Illiteracy on the Rise in DC

When I first began posting on this topic, I never dreamed that it would turn into a series. Who'd have thunk? (1) (2)

Once again we have an almost unbelievable example of a Congressman actually supporting the idea of not reading the bills that they want to pass. This time the baton is passed to House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI).

“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill.' What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?”

So the answer is just vote to pass it quickly so you DON'T HAVE TO read it? C'mon Conyers. That's ridiculous.

House Democrats' Health Plan

Here's to information graphics and me not having the job of trying to explain all this. Hope you don't get sick.

My heart's all a twitter

So something unexpected happened today. Nancy Pelosi adjourned the House for a five-week summer vacation specifically to block a vote on an energy bill. All the Dems left and Nancy turned off the lights and unplugged the microphones.

Then none of the Republicans left. Outraged and demanding an up or down vote, they continued the debate in the dark speaking at the top of their lungs. People in the gallery began to cheer. Any other day the rest of America would know nothing of this because the CSPAN’s cameras weren’t rolling. But not today. Today little Congressional fingers got to twittering.

What’s twitter? If you don’t already know, then you need to find out for yourself. Get your own free twitter account and follow me @mattlockett. Then get your own followers–the number depends on how interesting you are. I’ve been raving about twitter for a while now loving every bit of how communication is literally being reinvented.

Reports say that up to 35 Congressmen were using twitter to report on the goings-on from the House floor. Spirited speeches were met with roaring applause and chanting for the Democrats to return and vote on an energy bill targeting high gas prices.

While Americans suffer from the high cost of fuel and are opting for the “stay-cation,” Congress was adjourned with unfinished business. But this isn’t a post about high gas prices or publicly humiliating Nancy Pelosi. This is a standing O for the Republicans that owned this day. The entire tweet-o-sphere was set ablaze this afternoon with updates in real time. C-SPAN was linking directly to John Culberson’s twitter feed and qik videos in lieu of the traditional cameras.

Gone are the days of asking people to “write a letter to your Congressman.” Now you can just twitter them until they cry “UNCLE!!!”

So twitter on Rep. John Culberson (TX), and thank you for schooling us today. Tomorrow America will ask, “What’s a twitter and where can I get one?” I think the Dems need to go to summer school thanks to you and your tech-savvy colleagues. And please keep your qik videos coming. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI) is also a twittering stud.

I feel strangely warmed inside having participated today. All I can say is “tweet tweet.”

Another Milestone

In February of this year, the Senate passed a Native American Apology (authored by Senator Sam Brownback). This came with much prayer dating back to 2003 when God led our company to walk the Trail of Tears as an act of intercession to identify with injustice. That Apology is now stalled in the House.

Yesterday the House passed a resolution apologizing for Slavery and Jim Crow. This is extremely significant. There have already been states that have issued similar apologies, but it was imperative that it come from the federal government.

God has spoken to us clearly concerning the three streams of innocent blood that have flowed into and fueled the demonic strongholds of the nation.

1. Injustice to the Native American
   
2. Injustice to the African American
   
3. Injustice to the Unborn
   

Each one of these must be cut off. The Christian native american leaders have instructed us that the only thing required to sever the ties to the past is an apology. No reparations–no payment for damages. Just a big federal “I’m sorry.”

That’s exactly what this Slavery Apology does as well. There has been fear about these kinds of resolutions because they could open the door to endless lawsuits demanding restitution. This Apology is crafted to go to the root which is to deal with the “misdeeds” and not the “lingering consequences.” I love it that God has used a white man representing a black majority district to bring this forth.

For the full text of the Native American Apology go here and search S.1200.ES.

For the full text of the African American Apology go here and search H.RES.194.EH.