Shame on US for jumping to wrong conclusion

Shame on us for jumping to the wrong conclusion and thinking we have scandals to worry about. We are duly warned by President Obama there are no scandals about which to be concerned. President Obama wants us to know that what has distracted our nation from moving forward economically and to restore the confidence in the free market to begin seeing jobs created rather than continuing to see the unemployment numbers go up is something known as ”phony scandals.” According to President Obama these phony scandals have been placed in the media and in the minds of the American people with the intended consequence of derailing the plans to complete the planned agenda of his administration in Washington. Well, all that can be said about this is “Shame on us!” We should know the difference in a media made up story and real life events that have unfolded before our eyes. We should know that the failed plan to get guns in the hands of international thugs, drug lords, and criminals is not a scandal. Anyone with an aware eye could see the plan was to track down where the guns were sent once they left our country. It is not a scandal that the guns once given to thugs, drug lords, and alleged international criminals then fell into the wrong hands and at least one of them was used to kill an American citizen who was guarding our border. When we believe President Obama, we will know that the killing of four American citizens assigned to work for the State Department in Libya was not a scandal but the work of a band of roving thugs who were bent on making the current Administration in Washington look as if they have no clue how to protect American citizens from international thugs. The President wants us to know, however,” there is no scandal to see in Benghazi.” Shame on us for thinking that the over zealous work of a few IRS agents in a small office somewhere in the Midwest held up the applications of conservative groups waiting to receive their requested tax exempt status is a scandal. Shame on us for thinking that the Department of Justice did not have the full right to spy on American reporters while they were doing their job in reporting the news and for our conclusion that what happened is a scandal of great concern. Shame on us for thinking that it is not right for the government to spy on citizens, collecting as much data as is possible from cell phone use, emails, and other means that are used to transmit communication from one citizen to another without letting the citizens know they are being spied on by the government. There is no scandal (if we believe the current talking points from this administration) to see here, move along, and wake up to understand these are just events planned to distract from the real work of government. Several years ago, a promise was made to drain the swamp of corruption and make everything ethical and legal coming from Washington. Nancy Pelosi promised that with her party in power in Washington, the American people would begin to see dignity and integrity restored. Taking what we have been promised from the current party in power we can conclude then that it is no scandal when former ten term congressman, now mayor of San Diego, Bob Filner, refuses to resign from his position as Mayor of the sixth largest city in America over a little thing like being accused of groping women, forcing them to kiss him, and to insist they wear no underwear while at work. There is nothing to see here, move along. There is no scandal, if we believe the current talking points from this administration. There are many reports of the corruption and dysfunction in the thinking and actions of disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner (candidate for mayor of New York City) as his actions of sending lewd pictures of himself to women via social media are not to be labeled a scandal. With the redefinition of terrorism, scandals, marriage, taxes (called revenue stream), honor, integrity, and dignity we must conclude with this administration there is nothing to see here. No leadership is seen. No acceptance of responsibility is seen in all of these events. With one scandal after the other, the American people should be ashamed for letting this culture of corruption continue. Ray Newman This column first appeared in the Barrow County News Wednesday July 31, 2013