Human Rights

The Hermanas Mirabal(as they are referred to) were four Dominican political dissidents who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. They called themselves Las Mariposas (the butterflies) because that was the name Minerva Mirabal gave to herself in her underground activities.

Republicans claim they only have a problem with the way they communicate their message. Perhaps this more severe, lost Ryan Budget could be presented in a more appetizing way, perhaps as the wrapper on a Big Mac, so it would get the respect and lengthy consideration it deserves.

The thing is why, as a member nation of the United Nations, would anyone in this country think it ok to withhold certain human rights from certain people? And why would Republicans in Congress hold up re-authorization of a bill for almost two years for the reasons stated above?

When the NRA and their political puppets in the GOP and on Fox News say, "This is not the time to talk about gun control," this time, the response needs to be, "This is exactly the time and we're not only going to talk about, we're going to do something about it!"

Corporations may have designed this mousetrap of buying cheap products bringing down wages but as long as consumers keep going for the cheese the corporations set out, they will continue to be the victim of this trap.

"I'm pretty sure that I said, "Love thy neighbor as thyself", not "Love only those with a median household income range between $35,000 and $75,000".

The Dickensian disdain for the poor resonates with some people today.

Fewer and fewer of the folks who contributed to the success of our economy actually benefited from that success. Those at the very top grew wealthier from their incomes and their investments -- wealthier than ever before. But everybody else struggled with costs that were growing and paychecks that weren’t -- and too many families found themselves racking up more and more debt just to keep up.

The long-term implications of shattered young lives, lost jobs, and lost opportunities for so many people cannot be measured. As we find out more details of the story, the circle of victims grows wider.

A quick look into an Irish Presidential debate which I attended on the 20 October.