The Backasswardness of What Is Isn’t

When I was in 7th grade, way back in 1960, our girls’ gym class taught us the “push-up” that was deemed appropriate for us frail little flowers. I hadn’t thought of that in years, but was instantly reminded of it upon seeing this picture of Mike Coffman (R-CO) demonstrating (according to him) how rough tough Marines do it, a demonstration that prompted a couple of friends who happen to be former Marines to drop and prove him wrong (and they’re both older than me).



It occurs that Coffman provided, albeit unwittingly, a perfect illustration of the dubious reality behind the names GOPers like to affix to pieces of proposed legistlation. F’rinstance, how many “jobs” bills have as their real intent the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act? How many “for the American people” bills have, in reality, proposed gutting the middle class to the benefit of the ultra-wealthy? How many “helping the poor” bills have sought to reduce food and housing assistance? How many “support the troops” legislators have proposed bills that cut services to veterans and those still serving? How many women have come to understand that “pro-life” and “personhood” are euphemisms for the belief that women are simply worth less and need not be considered? How often do underpaid laborers who actually do the hard work hear themselves demonized while those made wealthy by the sweat of those workers are canonized as “job creators”? It goes on. The list is extensive and appalling.

Anyway, I’ll be thinking of how often we’re “coffman-ed”, and will mentally append this picture each time an insultingly mis-named bill is put forth.