My Final Blog Post Will be May 14th

I have decided to end The LionStar Blog on May 14th. I think its fitting that it end on an Election Day. I fully realize that there are a lot of powerful people, business types, politico, etc that are glad to hear that.

The reason I am announcing it now, is because I didn't like the fact that Talk Radio ended so abruptly and without warning.

I wanted to give my readers a heads up because I appreciate the fact that you all took time out of your days to read my often incoherent rants.

I started my blog out of frustration, so I guess its ironic that it is frustration that is part of my decision to end the blog. I'm not the same guy I was when I started blogging, which is both good and bad. I have had the chance to do some really cool stuff because of my blog, including covering a Presidential visit to El Paso and watching Carlos Santana do a sound check in the Don Haskins Center.

I've never made a penny off of blogging, so I was never in it for the money. No one compensates me for my time for the stuff I do. And I never asked anyone to either. I did it because I am a political junkie. As my mother tells me often, I am my father's son.

I want to honor your support of this blog by being straight with you. I'm burned out and frustrated with this town.

I'm burned out because I have taken around 20 hours of video footage for this election season alone. None of the videos have more than 200 views. In fact the ones that have more than a hundred views are probably because people have watched them more than one time.

Of the over 230 videos that I've loaded up to my YouTube channel, do you know which one has the most views?

The fucking UTEP fight song!

Of all the political and community events I cover, the UTEP fight song is what has the most views? I didn't even finish college, much less go to UTEP and that's what leaves the biggest foot print on the internet???? To add insult to injury, its the most watched video by several thousand, the next most watched isn't even close.

My top viewed videos are the UTEP fight song, some Radio La Chusma performances, and a couple of prominent El Pasoans at their not-so-best times.

That isn't anything to be proud of.

For every hour of footage that is loaded, there are more hours traveling to events and editing the video.

It has taken a toll on my family life and again, I don't get paid for it.

I'm frustrated by the people in this town. For all the stories I have written about in this town, regardless of the backlash, threats, intimidation, etc I have faced in the process, El Paso hasn't learned. We still elect stupid people to office. We still support sub-par leadership. We still insist on being sheep!

Worst of all, we still don't vote, get fucked over on the state and national level, and then have the nerve to act surprised at the result.

This town is filled with a bunch of haters too. Every time someone steps up to do something good for this community, there are no shortage of people that seem like they have nothing better to do than jump all over them and criticize what they are trying to do. I've seen good people try a lot of different things to make this a better place only to be blocked by the very people that they are trying to help.

There are tranceros all over this town and we sit idly by and watch them fuck us over. The few people that are smart enough to see it, lack the huevos to do something about it.

I'm tired of going to important events that affect this community and seeing the same people there over and over. Its always the same small group of people while the rest of this town float on by without a care in the world inside the giant toilet bowl of life.

I sick of seeing young people not vote. They are letting other people make decisions for them that they are going to be stuck with the rest of their lives and their dumbasses are more concerned with Facebook and American Idol than anything of substance.

I sick of Raza not being sick and tired of the shit that happens to our community and not rising up.

I'm sick of elected officials not showing up to a God damn thing on Cesar Chavez Day.

I'm sick of the stupid factional tribal bullshit of the Democratic Party. I'm sick of advocating for our values as a party and then hearing washed-up old has-beens, wanna-be's and never-were's talk shit. I'm sick of having more respect from Republicans, who have referred to me as the Duke of Democrats, than my own pinche party and then half of them don't stick to the national platform to begin with!

I'm sick of people who care more about seeing the train wreck than care about policy. I'm sick of people being too stupid to know that politics affect every aspect of their life.

I'm sick of the Tea Party.

I'm sick of Democrats that are afraid to stand up to the lunacy of the Tea Party.

I'm sick of Democrats that are ashamed of their values of Democrats.

I'm sick of Republicans that think Liberal is a bad word, that liberals don't believe in God or families, and that liberals are unpatriotic.

I'm sick of hearing "cost benefit analysis" from candidates every time they don't really know the answer to a question that is posed to them.

I'm sick of "let's have a dialouge" being a substitute for action.

I'm sick of the lack of quality candidates in this town.

I'm sorry, but I had to get all of that off my chest.

I will push hard for the next few weeks on this election and I'm not going to just mail it in. I promise.

But after that, I'm done.

There are a few good bloggers coming up and David K was here before I got here and will be here after I leave.

Newspapertree will be back sometime soon and I'm sure they will be back stronger than ever. I know I won't miss a single article.

So thanks to all of you that have read my blog over the last few years. Thanks to all the people that have been mentors to me, thanks to all the people that have challenged me and sharpened me as a person. I cannot express my gratitude for all that you have taught me.

My goal was to interview a sitting or former President. I didn't reach it, but I made it to the tarmac once and that's not too bad for a Chicano from the barrio.

So no sappy good-bye's when I sign off on the 14th of May.

For all you haters, what are you waiting for? You only have until the 14th to talk shit to me...tic, toc, the clock is ticking!

In conclusion, I hope some of you who aren't registered to vote decide to vote. I hope you vote regularly and I hope you teach your kids to do it.

And when shit hits the fan, stand up for what you believe it, kick 'em in the huevos, and Speak Truth to Power!