A Certain Craziness

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The sky is falling! It is the end of the world! This kind of dark fantasy seems to have haunted unbalanced and borderline minds with an unprecedented ferocity since ancient times. There has not existed a single year in the history of the planet during which someone somewhere did not predict the "immediate advent" of the "end of the world"!

Not at all surprisingly, it is happening all over again. Sick rightwing whackos-- extremists all, who often get their material from each other-- have declared Obama a "radical," a "socialist," an "anti-Christ," and much, much worse. Talkshow hosts have poured billions of gallons of gasoline on this "fire"!

Of course, extreme conservatives hate and misunderstand almost everybody. This is due partly to the fact that they do not seek objective or scientific foundations for their ideas, and partly because they refuse to read or listen to anyone who is not already in fullest agreement with them. They rant and rave, and often preach, in screeching voices about to break from the sheer tension.

Mick Gallagher, Barbara Bady, and other contributors to the uld have pointed out the real and rational dangers that these people pose to the mind, as well as to the collective mind of the community. The latest gambit of these rightwingers is the sad illusion, a lie, that Presidennt Obama of the USA has a "hidden agenda" to take away all their guns. (This type always feels incomplete without a gun, as if you had stolen her literal arms and fingers; and she will fight tooth and nail to keep whatever deadly weapons that she owns with great pride. (In this way, she imitates extremists of the past, including nazis and fascists.) The only way, they say, that you are going to "get their gun" is when you "pry it from their dead, cold fingers" after they have died for this "cause."

Many are "worldenders," and are troubled nonstop by the idea of "race-wars," criminals running riotously through the streets, and related horrors. They live in a nightmare torture-chamber! (How true the spiritual principle that it is what is within the mind, not the "outside world," that determines how we feel.)

The best way to deal with such fanatics is simply to ignore them. We can also regulate their power by education in the truer and more satisfying Way of moderation, which turns its back on extremes. But all that we really have to do is wait around; for the passage of time will prove how false, ludicrous, absurd, and ridiculous are their ideas. Let us also work hard every minute of every day to fill this world, this cosmos, with the peace and joy manifested by Love. For it is Love, not guns, in which all people of Love place their faith.
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UMWA takes on NRA's Lies about Obama and Guns

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As a member and officer of the UMWA, and a NRA member, I felt that you should share this information with your contact list. I probably own more guns than most republican elected officials who portray themselves as hunters. (they might own a gun)
Pennsylvania and other states are seeing reductions in the number of hunting license sales. The truth is, the unemployed, underemployed and those on fixed incomes, just can't afford the cost to hunt. What is important here is, if McCain is elected, the average working family won't be able to afford to hunt; and license sales will continue to fall.

FACTS
Wages from 2001 to present are stagnant; and many are working for less McCain voted and supports to out-source [to other countries]family-sustaining jobs the economy is in shambles. McCain proposes to fund healthcare by taxing employer-provided health
benefits as earned income. Who does this affect? It affects, and harms, working families-- those who are fortunate enough still to have them!
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----- Original Message -----
From: United Mine Workers of America

Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 11:01 AM
Subject: UMWA takes on NRA's lies about Obama and guns

President Roberts and members of L.U. 1702 from the Blacksville #2 mine in District 31 held a press conference Sept. 22 in Charleston, W. Va., to expose an attempt by the National Rifle Association to coerce UMWA members into supporting the NRA's lies about Barack Obama's position on the 2nd Amendment and guns.
The NRA cameras crew came onto Consol company property with the permission of the company in an attempt to film UMWA members. When members didn't say just what the camera crew wanted, they were coached into saying things they didn't really believe.
L.U. 1702 members Jim Toothman and Ken Foyles spoke at the press conference:
Toothman says a mine manager asked him to go outside to speak with the NRA, without warning him he'd be interviewed by a woman on camera.
"She tried to lead me into how to word the answers," Toothman said. "I ended the conversation about that point."
Foyles never went on camera after watching the crew coach a co-worker's answers about her "concerns" about Obama.
"It was my impression they wanted me to bash Barack Obama," Foyles said.
At a subsequent Local Union 1702 meeting, the members voted to request that President Roberts call a Memorial Day at the mine in protest of the company's decision to allow the NRA crew access to company property and of mine management encouraging members to speak to them.

President Roberts granted the request.
Click on this link to see the story:
http://wvgazette.com/News/200809220643.

The truth about Sen. Obama's position on the 2nd Amendment and gun ownership is clear: He supports the right to keep and bear arms. He will not take anyone's guns away - period. If anyone from the NRA or anyone else tries to tell you any differently, they're lying.

In solidarity,
Your UMWA Activist Alert Team