Constitution Day or Citizenship Day is an American federal observance that recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787.
The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as “Citizenship Day.” In addition to renaming the holiday “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day.
So are the wingnuts gonna throw hissy fits again and keep their children out of school, or does that only happen when the United States President (who happens to be a black man) speaks to them?
fnord
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary Dies at 72
Mary Travers, whose ringing, earnest vocals with the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary made songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “If I Had a Hammer” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” enduring anthems of the 1960s protest movement, died on Wednesday at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. She was 72 and lived in Redding, Conn.
Interesting. This article tells of six countries where the citizens were asked to grade their health care.
“4 Countries With Better Healthcare Than Ours
Anecdotal snapshots, however, tell us nothing meaningful about an issue as complex as healthcare, since the plight of a given individual reveals nothing about the effectiveness of the overall system. Now we know something more useful: how citizens in various countries rate their own healthcare systems. The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions surveyed 14,000 people in six countries, asking them to grade their own healthcare system from A to F. The standardized results allow comparisons among all six countries.”
I was moved by the last sentence in this article:
“And it does this while avoiding the disgrace that so shames America, of leaving around 46 million people, some 15 percent of its population, without any form of health insurance.”
http://www.forwardkansas.com/ of some interest
It is essential that people understand that just because a company has a non-profit status, that does not mean that they are not making a profit or profit-driven. They have a certain amount of profit that they have to contribute to the subject of their mission as a non-profit, but they are free to make as much profit as they want and to pay huge salaries to their employees and officers. So even with a non-profit coop, there is still a profit motive. Any profit motive trumps what the true motive of health care should be: a care motive. Co-ops are not the answer to the health care crisis we are facing and the bills that are being created by Congress are health insurance reform-based, not healthcare reform-based. We need Medicare for all.
You can run but you can’t hide from me.
Are all of us WE Blog expatriates?
Welcome MH. I’m curious, how did you find our place.
Not all of us, but many.
We’ve picked up some great new friends! And, it’s good to see you!
Did anyone else watch Rachel last night? A interesting point was made, from early childhood Fundies are taught to not trust facts they are taught to trust faith.
None are so blind than those not willing to see?
(What I posted on tbtsnbn, will have Hell to catch huh):
Ok I watched the video and I call “fishy” the others seem to be somewhat legit. But this one is just too informational and damning! The Police only wish people with criminal intent were that open to strangers.
Now keep in mind that show “to catch a Predator” the subjects are arrested for thinking they are talking to a under aged girl or boy. There is no need for a real child to be involved, these two undercover reporters are at risk for being arrested for the mere suggestion of setting up a under aged Prostitute ring.
Yet they are walking in and openly stating not only setting up a house but using under aged girls?
For this video I have to call fishy!
I’m with you on that point. And those outfits ???
Assuming the videos are true, the ones giving advice should be brought up on charges: It’s just plain wrong on so many levels. But the question that needs to be asked is how many did the cons have to interview before finding ones that matched their agenda? If they went through dozens of legitimate interviews before finding the bad apples, I think we should be told: there’s bad apples in every barrel.
As to the topic of Constitution Day and it’s meaning…..
In the world of the wingnuts – their Constitution has a different ‘color’ to it – doesn’t it?
And that is precisely, in my opinion, what will be their downfall. I was watching someone on MSNBC last night and they were saying that racial tensions will always be with us but that racism, itself, if not a popular theme most politicians will run towards.
And you have noticed that each time a white Republican has been caught with a racial email they sent or saying something racially motivated, when charges of racism are brought forth – they turn tail and run away.
Racists are cowards. If you doubt that, then why did the KKK always wear their hoods?
I was sorry to hear of the passing of Mary Travers.
The 60’s may have had some bad moments in it, but we did have some great music from that era, didn’t we?
I don’t understand a lot, guess I’m not smart enough, but how can any person read the Constitution or remember the reasons behind the beginning of this country and then not be tolerant of all diversity? Didn’t it all start as the result of people realizing they wanted the freedom to be who they are? How then can a person’s social status, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, etc. not be respected as their right?
There was little, in the beginning of this country, that indicated many involved cared about diversity. Much has evolved over the nearly 400 years since the English began colonizing, which colors our thoughts on the topic.
The Pilgrims, to take one example, saw an opportunity to flee to what became America to practice their religion without government interference. Once here, the Massachusetts Bay Colony established as intolerant an environment towards others and their religious beliefs as had been imposed upon them; folks like Roger Williams were banished. Mr. Williams was able to establish Rhode Island, where religious diversity was allowed, but this was an exception rather than the rule.
Georgia was established as a penal colony to where British prisoners were exiled. IIRC, many of them were in debtor’s prison, and essentially were sent here to work off their indebtedness.
Then there is the thorny issue of slavery, and the Constitutional tap-dance around it. Native Americans (the first immigrants) were not citizens under the original Constitution, as they were treated as citizens of another nation; rightfully so, in 1783.
What it all comes to, in my mind, is that at the time of adoption, the U.S. Constitution recognized that males who were “free, white and twenty-one” were entitled to be the voters of, and thus those with the rights of citizenship, the United States.
6176, you always make so damn much good sense! 🙂 And, I’ll admit always teach me something I needed to know.
One more thing I have great difficulty with —
If God had intended for us to care for the sick and poor, He would have said so.
Don’t you think?
He gave us free will, not always the greatest gift. Nor are we always wise in the use of it.
That obvious hypocrisy gets me every time.
Have some fun and a few laughs here —
Don’t miss the Rachel click.
tehe
http://www.billionairesforwealthcare.com/2009/09/14/rachel-maddow-reports/
http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/working-class-zero/
Of interest..
Except Working Class Zero:
For average Americans, the last 10 years were a lost decade. At the end of President George W. Bush’s eight years in office, American households had less money and less economic security, and fewer of them were covered by health care than 10 years earlier, the Census Bureau reported in its annual survey.
The poverty rate in 2008 rose to 13.2 percent, the highest in 11 years, while median household income fell to $50,303. Ten years earlier, adjusted for inflation, it was $51,295.
Of course this reflects the ravages of a horrid recession. But the decline started before the collapse in the housing and financial sectors — and it was calculated, in the eyes of some.
Harvard economist Lawrence Katz called it “a plutocratic boom.” If anything comes close to defining the era, that would be my nomination. President Bush cut $1.3 trillion in taxes — and the biggest beneficiaries by far were the top 1 percent of earners. At the same time, Wall Street was inflated by the helium of a regulation-free economy that eventually gave us Bernie Madoff and banks begging for bailouts.
Now consider the people who showed up in a state of generalized rage in Washington over the weekend. They have no leaders, save a self-described rodeo clown — Glenn Beck of Fox News — and some well-funded Astroturf outfits from the permanent lobbying class inside the Beltway. They are loosely organized under a Tea Party movement, but these people are closer to British Tories than 18th century patriots with a love of equality.
And they have the wrong target.” More at link
now for something completely different
http://crabbyoldfart.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/the-problem-with-young-people-trading-cards/
You’ve found the place Griffin and jammer hang out, annie!
Isn’t he a hoot?
I think Iggy spent at least one afternoon visiting, reading, laughing there too.
I visit there often. Don Mills slays me – he is so funny.
I wonder if Todd ever let those people with their hands up ask their questions?
BTW – many doctors do not open up their own practices any more. The doctors that I know all work for a group or some corporation.
So, I guess Todd’s point is moot? If he had any point at all.
As Thomas Frank was saying last night, if the government is evil and only produces bad things, why would any Republicans want to be part of it?
Maybe, it is to protect the innocents from the government? Maybe that could be a volunteer position?
I watched the longer second tape, for a group of employees who are said to be ill educated and ill trained.
They seem well versed in their advise, that could mean one of two things.
systematic problem with in ACORN.
Or that a investigation should included the bank accounts of the workers. Did they receive a large amount of cash prior to the tapes being made?
They sure were not street people, they can see a want-to-be miles away.
And the film maker with the way he is dressed. Would not have been able to make a block on So. Broadway in Wichita.
He would if lucky only be stripped naked. Lucky in if once naked the real pimps would leave it at that.
There are some White pimps in Wichita. Most are laughing stocks, like the one who’s “pimp mobile” is a Pinto.
But it is a hatch back so he can manage to get another ho in the back LOL.
But yeah ACORN has some real problems either way.
Recall this band down in Winfield. They were great:
The fiddle players sister was a nurse who took care of me when I was a sick college student…