Monday, May 21, 2018

The Truth About Guns

Now that we have reached the point where more children in mass shootings have been killed than active military fighting at least two wars, it's time to put down some of the fallacies about what causes gun violence. I will give you a hint, it's not abortion or video games or Ritalin The only 100% link between school and other mass shootings is guns. We can't even any longer blame them all on white men, bullying or Trump voters. The only thing they all have in common is easy access to guns and in most cases, assault weapons. You can't link link video games, ritalin or Islam or mental illness to all mass shootings. The only link is guns.

Since the Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004, 7 of the top 10 deadliest mass shootings have happened in that time frame from, 2004-2018.  

6 out of those 7 involved the use of assault rifles as did one of the other top 10 mass shootings that happened before the Assault Weapons Ban was put into place. 

 Not only that, 0 of the top 10 mass shootings in US history happened during the time span of the Assault Weapons Ban from 1994-2004.

 Columbine happened during that time but since only 15 were killed, that pales in comparison to the 59 that died in Las Vegas or Pulse in Orlando.

So what does this say? Well I doubt the Vegas shooter was being bullied and I doubt Tashfeen Malik played a lot of video games yet likely prayed a lot in school so a lot of good that did her, or that Omar Mateen and Dylan Roof was on too much Ritalin. The point is, there's only one correlation between mass shootings and their perpetrators and that is their access to guns. And since we know that the states with the most guns such as LA, AK, SC, TN, MO, OK, AR, MS, AL all have a higher than average murder rate and also have some of the highest rates of gun ownership and that from 2007-2011 while domestic long gun sales increased at an annual rate of 3%, modern "sporting rifle"/ assault rifle sales grew at a rate of 27% and it is estimated that since 1994-2018 that the rate of Assault rifles in the US has increased more than 500%, and that several famous mass shooting incidents from Tuscon, Aurora, CO and Sutherland Springs either ended or were thwarted when the offender stopped to reload, we can clearly see a pattern that:

A. More guns produce more gun deaths and we certainly have more assault weapons in the US than we did in 1980
B. The deadlier the gun, the faster it can fire and the amount of rounds it can hold also increase the gun death rate and casualty rates in the event of a mass shooting
C. Thus, if we had fewer guns, that fired slower, and held fewer rounds, there will be a reduction in mass shooting casualties and gun deaths in general.

The solution is simple and it's not Marilyn Manson, Ritalin, Abortion, prayer in schools it's guns and with regards to mass shootings, rapid fire guns that hold a lot of high powered ammunition.

Sorry but the founding fathers never intended for your 1st Amendment rights to be able to allow you to slander, smoke weed or practice polygamy because of your religion or yell fire in a crowded theater. All those freedoms had limits as is the one they specifically tell you should be regulated that they laid out in the 2nd Amendment. No rights were ever absolute and they never have been.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Trump Basically Giving Up on Entire First Amendment...

From CNN: Trump proposes jail time for freedom of expression


So somehow, money from corporations is protected speech but burning a flag is not a form of speech or expression...According to President Biff...

So we already know he wants to ban one particular religion from the country, we already know he wants to open up libel laws to punish the press for reporting facts about him and now he basically want's to go after the third part of the first amendment guarantees freedom of speech and expression.

And everyone thought Obama was going to destroy the 2nd Amendment??! Really? This guy isn't even in office yet and has already set out to destroy the very fabric upon which our country was founded...I never thought as a liberal that I would be talking about 2nd Amendment solutions to preserving our liberty from a tyrannical government...

Remember this?:

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

IT'S THE FIRST ONE!

First they came for the Muslims and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Muslim, then they came for the Sioux...

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

About the Protests

First off, there were plenty of right wing and Klan protests scheduled if Trump lost. Ted Nugent, last election, said if Obama won he would be dead or in jail so right wingers, stop complaining about the protesters! People fought and died for that right.

They aren't protesting because Clinton lost, they are protesting what they are about to lose! And if you are gay, a woman, minority, immigrant, have a pre-existing condition, a soldier or are anything but a white christian male with money, you stand to lose a lot, including members of your family. And these are real loses, not the guns, doctors and churches you thought you were going to lose under Obama.

If you were about to lose your freedom, family, liberty, dignity and possibly your life, you would be protesting too. #whiteprivilege

Monday, November 07, 2016

Don't be an Idiot. Election 2016

Well we've come to the end:

If you want a smaller government, a continuing shrinking deficit, preservation of gun rights, reduced spending, immigration reform, affordable health care, safer and more secure country, an executive decision maker with a clear understanding of the constitution, the choice is clear, experience matters.

You don't have to have a beer with her but Hillary Clinton is the only choice if you care about anything I said above. Probably not since John Adams, has their been a more qualified and experienced candidate for President.

Oh and she pays taxes and doesn't hate immigrants, minorities, journalists, vets, women or people with disabilities...and she doesn't kick puppies in the face either...

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Can Republicans Really Keep us Safe?? And What Are the Real Threats?

So during the Republican National Convention, AKA the National Lying Bee, Donald Trump, the guy with literally 0 foreign policy and military experience, said that you are under threat and that he and presumably the Republicans are the only ones who can keep you safe. Citing essentially only Benghazi and crazed lone wolf terrorists with limitless access to fire arms and possibly just some good ole fashioned homophobia like you might find in the Bible, he claims Hillary Clinton, former First Lady, Secretary of State (when we got Bin Laden) and US Senator where she served on the Committee and Armed Services and two other of the 6 armed services sub-committees including Readiness Management and Emerging Threats and Capabilities, does not have the experience or even balls to begin to keep us safe. But what is the real body count when it comes to modern Republicans vs Democrats when it comes to "keeping Americans safe"?? And does "keeping Americans safe" really entail keeping French, Germans, Syrian and English people safe as well?? It seems every time there is a terror attack half way across the world, the number one reason on Faux New is of course, Fucking Obama!

But here's how the numbers actually stack up:

Yes, under Obama and even under Clinton's reign as Secretary of State, there were some embassy attacks and some Americans died, including those in Benghazi Libya which did also correspond to international violence in response to cartoons, videos and threatened Quran burnings in the US. As it turns out, that probably wasn't the main reason for the attack.

So here's the Embassy/Consulate data under different Presidents:

Obama: 9 Attacks, 4 American deaths
Bush:   13 Attacks, 24 American Deaths, 87 total deaths
Clinton: 3 Attacks, most deaths were Kenyan and Tanzanian
Reagan: 7 Attacks, 94 Deaths
44% more attacks under Bush than Obama
500% more American Embassy deaths under Bush than Obama

2001-2013 US Civilian Deaths
Overseas: 350
Domestic Terrorism: 3380
Domestic Firearms: 406,496
11,926% more deaths from firearms than terrorism

From 2005-2015 Americans Killed by
Terrorism: 71
Gun violence: 301,797
424,966% more American deaths from gun violence than terrorism in last 10 years

US Terrorism (Religiously Motivated and not including racial such as Roof/Black Lives) Deaths:
Obama: 122
Bush:     3,010
2,367% higher under Bush


US Murders:
Obama: 101,266 (09-15) with another estimated 13k in 2016 which would be 114,266
Bush:  132,083
Reagan 161,899
15.5% higher under Bush than Obama(using 2016 estimates)

US Military Deaths:
Obama: 2031
Bush:  4854
138% higher under Bush

2015 number of Americans shot by:
Islamic Terrorists: 19
Toddlers:   43 (including themselves)

2013 Instrument of murder:
Guns: 8454
Knives: 1490
467% more murders with guns than knives
(32% of US households own guns, 99.9% own knives)

American deaths on US soil from attacks by actual, operational members of ISIS: 0

Since 9/11, 80% of all US based terror attacks have been committed by American citizens, not foreigners. 10 were Islamic and 18 were Christian/Right wing

From 2011, 50% of all female murder victims were murdered by an intimate partner or family member and 33% of all murder victims knew the offender.

The violent crime rate today is more than HALF what it was in 1991.

There were 41% more murders under Reagan than there will be under Obama and that's even with all the rapist and murdering Mexicans Obama has invited across the border (wink wink).

So I ask, what are you truly in danger from? The terrorist half way around the world?? Your jealous husband?? Or the toddler exploring your gun drawer?

Lock him up!



Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The "Real" Unemployment Rate

No doubt you have heard from Faux News and your redneck uncle that Obama's 5.5% unemployment rate isn't the "real" unemployment rate because Obama came up with a way to cook the books so he can give black people more welfare...Or something to that degree. They contend that the "real" unemployment rate, including those who have been unemployed for over a year and have stopped looking for work or are unemployable, is more like 10.8%.

There is a small amount of truth to that. However, Obama hasn't changed anything that would affect the way we calculate unemployment. Unemployment today is measured and reported exactly as it was through ALL of the Bush Presidency and most of Clinton's term. Of course, when President Howdy Doody, the President of all things White, was in office, they weren't at all concerned about the "real" unemployment rate and were happy using what was reported at the time and if unemployment was rising under Obama, they would be happy to report those numbers as well. But, since unemployment has been free falling for most of Obama's term, even dipping below what Rmoney said he would bring us as President, they have to find a way to poo poo the numbers any way they can, thus the need for  the "real" unemployment number...Which by the way, will never be discussed again if we get a Republican President as they won't want to talk about "real" unemployment at that time.

But here, as usual, is where their logic backfires. Yes, it's true that the longterm/unemployable is no longer counted in the reported unemployment numbers. But, it's also true that as unemployment goes down, more people from the long term unemployed start entering the work force. Not only that, in 2014 Obama set aside grants and programs to get the long term unemployed back into the work force; contrary to popular belief, his goal was not to just get as many people on welfare as possible to somehow secure the "welfare vote" for his next election...Wait, right, none of that makes sense...Welfare people are not likely to vote and Obama has no more elections to win so there is no reason he would do such a thing. But if we were to use the Republican's metric of including the long term unemployed with the reported unemployment rate, using then Obama has actually reduced unemployment MORE than he did using the current metric used by Bush and Clinton.

If the unemployment rate is now 5.6%  but the "real" unemployment rate including the long term unemployed is 10.8% then we have to go back to the "real", long term unemployment rate when Obama took office, which was 17% as opposed to Bush's reported unemployment rate of 7.8%. Either way, Obama has reduced unemployment under both metrics. Using the current metric, unemployment has decreased 29% under Obama, but using the Republicans "Real" unemployment metric including the long term unemployed, Obama has reduced that number by 36%!

So the next time a Republican says 5.6% isn't the "real" unemployment rate, ask them what the "real" rate is and then inform them that the "real" rate under Bush was 17% when he left office and that by using their metric, Obama has improved unemployment even more so than by using his own metric, which again, is the same exact metric used by Bush and Clinton.

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Allah Akbar! Not!

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/07/europe/france-satire-magazine-gunfire/index.html

So the question I would pose to all the fundamentalist Islamists/Jihadis of the world would be if "Allahu Akbar" God is truly great, why does he need you to go kill cartoonists who hurt his feelings when they make fun of him?? If he were great and powerful as you claim, couldn't he just send a hurricane to kill all the satirists who make fun of him like he does when New Orleans has a gay pride parade (wink wink)? And if he were even greater, wouldn't he be able to look past any satire aimed his way? Couldn't he just laugh it off and possibly just send them to Hell in the afterlife for their "blasphemy"?

And if he were yet greater, wouldn't your countries of origin that have blasphemy laws and Sharia law based on god's word, be places of paradises that would keep anyone from wanting to move far away to liberal secular France? If France is so godless and not doing god's will, why would you even immigrate there in the first place and why is it a place where many strive to immigrate and so many want to live? Wouldn't your god, if he is as vengeful as you think, reward your homeland, which is most likely ruled by Sharia Law and lives under his laws and punish the liberal, secular, gay marrying Western states such as France and the Netherlands? If their ways are so unholy, why are they so much better than the places you come from which you claim to live under god's law?

Could it be that you are praying to the wrong god? Or that your god isn't great after all?? Or just simply belongs in the history books of other desert dwelling, bronze age sky gods...Many of which came long before yours??

Just something to think about...If you are capable...

And by the way, the same goes for you Bible Belters...Why does the Bible Belt lead the nation in crime, murder,divorce, underage out of wedlock child births,poverty, etc...And not coincidentally, illiteracy??

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The Only Way to Stop a Bad Guy with a Gun....

Ok, so the last few days have seen a rash of random mass/public shootings or attempted mass shootings...As opposed to domestic killings and gang killings.

The last one happened in Oregon on Tuesday the 12th, three people (including the shooter) were ultimately shot by an angry, white, Mormon kid who loved weapons and thought Obama was coming for them. The shooter and another student is now dead.

On Sunday in Las Vegas, an angry white couple with possible white supremacist connections and other anti-government connections shot and killed 2 armed police officers then fleeing into a Walmart where the male was confronted by a civilian who was armed and had a conceal carry permit. That citizen was shot and killed by the male's wife who eventually shot herself after her husband was shot and killed by a possible combination of her guns and the ones fired by Police.

On Thursday the 5th on a college campus in Seattle, a gunman fascinated with previous school shootings and a history of mental illness a mile long and armed with a shotgun, shot 3 students, killing 1. He was subdued and apprehended by a volunteer student security guard armed with pepper spray.


On Wednesday the 4th, Canada tried to copy the US and had their own version of the angry white man with guns when a loan gunmen targeted and shot 5 police officers, killing 3 of them.

And this is older but still pretty sweet. Two conceal carry permit holders get into a road rage shooting and kill each other.


Here's what I am getting from all of this and why all the most solid arguments by the NRA are crumbling at their feet:

A. After Sandy Hook where 26 people, mostly children, were killed by legally purchased guns, Wayne LaPierre the President of the NRA, claimed that, "The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun," Well, seen in Seattle and in Las Vegas, that couldn't be further from the truth. In Seattle, the bad guy with a gun, a pump action shotgun which presumably holds anywhere from 3-5 rounds, was stopped by a good guy without a gun when the bad guy stopped to reload. And in Vegas, the "good guy with a gun" didn't have the training necessary to engage the situation and was in the end, shot by a bad guy(girl) with a gun. Since he was the only victim in Wal-Mart and the couple were merely firing shots into the ceiling, he likely would still be alive had he laid down and not confronted them and didn't have a gun.

B. The other thing the NRA will tell you is that the reason we need conceal carry and hand guns is that no one in their right mind would try to rob or harm you if they think that you are armed and that mass shooters only target "gun free" zones. Forget the fact that almost no drug corner in the inner-city is a "gun free" zone nor are anyone's homes where most domestic gun violence occurs but in both the Las Vegas incident and the Canadian incident, the perpetrators specifically targeted armed cops and got away with shooting several of them. Perhaps only one of the three were even shot by the police they attacked. So now we know that you aren't going to deter violence by being armed.

C. Along with notion that the "chance of someone being armed" will deter others from attacking them, you can add the two conceal carry Darwin Award winners to the "not true" list. This also dispels the notion that only criminals shoot each other and that only sane, rational people can pass a background check and obtain a conceal carry license and that all conceal carry permit holders are responsible individuals who won't shoot someone over texting in a theater.

D. The Seattle shooting also highlights how limiting the amount of ammunition clips and guns can carry CAN save lives. If the Seattle shooter had 30 clip AK-47, the results would have been very different.

Literally every thing the NRA has told you has been shown to not be true in one week of shootings.

What else are they lying about?

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Slobby Nobby

Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon vs. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990)

"To permit this would be to make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself." Thus, the Court had held that religious beliefs did not excuse people from complying with laws forbidding polygamy, child labor laws, Sunday closing laws, laws requiring citizens to register for Selective Service, and laws requiring the payment of Social Security taxes."

-Justice Scalia

So, since the AHA is LAW, and Hobby Lobby isn't a church or religious organization, they cannot assert their religious doctrine above and beyond the law...They are free to practice THEIR religion but not free to impose their religion and or religious practices onto others...Just as Mormons can't practice polygamy or Native Americans can't use Peyote in their religious ceremonies.

All amendments and freedoms come with limits....Well you know, except apparently the 2nd but that's another story... But I can't yell fire in a crowded theater, slander someone in the press, practice polygamy on religious grounds, smoke pot with Rastafarians or kill my slaves...Oh wait, is that in the Constitution too??

And on another note, since corporations are people now, does this mean GM will go to jail??

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Shamelss Self Promotion

Nothing real political to post now except for the obvious fact that Obama blowing up that Malaysian airline and encouraging Russia to take Crimea.

This is a music project I am involved with (it's mostly me and a drummer) and just for fun I made a video to go along with it:

Serial Killer By Enoch

It's not for everybody or the faint at heart.

Thursday, February 06, 2014

Is Your Religious Liberty Being Threatened?

I had to repost this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-emily-c-heath/how-to-determine-if-your-religious-liberty-is-being-threatened-in-10-questions_b_1845413.html

It's a really nice quiz:

1. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to go to a religious service of my own choosing.
B) Others are allowed to go to religious services of their own choosing.

2. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to marry the person I love legally, even though my religious community blesses my marriage.
B) Some states refuse to enforce my own particular religious beliefs on marriage on those two guys in line down at the courthouse.

3. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am being forced to use birth control.
B) I am unable to force others to not use birth control.

4. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to pray privately.
B) I am not allowed to force others to pray the prayers of my faith publicly.

5. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) Being a member of my faith means that I can be bullied without legal recourse.
B) I am no longer allowed to use my faith to bully gay kids with impunity.

6. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to purchase, read or possess religious books or material.
B) Others are allowed to have access books, movies and websites that I do not like.

7. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) My religious group is not allowed equal protection under the establishment clause.
B) My religious group is not allowed to use public funds, buildings and resources as we would like, for whatever purposes we might like.

8. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) Another religious group has been declared the official faith of my country.
B) My own religious group is not given status as the official faith of my country.

9. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) My religious community is not allowed to build a house of worship in my community.
B) A religious community I do not like wants to build a house of worship in my community.

10. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to teach my children the creation stories of our faith at home.
B) Public school science classes are teaching science.

Scoring key:
If you answered "A" to any question, then perhaps your religious liberty is indeed at stake. You and your faith group have every right to now advocate for equal protection under the law. But just remember this one little, constitutional, concept: this means you can fight for your equality -- not your superiority.

If you answered "B" to any question, then not only is your religious liberty not at stake, but there is a strong chance that you are oppressing the religious liberties of others. This is the point where I would invite you to refer back to the tenets of your faith, especially the ones about your neighbors.

Monday, February 03, 2014

Speak American!

The above map shows the native languages and even some current languages spoken in what is now the United States of America and doesn't even include Hawaii, where Hawaian, along with English, is the official language of that state. And there is of course American territories such as Samoa, Guam and Puerto Rico and they also have other official languages other than English.

I realize that the left is probably making a bigger deal out of the reaction of some conservatives to the multilingual Coke commercial on the Super Bowl...But the reactions were real and represent a real thought of many in this country.

Here is why those who are upset have no right to get upset about a multilingual:

A. English isn't legally the official language of the United States though it is for certain states. In other words, there is no law establishing an "American language".

B. Our official motto, up until 1956 was in another language, Latin and ironically enough, it meant "Out of many, one"...So if anything, the Coke commercial was living up to that notion and those complaining are the ones who are anti-American, not Coke.

C. There are over 380 different languages spoken in the United States with 60 million people speaking a language other than English at home. So the notion that "we speak English in America" isn't really communicating the big picture.

D. Manhattan, Ohio, Miami, Santa Fe, San Francisco, Des Moines, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Illinois, Honolulu, Alaska, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Mississippi, Los Angeles, Oklahoma, etc...Are all places in the United States that derive their names from other languages. We took or bought land from Spain, France, Russia, Hawaii, Mexico and thousands of Native American tribes and shouldn't be surprised if some of those languages are still spoken in those areas.

E. Switzerland is one tenth the size of California and has 4 official languages. We'll survive a multilingual commercial.

F. I think I understood more Spanish words on that commercial than I understand "English" words on Bayou Millionaires, Swamp People or Hillbilly Hand Fish'n and ironically, I'll bet the people who watch those shows are the ones most likely to complain about the commercial. So, before we start saying English should be our official language, we need to define English.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Disappointing?

 http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/02/15/a-long-list-of-president-obamas-accomplishments-with-citations/

If you’re one of those folks who thinks President Obama is a “disappointment,” you haven’t been paying attention the last few years. And those of you who try to draw comparisons with the Bush Administration should put away the hallucinogens and have your memory checked.  If you were in a coma for the eight Bush Years, I apologize and forgive you. But please join the real world. So far, this president has done most of what he said he would do if elected; imagine what he could have done by now if progressives had supported him and not given him a Congress that doesn’t look at him as if he’s the demon seed.

Not only is he NOT a “disappointment,” he’s pretty much the opposite. And no, I don’t just say that because he took out Osama bin Laden, helped Libya determine their own destiny for the first time in a while, and because he seems able to handle international incidents without starting a new war. The guy does nearly everything we elect a president to do, and he doesn’t brag about it constantly.
Is he perfect? No, he’s human. Does he deserve some criticism? I suppose, but I must admit I haven’t seen any complaints that were of based on anything having to do with the real world. One I can’t forgive him for is pulling Janet Napolitano out of Arizona. But the thing is, on balance, he’s mostly stellar. Besides, criticism about certain specific problems is one thing; taking on an overall “Obama sucks” meme not only has the potential to put Willard Romney into power, it’s also a lie. Just because you wanted a president who would give you a glitter-farting unicorn and didn’t quite get that doesn’t mean he’s not doing well at the job we hired him for.

What follows is a PARTIAL list of Obama’s accomplishments so far. Unlike many such lists, there is a link to a citation supporting every single one.

Legislative Prowess
Despite the characterizations of some, Obama’s success rate in winning congressional votes on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first year in office.  Though he is often cited as superior to Obama, President Lyndon Johnson’s success rate in 1965 was only 93%.   http://n.pr/i3d7cY

Fiscal Responsibility
Within days after taking office, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse.   http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5
Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money.   http://n.pr/hcgBn1
On his first full day, he froze White House salaries.  http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIx
He appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending. http://www.cio.gov
He committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems, and also signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting system.  http://bit.ly/hOw1t1     http://bit.ly/fz8GAd
Through an executive order, he created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.  http://bit.ly/hwKhKa

Improving the Economy, Preventing Depression
He pushed through and signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as “the stimulus package,” despite the fact that not one Republican voted for that bill. In addition, he launched recovery.gov, so that taxpayers could track spending from the Act.   http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSs   http://1.usa.gov/e3BJMk
In his first year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy 3.5%.  http://reut.rs/i46CEE
He completed the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan, and recovered virtually all of its costs.   http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVS   http://bit.ly/eCNrD6
He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan.  http://1.usa.gov/goy6zl
He oversaw the creation of more jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years. http://bit.ly/hrrnjY
He oversaw a bailout of General Motors that saved at least 1.4 million jobs, and put pressure on the company to change its practices, resulting in GM returning to its place as the top car company in the world.  http://lat.ms/zIJuQx
He also doubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership which is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency.  http://bit.ly/eYD4nf
He signed the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving  the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system. It also created a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown.  http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7
He signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which was designed to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.  http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcS
He increased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOw
He  signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market.  http://bit.ly/eEpLFn
Through the Worker, Home Ownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery.   http://bit.ly/dZgXXw   http://bit.ly/gORYfL
He initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.
http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b
He created business.gov, which allows for online collaboration between small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has since merged with SBA.gov.)   http://www.business.gov
He played a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis.   http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5
He took steps to improve minority access to capital. http://bit.ly/f9xVE7
He created a $60 billion bank to fund infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges. http://bit.ly/e1SSaQ
He implemented an auto industry rescue plan, and saved as many as 1 million jobs.  http://bit.ly/ibhpxr   Many are of the opinion that he saved the entire auto industry, and even the economy of the entire Midwest. http://bit.ly/gj7mt5
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost.   http://1.usa.gov/ez30Dc
He dismantled the Minerals Management Service, thereby moving forward to cut ties between energy companies and the government. http://nyti.ms/bw1MLu
Provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession.  http://bit.ly/g0IKWR
He used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan.   http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eV
Crafted an Executive order establishing the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans. http://bit.ly/eyqsNE

Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection
Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money.  http://huff.to/eAi9Qq
He pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression.  http://bit.ly/hWCPg0   http://bit.ly/geHpcD
Dodd-Frank also included the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau http://1.usa.gov/j5onG
He made it so that banks could no longer use YOUR money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that work against their own customers’ interests.  http://bit.ly/fnTayj
He supported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation. http://bit.ly/fnTayj
He wholly endorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes.  http://bit.ly/esOdfB    http://bit.ly/eG4DPM
He made a deal with Swiss banks that permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals and  tax evaders.  http://bit.ly/htfDgw
He established a Consumer Protection Financial Bureau designed to protect consumers from financial sector excesses.  http://bit.ly/fnTayj
He oversaw and then signed the most sweeping food safety legislation since the Great Depression.  http://thedc.com/gxkCtP 

Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination
He advocated for and signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7
He pushed through, signed and demanded the Pentagon enact a repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that forced soldiers to lie to fight for their country, and put our troops at risk by disqualifying many qualified soldiers from helping.  http://bit.ly/fdahuH http://bit.ly/mZV4Pz
He appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy.  http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0
Helped Congress pass and signed the Civil Rights History Act. http://bit.ly/th0JC8
He extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.  http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCj
He’s appointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history.  http://bit.ly/g1lA7D
He issued a Presidential Memorandum reaffirming the rights of gay couples to make medical decisions for each other. http://1.usa.gov/aUueGT
He established a White House Council on Women and Girls  http://1.usa.gov/rFfqMM
He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. This was after the GOP blocked the bill in 2007. Only 5 Republican Senators voted for the bill.   http://bit.ly/fT3Cxg
Wrote and signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies evaluate the effect of their policies and programs on women and families.    http://bit.ly/e1puTk
He expanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act. http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0x
Under his watch, National Labor Relations Board has issued final rules that require all employers to prominently post employees’ rights where all employees or prospective employees can see it, including websites and intranets, beginning November 2011.  http://1.usa.gov/qu2EhQ

Fighting Poverty
He provided  a $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). http://nyti.ms/gfLqyM
He signed an Executive Order that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs.  http://wapo.st/eWECA8

Improved Foreign Relations and American Status Abroad
He visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office.   http://bit.ly/hZycda
As he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. http://nyti.ms/dKvY4g 
He did much to restore America’s reputation around the world as a global leader that does the “right thing” in world affairs, at least according to the rest of the planet.   http://bit.ly/h743y7  http://bit.ly/ho4TCr
He re-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues.  http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDj
Closed a number of secret detention facilities. http://nyti.ms/rpUc9l
He improved relations with Middle East countries by appointing special envoys. http://1.usa.gov/tiGAGe
He pushed for military to emphasize development of foreign language skills. http://bit.ly/AxUCLV
Offered $400 million to the people living in Gaza, called on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop inciting violence. http://bit.ly/9axfWh
He refused to give Israel the green light to attack Iran over their possible nuclear program. http://bit.ly/xVmSZK
He worked to make donations to Haiti tax-deductible in 2009.  http://huff.to/6YkAVY
He established a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.   http://1.usa.gov/eX28DP
Issued Executive Order blocking interference and helping to stabilize Somalia.  http://1.usa.gov/hxdf8U
He established new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them.  http://n.pr/hY3Kwa   http://nyti.ms/emQBde
He ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay. It was Republicans (and a smattering of Democrats) who prevented him from following through.  http://bit.ly/eW6CVF
Ordered a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture, or what Bush called “enhanced interrogation.” He ordered interrogators to limit their actions to the Army Field manual.  http://bit.ly/g6MTuC
He ordered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed.  http://bbc.in/h6N9ax
He released the Bush torture memos.  http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0
On his second day in office, he signed a detailed Executive Order that banned torture, reversed all  Bush torture policies, and put the United States in compliance with the Geneva Convention.  http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zve    http://nyti.ms/hzWWys
In response to the emerging “Arab Spring,” he created a Rapid Response fund, to assist emerging democracies with foreign aid, debt relief, technical assistance and investment packages in order to show that the United States stands with them. http://bit.ly/zfmGv9
Passed the Iran Sanctions Act, to prevent war, and to encourage Iran to give up their nuclear program. http://1.usa.gov/wLtNjb
Ended the Iraq War. http://tgr.ph/ru0tyS
He authorized and oversaw a secret mission by SEAL Team Six to rescue two hostages held by Somali pirates. http://bit.ly/y8c9Fz

Better Approach to “Defense”
Created a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat.  http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nE
He authorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2
He restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush.   http://lat.ms/gkcl3i
He signed and pushed to ratification a new SALT Treaty.  http://bit.ly/f3JVtw
Negotiated and signed a new START Treaty that will last until at least 2021.  http://1.usa.gov/cI1bC4
Through the Defense Authorization Act, he reversed the Bush Administration and committed to no permanent military bases in Iraq.   http://bit.ly/hk73OJ
He developed the first comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda and the withdrawal of most troops, as well as the rebuilding of Afghanistan. http://wapo.st/ee4Xcs
He returned our focus to Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing our troops. http://bit.ly/lNXUna
Fulfilled campaign promise and ended our involvement in Iraq, and will complete full troop withdrawal before Christmas 2011. http://onforb.es/nTUk4Z
He took steps to severely weaken al Qaeda and limited their ability to terrorize the world.  http://yhoo.it/n5lXs6
He negotiated and signed a nuclear nonproliferation treaty with India. http://1.usa.gov/aHp0Cn
He took decisive action to use NATO to limit the slaughter of innocents in Libya, so that the Libyan people could topple a despotic government and determine their own fate.  http://aje.me/qAh4Sj

Treating  Soldiers and Veterans with Respect
He made sure that families of fallen soldiers could be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB, by providing funding for it.  He also ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers.http://nyti.ms/glqN66   http://bbc.in/gWSSkA
He funded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services. http://1.usa.gov/huhqfo
He provided the troops with better body armor.  http://bit.ly/hzSv2h
Created the Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order  to improve the quality of their medical care.  http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxW
He put an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. (personal note: my son will be in harm’s way for six fewer months with Obama as president, so you know I love this one). http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7Q
He supported and signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, which made more money available to enable better medical care for veterans.  http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1
He ushered through the largest spending increase in 30 years for the Department of Veterans Affairs for improved medical facilities, and to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended care facilities.     http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3x
He created the Green Vet Initiative, which provided special funding to the Labor Department to provide veterans with training in green jobs.  http://bit.ly/epwUQY
He oversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals.  http://bit.ly/gjzTxX

Education
He has repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of the process.   http://bit.ly/gYWd30   http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr   http://bit.ly/eEzTNq
Completely reformed the student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate.   http://nyti.ms/dMvHOt
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he invested heavily in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education.   http://1.usa.gov/gGRIAr   This includes a major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide   http://bit.ly/fNDcj3 , as well as an expansion in school construction.  http://bit.ly/fYwNrV
Also through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he put $5 billion into early education, including Head Start. http://1.usa.gov/tzT2Rr
Signed the Post-9/11 GI Bill, also known as GI Bill 2.0 http://bit.ly/hPhG7J 
He oversaw expansion of the Pell Grants program, to expand opportunity for low-income students to go to college.  http://bit.ly/hI6tXz
He passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds.  http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUe 

Greater Transparency and Better Government
He signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch. http://bit.ly/fsBACN
He signed an order banning anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years. He also put strict limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House.   http://nyti.ms/gOrznV
He held the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public. http://bit.ly/gVNSgX
The Obama White House became the first to stream every White House event, live. http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5
He established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities.  http://www.serve.gov
He provided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history. http://1.usa.gov/hQ7ttV
He crafted an Executive Order on Presidential Records, which restored the 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records, and eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews. This will provide the public with greater access to historic  White House documents, and severely curtails the ability to use executive privilege to shield them.
http://1.usa.gov/gUetLb
He improved aspects of the Freedom of Information Act, and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent in the processing of FOIA requests.   http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2

National Safety and Security
He’s restored federal agencies such as FEMA to the point that they have been able to manage a huge number of natural  disasters successfully.   http://bit.ly/h8Xj7z
Authorized Navy SEALS to successfully secure the release of a US captain held by Somali pirates and increased patrols off the Somali coast. http://nyti.ms/efBO7B
Has repeatedly beefed up border security http://bit.ly/mMYB4i
Ordered and oversaw the Navy SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden. http://bit.ly/jChpgw

Science, Technology and Health Care
He created a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making.
http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw
Opened up the process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects.  http://bit.ly/j0KV2U
He eliminated the Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. He also provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell research.   http://bit.ly/h36SSO    http://ti.me/edezge
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he committed more federal funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research labs.  http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7
He signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis.  http://bit.ly/fOi2rb
He expanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time mothers. http://bit.ly/jRRRJc
His EPA reversed research ethics standards which allowed humans to be used as “guinea pigs” in tests of the effects of chemicals, to comply with numerous codes of medical ethics.  http://bit.ly/bKgqdS
Conducted a cyberspace policy review.   http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvC
Provided financial support for private sector space programs. http://bit.ly/fn8ucr
He oversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use.   http://bit.ly/dNTRyP
He ushered through a bill that authorized the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products.  http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViB As a result,  the FDA has Ordered Tobacco Companies to Disclose Cigarette Ingredients and banned sale of cigarettes falsely labeled as “light.”
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs.  http://bit.ly/ecQSgA
He also increased funding for community-based prevention programs.  http://bit.ly/frMPG3
He oversaw a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors. http://bit.ly/e5b1iq    http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9
He eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price. http://bit.ly/fOkG5b
Two weeks after taking office, he signed the Children’s Health Insurance Re-authorization Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4 million.   http://bit.ly/fDEzGv
He held a quick press conference, and urged Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation. Rep. Waxman responded by launching a probe, and Anthem Blue Cross put the increase on hold for two months.    http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9C
Ushered through and signed the Affordable Health Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage to 30 million more people,  and ended many common insurance company practices that are often detrimental  to those with coverage.  He also established  http://www.healthcare.gov/
Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he allowed children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26.  http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he provided tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small business to provide health insurance to their employees, and 29 million people will receive tax breaks to help them afford health insurance.  http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level. http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo
Through the Affordable Health Care Act, health insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care.  http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Provisions in the Affordable Health Care Act have already resulted in Medicare costs actually declining slightly this fiscal year, for the first time in many years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Last year’s increase was 4%. Compare that to the average 12% annual inflation rate during the previous 40 years. http://1.usa.gov/oMxpTh

Strengthening the Middle Class and Families
He worked to provide affordable, high-quality child care to working families.   http://bit.ly/fNfidS
He cracked down on companies that were previously denying sick pay, vacation and health insurance, and Social Security and Medicare tax payments through abuse of the employee classification of independent contractor.   http://nyti.ms/fOGLcj
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he cut taxes for 95% of America’s working families.   http://bit.ly/eSEI4F
Under Obama, tax rates for average working families are the lowest they’ve been since 1950.  http://bit.ly/f74pD8
He extended and fully funded the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years. http://bit.ly/eFeSdP
He extended discounted COBRA health coverage for the unemployed from 9 months to 15 months, and he’s extended unemployment benefits several times.  http://aol.it/evtVxD   http://nyti.ms/emrqKJ    http://bit.ly/hOtIpg    http://bit.ly/fTT7kz

Environment and Energy
He fast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact federal fuel efficiency standards that were above federal standards.    http://nyti.ms/e8e94x
He fast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in a decade.   http://politi.co/hiaPKM
He oversaw the establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, which creates more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73y
His EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history.  http://bit.ly/lP3yEL
He ordered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances.    http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbu
He ordered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155p  (As you can see, Republicans are trying hard to kill it.)
He oversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2R
Bypassed Republican opposition in Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions.   http://bit.ly/froaP5
His EPA ruled that CO2 is a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNN
He doubled federal spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCE
He pushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars. http://bit.ly/j8UP5Y
He created a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents.   http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWq
He reengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and even proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush-era stance that climate change was a “hoax.”  http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3  http://bit.ly/fE2PxK  http://nyti.ms/hfeqvv
He fully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide.  http://bit.ly/eJ6QOO
He required states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption. http://bit.ly/lBhk7P
Following Bush’s eight year reign, he reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic.  http://bit.ly/fzQUFO
Created tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid automobiles, and later he and Democrats morphed that program into one that includes electric cars.   http://bit.ly/glCukV
Mandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles.   http://bit.ly/h5KZqy  http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5c    http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk
He oversaw and pushed through an amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizing advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. http://1.usa.gov/yTRYVo
He also actively tried to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to eliminate the liability limits for those companies responsible for large oil spills. http://nyti.ms/bxjDi3
He initiated Criminal and Civil inquiries into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. http://nyti.ms/bVuB7a
Through his EPA, he asserted federal legal supremacy, and barred Texas from authorizing new refinery permits on its own. http://bit.ly/ww8eMd
He strengthened the Endangered Species Act.  http://bit.ly/hscjsH
His EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year.  http://bit.ly/jYH7nt
Through the EPA, he took steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2
He increased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10%  http://bit.ly/fbJPjY
He announced greatly improved commercial fuel efficiency standards. http://1.usa.gov/oQiC1K
He announced the development of a huge increase in average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg to 35.5mpg starting in 2016 and 54.5 starting in 2025   http://1.usa.gov/qtghsW

Other Stuff
He has expanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements such as NAFTA.  http://bit.ly/etznpY
He oversaw funding of  the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015.  He protected the funding during the recent budget negotiations.   http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO    http://bit.ly/ff5Luv
Oversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. http://bit.ly/dFb8qF
He nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices.   http://huff.to/eOChg6  http://bit.ly/i02wgP
He appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president.   http://bit.ly/dX6vNB
He eliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education, and  he rescinded the global gag rule.  http://bit.ly/eCFAI1  http://bit.ly/f92drF
He loosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference.   http://huff.to/eQfa7j
His FDA banned the use of antibiotics in livestock production. http://bit.ly/jUjLzo
Ushered through and signed national service legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps program.   http://bit.ly/idgQH5

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The American Bible Challenge

So I was flipping through channels the other day and landed on a show called The American Bible Challenge hosted by Jeff Foxworthy...I suppose you couldn't have a show called the American Bible Challenge if the host didn't have a southern accent nor could you have that show hosted by another Comedian such as Ricky Gervais or Jim Norton so assuming Larry the Cable Guy was busy, Foxworthy was probably the next best thing....Apparently Kirk Cameron just isn't funny enough...To Bible thumpers...He's plenty hilarious in my book.

The show was set up similar to Who Wants to be A Millionaire where there were three teams, a group of nuns, a group from a southern black church and then a bunch of tattoo artists who cover up gang tattoos with Jesus crosses...Because if the Bible has been clear about one thing, it is how much it supports people getting tattoos of Jesus which is why you see the Michelle Bachmanns, Rick Santorums and Mitt Romneys of the world all with Jesus tattoos on their necks.

Anyway, I thought the questions were a bit too easy for the contestants and really didn't get to some of the real hard questions and or contradictions present in the scripture so I created my own slew of questions that I think should be presented on the next episode:

1. Jesus' last words were:
A. Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit
B. It is finished
C. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
D. All the above depending on which gospel you are reading
                                                                                   

2. Judas committed suicide how:
A. By falling on his sword                                
B. By hanging himself
C. All the above depending on which book of the New Testament you are reading


3. In which Gospels is the miracle birth of Jesus completely omitted:
A. Mark and John                                           
B. Matthew and Luke
C. All of them including Pauline Epistles
D. None, they all discuss it you heretic!

4. Who has gone to Heaven:
A. Elijah, in a whirlwind                                     
B. No one except the Son of Man, Jesus
C. Enoch                                                           
D. According to the Bible, all the above

5. According to the all perfect Jesus, how should you pray:
A. Let your light shine before men, that they see your good deeds and praise your father in Heaven
B. Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them
C. All the above depending on which chapter of Matthew you are reading

6. After the flood, what did Noah do:
A. Return the Komodo Dragon to Indonesia 
B. Return the Kangaroo to Australia
C. Return the Alpaca to South America        
D. Plant a vineyard and get wasted

7. Who has seen God:
A. Jacob                                                         
B. No man has seen God and lived
C. Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu             
D. According to the Bible, all the above are correct

8. According to the books Matthew, Revelations and Isaiah, what shape is the Earth:
A. Round                                                       
B. Flat and square
C. Oblate spheroid                                        
D. Spherical

9. According to Leviticus, what is NOT an abomination:
A. Eating shellfish                                         
B. Eating bald eagles
C. Woman on Woman homosexuality          
D. Man on Man homosexuality

10. Jesus personally speaks out against which of these issues:
A. Homosexuality                                       
B. Drinking wine
C. Wealth / Greed                                           
D. Obamacare

11. Which did God create first:
A. Man                                                       
B. Animals
C. Both/Either, depending on which chapter of Genesis you are reading

12. "thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."," because he loved him as his own soul" These verses explain the relationship between whom:
A. Judas and Jesus                                     
B. Lot and his daughters
C. Jonathan and David                              
D. Adam and Steve

13. Which two Gospels were simply based on the original writings in the book of Mark:
A. Matthew, Luke                                     
B. Luke, John
C. Matthew, John                                      
D. Thomas, Joseph Smith 

14. According to Leviticus, bats are what:
A. Birds                                                   
B. Mamals
C. Dinosaurs                                            
D. Insects

15. According to the Bible, how is the Earth suspended in space:
A. On Atlas' shoulders                           
B. Pillars
C. By God's Son                                       
D. The gravity of the Sun




















Answers:
15. B
14. A
13. A
12. C
11. C
10. C
9. C
8. B
7. D
6. D
5. C
4. D
3. A
2. C
1. D