Truth Moves Slower Than A Lie

Truth moves slower than a lie.  Case in point is the big lie to the American people told by Republican Presidential candidate, Carly Fiorina.  She stood on the debate stage at the Reagan Library before 20 million Americans and painted a gruesome picture of a fetus in a Planned Parenthood video.  Her performance was passionate and convincing.  However, she wasn’t aiming to win an Oscar.  She was trying to win our vote for President of our country.

Chances are you heard the big lie, but the truth hasn’t reached you yet.  The video does NOT exist.  Yes, there is a highly edited stock video produced by the anti-abortion folk but Planned Parenthood had nothing to do with it.  It has been exposed as a fabricated LIE!  The fallout from this lie is immense. 

The Republican legislators of the extreme rightwing have used this lie to promote de-funding Planned Parenthood.  These 40 Tea Party legislators, led by Republican Presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, have vowed to shut down our government if they don’t get their way.  We need to call it what it is: a threat to over-throw the government.  We do not know the amount of damage that may be caused by a shutdown of our government.  I don’t want to find out.

The first obvious victim of Fiorina’s big lie is Speaker of the House, John Boehner.  He announced that he was done!  Reading the tea leaves for the next couple of months, Boehner knew it would be war with those 40 Tea Party legislators over Planned Parenthood funding.  He is tired of fighting.   I’ve made no secret that Boehner is not one of my favorite people, but I knew in my heart that Boehner loved this country and would not let the Tea Party extremists do harm.  This news was very unsettling and I am fearful for our country.

Carly Fiorina is a disgrace to our electoral process and to woman-hood.  Her lie dealt a big blow to an institution that has been nearly a hundred years in the making.  Planned Parenthood has probably done more for women than any other organization. Her lie perpetuates the belief that Planned Parenthood is only about abortion. 

The truth is, only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s budget is allocated for abortion services and NO federal funds are used.  That’s the law.   The main services provided by Planned Parenthood include birth control, pap smears, cancer screening to include mammograms, and many more female health services. 

This is war against women and it is shameful that one woman, Fiorina, is willing to throw the health of so many women under the bus for her own political gain.  Don’t let the lie stand.  Spread the truth!

I had a wonderful time visiting with the Pope.  I have never witnessed anything like it in my lifetime.  Pope Francis is an inspirational moral leader and he brought a message of love and peace to our country that has been missing for some time.  The faces of each one in the massive crowds showed pure joy.  It was a week of positive vibes instead of the negative attitude ever present in our country.  I hope that feeling will stay and not leave with the Pope.

I said in my column last week that, “surely Trump won’t try to upstage the Pope!”  Well, he tried.  And failed.  After the Pope’s address to the joint session of Congress, Trump said the Pope was wrong about climate change.  That punch didn’t land.  Then he picked a couple of fights with female reporters.  Normally this would be the lead story, but not this time. 

The message the Pope delivered was in direct contrast to Trump’s constant diatribes.  The Pope spoke of our country as a land of immigrants and reminded us of the Golden Rule.  The Pope talked about seeking too much riches and greed.  On the heels of Trump condoning hate speech against the entire Muslim religion, the Pope spoke of religious tolerance.  In your face, Donald Trump!!