Republican Blame Game

This is a bit of a rant.   I've listened to some speeches from the Republican National Convention, and bits from Fox News, Brietbart News, Rush Limbaugh, Charles Krauthammer, and other right wing commentators.  Republicans are consistently doing things to screw things up, and then blaming the Democrats for the results.  Here is a list.

Republicans cut Federal taxes far below Federal spending, and blame Democrats for Federal debt.

Republicans increase military spending to 5x times more than next most militarized country, continue to blame Democrats for Federal debt.

Republicans block meaningful gun control, blame Democrats for gun violence.

Republicans block affirmative action and other race equalization measures, blame Democrats for increased race animosity.

Republicans block increases in minimum wage, blame Democrats for decline of working-class families.

Republicans block abortion, blame Democrats for welfare mothers.

Republicans cut school funding in school districts nationwide, blame Democrats for decline in student performance.

Republicans cut funding for consulate security, blame Democrats for attack on Benghazi embassy.

Chris Christie breaks New Jersey law in bridge closure, says that Hillary Clinton should go to prison.

Republicans spread lies about President for eight years, blame Democrats for lying.

Republican Congress creates gridlock in Washington, blame President for failures of Federal government.

Republicans start wars which cost trillions, continue to blame Democrats for Federal debt.

Donald Trump solicits foreign government officials for campaign contributions, Republicans blame Hillary Clinton for accepting foreign contributions to the Clinton Foundation.

Republicans claim Christian values, deny shelter to Syrian war refugees.

Letter to Mike Pence, Regarding the Indiana "Religious Freedom Law"

Our civilization and culture were built by people of men and women of all races, skin color, religious convictions, national origin and sexual orientation.   We owe a debt of gratitude to the gays and bisexuals who wrote our poetry, our plays, and our music; made discoveries in mathematics, science and economics, and protected our freedom.  We should honor that debt by extending courtesy, dignity and equality in all things to people of every sexual orientation.

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Mike Pence is a conservative Republican governor of the State of Indiana, a former U.S. Representative and radio talk-show host.   Governor Pence has just been selected as the Vice-Presidential running mate of Donald Trump, Republican nominee for President of the United States.

In 2015, under Governor Pence, the Indiana State Legislature passed a law allowing individuals and business to deny services to people on the basis of sexual orientation.  The rationale for this legalized bigotry was the pretext of religious freedom.  The law is one of many proposed by Republicans in dozens of states to legalize discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation.  Under the law, businesses which disapprove of homosexuality for religious reasons could deny services, housing, or employment to gays.  Governor Pence signed the legislation.  It is clear that the law was a response to the legalization of gay marriage.  The law was intended to impede the implementation of the national gay-marriage law, through harassment and denial of services to gays.  

A firestorm of national criticism ensued.  Several prominent Indiana companies protested the legislation.  A number of national interests declared various boycotts on Indiana.  Within two weeks, an amendment protecting the rights of gays was added to the legislation, effectively nullifying the law. 

Here is a letter that I wrote to Governor Pence following his signing of the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

“Dear Governor Pence

I am an Indiana native, and a master's degree graduate of Indiana University.  I am deeply ashamed of my home state, ashamed of your actions, and ashamed of the State Legislature.

In keeping with the spirit of your "religious freedom" law, you could ban all performances of the works of William Shakespeare; all art by Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci; all music by Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Leonard Bernstein, Elton John and Freddy Mercury; the plays of Oscar Wilde, Thornton Wilder and Tennessee Williams; poems of Walt Whitman and essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson; economics of John Maynard Keynes, and any commemoration of victory in World War II, which might have been lost without the  genius of Alan Turing, who deciphered Nazi codes during the war.

Regretfully, Turing and Tchaikovsky were hounded to the point of suicide by the actions of people like you.

Or, as a suggestion, you might honor our debt to these great people, and many others like them, by extending courtesy and equality to all people regardless of sexual orientation.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Freedom_Restoration_Act_(Indiana)