' couldn't run TV even if they had the money. Now there's a $mart $trategy.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post!

Best regards,

Michael Donovan

Bill Villa said...

Our pleasure, Michael.

Power to the People
on the Left.

Angie Villa said...

THanks Michael D,

Note to my readers,

I think locally in the blogosphere, there are many more conservative, and ultra-conservative blogs than liberal. I don't know of too many other local blogs other than mine and "Inclusion", where the author has come out to endorse Obama. And for some reason, the people who allow hate speech at the ALlentown Commentator believe that there is some kind of conspiracy on the part of liberals to quash all dissent in Allentown. THis is ridiculous. Well, there are plenty of conservative choices out there. We are a lefty blog.

We use comment moderation here, not to quash dissent but to screen out the hateful comments directed at us personally. And two words sum this up: TROLL PARADE. Since that blog was created by hateful bloggers Bernie O'Hare and David Najarian, supported by M. Molovinsky, we believe that those people should not be allowed to comment at this blog, and that their blogs should be boycotted as well. What they have done to us is despicable and goes way too far.

We here at LV SOmebody are speaking out against hate, not quashing dissent, free speech.

If any blogger believes this is wrong, then don't read our blog and leave us alone. Blogs are opinion, and the blog author makes the rules.

Go Obama!!!!! Speak out against hate. Silence is acceptance.

Bill Villa said...

"their blogs should be boycotted" -Mrs. Dottie

This just in:

Bernie O'Hare O'Mcall's "other" blog, "Lehigh Valley Ramblings" has been dumped to the unprecedented depths of #9 (yeow) in this week's BlogNet News (BNN) rankings.

And, the allied hate blogs "Molovinsky on Allentown," "Northern Lehigh Valley Logic" and "AJ's Web Blog" have disappeared from the BNN Top 20 for the third week in a row.

"BOYCOTT BERNIE" IS WORKING.

See our September 22 entry here, "BOYCOTT BERNIE," for background details on the "BOYCOTT BERNIE" movement.

In closing, here are my "Haiku Friday" comments originally published at Sarina's terrific "Lehigh Valley Lexicon" blog yesterday which I later deleted (except for the first one) thinking, afterwards, that posting 5 of them was sort of show-off overkill, although all 5 are deliciously funny, and, true:

Once there was dissent
But then they got A-Quiver
All heil Morning Call

Nothing NeoCons
Hate More Than a Liberal
Who Can Throw a Punch

Troll Parade is Hate
Bernie O'Hare O'Mcall
And Loyal Dunces

Dave Najarian
No Logic Whatsoever
Attorney (For Now)

Michael M Knows All
Pawlowski is Always Wrong
Nostalgia is Fun

Anonymous said...

did OHare Nagerion et al really believe there'd be no backlash to their "Troll Parade" blog?! come on guys wake upo and smell the coffee

Anonymous said...

In a "post-Troll Parade" local bloggersphere, "Geneva Conventions" do not apply.

Bill Villa said...

... sorry to interrupt this great discussion, but I must mention that an albeit well-placed and very clever anonymous "snark" against "Troll Parade" blog co-creator, Attorney (for now) David C. Najarian, Lynn Township Supervisor, at Mike Molovinsky's Nostalgia Korner Blog "Molovinsky on Allentown" has been attributed to yours truly by "Mayor Mike" and the neocon blog nazi terrorist he pals around with, Bernie O'Hare O'Mcall.

Gentlemen, and I use the term loosely:

Apparently, and likely because of your public participation in the shameful "Troll Parade" blog, there are bloggers out there (other than Angie and me) who strongly disapprove of you and your tactics ... and ... it looks like you may be encountering some "criticism" and "dissent" from them from time to time.

Please Note: these are consequences you've brought down upon yourselves and we can't help you with them.

In the future, unless you have irrefutable proof that "anonymous snarks" against you have been posted by Angie or me, please refrain from attributing these comments to us.

Now back to our regularly scheduled terrific discussion at the BNN Top 20-Rated blog, "Lehigh Valley Somebody," currently racing up the charts at #15 this week ...

Anonymous said...

I just posted a comment (anonymously) in support of Bill Villa at Mickael Molivinskli's blog.

It was deleted immediately.

Who's quashing dissent?

Angie Villa said...

I don't understand why Mr. Molovinsky keeps accusing us of snarking anonymously, and highjacking,(buzzwords from the Pope) I wish he would mind his own beeswax and just stick with the nasty folks he has chosen to be "hitched" with.

And note to Mr O'Hater,

Please stop accusing ME of being hateful (your comment at Mr. Donovan's blog) when YOU have created the vile Troll Parade blog,called me a bad mother, Stepford wife , and other much more hateful and untrue things. You have even allowed attacks on our deceased daughter. You are despicable.

Yous guys are like the Keystone cops of the blogosphere.This is an opinion blog.And I have opinions. You are hypocrites, and twisters,and use Carl Rove style tactics to make yourselves look like you are THE purveyors of truth. Similar to the McCain campaign. Garbage.


You provoke people, and then when they respond, you call THEM out for being cRaZy. Classic bullying and twisting.
Yous guys are the cRaZies. Get back to gamin' the BNN rankings.

Sorry folks, I am feelin' feisty.
There must be consequences for The Troll Parade blog. It goes way too far. And I will continue to speak out against it and FOR my family.

Bill Villa said...

Readers, here are some excerpts from a taunting, threatening, and vile e-mail I got today from Attorney (for now) David C. Najarian, Lynn Township Supervisor, a.k.a. "Northern Lehigh Valley Logic" ...

* "If you think you've been wronged [re: "The Troll Parade" blog that I co-created with Bernie O'Hare to smear and taunt you] go ahead a sue me, call the cops, go to the bar, whoopie."

* "You are further advised to remove my
photograph [from your September 22 "Lehigh Valley Somebody" blog post on "The Troll Parade"] which I own the copyright, as you have no license for its use."

* "Failure to do so is at your peril."

* "This is not a threat."

* "Dont bother responding."

(Me Again) Now, I'm not a lawyer like Dave Najarian is (for now) but I thought lawyers didn't "telegraph" a lawsuit by "threatening" one. I thought they just went ahead and sued (?)

But anyways, I see disbarred attorney Bernie O'Hare O'Mcall is also threat/telegraphing "legal action" in a comment at Mike Molovinsky's Nostalgia Korner blog, "Molovinsky on Allentown."

Well, as an idol of theirs (George W. Bush) once said: "Bring it on."

I'm currently undefeated in Lehigh County Court, but hey, take your best shot, boys ...

Anonymous said...

OHare is threatening a lawsuit against the Villas at Sarina's "Lehigh Valley Lexicon" blog too. My unsolicited professional opinion is that Villa has them right where he wants them now :) as I'm sure any judge and jury will just love "The Troll Parade" and find it completely appropriate. Yah. When pigs fly.

The Villas should file a complaint against attorney Najarian with the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Too late to get OHare via this route as he's already been disbarred.

Anonymous said...

Dumb(?) Question....

would this annoying "Blog War" end (for good) if the highly offensive "Troll Parade" blog was taken down?

Bill Villa said...

DD&D (not a dumb question) ...

deleting the "Troll Parade" blog would be a good start towards ending these chronic blog battles, in my perception.

While BOTH FACTIONS are guilty of baiting and provoking each other and thus perpetuating the nastiness (and, the hijackings of other people's blogs), O'Hare and Najarian's "Troll Parade" blog remains constant as the "gasoline on the fire" ... as I see it.

Q. Does anyone (other than Michael Molovinsky) really believe that Bernie O'Hare and attorney Dave Najarian had a "right" to create a blog that allows sadistically cruel character assassination attacks on my deceased daughter Sheena ... ? ... who was beloved by all who knew her ... ? ... as a punishment for alleged blog comments of mine that O'Hare and Najarian and Molovinsky DON'T LIKE?

And please ask yourself: if you were in my position, wouldn't you fight back against these three provoking bullies too?

Delete the "Troll Parade" blog, and, speaking for myself, I'd be willing to mind my own blog business and not provoke any new fights.

Additionally, I would also use all the resolve I have to NOT TAKE THEIR BAIT, if or when they'd continue trying to provoke me back in-- which they have done, repeatedly, since I first exited this fray for what I thought was going to be "for good" way back on August 11.

So yes, DD&D, I say DELETE THE TROLL PARADE BLOG ...

and this annoying blog war would likely fade into the permanent past.

However, I would not hold your breath waiting for Bernie O'Hare to POOF the Troll Parade blog ... because in my experience, it seems that he and his "associates" absolutely LIVE FOR the kind of turbulence an openly aggressive and provocative action like creating the "Troll Parade" blog incites.

Me ... I'd be content with grieving the loss of my daughter Sheena and trying to find my way in a world that has been turned upside down enough for me.

Chris Casey said...

The whole Blog War thing is a shame, but we reap what we sow.
The Troll Parade Blog is digusting, but my long ago point about O'Hare needing targets to fight with rings true. I completely ignore him, I don't read his blog, and when he does comment or email me, I immediately delete it, without reading it. That's my choice, to exercie my freedoms.
If I don' read it, or know about it, I won't be bothered by it. It's nothing new, it's what someone who stay up all hours of the night devising ways to hurt people he perceives as injuring him does. It is truly tragic.

So how about we all exercise the freedom to ignore those who foment this hate crap? Ignoring them is the cruelest thing we can do. They can't start fights if none of us engage them, and that goes for all the third party anonymous commenters who I believe are antagonizing both sides to fuel the fire. I believe there are third party sources who fuel this crap just to watch the fire burn.
I hope they get tired soon.

Sorry to go off topic, but I think there are some spectators who don't want thi crainess to end, and I wanted to point that out. Now whether they are acting at the behest of any of the participants, I don't know, but I can only speak for myself. When it comes to the "Blog War" I've got better things to do than sit around all night monitoring blogs for content I don't approve of.

Bill Villa said...

Thanks Chris, as someone who has unjustly been in O'Hare's compulsively sadistic cross-hairs yourself, you definitely know of what you speak.

I'm hoping B O'H will pick up a cue from his fast-dwindling readership-- which can't be helping his influence as a "Blogger Tuesday" consultant to The Morning Call's Glenn Kranzley.

As you may know (being a BNN Top 20-Rated blog yourself), "Lehigh Valley Ramblings" catapulted downward to #9 at the BlogNet News rankings this week, "Ramblings" having been consistently "number two" for quite a long while.

I believe Bernie's boycotting readers are trying to tell him something, and that is:

POOF THE TROLL PARADE BLOG, Bernie.

We'll see if he's listening ...

Angie Villa said...

Chris,

I agree that ignoring them is the best thing to do. I did stop reading their blogs for a few pleasant weeks, but when they started insulting me and Chen Arts at a friend's blog which I enjoy reading, I got dragged back in.
I won't take the bait again.

So it's buh bye to the haters for now. I gotta focus on important issues, and I am real excited about Obama!

I heard on NPR that an estimated 10 million people have already voted and that's a good sign for huge turnout, which will be great for Obama!

Anonymous said...

Regarding the "Troll Parade" blog:

Mr. O'Hare's flip-flop on the Villa matter is a slap in the face to his readers, his profession, and the memory of a 25-year-old woman who just wanted to go home. After fancying himself a keeper of the torch of truth and integrity for so long, and to the extent that he eventually found himself championing the Villas' cause, this reversal in thinking and aggressive behavior is a profound obscenity. Not to mention that his apparent "aquiver" hop into bed with the DA-friendly Morning Call looks like a confederacy of weaklings. Anybody home, Allentown? Feel like moving even farther away.

Bill Villa said...

Hey Pally Pat, always good to hear from you ...

"...how about we all exercise the freedom to ignore those who foment this hate crap? Ignoring them is the cruelest thing we can do." -Chris Casey

Chris, it looks like former readers of O'Hare's "other" blog "Lehigh Valley Ramblings" have really taken your, and our, "Boycott Bernie" suggestion to heart again today. Sheesh. It's like a ghost town over there at LV Ramblings on a usually busy blogging bee Monday. What's that expression, "spiting his face to lose his nose" ... how does that saying go?

Anonymous said...

"Hey Pally Pat, always good to hear from you ..."

Even if it's over 700 times?

Bill Villa said...

Hey PW, you never wear out your welcome as far as I'm concerned. In fact, we don't hear from you nearly enough, or, frequently enough ;)

Bill Villa said...

... sorry to interrupt this great discussion, but I must mention that some albeit well-placed and very clever anonymous "snarks" against "Troll Parade" blog co-creator, Attorney (for now) David C. Najarian, Lynn Township Supervisor, and Michael Molovinsky, at Molovinsky's Nostalgia Korner Blog "Molovinsky on Allentown" have, ONCE AGAIN, been attributed to yours truly by "Mayor Mike" and the neocon blog nazi terrorist he pals around with, Bernie O'Hare O'Mcall.

Again, Gentlemen, and I use the term loosely:

Because of your public participation in the shameful "Troll Parade" blog, there are bloggers out there (other than Angie and me) who strongly disapprove of you and your tactics ... and ... it looks like you may be encountering some disruptive "criticism" and "dissent" from them from time to time.

Please Note: these are consequences you've brought down upon yourselves and we can't help you with them.

Unless and until you have irrefutable PROOF that anonymous "snarks" against you have been posted by Angie or me, kindly refrain from publicly attributing these comments to us.

WHO'S TO SAY YOU'RE NOT PENNING THESE ANONYMOUS "SNARKS" YOURSELVES ... AND THEN ATTRIBUTING THEM TO US?

AFTER ALL, THAT'S HOW THIS BLOG WAR STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Anonymous said...

There's a disbarred troll (who obviously wishes he could write with the skill of Bill Villa) rolling around on the floor and foaming at the mouth over at "Mike's Nostalgia Korner," check it out, hoo, boy, is he chasing his tail or what ;) it's really hysterical

Bill Villa said...

Ick.

And while I can't help but laugh :)

it's really very sad, this Evil Axis of O'Hare/Molovinsky/Najarian
maiming our local blogosphere as they are.

I'm glad I have allies [Thank You] to help me push back against them because these 3 bullies spend an average of 20 hours a day thinking up ways to keep things stirred up. Solo, I can't compete with that kind of "dedication." Sadly, they do this to attract "rubber neckers" and inflate their weekly self-gamed BlogNet News (BNN) rankings that they deem "questionable" and "misleading" out of the other sides of their mouths and for good reasons.

And while I can understand The Morning Call affiliating itself with local bloggers as a "novelty" or curiosity that could attract a few dozen more readers the newspaper's way and doesn't cost them anything to try it, how The Tribune Company allows a "Valley Blogosphere" partnership to exist between The Morning Call ... and our local blogosphere's Evil Axis ... is beyond me. The Morning Call probably does not read the local blogs it's linking to, is my guess ...

Anonymous said...

Mr. Villa, knowing, and fully supporting, what you've accomplished, and uncovered, in our local criminal "justice" and "media" systems, while up against incredible odds, I have every confidence you will win out against these 3 breathtakingly unskilled cowards.

As always, you have my total and heartfelt support.

Anonymous said...

Once there was dissent
But then they got A-Quiver
All heil Morning Call

Regarding the "Troll Parade" blog:

Mr. O'Hare's flip-flop on the Villa matter is a slap in the face to his readers, his profession, and the memory of a 25-year-old woman who just wanted to go home. After fancying himself a keeper of the torch of truth and integrity for so long, and to the extent that he eventually found himself championing the Villas' cause, this reversal in thinking and aggressive behavior is a profound obscenity. Not to mention that his apparent "aquiver" hop into bed with the DA-friendly Morning Call looks like a confederacy of weaklings. Anybody home, Allentown? Feel like moving even farther away.

Anonymous said...

its dead as doornail (again today) at lv ramblings. boycott bernie is working. good. but watch for an amazing chart climb comeback at bnn rankings this week ;)

Bill Villa said...

"I've got better things to do than sit around all night monitoring blogs for content I don't approve of." -Chris Casey

You know, you've really hit the nail on the head here, Chris.

That's what ALL these annoying local blog wars have been about:

Bernie O'Hare NOT APPROVING of something someone is saying on a blog.

And ANY blog, not just his.

My mortal sin was challenging the powers that be at The Morning Call ... AFTER Mr. O'Hare had flip-flop morphed from Morning Call dissenter into Morning Call blogger/consultant to MC VP Glenn Kranzley.

Timing's everything.

BEFORE "Blogger Tuesday at The Morning Call," our local blogosphere (and LV Ramblings in particular) offered me (and many others) a forum for discussing and challenging and criticizing our notoriously under-achieving hometown "newspaper."

AFTER Blogger Tuesday? Forget it. POOF went 99% of all MC dissent from our local blogosphere. Over Night.

I haven't been willing to go all that quietly.

So the "Blogger Tuesday" bloggers want to POOF me, and my dissent.

And to your point, Chris (and I know I'm preaching to the choir here), look at how Bernie O'Hare has recently berated Lehigh Valley Lexicon Sarina and Councilman Michael Donovan for either "allowing" the Villas or participating at our blog.

Q. Who does this pompous ass Bernie O'Hare think he is?

He's wrecking our local blogosphere for everyone with his gestapo tactics.

Bill Villa said...

"the anonymous comment at the troll blog defaming villa's late daughter was immediately condemned by o'hare." -Mike Molovinsky

But not deleted.

And this says it all.

See you in court, Bernie.