While not focused on the 1st Amendment, I found this explanation of The Federal Reserve very good. You might want to check this out. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe0fGXzKb1o&sns=em) The video is a bit outdated (2010) as to numbers but the concepts seem accurate!
“America was never white, & never will be. There's only one race: the human race.” Dr Willie Parker
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
More - Tax Reform
FYI – More Trump Tax Bill Facts –
Small business owners, did you know that under the #TrumpTaxScam you will NOT be able to DEDUCT business expenses?
You might want to check this out.
“America was never white, & never will be. There's only one race: the human race.” Dr Willie Parker
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Small business owners, did you know that under the #TrumpTaxScam you will NOT be able to DEDUCT business expenses?
You might want to check this out.
“America was never white, & never will be. There's only one race: the human race.” Dr Willie Parker
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Tax Reform
FYI – I sent the message below to my Congressional Delegation (Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan and Representative Young). I am copying you that you might use this for your communication with your Senators/Representative. Remember you can contact all of YOUR Members of Congress. Call 202-224-3121, enter your Zip Code and you will be directed to the right office. You can leave messages.
I believe the House version of Tax Reform is disappointing! I want my opinion to be heard across Congress in the hopes that the tax changes really do help the 99% and not the 1%!
The Trump Tax Reform bill has a few terrible ideas:
1) guts Medicare to the tune of $23 billion-as a 71yo retiree this directly impacts my healthcare options; while I have excellent health, I love the Medicare benefits that allow me to continue a healthy life
2) eliminates the Affordable Care Act Mandate, which in essence destroys health care for millions of Alaskans/Americans-this impacts my family but not me personally
3) attacks a woman’s right to determine her own reproductive health issues-again this impacts my family but not me personally
4) removes deductions for:
a) mortgage interest-will have an adverse impact on the housing industry and discourage home purchases/sales (depending on which side of the deal you are on)
b) charitable contributions-can have a devastating impact on organizations that are picking up the slack as a result of defunding form the Trump administration
c) state taxes (income and sales)-Alaskans currently do not have state-wide sales tax nor an income tax but the state legislature has been toying with income tax in recent sessions. So, the elimination of that deduction could impact Alaskans in the future.
None of these directly address the fact that the bill is designed for the 1% not the 99%. You might be in an upper income bracket and personally benefit from these “reforms.” But 99% of Alaskans/Americans will not benefit.
Please do not vote for any tax reforms that include the items above! Please protect us, your constituents, from a greater tax burden under the fake heading of “tax reform.”
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I believe the House version of Tax Reform is disappointing! I want my opinion to be heard across Congress in the hopes that the tax changes really do help the 99% and not the 1%!
The Trump Tax Reform bill has a few terrible ideas:
1) guts Medicare to the tune of $23 billion-as a 71yo retiree this directly impacts my healthcare options; while I have excellent health, I love the Medicare benefits that allow me to continue a healthy life
2) eliminates the Affordable Care Act Mandate, which in essence destroys health care for millions of Alaskans/Americans-this impacts my family but not me personally
3) attacks a woman’s right to determine her own reproductive health issues-again this impacts my family but not me personally
4) removes deductions for:
a) mortgage interest-will have an adverse impact on the housing industry and discourage home purchases/sales (depending on which side of the deal you are on)
b) charitable contributions-can have a devastating impact on organizations that are picking up the slack as a result of defunding form the Trump administration
c) state taxes (income and sales)-Alaskans currently do not have state-wide sales tax nor an income tax but the state legislature has been toying with income tax in recent sessions. So, the elimination of that deduction could impact Alaskans in the future.
None of these directly address the fact that the bill is designed for the 1% not the 99%. You might be in an upper income bracket and personally benefit from these “reforms.” But 99% of Alaskans/Americans will not benefit.
Please do not vote for any tax reforms that include the items above! Please protect us, your constituents, from a greater tax burden under the fake heading of “tax reform.”
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
What Are You Thankful For?
In keeping with my year long emails. . . This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the fact that I live in a country where I can:
1) send these emails out to each of you,
2) call my Congressional Delegation (on almost a daily basis),
3) march for changes that I believe will truly make us a better people,
4) petition the government for actions/changes without threat or danger exactly because of the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution!
I’m thankful that I can support Net Neutrality. Here are some twitter entries that helped me (a techie) to understand what Net Neutrality really means for each of us.
“Without #NetNeutrality your ISP can:
1. Charge you extra to reach certain websites.
2. Slow down streaming services like Netflix that compete with their streaming services.
3. Block some websites altogether.
This is the end of the free and open Internet.
(https://twitter.com/billprady/status/933023707135582208?s=03)”
“Let me explain net neutrality in the most horrific way:
if FCC dismantles it, and you get internet from Verizon, they may force you to use YAHOO as your search engine (because they own it), but PAY to use GOOGLE. Would you like that? If not, you SUPPORT #NetNeutrality.
(https://twitter.com/Tom_Nikl/status/933080543352070144?s=03)”
Net Neutrality protects our 1st Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Think about it! If you feel the same way, you can contact all of YOUR Members of Congress. Call 202-224-3121, enter your Zip Code and you will be directed to the right office. You can leave messages.
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
1) send these emails out to each of you,
2) call my Congressional Delegation (on almost a daily basis),
3) march for changes that I believe will truly make us a better people,
4) petition the government for actions/changes without threat or danger exactly because of the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution!
I’m thankful that I can support Net Neutrality. Here are some twitter entries that helped me (a techie) to understand what Net Neutrality really means for each of us.
“Without #NetNeutrality your ISP can:
1. Charge you extra to reach certain websites.
2. Slow down streaming services like Netflix that compete with their streaming services.
3. Block some websites altogether.
This is the end of the free and open Internet.
(https://twitter.com/billprady/status/933023707135582208?s=03)”
“Let me explain net neutrality in the most horrific way:
if FCC dismantles it, and you get internet from Verizon, they may force you to use YAHOO as your search engine (because they own it), but PAY to use GOOGLE. Would you like that? If not, you SUPPORT #NetNeutrality.
(https://twitter.com/Tom_Nikl/status/933080543352070144?s=03)”
Net Neutrality protects our 1st Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Think about it! If you feel the same way, you can contact all of YOUR Members of Congress. Call 202-224-3121, enter your Zip Code and you will be directed to the right office. You can leave messages.
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Journalist Last Column
One of my college jobs was as a “gofer” for my hometown printing company. The owner/boss was Fred Dickey. I had various tasks that I was assigned. On Wednesdays, I would drive to a larger printing office in Princeton with the newly engraved plates for the weekly edition of the newspaper, wait for the run to be completed and then return to distribute the papers. I also babysat Fred’s children on week-end nights. Fred sold me my first car – Dodge with push button transmission (does anyone remember those cars?). There were enough redeemable bottles in the trunk to pay for the car (purchase price $20).
Fast forward to Anchorage – After teaching for 10 years, I went back to school and got a degree in Computer Science. Then I got my first job with a local company, Computer Consultants of Alaska (CCA). The company put a “new hire” announcement in one of the local papers. A few days later, I got a congratulatory call from Fred Dickey. He was now Managing Editor of the Anchorage Times.
Fast forward again to San Diego – We have been staying here on and off annually since we first discovered this park (Santee Lakes Regional Park) in 2008. The local paper is the Union-Tribune. Lo and behold, Fred Dickey had a weekly column about people around the San Diego area. I always meant to get in touch with him and reminisce about our history. When we got back here at the end of October, I noticed that his Monday column was missing. I soon discovered this, his last column. Since its focus is on the 1st Amendment, I wanted to share it and validate the author’s credibility! (http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sd-me-fred-dickey-20170920-story.html)
So, it really is “a small world after all”, just like the song says!
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Fast forward to Anchorage – After teaching for 10 years, I went back to school and got a degree in Computer Science. Then I got my first job with a local company, Computer Consultants of Alaska (CCA). The company put a “new hire” announcement in one of the local papers. A few days later, I got a congratulatory call from Fred Dickey. He was now Managing Editor of the Anchorage Times.
Fast forward again to San Diego – We have been staying here on and off annually since we first discovered this park (Santee Lakes Regional Park) in 2008. The local paper is the Union-Tribune. Lo and behold, Fred Dickey had a weekly column about people around the San Diego area. I always meant to get in touch with him and reminisce about our history. When we got back here at the end of October, I noticed that his Monday column was missing. I soon discovered this, his last column. Since its focus is on the 1st Amendment, I wanted to share it and validate the author’s credibility! (http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sd-me-fred-dickey-20170920-story.html)
So, it really is “a small world after all”, just like the song says!
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Skies Over - Santee, CA
After getting unhooked and settled in for the long winter's night, so to speak. Ruthi began to notice the various cloud formations against the blue sky. You know walking the dog can be pretty boring some days. Walk, smell a few blades of grass, walk a little farther, pee, repeat with an occasional poop.
Anyway, here are some of the shots she got with her phone!
Anyway, here are some of the shots she got with her phone!
Monday, November 6, 2017
Republican’s Congressional Tax Reform Effects:
The information below came from others review and interpretation of the current suggested income tax changes being considered. Interesting . . . some good but too much bad!
1) Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee released its initial tax plan which proposes several changes to current tax laws. We want to caution that this is an initial proposal and many changes may be made through negotiations in Congress. We would not suggest any action at this time due to uncertainty over what a final plan will look like, but wanted to pass along the initial details that are being proposed.
• Reduce tax brackets from seven to four. A summary of the now proposed brackets are below:
Income Tax Rate Income Levels
Current Tax Act Single Married-Joint
10 - 15% 12% $0-$44,999 $0-$89,999
25 - 28% 25% $45,000-$199,999 $90,000-$259,999
28 - 39.6% 35% $200,000-$499,999 $260,000-$999,999
39.60% 39.60% $500,000+ $1M+
• Eliminates itemized deductions except for charitable contributions, mortgage interest, property taxes, and retirement savings. Allows the mortgage deduction for new mortgages of $500,000 or less.
• Eliminates deduction for state and local taxes
• State property tax deduction limited to $10,000
• Doubles the standard deduction from $6,300 to $12,000
• Doubles the estate tax deduction from $5.49M to $11M, with the estate tax being phased out in six years
• Eliminates the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
• Increase child tax credit from $1,000 to $1,600
• Lowers corporate tax rates from 35% to 20%
Again, this is an initial proposal and details may change significantly. We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate updates as they are reported. If you have any questions, please let us know.
2) This list has some important differences from one I saw that was explained in detail yesterday. This one doesn’t show important deductions we now have that will be eliminated. As an example, it doesn’t show that we will no longer be allowed deductions for medical expenses, that those paying student loans will no longer be allowed deductions. For those of us living in states that have taxes on incomes, the Federal now allows us a deduction for that. That deduction will also be eliminated. Wish I could remember the other deductions being phased out......all of which would adversely affect lower and middle class folks.
However.............notice the Estate Tax being phased out, and from the way it was explained yesterday, this will benefit the very wealthy. Same with the corporate taxes being LOWERED.
The assessment is that the middle and lower class will be helping to pay for the high income bracket to get even more tax breaks.
Although the paragraph below talks about negotiations, it appears that this Republican congress is trying to rush the bill through, just as they did with the Health Care Bill.
There were no Democrats allowed to be part of the framing of this latest tax reform bill.
3) http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/gop-tax-reform-plan-breaking-down-its-biggest-goals-1056128067761
"You lose nothing when fighting for a cause. In my mind the losers are those who don't have a cause they care about." Muhammad Ali
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
1) Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee released its initial tax plan which proposes several changes to current tax laws. We want to caution that this is an initial proposal and many changes may be made through negotiations in Congress. We would not suggest any action at this time due to uncertainty over what a final plan will look like, but wanted to pass along the initial details that are being proposed.
• Reduce tax brackets from seven to four. A summary of the now proposed brackets are below:
Income Tax Rate Income Levels
Current Tax Act Single Married-Joint
10 - 15% 12% $0-$44,999 $0-$89,999
25 - 28% 25% $45,000-$199,999 $90,000-$259,999
28 - 39.6% 35% $200,000-$499,999 $260,000-$999,999
39.60% 39.60% $500,000+ $1M+
• Eliminates itemized deductions except for charitable contributions, mortgage interest, property taxes, and retirement savings. Allows the mortgage deduction for new mortgages of $500,000 or less.
• Eliminates deduction for state and local taxes
• State property tax deduction limited to $10,000
• Doubles the standard deduction from $6,300 to $12,000
• Doubles the estate tax deduction from $5.49M to $11M, with the estate tax being phased out in six years
• Eliminates the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
• Increase child tax credit from $1,000 to $1,600
• Lowers corporate tax rates from 35% to 20%
Again, this is an initial proposal and details may change significantly. We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate updates as they are reported. If you have any questions, please let us know.
2) This list has some important differences from one I saw that was explained in detail yesterday. This one doesn’t show important deductions we now have that will be eliminated. As an example, it doesn’t show that we will no longer be allowed deductions for medical expenses, that those paying student loans will no longer be allowed deductions. For those of us living in states that have taxes on incomes, the Federal now allows us a deduction for that. That deduction will also be eliminated. Wish I could remember the other deductions being phased out......all of which would adversely affect lower and middle class folks.
However.............notice the Estate Tax being phased out, and from the way it was explained yesterday, this will benefit the very wealthy. Same with the corporate taxes being LOWERED.
The assessment is that the middle and lower class will be helping to pay for the high income bracket to get even more tax breaks.
Although the paragraph below talks about negotiations, it appears that this Republican congress is trying to rush the bill through, just as they did with the Health Care Bill.
There were no Democrats allowed to be part of the framing of this latest tax reform bill.
3) http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/gop-tax-reform-plan-breaking-down-its-biggest-goals-1056128067761
"You lose nothing when fighting for a cause. In my mind the losers are those who don't have a cause they care about." Muhammad Ali
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Welcome to the New World - The New York Times
The true story of a Syrian family’s journey to America in a series of cartoons. It starts in January 2017; with the latest entry on September 29, 2017. Really good information for understanding their experiences. I found it heartwarming. (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/26/opinion/syrian-refugee-family.html?rref=collection%2Fseriescollection%2Fsyrian-refugee-family-welcome-america&action=click&contentCollection=opinion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlace)
I often wonder what my Italian and German immigrant grandparents must have experienced when they arrived here in the early early 1900’s. How did they get here, how did they learn the language (or not, depending on their children to pick it up), how did they aclimate to such new and different country/climate/language/customs, etc etc etc.
“Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I often wonder what my Italian and German immigrant grandparents must have experienced when they arrived here in the early early 1900’s. How did they get here, how did they learn the language (or not, depending on their children to pick it up), how did they aclimate to such new and different country/climate/language/customs, etc etc etc.
“Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
I Tried to Defend Colin Kaepernik and This is What I Learned
Another essay (https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/23/1513170/-I-Tried-to-Defend-Colin-Kaepernik-and-This-is-What-I-Learned?detail=emaildkbn) on elements of the 1st Amendment in the real world! If one of us is denied our 1st Amendment rights/obligations then we are all denied them! I didn’t watch any football games today ‘cause I’m really a Super Bowl Only fan but I have read a number of reports about how other players, coaching staff, owners, and fans are in support of Mr Kaepernik’s 1st Amendment right no matter what the president might say!
I am continually amazed that the president doesn’t understand/remember the oath of office that he took on January 20th, 2017 - "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I am continually amazed that the president doesn’t understand/remember the oath of office that he took on January 20th, 2017 - "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Sunday, September 10, 2017
FYI - DACA: Dream Act Details
The Dream Act of 2017 is bipartisan legislation that would allow around 1.5 million U.S.-raised immigrant youth to earn lawful permanent residence and American citizenship if they:
• Are longtime residents who came to the U.S. as children;
• Graduate from high school or obtain a GED;
• Pursue higher education, work lawfully for at least three years, or serve in the military;
• Pass security and law enforcement background checks and pay a reasonable application fee;
• Demonstrate proficiency in the English language and a knowledge of United States history; and
• Have not committed a felony or other serious crimes and do not pose a threat to our country.
Versions of the Dream Act have been introduced at least ten times before, starting in 2001. They have passed either the House or Senate, but not both in the same Congressional session.
“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or soften the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”-Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
• Are longtime residents who came to the U.S. as children;
• Graduate from high school or obtain a GED;
• Pursue higher education, work lawfully for at least three years, or serve in the military;
• Pass security and law enforcement background checks and pay a reasonable application fee;
• Demonstrate proficiency in the English language and a knowledge of United States history; and
• Have not committed a felony or other serious crimes and do not pose a threat to our country.
Versions of the Dream Act have been introduced at least ten times before, starting in 2001. They have passed either the House or Senate, but not both in the same Congressional session.
“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or soften the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”-Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Essay From Twitter
Below are @GothamGirlBlue ’s tweets, in order (edited for ease of reading, no content/meaning was changed). I felt that her essay came very close to how I have felt since November. With HRC’s book coming out these feelings have come up again!
Enjoy, I hope you appreciate it as much as I did!
“I've been seething all day about the response to Hillary's book, and I feel like I've finally channeled it into a coherent thread. Every last thing we're experiencing now was predicted by Hillary during the campaign. And like Cassandra, we refused to believe her. I shouldn't use the word "we" because I was a member of her coalition. I believed her and I believed in her. She represented her coalition ably, if not perfectly. She talked about issues that mattered to us. She made sure to express empathy.
For that, she was heckled, harassed, attacked, dismissed, ignored and mocked by the very people who were supposed to inform us. And every time someone wrote about how unlikeable she was, or how she didn't talk about what really mattered, or how it's her fault... They were really saying it about our coalition. *We* were unlikeable. *We* didn't really matter. It's *our* fault that Trump won.
This backlash is really about the idea that neither Hillary as a person nor the coalition she represented has any right to public life. She was supposed to stand for white supremacy and patriarchy. She was supposed to put the priorities of white rural voters above all. She was supposed to back down when shouted at. She was supposed to mold herself into something likeable.
It goes without saying that white men determine what is likeable. They say its voters, but they mean white male voters. And we are seeing the backlash of not placating those who want our silence, our submission, our obeisance in their presence. Y'all get distracted when a GOP presidential candidate retweets white supremacists, but you can find all the time to harass Hillary. Trump is out here weaponizing the ICE into the goddamn Gestapo, but you can find time to tell Hillary her voice isn't wanted.
You ignored Cassandra as she begged and pleaded with you to listen, but she carries all the blame for your closed hearts and minds. And us, those who shared in her warnings and now feel the brunt of the brutality, we're told that we had our shot and we wasted it. White men can make a president from a treasonous sexual predator who dreams of being a half-wit, and we ask what they want and need.
But POC, women, urban voters who are responsible for 2/3 of the American economy? We should shut up and go home. No one wants us here. It's very clear that the storytellers of this age are interested in protecting the narrative of white-dominated Americana. That it's a myth, a cruel one devised to obscure crimes of blood and death that cannot be absolved, is precisely why it's so beloved. And anything that would puncture that myth, or their gutless, cretinous protection of it, must be assaulted and destroyed.
Hillary is speaking about what it felt to be on the ramming end of that myth. She's speaking *our* truth, the one of her coalition. She's taking on the very narratives that people are using to shield themselves from their ignorance and poor judgment. And she's reminding us that likeability is a damn lie. You never would have liked her no matter what she did because she challenged you.
Just as we, the coalition, challenge what priorities should be at the forefront of politics and what America looks and sounds like. You want us to go away. You want us to internalize her loss as our inferiority. You want our silence, our return to the back. We will not return. Neither will she. We deserved to win that election; we deserve her Presidency; we deserve *your* silence. You, who downplayed white supremacists. You, who accepted Trump's lies and stupidity. You, who would accept our debasement.
It is your fault that she's got the time to write a book instead of leading our nation. You're going to listen to us now, damn it. And maybe, mercifully, there will be the self-awareness to accept your portion of culpability and double your portion of silence. /fin”
“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or soften the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”-Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Enjoy, I hope you appreciate it as much as I did!
“I've been seething all day about the response to Hillary's book, and I feel like I've finally channeled it into a coherent thread. Every last thing we're experiencing now was predicted by Hillary during the campaign. And like Cassandra, we refused to believe her. I shouldn't use the word "we" because I was a member of her coalition. I believed her and I believed in her. She represented her coalition ably, if not perfectly. She talked about issues that mattered to us. She made sure to express empathy.
For that, she was heckled, harassed, attacked, dismissed, ignored and mocked by the very people who were supposed to inform us. And every time someone wrote about how unlikeable she was, or how she didn't talk about what really mattered, or how it's her fault... They were really saying it about our coalition. *We* were unlikeable. *We* didn't really matter. It's *our* fault that Trump won.
This backlash is really about the idea that neither Hillary as a person nor the coalition she represented has any right to public life. She was supposed to stand for white supremacy and patriarchy. She was supposed to put the priorities of white rural voters above all. She was supposed to back down when shouted at. She was supposed to mold herself into something likeable.
It goes without saying that white men determine what is likeable. They say its voters, but they mean white male voters. And we are seeing the backlash of not placating those who want our silence, our submission, our obeisance in their presence. Y'all get distracted when a GOP presidential candidate retweets white supremacists, but you can find all the time to harass Hillary. Trump is out here weaponizing the ICE into the goddamn Gestapo, but you can find time to tell Hillary her voice isn't wanted.
You ignored Cassandra as she begged and pleaded with you to listen, but she carries all the blame for your closed hearts and minds. And us, those who shared in her warnings and now feel the brunt of the brutality, we're told that we had our shot and we wasted it. White men can make a president from a treasonous sexual predator who dreams of being a half-wit, and we ask what they want and need.
But POC, women, urban voters who are responsible for 2/3 of the American economy? We should shut up and go home. No one wants us here. It's very clear that the storytellers of this age are interested in protecting the narrative of white-dominated Americana. That it's a myth, a cruel one devised to obscure crimes of blood and death that cannot be absolved, is precisely why it's so beloved. And anything that would puncture that myth, or their gutless, cretinous protection of it, must be assaulted and destroyed.
Hillary is speaking about what it felt to be on the ramming end of that myth. She's speaking *our* truth, the one of her coalition. She's taking on the very narratives that people are using to shield themselves from their ignorance and poor judgment. And she's reminding us that likeability is a damn lie. You never would have liked her no matter what she did because she challenged you.
Just as we, the coalition, challenge what priorities should be at the forefront of politics and what America looks and sounds like. You want us to go away. You want us to internalize her loss as our inferiority. You want our silence, our return to the back. We will not return. Neither will she. We deserved to win that election; we deserve her Presidency; we deserve *your* silence. You, who downplayed white supremacists. You, who accepted Trump's lies and stupidity. You, who would accept our debasement.
It is your fault that she's got the time to write a book instead of leading our nation. You're going to listen to us now, damn it. And maybe, mercifully, there will be the self-awareness to accept your portion of culpability and double your portion of silence. /fin”
“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or soften the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”-Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Sunday, September 3, 2017
FACEBOOK Commentary
I don’t personally utilize Facebook for a number of personal reasons and concerns about privacy/security. That being said, I may be a bit more worried about this review than others. But, I thought any of you that are Facebook’ers might want to check this out! Note: it is not about “FAKE NEWS” on Facebook. (https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n16/john-lanchester/you-are-the-product)
You will have to enter your email address to read the complete book review. That means you will be getting some “junk mail” that you will need to unsubscribe to at a later point. I think it’s worth it but then I’m an anti-Facebook-er. (https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n16/john-lanchester/you-are-the-product)
Facebook (FB) is now acknowledging how much Russian advertising was placed on the site but not how many Americans (possibly as many as 23 million) might have seen/been influenced by these FAKE ads spreading false information, mostly on Hillary Rodham Clinton. (http://www.thedailybeast.com/russias-facebook-fake-news-could-have-reached-70-million-americans) Additional reporting external to FB provides more scary information/facts. (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/politics/russia-facebook-twitter-election.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur)
“Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States." W.E.B. Du Bois
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
You will have to enter your email address to read the complete book review. That means you will be getting some “junk mail” that you will need to unsubscribe to at a later point. I think it’s worth it but then I’m an anti-Facebook-er. (https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n16/john-lanchester/you-are-the-product)
Facebook (FB) is now acknowledging how much Russian advertising was placed on the site but not how many Americans (possibly as many as 23 million) might have seen/been influenced by these FAKE ads spreading false information, mostly on Hillary Rodham Clinton. (http://www.thedailybeast.com/russias-facebook-fake-news-could-have-reached-70-million-americans) Additional reporting external to FB provides more scary information/facts. (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/politics/russia-facebook-twitter-election.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur)
“Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States." W.E.B. Du Bois
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Declaration of PEACE
Declaration of Peace
Perception
We are concerned citizens
We are not expecting a monetary award
Exaltment
We will not engage in violence
We will not engage in destruction of property
Accord
We support the Republic before party
We support the factual truth, even if it hurts
Composure
We will not support acts of violence
We will not call for acts of violence
Expression
We will not don masks in public
We will not burn effigies
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Helen Keller
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Perception
We are concerned citizens
We are not expecting a monetary award
Exaltment
We will not engage in violence
We will not engage in destruction of property
Accord
We support the Republic before party
We support the factual truth, even if it hurts
Composure
We will not support acts of violence
We will not call for acts of violence
Expression
We will not don masks in public
We will not burn effigies
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Helen Keller
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Curiosity" and Fake News
Below is a lengthy series of tweets from Laura Sesana(@lasesana) I found her perspective clarifying on a number of topics. Her explanation of “curiosity” and Fake News are helpful as we continue to wade through more and more information. Hence my sharing it with you! I formatted it into paragraphs for ease of reading. Any punctuation or missing letter errors are entirely my fault, not hers. You can see her original 16 tweets on Tweeter.
“Pieces like this are a classic example of how Fox News creates #FakeNews and promotes false Pro-Trump narrativeshttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/29/fbi-shuts-down-request-for-files-on-hillary-clinton-by-citing-lack-public-interest.html …
From the headline you’d think that the FBI shut down a FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) request because it claims the public is not interested in HRC's (Hillary Rodham Clinton) emails. Everyone knows that there is more than sufficient interest in HRC's emails on the part of Fox, Trump, and the GOP. So citing insufficient public interest as a basis for denying a FOIA is outrageous & makes FBI look partisan and biased in favor of Democrats. However, the piece confuses the legal definition of public interest (which applies in this case) with the general everyday definition. FBI's denial cites the legal definition of public interest, referring to the welfare of the general public. In this sense, the public interest-when it refers to the welfare of the general public-warrants recognition & protection from government.
FBI’s response does not refer to public is *curiosity* or whether the public is curious about HRC’s emails or not. The public is certainly curious, but mere curiosity does not rise to the level of public interest in the legal sense. In this case, FBI determined the FOIA request didn't show that “the public’s interest in disclosure outweighs personal privacy interests.” At no point did the FBI state that they were denying the request because people weren’t interested in it. That’s #FakeNews. The article is deliberately misleading readers, making them think that the FBI is blatantly lying by saying there is no interest when we can all see Republicans from Trump on down shrieking about Hillary’s emails at every opportunity. This is a deliberate smear of the FBI, using a mistaken perception of their actions and shaping them to fit a narrative and an agenda. Trump has been trying to discredit the FBI since the investigation of his campaign became public and Fox News is amplifying Trump’s lies and baseless attacks on American institutions.”
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Helen Keller
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“Pieces like this are a classic example of how Fox News creates #FakeNews and promotes false Pro-Trump narrativeshttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/29/fbi-shuts-down-request-for-files-on-hillary-clinton-by-citing-lack-public-interest.html …
From the headline you’d think that the FBI shut down a FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) request because it claims the public is not interested in HRC's (Hillary Rodham Clinton) emails. Everyone knows that there is more than sufficient interest in HRC's emails on the part of Fox, Trump, and the GOP. So citing insufficient public interest as a basis for denying a FOIA is outrageous & makes FBI look partisan and biased in favor of Democrats. However, the piece confuses the legal definition of public interest (which applies in this case) with the general everyday definition. FBI's denial cites the legal definition of public interest, referring to the welfare of the general public. In this sense, the public interest-when it refers to the welfare of the general public-warrants recognition & protection from government.
FBI’s response does not refer to public is *curiosity* or whether the public is curious about HRC’s emails or not. The public is certainly curious, but mere curiosity does not rise to the level of public interest in the legal sense. In this case, FBI determined the FOIA request didn't show that “the public’s interest in disclosure outweighs personal privacy interests.” At no point did the FBI state that they were denying the request because people weren’t interested in it. That’s #FakeNews. The article is deliberately misleading readers, making them think that the FBI is blatantly lying by saying there is no interest when we can all see Republicans from Trump on down shrieking about Hillary’s emails at every opportunity. This is a deliberate smear of the FBI, using a mistaken perception of their actions and shaping them to fit a narrative and an agenda. Trump has been trying to discredit the FBI since the investigation of his campaign became public and Fox News is amplifying Trump’s lies and baseless attacks on American institutions.”
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Helen Keller
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Martin Niemöller, the German Protestant pastor UPDATE
Nothing and no one is perfect. This update on the Reverend Niemoller’s life and poem sheds new light on how he acted and was treated with respect to the German Nazis of the 1930s and 40s. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/retropolis/wp/2017/08/19/then-they-came-for-me-a-hitler-supporters-haunting-warning-has-a-complicated-history/)
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are" Ben Franklin
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are" Ben Franklin
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Terminating hate
Borrowed from an email I received –
After President Trump's bewildering comments about the white nationalist march in Charlottesville (that "there is blame on both sides"), ATTN: released an exclusive video message from former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that's so far received more than 50 million views. (http://link.attn.com/click/10401392.84117/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL2F0dG4vdmlkZW9zLzE0NzUzOTg4MDU4Mjg5MDcv/58cccc5a11890dd9368b45a8B437ddfeb)
"There are not two sides to bigotry. There are not two sides to hatred," Schwarzenegger says. "And if you choose to march with a flag that symbolizes the slaughter of millions of people, there are not two sides." Gov. Schwarzenegger also gave President Trump a lesson in how to speak to Nazis. You can watch and share the full message here. (http://link.attn.com/click/10401392.84117/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL2F0dG4vdmlkZW9zLzE0NzUzOTg4MDU4Mjg5MDcv/58cccc5a11890dd9368b45a8C437ddfeb)
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are" Ben Franklin
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
After President Trump's bewildering comments about the white nationalist march in Charlottesville (that "there is blame on both sides"), ATTN: released an exclusive video message from former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that's so far received more than 50 million views. (http://link.attn.com/click/10401392.84117/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL2F0dG4vdmlkZW9zLzE0NzUzOTg4MDU4Mjg5MDcv/58cccc5a11890dd9368b45a8B437ddfeb)
"There are not two sides to bigotry. There are not two sides to hatred," Schwarzenegger says. "And if you choose to march with a flag that symbolizes the slaughter of millions of people, there are not two sides." Gov. Schwarzenegger also gave President Trump a lesson in how to speak to Nazis. You can watch and share the full message here. (http://link.attn.com/click/10401392.84117/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL2F0dG4vdmlkZW9zLzE0NzUzOTg4MDU4Mjg5MDcv/58cccc5a11890dd9368b45a8C437ddfeb)
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are" Ben Franklin
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Monday, August 21, 2017
An Open Letter To Our Fellow Jews
While this article is specifically directed to Jews, I believe, as a non-Jew, I too need to consider the points. The president has/is telling us who he is, we need to believe him!! (https://extranewsfeed.com/to-our-fellow-jews-in-the-united-states-in-israel-and-around-the-world-ff421a1d325d)
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official.” Theodore Roosevelt
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official.” Theodore Roosevelt
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Schwarzenegger's blunt message for Nazis
Here is the link to former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s message about Nazis. If you have trouble being able to play this video, try viewing it on a smart or Iphone. For some reason, I can easily see it on the phone but not on my “old” PC. (https://twitter.com/attn/status/898328098529083394?s=03)
"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." Sinclair Lewis
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." Sinclair Lewis
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
But . . .
No Man’s Land (http://www.stonekettle.com/2017/08/no-mans-land.html?spref=tw&m=1)
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thoughts
Each day, the President gets farther away from the founding fathers’ vision of these United States. At his inauguration, he made an oath to uphold the Constitution. I’m not sure that he understands exactly what that means. His tweets and speeches this past week reflect either a deranged mind or a Nazi-KKK-White Supremacist sympathizer/advocate!
Of the two, I’m hoping for derangement only because I think that is a safer position for the USA then him as a sympathizer/advocate of the destruction of our Constitutional government. The removal of Steve Bannon is helpful but Sebastian Gorka and Stephen Miller (avowed Nazi and white supremacist, respectively), remain as advisors in the White House of the USA!
We need some calm and stability at the White House and I don’t think that will ever be possible with this particular President. I am not thrilled with replacing him with the Vice-President either as he is anti-women and anti-LGBTQ. Both of which directly impact me and my life! But my personal issues/difficulties with the VP do not even begin to balance out the hateful, mean, anti-Semite, racist, white supremacy actions of the President!
The President needs to be censured! The President needs to have his mental stability evaluated! The President needs to be replaced. Again, I would prefer that he resign; but if not, then the House of Representatives needs to Impeach him for sedition (see definition below) and the Senate needs to convict him of said crime.
Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontention (or resistance) to lawful authority.
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”- Malala Yousafzai
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Of the two, I’m hoping for derangement only because I think that is a safer position for the USA then him as a sympathizer/advocate of the destruction of our Constitutional government. The removal of Steve Bannon is helpful but Sebastian Gorka and Stephen Miller (avowed Nazi and white supremacist, respectively), remain as advisors in the White House of the USA!
We need some calm and stability at the White House and I don’t think that will ever be possible with this particular President. I am not thrilled with replacing him with the Vice-President either as he is anti-women and anti-LGBTQ. Both of which directly impact me and my life! But my personal issues/difficulties with the VP do not even begin to balance out the hateful, mean, anti-Semite, racist, white supremacy actions of the President!
The President needs to be censured! The President needs to have his mental stability evaluated! The President needs to be replaced. Again, I would prefer that he resign; but if not, then the House of Representatives needs to Impeach him for sedition (see definition below) and the Senate needs to convict him of said crime.
Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontention (or resistance) to lawful authority.
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”- Malala Yousafzai
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
It's Been a Week Since Charlottesville . . .
and I haven’t been able to find the words, links or quotes to clearly reflect the sadness, outrage and anger about who we, as a country, are being reflected out to the world. As I have said repeatedly, I am still a strong proponent of the 1st Amendment. The content of the “speech” and “assembly” MUST be respectful and non-violent! That didn’t happen in Charlottesville but does seem to have be achieved in Boston and New Orleans.
I don’t have to agree with the content of your “speech,” reason for “assembling,” believe in your “religion,” or with your “press;” to support your 1st Amendment rights! I support the ACLU both politically and financially because that organization advocates for every person’s 1st Amendment rights! They have historically and currently defend organizations/people on both sides of various topics. Note; the ACLU has recently decided that they will not defend “armed”/”open carry” protestors as they believe that adds a level of “threat” or “incitement to violence” not reflected in the essence of the 1st Amendment! This tweet reflects the ultimate support of the 1st Amendment. (https://t.co/IZqp3mmWhP)
Here is a video from the 40’s that reminds us that we must be vigilant to the content of “free speech” so that we don’t lose our country to fanaticism and hatred. (https://twitter.com/OmanReagan/status/896709123462406145?s=03)
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are" Ben Franklin
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I don’t have to agree with the content of your “speech,” reason for “assembling,” believe in your “religion,” or with your “press;” to support your 1st Amendment rights! I support the ACLU both politically and financially because that organization advocates for every person’s 1st Amendment rights! They have historically and currently defend organizations/people on both sides of various topics. Note; the ACLU has recently decided that they will not defend “armed”/”open carry” protestors as they believe that adds a level of “threat” or “incitement to violence” not reflected in the essence of the 1st Amendment! This tweet reflects the ultimate support of the 1st Amendment. (https://t.co/IZqp3mmWhP)
Here is a video from the 40’s that reminds us that we must be vigilant to the content of “free speech” so that we don’t lose our country to fanaticism and hatred. (https://twitter.com/OmanReagan/status/896709123462406145?s=03)
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are" Ben Franklin
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
"BUR"gens - Oceano, CA
Boots and Ruthi have decided that they are “BUR”gens – vegetarians that eat burgers. They rarely eat any chicken or fish or pork or lamb. And, almost never eat beef other in burgers. So, if they only eat lettuce, broccoli, carrots, peas, beans, cheese, eggs, pasta, bread, and hamburgers, they are “BUR”gens.
When we were sharing this with our youngest grandson (13yo), he concluded that they (he and his family) are “ORG”ens because they only eat organic foods!
When we were sharing this with our youngest grandson (13yo), he concluded that they (he and his family) are “ORG”ens because they only eat organic foods!
Friday, August 11, 2017
Newest Immigration Ideas from the White House-RAISE
The president’s recent legislation proposal is called the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act, called the RAISE Act. It would institute a skills-based point system for entry, rewarding educated, English-speaking immigrants with high-salary job offers. The measure would also eliminate diversity visa lotteries, and maintains that immigrants who enter the country would be ineligible for welfare for a certain amount of time. I am including a link to the PDF version of the bill. I warn you it is a lot of references to modifications of previous legislation and very difficult to really put into a narrative. The first 2 pages are the overview and probably sufficient for now. (https://www.cotton.senate.gov/files/documents/170802_New_RAISE_Act_Bill_Text.pdf)
What might be helpful is Time magazine’s article and checklist you can use to see if you and your current family, or ancestors, might qualify for immigration under this proposed act. (http://time.com/4887574/trump-raise-act-immigration/) Like most of you on this email thread, I am a descendent of immigrants. Using the Ellis Island immigrant search tool I was able to place some entry dates and information about my immigrant ancestors. (https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-result) My Italian maternal grandparents (plus 4 uncles and 1 aunt, age infant-10) and German paternal grandfather who immigrated in 1907 and 1903, respectively, would not have passed these requirements. The only person in my family who would remain in the US would be my great-grandson because he is 1/8 Alaskan Native. And as such has American heritage from before Christopher Columbus and any of my grandparents.
I know more about my Italian background than my German, so the following observation/facts may be challenged by my siblings and cousins who are on this email list. To them I say, my ignorance or errors are unplanned and hopefully few. I am fairly certain that my grandparents did not speak English. My own mother who was born in North Carolina in 1911, did not speak English when she started school a hundred years ago (1917).
My Italian family came to the US to work the mines in North Carolina to pay off their passage costs. They all experienced prejudicial behavior and were not welcomed. Eventually (sometime before 1917- cause my mother started school at the same school my older brother later attended) they were able to purchase land, build homes, grow crops, own a corner market (like today’s immigrant communities), raise their kids (9) and prosper. My uncles and aunt did eventually learn English, as did my mother and her younger sisters. My mother and these sisters became professionals: registered nurses and teacher. My uncles worked in the local factories in the area my grandparents had settled after North Carolina (Illinois) or went to Chicago and opened their own commercial enterprises (movie theater, container construction).
My German family settled (not far from the Italian side) on a farm. My grandfather married an American and they had 8 children. The farm still exists today (farmed by one of my cousins and his children).
Thinking about the hundreds of descendents from these 2 sets of grandparents (and honestly, I only know a few of them personally), I see CPA, doctor, educator, farmer, lawyer, manager, nurse, real estate manager, small business owner, veteran, Gold Star family, etc. etc. etc. We have contributed to this nation over and over and over. Without the proximity of my grandparents settling with 15 miles of each other, my siblings and I would not be here. The possibility of a northern Italian girl meeting and marrying a German boy 400 miles away, seems very unlikely!
I personally find any immigration restrictions proposed by this particular president as anti-Muslim, racist, and generally xenophobic! RAISE is just another way to put white supremacy boundaries around who can and who cannot immigrate to OUR country – we are all children of immigrants (again except my great grandson)! We wouldn’t be here contributing to the making of America over the years had our non-English speaking ancestors seeking to live free and prosper had not been able to come over oceans to get here!
So, RAISE up in your own way and let your representatives/senators know that this suggested act (RAISE) is not OK. Ask them to vote against it!
“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” - Ezra Taft Benson
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
What might be helpful is Time magazine’s article and checklist you can use to see if you and your current family, or ancestors, might qualify for immigration under this proposed act. (http://time.com/4887574/trump-raise-act-immigration/) Like most of you on this email thread, I am a descendent of immigrants. Using the Ellis Island immigrant search tool I was able to place some entry dates and information about my immigrant ancestors. (https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-result) My Italian maternal grandparents (plus 4 uncles and 1 aunt, age infant-10) and German paternal grandfather who immigrated in 1907 and 1903, respectively, would not have passed these requirements. The only person in my family who would remain in the US would be my great-grandson because he is 1/8 Alaskan Native. And as such has American heritage from before Christopher Columbus and any of my grandparents.
I know more about my Italian background than my German, so the following observation/facts may be challenged by my siblings and cousins who are on this email list. To them I say, my ignorance or errors are unplanned and hopefully few. I am fairly certain that my grandparents did not speak English. My own mother who was born in North Carolina in 1911, did not speak English when she started school a hundred years ago (1917).
My Italian family came to the US to work the mines in North Carolina to pay off their passage costs. They all experienced prejudicial behavior and were not welcomed. Eventually (sometime before 1917- cause my mother started school at the same school my older brother later attended) they were able to purchase land, build homes, grow crops, own a corner market (like today’s immigrant communities), raise their kids (9) and prosper. My uncles and aunt did eventually learn English, as did my mother and her younger sisters. My mother and these sisters became professionals: registered nurses and teacher. My uncles worked in the local factories in the area my grandparents had settled after North Carolina (Illinois) or went to Chicago and opened their own commercial enterprises (movie theater, container construction).
My German family settled (not far from the Italian side) on a farm. My grandfather married an American and they had 8 children. The farm still exists today (farmed by one of my cousins and his children).
Thinking about the hundreds of descendents from these 2 sets of grandparents (and honestly, I only know a few of them personally), I see CPA, doctor, educator, farmer, lawyer, manager, nurse, real estate manager, small business owner, veteran, Gold Star family, etc. etc. etc. We have contributed to this nation over and over and over. Without the proximity of my grandparents settling with 15 miles of each other, my siblings and I would not be here. The possibility of a northern Italian girl meeting and marrying a German boy 400 miles away, seems very unlikely!
I personally find any immigration restrictions proposed by this particular president as anti-Muslim, racist, and generally xenophobic! RAISE is just another way to put white supremacy boundaries around who can and who cannot immigrate to OUR country – we are all children of immigrants (again except my great grandson)! We wouldn’t be here contributing to the making of America over the years had our non-English speaking ancestors seeking to live free and prosper had not been able to come over oceans to get here!
So, RAISE up in your own way and let your representatives/senators know that this suggested act (RAISE) is not OK. Ask them to vote against it!
“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” - Ezra Taft Benson
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Not-1st Amendment - Moon & Sun background for SOLAR ECLIPSE
Here is an article about the Sun and Moon-interesting and informative!! It does have some info on the eclipse scheduled for Monday the 21st! I hope you enjoy it! (https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2017/08/09/facts-about-our-sun-and-moon-that-youre-embarrassed-to-admit-you-dont-know/?utm_term=.87e40ca1353d)
“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” - Ezra Taft Benson
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” - Ezra Taft Benson
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Friday, August 4, 2017
Free Press Attacks Impact on 1 Journalist
Why does the president and White House staff fear April Ryan, one of America's most successful black journalists? Here’s one example of the relentless attack on our 1st Amendment right to a free press. (http://www.newsweek.com/april-ryan-angela-rye-donald-trump-white-house-black-women-reporter-america-645702?amp=1)
“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” - Ezra Taft Benson
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” - Ezra Taft Benson
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Trumpocracy - What is it? & What does it mean?
Is Donald Trump a threat to democracy? From his executive orders targeting immigrants to his personal attacks on federal judges and his demonization of the media as the “enemy of the American people,” the 45th president’s actions and behavior have alarmed political observers of all stripes. Here is a running timeline (in reverse chronological order) tracking Trump’s numerous displays of authoritarian tendencies, beginning from the day he was sworn in. (http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/creeping-authoritarianism-trump-trumpocracy/)
“Pride is concerned with WHO is right. Humility is concerned with WHAT is right.” - Ezra Taft Benson
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“Pride is concerned with WHO is right. Humility is concerned with WHAT is right.” - Ezra Taft Benson
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Call the White House 202.456.1111
In case you are unaware, there is a push by the alt-right conservative base of the president to have HR McMaster fired from his position as National Security Advisor. He has come in conflict with the president’s base by objecting to the transgender ban, “firing” an unqualified allies of Flynn, Bannon and Kushner; verifying Susan Rice’s appropriate “unmasking,” to name a few ways. On a positive note, McMaster was able to get the president to explicitly endorse the NATO charter’s Article 5.
I just finally got through to the White House to request that they NOT fire McMasters. It took 17 calls (using redial) to finally get to the switchboard. I was on hold for 20 minutes before a human took my message! I would like to think that the other calls were like-minded but I can’t be sure. So, I am asking some of you on my list to take a break on this hot sunny Friday and call the White House, too.
Thanks
“Those who can make you accept absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I just finally got through to the White House to request that they NOT fire McMasters. It took 17 calls (using redial) to finally get to the switchboard. I was on hold for 20 minutes before a human took my message! I would like to think that the other calls were like-minded but I can’t be sure. So, I am asking some of you on my list to take a break on this hot sunny Friday and call the White House, too.
Thanks
“Those who can make you accept absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus
A reminder about the poem written for/featured on Statue of Liberty. The poem was never intended to work as a policy statement, and was part of a fundraiser to help pay for a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty to sit upon.
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
“Those who can make you accept absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
“Those who can make you accept absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Political Organizational Platforms
As a lifelong political Independent, I have wondered how tightly a particular candidate adhered to their party’s platform. Lately, I have been curious of exactly what are the points of the current platforms for the Conservatives, Democrats, Libertarians, and Republicans organizations/labels. So, if you have had a similar curiosity you can check the various platforms below. I have put them in alphabetic order.
CONSERVATIVES’ PLATFORM - http://home.conservativepartyusa.org/national-platform/
Immigration
Gun Control and the Second Amendment
Repeal and Replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Adopt a Fiscally Responsible Monetary Policy
Promote Economic Prosperity
The United States must adopt a comprehensive Energy Policy
Enact Reciprocal Trade Laws
End Automatic Congressional Cost of Living Increases
Require a Balanced Budget
U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights are the Supreme Law of the Land
Write Bills Plain, Common Sense English
Reject all Forms of Affirmative Action
Eliminate the Federal Government’s Power to Charter Organizations
Government Employees Should Not be Unionized
No Automatic Citizenship for Children of Illegal Immigrants
Life Begins at Conception and Ends at Natural Death
Make English the Official Language of the United States
Marriage is Between One Man and One Woman
Carry Weapons on Military Bases
United States should Secede from the United Nations
DEMOCRATS’ PLATFORM - https://www.democrats.org/party-platform
Raise Incomes and Restore Economic Security for the Middle Class
Create Good-Paying Jobs
Fight for Economic Fairness and Against Inequality
Bring Americans Together and Remove Barriers to Opportunities
Protect Voting Rights, Fix Our Campaign Finance System, and Restore Our Democracy
Combat Climate Change, Build a Clean Energy Economy, and Secure Environmental Justice
Provide Quality and Affordable Education
Ensure the Health and Safety of All Americans
Principled Leadership
Support Our Troops and Keep Faith with Our Veterans
Confront Global Threats
Protect Our Values
A Leader in the World
LIBERTARIANS’ PLATFORM https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_(United_States)
Individual Liberty in Personal and Economic Affairs
Avoidance of "Foreign Entanglements" And Military and Economic Intervention In Other Nations' Affairs
Free Trade and Migration
Constitutional Limitations on Government
Elimination of Most State Functions
Right of The People To Alter Or To Abolish Government, To Protect Their Liberty
Minimally Regulated Markets
Less Powerful Federal Government
Strong Civil Liberties
Liberalization of Drug Laws
Separation of Church And State
Open Immigration
Non-Interventionism and Neutrality In Diplomatic Relations
Free Trade
Free Movement to All Foreign Countries
More Representative Republic
REPUBLICANS’ PLATFORM - https://www.gop.com/the-2016-republican-party-platform/
Restoring the American Dream
A Rebirth of Constitutional Government
America’s Natural Resources: Agriculture, Energy, and the Environment
Government Reform
Great American Families, Education, Healthcare, and Criminal Justice
America Resurgent
“Those who can make you accept absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
CONSERVATIVES’ PLATFORM - http://home.conservativepartyusa.org/national-platform/
Immigration
Gun Control and the Second Amendment
Repeal and Replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Adopt a Fiscally Responsible Monetary Policy
Promote Economic Prosperity
The United States must adopt a comprehensive Energy Policy
Enact Reciprocal Trade Laws
End Automatic Congressional Cost of Living Increases
Require a Balanced Budget
U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights are the Supreme Law of the Land
Write Bills Plain, Common Sense English
Reject all Forms of Affirmative Action
Eliminate the Federal Government’s Power to Charter Organizations
Government Employees Should Not be Unionized
No Automatic Citizenship for Children of Illegal Immigrants
Life Begins at Conception and Ends at Natural Death
Make English the Official Language of the United States
Marriage is Between One Man and One Woman
Carry Weapons on Military Bases
United States should Secede from the United Nations
DEMOCRATS’ PLATFORM - https://www.democrats.org/party-platform
Raise Incomes and Restore Economic Security for the Middle Class
Create Good-Paying Jobs
Fight for Economic Fairness and Against Inequality
Bring Americans Together and Remove Barriers to Opportunities
Protect Voting Rights, Fix Our Campaign Finance System, and Restore Our Democracy
Combat Climate Change, Build a Clean Energy Economy, and Secure Environmental Justice
Provide Quality and Affordable Education
Ensure the Health and Safety of All Americans
Principled Leadership
Support Our Troops and Keep Faith with Our Veterans
Confront Global Threats
Protect Our Values
A Leader in the World
LIBERTARIANS’ PLATFORM https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_(United_States)
Individual Liberty in Personal and Economic Affairs
Avoidance of "Foreign Entanglements" And Military and Economic Intervention In Other Nations' Affairs
Free Trade and Migration
Constitutional Limitations on Government
Elimination of Most State Functions
Right of The People To Alter Or To Abolish Government, To Protect Their Liberty
Minimally Regulated Markets
Less Powerful Federal Government
Strong Civil Liberties
Liberalization of Drug Laws
Separation of Church And State
Open Immigration
Non-Interventionism and Neutrality In Diplomatic Relations
Free Trade
Free Movement to All Foreign Countries
More Representative Republic
REPUBLICANS’ PLATFORM - https://www.gop.com/the-2016-republican-party-platform/
Restoring the American Dream
A Rebirth of Constitutional Government
America’s Natural Resources: Agriculture, Energy, and the Environment
Government Reform
Great American Families, Education, Healthcare, and Criminal Justice
America Resurgent
“Those who can make you accept absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Conservatives are Calling for a Civil War
In keeping with my new quote this week (see below), I think this applies. Alex Jones of InfoWars and other conservatives are calling for a civil war against liberals. Here is the link to the article on Alex Jones’ efforts to rile up conservatives! (http://www.newsweek.com/trump-alex-jones-infowars-violence-639912?utm_campaign=NewsweekTwitter&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social)
“Those who can make you accept absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“Those who can make you accept absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
If you aren't already involved . . .
you might want to be! The scary part of our current democracy is, to quote a tweet:
“Rule of law.
Press freedom.
Voting rights.
Ethics.
Institutional independence.
Transparency.
Each is key to democracy; all are under attack” Brian Klaas
Engage with your senators, representatives, governors, lt. governors/secretaries of state, mayors, city councils or their office staff. They do keep records of callers opinions! It makes a difference when our government officials hear from us, the voters of their districts!
"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to....." Nelson Mandela
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“Rule of law.
Press freedom.
Voting rights.
Ethics.
Institutional independence.
Transparency.
Each is key to democracy; all are under attack” Brian Klaas
Engage with your senators, representatives, governors, lt. governors/secretaries of state, mayors, city councils or their office staff. They do keep records of callers opinions! It makes a difference when our government officials hear from us, the voters of their districts!
"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to....." Nelson Mandela
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
News says Sen Murkowski's calls are . . .
trending away from “Do Not Repeal ACA!” Please call her and let her know that you do not want the Affordable Care Act repealed. Below are some numbers, to chose from. I usually call the DC office but have on occasions called Anchorage. I called Ketchikan once, to get a live person to take my message.
Thanks
Anchorage-(907) 271-3735
Fairbanks-(907) 456-0233
Juneau-(907) 586-7277
Wasilla-(907) 376-7665
Soldotna-(907) 262-4220
Ketchikan-(907) 225-6880
Washington-(202)-224-6665
"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to....." Nelson Mandela
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thanks
Anchorage-(907) 271-3735
Fairbanks-(907) 456-0233
Juneau-(907) 586-7277
Wasilla-(907) 376-7665
Soldotna-(907) 262-4220
Ketchikan-(907) 225-6880
Washington-(202)-224-6665
"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to....." Nelson Mandela
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Finally, someone in the press core has stepped out of line and streamed a Press Briefing. She might be a minor journalist but she is certainly BRAVER than those in the business longer! Check it out here. We’ll find out if she is banned from Briefings moving forward. Stay tuned, as they say in the biz. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/07/19/a-reporter-broke-white-house-rules-by-streaming-live-audio-of-an-off-camera-briefing/?utm_term=.cd1a43afc203)
"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to....." Nelson Mandela
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to....." Nelson Mandela
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Monday, July 17, 2017
With all the Voter Rolls Information . . .
swirling in the news. I just wanted to remind everyone to ensure your vote counts. If you cancel your voter registration, you abdicate your voting responsibility and privilege. AND, you let others abscond with your vote! Please share this message and tell everyone you know to stay registered.
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." Stephen Covey
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." Stephen Covey
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Friday, July 14, 2017
Scary Event Planned for This Week-End
This week-end in the town of Islamberg, NY, alt-right and Trump-supporters are planning a march to harass and taunt the towns’ African American Muslim residents. Check out the article on the town and purpose of the marchers here. While my support for the 1st Amendment supports their right to assemble and march, my major caviat would be PEACEABLY! I’m not sure the intent comes from a peaceful place but do hope that the event does end up peaceful! (http://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-supporting-bigots-to-target-upstate-new-york-muslims?source=twitter&via=desktop)
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." Stephen Covey
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." Stephen Covey
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
CONFIRMED: Trump's WORKING WITH RUSSIA
Not sure how anyone could think that having a cybersecurity unit with Russia is a good idea. I you agree with me that it is a bad idea, please read below and sign on to block any governmental funding!
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Opposing TrumpCare
For those of you calling our Senators, it seems that I never have to wait for someone to pick up the call at Sen Sullivan’s office but usually need to leave a message at Sen Murkowski’s office. To me, that means fewer people are calling Sen Sullivan. I know it is more likely that Sen Murkowski will vote against the bill but we still need to be calling both of them. They both should be protecting Alaskans’ Medicaid, Medicare and health care in general.
Thanks
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thanks
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
LMAO
When the news or twitter gets me down – I just look at this picture and laugh and laugh!!!! It helps keep me a bit sane! Enjoy!
Monday, July 10, 2017
Countdown to the Internet-Wide Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality
I am forwarding this on to any of you that may want to be a part of this activity. Being PRO-Net Neutrality means (as far as I can figure out) that you and I will not be slowed down or queued while Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, etc. etc. etc. let their more profitable customers, like Amazon, Apple, The New York Times, EBay, etc. etc. etc. get the speeds and bandwidth (amount of characters being sent at 1 time) they want to better serve their business customers verses their individual customers (me and you). Net Neutrality says treat all internet users equally and fairly.
We recently opted to get unlimited data on our Verizon smart phones. The first thing that I noticed is that the speed has diminished considerably. As we are in the same park that we stayed in last summer, we had expected to have the same outstanding speeds we had previously enjoyed. Unless Verizon is going up and down the central coast of California removing towers (highly unlikely), Net Neutrality is already impacting our internet experience.
So, yes, we will be participating in the action!
------------------------------
We are just 4 days away from the Internet-Wide Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality.
With major sites like Amazon, Netflix, Vimeo, Reddit, and Twitter partnering with us on the Day of Action, we're on track to make this one of the largest online protests in history.
But in order to stop former Verizon lawyer-turned-FCC Chair Ajit Pai's plan to kill net neutrality in its tracks, we need YOU too.
In addition to participating in the Day of Action on July 12, you can help spread the word to your friends and family right now.
Here are some things you can do:
1. Post about it on Facebook. Click here or use of one of these examples.
2. Change your profile picture or avatar. You can download our images here.
3. Tweet to your followers. You can click to tweet here or use some of our sample tweets as a guide here.
4. Email your contacts about it. Here is a sample email you can copy and paste or tweak to suit your audience.
And there's no reason to stop there. If you have a website, blog, vlog, or any other online platform, there are lots of goodies and content samples here to help you get the word out in any way you can.
Help us make a big push this weekend to spread the word about the Day of Action. Post on social media, email your contacts, and talk to your friends and family one-on-one.
We appreciate all you've done for the free and open internet so far, and all you will do. We'll be in touch over the next couple days with updates, reminders, and the best way for you to get engaged on the Day of Action itself.
Thanks for all you do.
For a free and open internet,
Carli, Kurt, Reuben, David, and the whole Demand Progress Team
-----------------------
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
We recently opted to get unlimited data on our Verizon smart phones. The first thing that I noticed is that the speed has diminished considerably. As we are in the same park that we stayed in last summer, we had expected to have the same outstanding speeds we had previously enjoyed. Unless Verizon is going up and down the central coast of California removing towers (highly unlikely), Net Neutrality is already impacting our internet experience.
So, yes, we will be participating in the action!
------------------------------
We are just 4 days away from the Internet-Wide Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality.
With major sites like Amazon, Netflix, Vimeo, Reddit, and Twitter partnering with us on the Day of Action, we're on track to make this one of the largest online protests in history.
But in order to stop former Verizon lawyer-turned-FCC Chair Ajit Pai's plan to kill net neutrality in its tracks, we need YOU too.
In addition to participating in the Day of Action on July 12, you can help spread the word to your friends and family right now.
Here are some things you can do:
1. Post about it on Facebook. Click here or use of one of these examples.
2. Change your profile picture or avatar. You can download our images here.
3. Tweet to your followers. You can click to tweet here or use some of our sample tweets as a guide here.
4. Email your contacts about it. Here is a sample email you can copy and paste or tweak to suit your audience.
And there's no reason to stop there. If you have a website, blog, vlog, or any other online platform, there are lots of goodies and content samples here to help you get the word out in any way you can.
Help us make a big push this weekend to spread the word about the Day of Action. Post on social media, email your contacts, and talk to your friends and family one-on-one.
We appreciate all you've done for the free and open internet so far, and all you will do. We'll be in touch over the next couple days with updates, reminders, and the best way for you to get engaged on the Day of Action itself.
Thanks for all you do.
For a free and open internet,
Carli, Kurt, Reuben, David, and the whole Demand Progress Team
-----------------------
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Trump wants to know your voting history.
Just in case you missed this. We need to protect our personal information and basic voting rights for every qualified voter. Each state’s Secretary of State (or in Alaska’s case, the Lt Gov Bryon Mallot) controls the voter rolls/databases. The president does not need a data base of our private information (Social Security number, etc. etc. etc.).
------------------------------------
Tell your secretary of state: Do not hand over our personal voting information to Trump’s voter suppression commission.
SIGN THE PETITION
Trump’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity issued a national order, asking all 50 states to hand over the birth dates, street addresses, last four digits of social security numbers, and political affiliations of all registered voters.1
This “election integrity” commission is led by notorious proponents of discriminatory voter ID laws and false claims of voter fraud – really, it’s an obvious attempt to push through nationwide restrictions on voting.
As of now, 20 states have outright refused to hand over any voting data to the commission, and 25 more have said they'd only submit partial data.2
But this is far from over. We need every secretary of state in the country to know that if they stand up to Trump’s voter suppression effort, the American people will have their backs.
Sign the petition: Tell your state election officials not to comply with Trump’s “Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.”
Trump and his cronies in the Presidential Advisory Commission of Election Integrity like to rely on thoroughly debunked data about “voter fraud.” But let’s be clear, voter fraud is incredibly rare, if it happens at all.
If there was any confusion about whether this panel is really about “election integrity,” it’s ignoring the very real problem of foreign interference in our elections to focus on the imaginary problem of widespread illegal voting.
Trump doesn’t need our personal voting data to solve problems that aren’t really there. Instead, he’s re-paving a path built by many hardline Republicans to make it harder to vote. History shows us that voter restrictions disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color.3
Harsh voter restrictions also erode democracy, making it easier for demagogues to stay in power without being beholden to serve actual constituents’ needs.
If you were already afraid of a Trump-inspired American dystopia, just imagine what he’ll do with our personal voting data. Tell your state officials not to hand over voting data to the Trump administration.
Some states, like Virginia, Mississippi, Minnesota, and California, have outright refused to follow through on the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity’s request.4 While they’re leading by example, your state could be next to stand up for your privacy and deny this invasive request on our personal voting data.
Sign the petition: Tell your state election officials to resist Trump’s Election Commission and refuse to hand over personal voting data to the Trump administration.
Thanks for taking action,
Reuben and the team at Demand Progress
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
------------------------------------
Tell your secretary of state: Do not hand over our personal voting information to Trump’s voter suppression commission.
SIGN THE PETITION
Trump’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity issued a national order, asking all 50 states to hand over the birth dates, street addresses, last four digits of social security numbers, and political affiliations of all registered voters.1
This “election integrity” commission is led by notorious proponents of discriminatory voter ID laws and false claims of voter fraud – really, it’s an obvious attempt to push through nationwide restrictions on voting.
As of now, 20 states have outright refused to hand over any voting data to the commission, and 25 more have said they'd only submit partial data.2
But this is far from over. We need every secretary of state in the country to know that if they stand up to Trump’s voter suppression effort, the American people will have their backs.
Sign the petition: Tell your state election officials not to comply with Trump’s “Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.”
Trump and his cronies in the Presidential Advisory Commission of Election Integrity like to rely on thoroughly debunked data about “voter fraud.” But let’s be clear, voter fraud is incredibly rare, if it happens at all.
If there was any confusion about whether this panel is really about “election integrity,” it’s ignoring the very real problem of foreign interference in our elections to focus on the imaginary problem of widespread illegal voting.
Trump doesn’t need our personal voting data to solve problems that aren’t really there. Instead, he’s re-paving a path built by many hardline Republicans to make it harder to vote. History shows us that voter restrictions disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color.3
Harsh voter restrictions also erode democracy, making it easier for demagogues to stay in power without being beholden to serve actual constituents’ needs.
If you were already afraid of a Trump-inspired American dystopia, just imagine what he’ll do with our personal voting data. Tell your state officials not to hand over voting data to the Trump administration.
Some states, like Virginia, Mississippi, Minnesota, and California, have outright refused to follow through on the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity’s request.4 While they’re leading by example, your state could be next to stand up for your privacy and deny this invasive request on our personal voting data.
Sign the petition: Tell your state election officials to resist Trump’s Election Commission and refuse to hand over personal voting data to the Trump administration.
Thanks for taking action,
Reuben and the team at Demand Progress
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Fate of Declaration of Independence Signers
Have you ever wondered what happened to the Declaration of 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Their story. . . . . . . . .
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists and eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means,
well educated.
But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton , Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many people as you can, please. The Fourth of July means more than beer, picnics, and baseball games. True "reflection" is a part of this country's greatness.
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Their story. . . . . . . . .
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists and eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means,
well educated.
But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton , Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many people as you can, please. The Fourth of July means more than beer, picnics, and baseball games. True "reflection" is a part of this country's greatness.
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Monday, July 3, 2017
CNN Commentator Navarro Responds to Trump Wrestling
One Republican strongly criticizing the president. I guess 1 is a start . . .
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Save Free Speech From Trolls
Criticism is not censorship no matter how insistent Twitter’s free speech brigade might be. Great article from the New York Times on censorship or not, you decide. (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/01/opinion/sunday/save-free-speech-from-trolls.html?mwrsm=Email)
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Gotten Political"
You don’t like that I’ve “gotten political,” huh? If saying it’s wrong to mock people with disabilities makes me political, then so be it. If rejecting the notion that demeaning, groping, insulting, and assaulting women is “just how men are” makes me political, then so be it. If supporting a free press makes me political, then so be it.
If speaking out when religious and ethnic minorities are targeted with misinformation campaigns that have dramatically increased hate crimes against them makes me political, then so be it. If believing the president of the United States is not above the rule of law, or the most basic thical accountability, makes me political, then so be it. If refusing to stand by as desperate refugee families, including many children, are turned away from safety based on misinformation and fear makes me political, then so be it.
If calling my senators to oppose a healthcare bill that would likely increase the abortion rate and definitely leave my friends with special needs kids bankrupt and desperate makes me political, then so be it. If expecting the president of the United States to behave with some semblance of decorum and decency, even on Twitter, makes me political, then so be it.
If getting angry when Christian leaders shrug off sexual assault, lying, racism, bullying, cruelty to the vulnerable, and unapologetic greed and self-aggrandizement because it gets them the judge they want or the power they crave makes me political, then so be it. If turning over tables when Christians sing hymns in honor of this administration's ethno-nationalist agenda makes me political, then so be it.
You don’t like that I’ve gotten political? I don’t like that the future of the Republic and the integrity of the American Church has been so glibly handed over to a man who has no respect for either. You’re damn right I’ve gotten political.
And even if you remain silent, you have too.
From Rachel Held Evans’ Facebook Page
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
If speaking out when religious and ethnic minorities are targeted with misinformation campaigns that have dramatically increased hate crimes against them makes me political, then so be it. If believing the president of the United States is not above the rule of law, or the most basic thical accountability, makes me political, then so be it. If refusing to stand by as desperate refugee families, including many children, are turned away from safety based on misinformation and fear makes me political, then so be it.
If calling my senators to oppose a healthcare bill that would likely increase the abortion rate and definitely leave my friends with special needs kids bankrupt and desperate makes me political, then so be it. If expecting the president of the United States to behave with some semblance of decorum and decency, even on Twitter, makes me political, then so be it.
If getting angry when Christian leaders shrug off sexual assault, lying, racism, bullying, cruelty to the vulnerable, and unapologetic greed and self-aggrandizement because it gets them the judge they want or the power they crave makes me political, then so be it. If turning over tables when Christians sing hymns in honor of this administration's ethno-nationalist agenda makes me political, then so be it.
You don’t like that I’ve gotten political? I don’t like that the future of the Republic and the integrity of the American Church has been so glibly handed over to a man who has no respect for either. You’re damn right I’ve gotten political.
And even if you remain silent, you have too.
From Rachel Held Evans’ Facebook Page
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.” John F. Kennedy
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
MSNBC’s Donnie Deutsch roasts Trump over Mika tweets
I really don’t know what else to say except read it here. (http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/hes-a-vulgar-pig-hes-physically-disgusting-msnbcs-donnie-deutsch-roasts-trump-over-mika-tweets/)
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Friday, June 30, 2017
3 Fresh Examples of Press Access Being Rolled Back . . .
at the White House, Pentagon, and Justice Department! Check it out here. (http://mailchi.mp/cnn/reliable-june-27-274869)
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Nation-Wide Voter Suppression Plan
Here’s a link to a petition to stop this grab for our personal data! (https://secure2.convio.net/comcau/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2169&sp_ref=315816852.214.181739.e.579896.2&s_subsrc=taf_email)
----------------------------------
More than 20 states have now refused to provide voters’ private information as requested. The leader of this commission and “brains” behind the request is Kris Kobach. Check him out here. (https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/if-you-care-about-right-vote-here-are-six-things-you-need-know-about-kris-kobach)
----------------------------------
If you haven’t already seen the request for voter information that the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity has sent to each of the 50 states. You might want to check this article out. If you don’t live in California, Kentucky, Virginia, New York, or Massachusetts, states that have already refused to comply with the request; you might want to contact your Secretary of State or in the case of Alaska, our Lt. Governor Byron Mallott (907.465.3520) to voice any concerns you might have with your data being provided. Lt Governor Mallott’s office did tell me today that they have the request and are reviewing it at this time. I got on a mailing list so that I will be informed when they have made a decision. I shared with them my objections to providing my data this way.
Like most state, Alaska does have voter information that by law is accessible by the public. For example:
• status (active or inactive)
• name
• residence address (if not requested, to be maintained as confidential)
• mailing address
• registration dates
• party affiliation
• district and precinct designation
• history
While the Commission’s request also asks for this confidential information:
• voter number
• social security number (SSN)
• last four numbers of SSN
• Alaska driver's license number
• state identification number
• date of birth
• place of birth
• telephone number
• primary ballot choice
• signature
• residence address
I don’t know about you but I protect my social security number, Alaskan driver’s license number, my ballot choice and signature very carefully. Essentially, those items are the keys to the kingdom of data about me and my accounts.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
----------------------------------
More than 20 states have now refused to provide voters’ private information as requested. The leader of this commission and “brains” behind the request is Kris Kobach. Check him out here. (https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/if-you-care-about-right-vote-here-are-six-things-you-need-know-about-kris-kobach)
----------------------------------
If you haven’t already seen the request for voter information that the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity has sent to each of the 50 states. You might want to check this article out. If you don’t live in California, Kentucky, Virginia, New York, or Massachusetts, states that have already refused to comply with the request; you might want to contact your Secretary of State or in the case of Alaska, our Lt. Governor Byron Mallott (907.465.3520) to voice any concerns you might have with your data being provided. Lt Governor Mallott’s office did tell me today that they have the request and are reviewing it at this time. I got on a mailing list so that I will be informed when they have made a decision. I shared with them my objections to providing my data this way.
Like most state, Alaska does have voter information that by law is accessible by the public. For example:
• status (active or inactive)
• name
• residence address (if not requested, to be maintained as confidential)
• mailing address
• registration dates
• party affiliation
• district and precinct designation
• history
While the Commission’s request also asks for this confidential information:
• voter number
• social security number (SSN)
• last four numbers of SSN
• Alaska driver's license number
• state identification number
• date of birth
• place of birth
• telephone number
• primary ballot choice
• signature
• residence address
I don’t know about you but I protect my social security number, Alaskan driver’s license number, my ballot choice and signature very carefully. Essentially, those items are the keys to the kingdom of data about me and my accounts.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Another Way to attack Freedom of the Press . . .
is to not allow cameras or recording devices at Press conferences! This administration is 2 for 2. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/06/20/what-is-it-that-the-trump-administration-doesnt-want-us-to-see/)
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/06/20/what-is-it-that-the-trump-administration-doesnt-want-us-to-see/
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/06/20/what-is-it-that-the-trump-administration-doesnt-want-us-to-see/
One Way to attack Freedom of the Press . . .
is to refuse to talk with reporters or have press conferences. Here are some statistics on the press access with the president compared to others who have held the office.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Monday, June 19, 2017
Freedom of the Press
For there to be freedom of the press, journalist need to be able to get the information from the White House (WH) and put it together for distribution to their subscribers/listeners/watchers/etc. This is getting more and more difficult with the current WH. Again another way to thwart the core meaning of the 1st Amendment.
“It was odd that the White House banned cameras and audio at today’s press briefing. Usually, they only ban facts.” Stephen Colbert
“POTUS hasn't given an interview in weeks, a full press conference in months. Daily briefing can't be recorded. Senate writing bill in secret.” Chris Hayes
We need to continue to be aware and vigilant that our 1st Amendment rights are not slowly scraped away!
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“It was odd that the White House banned cameras and audio at today’s press briefing. Usually, they only ban facts.” Stephen Colbert
“POTUS hasn't given an interview in weeks, a full press conference in months. Daily briefing can't be recorded. Senate writing bill in secret.” Chris Hayes
We need to continue to be aware and vigilant that our 1st Amendment rights are not slowly scraped away!
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
TrumpCare (AHCA) Impact to Each of Us
If you aren’t sure if you are impacted by TrumpCare (American Health Care Act) - you know the bill being created in secret in the Senate. And, you haven’t written / called your congressional delegation (representative and 2 senators). You might want to check this out. (https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/863833713309876224?s=03)
Then call Washington and let your concerns be known.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Then call Washington and let your concerns be known.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Clarifications of Language Usage
Rep Ted Lieu of California noted (in twitter, of course) that whenever we see the words Deep State they are being used negatively as synonyms for “The 1st Amendment; the Rule of Law; Prosecutors; Judges; law enforcement; and Congressional oversight committees.” (http://www.tedlieu.com/)
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics doesn't take an interest in you." Pericles
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Ted Nugent - Rhetoric Change
This just in - Ted Nugent: ‘I’m not going to engage In hateful rhetoric anymore. We have got to be more respectful to the other side.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ted-nugent-vows-to-be-respectful_us_59433947e4b0f15cd5ba531e?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009)
I think that this is an amazing change. And, I for one really appreciate the move to a respectful exchanges of opinions. I know he has said hateful and dispicable things in the past but this is for the future and we, each of us need the change!
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I think that this is an amazing change. And, I for one really appreciate the move to a respectful exchanges of opinions. I know he has said hateful and dispicable things in the past but this is for the future and we, each of us need the change!
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
RE: A Resolution Condemning White Supremacy Causes Chaos at the Southern Baptist Convention
The following response to my email came from one of my email recipients. With their permission, I wanted to share it with you:
Can you believe the violence that is being unleashed upon our fellow Americans…can we not return back to the values taught by our mothers…do unto others as you would have them do unto you?
I do not want to ever become a hate monger…oh I admit I like to crack on Bill Clinton once in a great while but it’s only to lampoon some of his crazy choices… But I’d never truly seek out to hurt him or anyone who thinks of him as their favorite person. That isn’t what being an American is about…
We are united as “One nation under GOD…with liberty and justice for ALL” I’ll gladly return to wearing my uniform if it takes that to keep this nation free from all enemies…foreign and domestic. I stand by you when your values match mine and I’ll still stand near you even if we cannot agree but to disagree…
Keep a smile on your face and know that your fight is not alone…
Can you believe the violence that is being unleashed upon our fellow Americans…can we not return back to the values taught by our mothers…do unto others as you would have them do unto you?
I do not want to ever become a hate monger…oh I admit I like to crack on Bill Clinton once in a great while but it’s only to lampoon some of his crazy choices… But I’d never truly seek out to hurt him or anyone who thinks of him as their favorite person. That isn’t what being an American is about…
We are united as “One nation under GOD…with liberty and justice for ALL” I’ll gladly return to wearing my uniform if it takes that to keep this nation free from all enemies…foreign and domestic. I stand by you when your values match mine and I’ll still stand near you even if we cannot agree but to disagree…
Keep a smile on your face and know that your fight is not alone…
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
A Resolution Condemning White Supremacy Causes Chaos at the Southern Baptist Convention
Here is an interesting article on a resolution at the SBC. The divide within this conservative evangelical religious organization is not comforting! (https://t.co/7CZ5OEcWJp)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Monday, June 12, 2017
Wonder Woman Movie #2
The Mayor of Austin, TX responded to a male complaining about the “Woman Only” showing. (http://www.mayoradler.com/letter-wonder-woman/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Wonder Woman Movie
We haven’t seen this movie yet but it is on our list. Anyway, here are some results of this woman hero for little girls –
A producer friend just sent me this... ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! This makes every hard day worth it. Thank you to whomever wrote it!
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
A producer friend just sent me this... ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! This makes every hard day worth it. Thank you to whomever wrote it!
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Time to FLOOD THE ZONE. Obamacare repeal is imminent!
I am forwarding this email because I believe that the repeal of the Affordable Care Act is not for the good of millions of Americans. Since we are on Medicare, this particular version seems to impact us less. But for our (and your) children / grandchildren / great-grandchildren the impact is frightening. I left the Alaskan senator references for my Alaskan neighbors on this email. For non-Alaskans, you can go here to locate your senators and their phone numbers.
Please call your Republican Senators. I have read that the call volume has diminished in the past few weeks. So, get back on those calls. thanks
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
---------------------------------------------
Ruthi, rumors are that Senate Republicans have the votes they need to repeal Obamacare, remove health coverage from millions of Americans, and give away $663 billion in tax breaks to millionaires.
Mitch McConnell is already bypassing usual Senate procedure to ram this bill through, so we don't have much time. The only way we can possibly stop Trump's health care bill from becoming law is a massive flood of calls and emails to Republican senators RIGHT NOW.
Call your Republican senator(s) Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski TODAY at (202) 224-3004,(202) 224-6665 and demand they block Trumpcare.
Can't call? Sign and send a letter to your Republican senator(s) TODAY, even if you have done so previously. Urge them to vote NO on Trumpcare.
Republicans are closer than ever to stealing healthcare from 23 million Americans. We need to keep their phones ringing off the hook until this bill is defeated.
Keep fighting,
Irna Landrum, Daily Kos
Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612
Please call your Republican Senators. I have read that the call volume has diminished in the past few weeks. So, get back on those calls. thanks
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
---------------------------------------------
Ruthi, rumors are that Senate Republicans have the votes they need to repeal Obamacare, remove health coverage from millions of Americans, and give away $663 billion in tax breaks to millionaires.
Mitch McConnell is already bypassing usual Senate procedure to ram this bill through, so we don't have much time. The only way we can possibly stop Trump's health care bill from becoming law is a massive flood of calls and emails to Republican senators RIGHT NOW.
Call your Republican senator(s) Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski TODAY at (202) 224-3004,(202) 224-6665 and demand they block Trumpcare.
Can't call? Sign and send a letter to your Republican senator(s) TODAY, even if you have done so previously. Urge them to vote NO on Trumpcare.
Republicans are closer than ever to stealing healthcare from 23 million Americans. We need to keep their phones ringing off the hook until this bill is defeated.
Keep fighting,
Irna Landrum, Daily Kos
Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Trump's afraid of the press, as he should be
The headlines do not look promising: A reporter assaulted by a Montana congressional candidate. A newspaper office’s windows shot out in Kentucky. A journalist in West Virginia arrested for posing questions to the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
These incidents reflect the contempt the Trump administration has for a free press.
Across the world and throughout history, the press has been a watchdog for the people—keeping us informed and prepared against people who abuse their power. But it can't work in the service of the people if it's not free and independent. Without the press, it will be that much harder to fight Trump’s agenda to threaten our families’ health care, deport our loved ones, and pass out more privileges to the rich.
We need the press to hold our government accountable to our best interests and uplift the beautiful resistance we’ve maintained under this administration.
We can't let Trump undermine our constitutional right to a free press with his attempt to discredit the media.
Sign the petition to elected officials in Washington and across the country. Remind them of their duty to protect press freedom. (http://caf.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2Bhsefz3RJBUBSoBLKTPmcWGlL5OZ7wel)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Have you seen THIS?
$110B arms deal with Saudi Arabia IS fake news! (https://www.brookings.edu/blog/markaz/2017/06/05/the-110-billion-arms-deal-to-saudi-arabia-is-fake-news/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
What should we FEAR?
With all of the scary current events, I thought maybe this chart might help each of us put them into perspective. We all should be actively focused on improving the Affordable Care Act not repealing it. NINE of the top TEN causes of death are health related and personal to each of us and our health care insurance!! If you don’t have affordable health insurance you are less likely to address health concerns in a timely manner! (https://t.co/v1yaZSpU8b)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Letter: Dumbed-down America | Northwest Herald
My sister shared this letter to the editor of her local paper – Northwest Herald of the Crystal Lake, Illinois area. It matches my quote below fairly well. (http://www.nwherald.com/2017/02/01/letter-dumbed-down-america/ag3n4zw/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Trump wasn’t always so linguistically challenged. What could explain the change?
An interesting read about the president’s language changes. Check it out here. (https://www.statnews.com/2017/05/23/donald-trump-speaking-style-interviews/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
1st Amendment Reminder
1st Amendment Reminder (https://xkcd.com/1357/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The Privatization of Medicare!
The actions to privitize Medicare deeply and profoundly affects those of us over 65 and currently on Medicare. We, Boots and I, have experienced Medicare for the past 8 and 6 years respectively. We each have our own medical issues, none of which are critical/serious or life-threatening. Medicare has been reasonably priced, even including the supplemental through AARP. We have had no difficulty finding Medicare-connected medical services in our travels across America. Having a single payer (that’s what Medicare is) has proved for us to be the best medical insruance we have ever had!!!
I know that Anchorage does not have many MDs or clinics that accept Medicare and that IS a problem. I believe that Fairbanks has better Medicare options but that does not help Anchorage residents. Though people outside look at the map and think Fairbanks is just a suburb of Anchorage. JJJ
Anyway, check out Rep Paul Ryan’s privitization plan here. I do not think it’s a good idea and will be calling/writing/emailing/tweeting my congrassional delegation. How about you? (https://thinkprogress.org/paul-ryans-next-move-is-an-attempt-to-privatize-medicare-a96eb9ac0a23)
Checkout the whole story here. (http://www.wnyc.org/story/frelinghuysen-targets-activsts-letter-boss/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
I know that Anchorage does not have many MDs or clinics that accept Medicare and that IS a problem. I believe that Fairbanks has better Medicare options but that does not help Anchorage residents. Though people outside look at the map and think Fairbanks is just a suburb of Anchorage. JJJ
Anyway, check out Rep Paul Ryan’s privitization plan here. I do not think it’s a good idea and will be calling/writing/emailing/tweeting my congrassional delegation. How about you? (https://thinkprogress.org/paul-ryans-next-move-is-an-attempt-to-privatize-medicare-a96eb9ac0a23)
Checkout the whole story here. (http://www.wnyc.org/story/frelinghuysen-targets-activsts-letter-boss/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment: "right of assembly" and "petition for grievances"
What with the Montana attack on the press (literally) and Secretary Price’s journalist’s (that dared to ask a question) arrest; I thought this action by another congressman (Frelinghuysen-NJ R) might interest you. He wrote to a supporter and informed them that one of the supporter’s employees was protesting Rep Frelinghuysen’s actions.
Checkout the whole story here. (http://www.wnyc.org/story/frelinghuysen-targets-activsts-letter-boss/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Checkout the whole story here. (http://www.wnyc.org/story/frelinghuysen-targets-activsts-letter-boss/)
“The prime responsibility of leadership lies in being able to tell people what they did not wish to hear.” George Orwell
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
A clip from Helen Mirren's Tulane Commencement Speech
Which brings me to something that may actually tie us together: tattoos. I know, it’s hard to believe, Dame Helen Mirren does have a tattoo. I got my tattoo when only Hells Angels, sailors and convicted felons got them. I’ll share the story.
When I was on my journey through young adulthood, in that glorious and confusing time that was the early 1970’s, I looked in a lot of different places for answers - -eastern, western, and all over the place.
And when I found one inspiring answer in Mayan wisdom that said so much in so few words, I had it tattooed on my left hand. It’s a simple phrase: “Inlakesh.” It means:
“You are my other self
We are one
I am Another Yourself”
The Mayans were on to something. Because if I’m you – I have a responsibility to you. If you’re me – you have a responsibility to me. The Mayans just had a more beautiful way of saying “we’re all in this together.”
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
When I was on my journey through young adulthood, in that glorious and confusing time that was the early 1970’s, I looked in a lot of different places for answers - -eastern, western, and all over the place.
And when I found one inspiring answer in Mayan wisdom that said so much in so few words, I had it tattooed on my left hand. It’s a simple phrase: “Inlakesh.” It means:
“You are my other self
We are one
I am Another Yourself”
The Mayans were on to something. Because if I’m you – I have a responsibility to you. If you’re me – you have a responsibility to me. The Mayans just had a more beautiful way of saying “we’re all in this together.”
1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Signs - Santee, CA
On the other hand this particular sign is just too funny!
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