Daily Archives: October 5, 2012
Exclusive: Interview with Peace and Freedom Presidential Candidate, Roseanne Barr
Shalom Life released an interview that they recently did with Peace and Freedom Presidential candidate, Roseanne Barr, and I was intrigued to hear her answers on some political questions that many may have. One of my very best friends (actually a few) love Roseanne Barr and were excited to hear she was running. Truthfully, I thought it was all a joke that somewhat made sense because I agreed with a lot that she had said. Never did I imagine that her name would actually be on the ballot of President in 2012.
I really love her views on marijuana and wish that every candidate understood why this made sense.
Although I doubt she has an actual chance to win this election, nor do I really believe she’s qualified, it would be great to share what her stance is on certain issues as well as hear her speak out about why she is running and whether her motivation came from the corrupted system we have now, or an innate interest in politics. Below is the interview that Roseanne Barr participated in, shortly after the 2012 Presidential debate between Mitt Romney and current President Barack Obama.
ASHLEY BAYLEN (AB): Did you ever expect the woman that stepped onto ‘The Tonight Show’ stage almost 30 years ago to be running for President?
ROSEANNE BARR (RB): Absolutely! Ever since I was a little girl I’ve had a deep yearning to lead and bring a huge change into the world. Just because you have a Messiah Complex doesn’t mean you can’t do Messianic work and bring change on a grand scale. Let’s ALL be saviors and healers and march together! I’m running for President because I figure you have to start somewhere. Even Presidents have to play ball but I want to make the game less crooked.
AB: Have you always been interested in pursuing a political career, or is this Presidential campaign a response to your disappointment with the current state of America?
RB: Yes! I come from a very very political family-politics were always important from childhood.
AB: The platform for the Peace and Freedom party almost mirrors the issues you raised during your run for the Green Party ticket. Why didn’t you run with the Peace and Freedom party from the beginning?
RB: This is the way things rolled out. Looking over my shoulder and analyzing each step or misstep that brought me to the present takes time away from right now, and as wise thinkers have said from the beginning: “The time is NOW.” Here I am; Let’s roll!
AB: I’m from Toronto, and it seems the Peace and Freedom party is very similar to Canada’s New Democratic Party. Are you familiar with the NDP?
RB: I’m sorry to say I’m not, but if we’re very similar, well, THAT is probably the most important thing to know. Sounds like we’re on different trains, but the same track. Full speed ahead!
AB: Legalization of marijuana is a subject you care very strongly about. On your presidential website, you mention re-writing the laws to be “sane and people based”. What exactly does that mean and why is this issue so important to you?
RB: The jury is NOT out, anymore; Listen, demonizing Weed is just plain bad policy. We’re criminalizing our own people, wasting billions of dollars and eroding our freedom with the endless, destructive “War on drugs,” but, specifically, the part focused on persecuting and prosecuting people who use Marijuana. We destroy our own credibility by allowing cigarettes and alcohol to be sold everywhere while hypocritically pretending we’re all about protecting people. I could go on all day, so don’t get me started. The facts are everywhere and they’re incontrovertible. We’ve had twenty years of Presidents who smoked pot and it didn’t stop them from becoming President. Enough said, for now? More on request.
AB: You previously joked about running to become Prime Minister of Israel, and you frequently discuss Israel and Palestine on Twitter, in speeches, and your blogs. If you became President, what would you implement to “bring Peace to the Middle East”?
RB: I would call together the calmest, most moderate advocates on each side of the divide, demonstrate respect for each other’s positions and concerns and begin to incrementally search for opportunities for rational discussion. There’s not a justifiable reason why people who claim to be moral, who swear they believe in a righteous G-d that sees and knows all, should not be able to at least sit in a room and admit that something has to be done to protect their own children from hatred and violence. That’s not a naive statement; it’s one based in intelligence, logic and rational self-interest. We can build on that.
AB: What do you believe the actual issues in Israel are?
RB: The issues are Netanyahu’s endless clamoring for war with Iran, which we know will basically amount to a “fly-by” bombing, a beat-down, that will kill innocent civilians. Look, Ahmadinejad’s rhetoric is just that, the blustery saber-rattling of a nation ringed by superior military power on every front. Iran is looking down the barrel of Israel’s massive nuclear arsenal and the most superior military, by far, in their part of the world. Speaking of honesty: does it make someone “anti-Israel’ to point to the fact that Israel has always been coy and elusive about what everyone knows is their nuclear capability, while they demand to know exactly what Iran is up to? I think not.
The capper is: Israel’s defense minister has just called for a broad unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank if talks with the Palestinians remain stalled, saying in published comments that “practical steps” are needed to breathe life into the stalemated peace process.
The proposal drew attention to the dire state of affairs with the Palestinians, which has been overshadowed by Israel’s focus on the Iranian nuclear program. Prime Minister Netanyahu, convinced that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons, says the Islamic Republic must be stopped and has devoted his 3 1/2 year term to rallying international support against the Iranians. At the same time, he has largely ignored the Palestinian issue.
In an interview with the Israel Hayom daily, Defense Minister Ehud Barak implied that the deadlock with the Palestinians cannot be sustained indefinitely.
“It’s better to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, but if that doesn’t happen, we must take practical steps to start a separation,” he said. “It will help us not only in dealing with the Palestinians, but also with other countries in the region, with the Europeans, and with the American administration — and of course (will help) us.”
AB: You have been criticized, mostly on Twitter, for being anti-Semitic. I know you’ve defended yourself by claiming your Jewish heritage, but do you not believe it’s possible to discriminate your own culture? Do you believe you’re comments are excusable because of your background as a comedian?
RB: For one Jew to call another Jew anti-semitic is a tired, insulting, overused propagandist device, a generally groundless way to discredit ANYONE who dares to question the warlike policies of Israel’s Right Wing Gov’t, but mostly to discredit the wonderful Israeli socialists who built Israel. I stand with millions of Jews, worldwide, who also do not wish to march in lockstep with the Netanyahu regime. Where there are two Jews, there are THREE opinions. I’m pretty traditional in that sense, don’t you think?
AB: Do you believe you “get away” with certain beliefs and bold statements because you’re known to the world as a comedian, instead of coming from a background in politics?
RB: I am, first and foremost, a human being of conscience, and a citizen of a great nation that prides itself on being a bastion of free speech. On top of that, Yes, I AM a comic, a member of a profession that’s known for brazen, thought-provoking speech. I’m a law-abiding American – I don’t “get away” with anything; I speak my mind with the best of intentions, and in all honesty, and I face the consequences. I dish it out, and I take it.
AB: After reading all of your policies, many people might call you an “idealist”. What would you do as President to implement concepts such as “equal rights for all” or “forgiving all student loans”?
RB: This nation, and all great humanitarian undertakings were started by idealists. Really, there’s nothing particularly naive or unrealistic about asking our country and its institutions to walk the talk. There certainly has to be an alternative to making young students and graduates carry backbreaking debt that grows larger with interest, for decades, in an economy that doesn’t allow them a means to pay that debt down. Everyone is being asked to tighten their belts and lower their expectations during this worldwide economic crisis. Why should bankers be any different? If super-wealthy banks, flush with assets and not embarrassed to ask for and receive a bailout can’t take a hit – who CAN?
AB: Why did you select Cindy Sheehan as your running mate?
RB: Cindy’s credentials are unquestionable. She, as a mother, paid the ultimate price for what history is showing to be the greatest foreign policy debacle in American History; but what makes her different than thousands of other citizens in her situation is that she has never stopped confronting the forces that have caused this ongoing horrific loss. She has continued to educate and disseminate and speak truth to power. More and more Americans are seeing the tragic folly of waging these wasteful distant wars while claiming that we can’t afford to take care of essential needs at home. Peace and Freedom IS Cindy Sheehan!
AB: If you had to summarize your message in just one sentence, what would it be?
RB: We need to hold our country up to the standards it professes, end slavery and war in all its forms, and make peace and freedom a reality, starting NOW!
AB: The United States has never voted someone into power outside the Republican or Democratic party. Knowing this, are you hoping to be the first, or simply using your global influence to make issues normally avoided in the media made known to the public?
RB: Well, it wouldn’t be very inspiring to tell people I think there’s no chance I’ll be elected. Having said that, yes, I’m raising consciousness on issues that are NOT receiving the attention they should: The destructive War on Drugs, The burning need for Campaign Finance Reform and term limits, ending slavery in all its forms, Monsanto’s Frankenstein-ing of our food supply and seeds, the shameful under-representation of women and the attack on their reproductive rights, the removal of the Electoral College, the auditing of the Fed, Debt forgiveness, Iceland-style – the list goes on, and so do I!
AB: However, if you did win the Presidency, not only would you be the first outside of the two-party system, but the first woman and the first Jew. Which of these three “firsts” would mean the most to you?
RB: They would all be landmarks and milestones, but we need to maintain separation of Church and State, so I don’t know how much weight should be given to Religion or ethnicity, although almost 200 years of White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant MEN DOES seem like a pattern that needed to be broken. The first woman President would be a BIG deal, obviously, but the goal is to keep moving forward to the time when it WON’T be a big deal, just like the color of President Obama’s skin should not be. However, the TRUTH is-that if elected, I would be the FIRST President of the USA not related by BLOODLINE to the Royal Family of England- including Obama. That would be a TRUE FIRST.
AB: Do you plan on running again in 2016?
RB: Please, I HATE this idea whereby campaigns start BEFORE the election in our face, THIS cycle, has even been decided. The European model should serve as an example. Our, tiresome, mud-slinging, non-stop campaigning is NOT productive.
AB: How do you want to be remembered?
RB: As the first person to live forever, and one who finally received the adoration she deserved. Oh, and for my pragmatism and humility, too. Get THAT in there!
AB: What are you currently working on, you know, other than running for President of the United States? Any upcoming tours, TV shows, films?
RB: For a change, I’m not looking past what’s on my plate next, which I hope is some lovely angel hair pasta, a delightful salad with a plummy red wine on the side, some fresh, fragrant garlic bread, and then a big, cozy nap! Doesn’t that sound heavenly?
Roseanne’s latest book ‘Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nutfarm’ is available now!Click here to get yourself a copy.
Follow Roseanne at:
Official Website: http://www.roseanneworld.com/
Presidential Website: http://www.roseanneforpresident2012.org/
Twitter: @TheRealRoseanne
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[VIDEO] I can’t sing Nicki Minaj: The MOST ADORABLE Little Boy!
How flippin cute is this little guy? I would be the most ecstatic person ever if I had a child this adorable.
YouTube: I walked into my sister’s house and heard my 3 year old nephew, Dustin BAWLING in his room, after calming him down a bit, this was the reason for his tears!
And this is Dustin singing ‘Starships‘ by Nicki Minaj:
YouTube: My 3 year old Nephew, Dustin finally getting the chance to sing Starships by Nicki Minaj!
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‘Boy Scouts: Don’t let your anti-gay policy deny my son his Eagle award’
A friend of mine brought this story to my attention and asked that I share it with all of you. Obviously, the mistreatment of homosexuals is something that I am particularly interested in changing, and this mother’s plea is rather touching. Ryan’s mother, Karen Andresen, is looking for people to help her son acquire his Eagle award, which he has earned. Below is Mrs. Andersen’s letter and a link to sign the petition. Please read and I urge you to help this young man by showing him the compassion of his peers is stronger than the hate of those who disagree with who he is.
My son Ryan needs your help.
Ryan joined the Boy Scouts when he was just six years old, and since then, he’s dreamed of earning his Eagle award — the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.
Ryan is now a senior in high school, and just completed the final requirements to earn his Eagle Award. He’s an honor student with great SAT scores, who’s hoping to attend the University of San Francisco. But because he recently came out to his friends and family as gay, leaders from our local Boy Scout troop say they won’t approve his Eagle award.
A Boy Scout gets his Eagle by earning many badges, completing all lower Scout rank requirements, and carrying out an approved final project. So Ryan decided to build a “Tolerance Wall” for his school, to show bully victims — like Ryan — that they are not alone. Ryan worked countless hours with elementary students to amass a wall of 288 unique tiles, all illustrating acts of kindness.
But when leadership in Troop 212 (San Francisco Bay Area) found out that Ryan was gay, the Scoutmaster said he refused to sign the official paperwork designating Ryan as an Eagle Scout, despite the fact that Ryan completed all of the requirements.
Many troops around the country are standing up, choosing to reject the Boy Scouts’ discriminatory policy. I sincerely hope that Ryan’s troop will become one of them. And with your help, they just might.
It hurts me so much to watch Ryan suffer for being who he is, because to me, he’s perfect. Ryan has worked for nearly 12 years to become an Eagle Scout, and nothing would make him more proud than earning that well-deserved distinction. I hope that if enough people come together, we can convince my son’s troop leaders to help him feel proud of who he is and all he’s accomplished.
“Citizenship in the Community,” a merit badge earned, means standing up for what is right, and I am proud of Ryan for doing just that. Will you stand with him too, and join this campaign?
Petition Letter
Ryan joined the Boy Scouts when he was just six years old, and since then, he’s dreamed of earning his Eagle award — the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.
Ryan is now a senior in high school, and just completed the final requirements to earn his Eagle Award. He’s an honor student with great SAT scores, who’s hoping to attend the University of San Francisco. But because he recently came out to his friends and family as gay, leaders from your troop say they won’t approve his Eagle award.
This is unfair and wrong.
A Scout earns his Eagle by earning many badges, completing all lower Scout rank requirements, and carrying out an approved final project. So Ryan decided to build a “Tolerance Wall” for his school, to show bully victims — like Ryan — that they are not alone. Ryan worked countless hours with elementary students to amass a wall of 288 unique tiles, all illustrating acts of kindness.
Many troops around the country are standing up, choosing to reject the Boy Scouts’ discriminatory policy. I sincerely hope that Ryan’s troop — Troop 212 — will become one of them.
“Citizenship in the Community,” a merit badge earned, means standing up for what is right, and I am proud of Ryan for doing just that. Will you stand with him, too?
Sincerely,
[Your name]
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