1st Amendment - Right “To Peaceably Assemble”

Below is a copy of the email I sent to my congressional delegation - Senator Lisa Murkowski (R), Senator Dan Sullivan (R), and Representative Don Young (R)



I am a tax paying voting citizen of Anchorage, Alaska (since 1971). I am not a paid protestor.

Recently in Arizona, their legislature introduced a bill that sought to prosecute protest organizers like racketeers. Luckily, the Arizona House Speaker J.D. Mesnard announced late Monday that the bill, SB 1142, would not move forward in their legislature. I sincerely hope that Alaska’s legislature, and you in particular, are not looking to introduce the so-called "Plan a Protest, Lose Your House Bill."

Our country is built upon the Constitution! The right “to peaceably assemble” and “petition the Government” are fundamental elements of the 1st Amendment. Please protect Alaskan citizens’ rights to protest!

Thank you,
Ruthi Muffler

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

MoveOn.Org Weekly Call about #ResistanceRecess

There is a weekly call tonight. The first one was last week. It was informative/educational/encouraging. While there is a leader and some more professional presenters, a couple were ordinary people striving to help us all RESIST this administration. If interested check it out! (https://act.moveon.org/event/resistance-recess_attend/search/)

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Some Statistics/Details of The President's Lies

Since his inauguration, the president has had some Pinocchio moments. Here is a list of 100 times. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-administration-lies-100_us_58ac7a0fe4b02a1e7dac3ca6?)

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Now We Know How The Elected . . .

really feel about their voters!

Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL) says “because town halls, people get rude and stupid.” Really?

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) says he's refusing to do town halls because angry protesters "diminish democracy." Diminish?

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

And, the WH Continues to Say it's NOT a MUSLIM BAN

Check it out. It’s even on FOX News, if you can believe that! (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/02/25/muhammad-alis-son-detained-under-trump-immigration-ban.html)

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

"Star Trek" actor and activist George Takei Tweet

“It’s not about bathrooms . . . as it was never about water fountains.”

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Big Bang Theory Ending Quote

Chuck Lorre always provides a short essay after the credits are run on the programs he produces. Thursday’s (02/23/17) episode of Big Bang Theory had this missive –
“If the free press is the enemy of the people, and I'm part of the people, it would follow that Rachel Maddow is out to get me. Now I don't mean to diminish her intellect, which is considerable, but as enemies go, with that Ricky Nelson pompadour and big, goofy grin, she doesn't exactly strike terror in my heart. On the other hand, Little Stevie Van Breitbart, who I assume is a friend of the people and looks like he just woke up from a three-day bender, scares the $#!+ out of me.”
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Need I Say More

To paraphrase Martin Niemöller, a prominent Protestant pastor who opposed the Nazi regime.

First they came for the Muslims, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Muslim.
Then they came for the Immigrants, and I did not speak out— Because I was not an Immigrant.
Then they came for the Transgender, and I did not speak out—Because I was not Transgender.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Again, This is Not 1st Amendment Focused but Critical None the Less

Now we know why DeVos, Pruitt, Perry are Secretaries for Education, EPA and Energy respectively. It all begins to make sense. I can’t believe that I said (typed) that JJJ! Check this out! (http://m.dailykos.com/stories/1637009)

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Media Bites Back: Newspaper Threatens Defamation Suit for GOP Senator Calling Them "Fake News"

This is exactly what needs to be done! We need to continually challenge those who label the press “Fake News.” (http://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/19/1635381/-Media-Bites-Back-Newspaper-Threatens-Defamation-Suit-for-GOP-Senator-Calling-Them-Fake-News?detail=email&link_id=1&can_id=e689e52c98995f8a24c85dfe77f236f5&source=email-media-bites-back-newspaper-threatens-de)

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Last Week Tonight - You Tube

To economize we gave up our DirecTV HBO access. It was a tough decision - 'cause we thought we'd have to give up John Oliver's Last Week Tonight and Bill Maher's Real Time. Then I discovered that by getting a You Tube account and subscribing to these programs (at no cost), we can watch them. We have to wait a few days after the show runs on HBO but the savings is worth it!
Anyway, the point is this first episode of the 4th season of Last Week Tonight is absolutely awesome! So, watch it on You Tube. (https://www.youtube.com/user/LastWeekTonight)

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Investigate Donald Trump

I signed a petition to Members of the House Judiciary Committee which says "Vote in favor of a House investigation into Donald Trump’s financial conflicts of interest and ties to the Russian government."

Will you sign this petition? Click here. (http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/investigate-trump-and-1?source=s.em.cp&r_by=310442)

Thanks

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Is anti-Semitism on the rise? Does anyone care?

This article is very interesting! (https://www.adn.com/opinions/national-opinions/2017/02/17/is-anti-semitism-on-the-rise-its-not-so-clear/)

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin 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.

Words are so important!

Check this out - The 2020 campaign begins today! (http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/16/1634417/-Trump-and-McConnell-inadvertently-make-the-rock-solid-case-for-NOT-confirming-Supreme-Court-nominee?detail=email&link_id=1&can_id=e689e52c98995f8a24c85dfe77f236f5&source=email-trump-and-mcconnell-inadverte)

Therefore any efforts to fill the current the Supreme court vacancy (like with Judge Garland last year) at this time (in a campaign) would be denying the next president the right to select the replacement.

Words matter – and, the current president and Senate Majority leader can check their own words (along with former Senator Biden’s) that support this.

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” Benjamin Franklin

If you haven't already . . .

go fill out this survey (Trump’s Mainstream Media Accountability Survey) (https://gop.com/mainstream-media-accountability-survey/). Have fun!

“Amendment 1 - 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 the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” MalalaYousafzai

"An Enemy of The People" A Play by Norwegian Playwright Henrik Ibsen (written in 1882)

Hmm, This play was written 132 years ago! I’m fairly certain that the president has never read this. (Note: neither had I until his use of the term “Enemy of the People” to describe the press today.) So, who in his administration is pulling his strings? Below is a synopsis of the play that I have copied from Wikipedia. The bold red text is my emphasis.

I believe that today’s attack on the press, while serious and dangerous, is really just one step towards the president’s wish for total adoration and control of our press. Remember the words of his senior advisor (Stephen Miller) on last Sunday’s (02/12/17) talk show circuit: “the president of the United States will not be questioned.” So, I ask that you be alert, involved, committed, and question “what is right.” Today is the scariest of the presidency so far and it’s only 4 weeks, 28 full days!

Act I[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=An_Enemy_of_the_People&action=edit§ion=2]
The Play opens in Dr. Stockmann's household. Mrs. Stockmann is entertaining the dinner guests. As the evening progresses the Mayor (also Dr. Stockmann's brother) and Hovstad (the editor of the newspaper) have come to the house. Dr. Stockmann and his two sons Ejlif and Morten have come home from a walk. As they all gather in the house, the Mayor needs to confront his brother about an article regarding the town health baths and the rumors that have been raised about them being contaminated. The Brothers get into an argument about their positions on hiding the truth and shaping the truth to get the results that are convenient. Petra (the Doctor's daughter) brings in the letter that her father has been waiting for. After Dr. Stockmann reads the letter, he discovers his suspicions were right and the water from the baths is in fact contaminated. Hovstad now agrees to print the article and unfold the story. This will bring a great deal of attention to the baths and possibly will be the end of them (which will have repercussions on the town's economy). But Dr. Stockmann is overwhelmed with all that has happened and quickly believes he is the savior of the town.

Act II[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=An_Enemy_of_the_People&action=edit§ion=3]
The next morning in Dr. Stockmann's house, Mrs. Stockmann gives the news to her husband that his brother Peter will stop by to talk about the baths. Meantime Morten Kiil (Dr. Stockmann's father in law) stops by the house to congratulate him on his discovery and what this will mean to the town. Hovstad and Aslaksen (the printer) stop by the house as well to reinforce their commitment to the doctor and extend their gratitude. The new alliance between the paper and Dr. Stockmann has a deeper interest than just the baths. The paper wants to confront the government of the town and expose the corruption that happens behind closed doors, and this opportunity is a way to start.
Peter (the mayor) enters the house, and everything becomes tense. Peter tells Dr. Stockmann that if he proceeds with this article and exposes this information to the town, he will be partially culpable for the ruin of the town. Peter accuses Dr. Stockmann of being selfish and not thinking of the bigger picture. He is encouraging Dr. Stockmann to retract himself from this article and to solve this problem in a more quiet way. The Doctor refuses his brother's propositions and the mayor reiterates that there will be terrible consequences for him and his family.

Act III[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=An_Enemy_of_the_People&action=edit§ion=4]
In the newspaper office Hovstad and Billing discuss the pros and cons of running Dr. Stockmann's article bashing the reputation of the government of the town. They are ready to proceed and help bring the privileged classes down. Dr. Stockmann comes into the office and tells them to print the article, but at this moment the whole office has a change of heart and are questioning how valuable is it really to expose the government and the town's baths in this way. They are realizing that printing this article will do more damage than help with the situation. Instead the paper is now on the side of the mayor, and has decided to print a statement of him talking about the baths and how good they are. Out of desperation, Dr. Stockmann decides that he doesn't need the paper to print anything and that he can fight this battle on his own. Dr. Stockmann decides to call a town meeting and spread the information that way. Mrs. Stockmann is present during all of this, and although she knows that her husband is making an extreme decision and is risking his reputation, she stands by his side.

Act IV[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=An_Enemy_of_the_People&action=edit§ion=5]
At the town meeting in Captain Horster's house, Dr. Stockmann is about to read his water report to the townspeople. Billing, the family, the mayor, Aslaksen, and Hovstad are there. Aslaksen is elected the chair of the meeting to serve as a mediator. What ends up happening is that Aslaksen is trying to sabotage the doctor and stop him from communicating the report. When Stockmann finally gets a chance to speak, he talks about the contamination of the water but also gets into the town leaders and how they are the ones who know what is going on. He talks to the town about education and corruption too. The town feels insulted by these accusations and anger starts growing in the room. By the end of the meeting the town has rebelled as a mob against Dr. Stockmann and have marked him as an enemy of the people. Dr. Stockmann is exiled from the town.

Act V[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=An_Enemy_of_the_People&action=edit§ion=6]
It is the morning after at Dr. Stockmann's study. The windows of the house have been smashed. The town has turned against the family, and no one they know will help them. The landlord is evicting them from the house, and Petra got fired from school for having progressive opinions. Peter comes to the house to present Dr. Stockmann with a letter from the board of directors of the baths terminating his contract and a resolution from the householders association stating that no one should hire Dr. Stockmann in this town again.
On the other hand, Morten Kiil just bought an interest in the bath business. He expects that because his tannery is causing all the contamination, his son in law Dr. Stockmann will back off and let the issue go because now his family's money is also at jeopardy if he continues this battle. Dr. Stockmann refuses Morten Kiil's suggestions, and also ignores Peter's advice of leaving town for a few months. Dr. Stockmann has alienated everyone but stays true to his principles, even though he is standing alone. Dr. Stockmann knows that his family will always be by his side, and decides to accept his fate and become "the enemy of the people" if that is what it takes to do what is right.

“Amendment 1 - 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 the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” Malala Yousafzai

?Freedom of the Press?

From Huffington Post’s Trevor Noah quote, “You have a president of a democracy who thinks press is only valid when they ask him easy questions,” Noah said Thursday on “The Daily Show.” “Questions that he likes. In fact, in his mind, he deserves it.”

“Amendment 1 - 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 the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” MalalaYousafzai

Talk About National Security Threats

Oh my GOD! Have you seen this? (https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikehayes/mar-a-lago-situation-room?utm_term=fuzperpKj#.mgKPlrPwp) Doesn't this worry you? He's ranting about refugees and then handles a national security issue at an open-air public dinner table! And, he gets posted to Facebook! Really, do you think he is capable and mentally fit for the office of our presidency?

That is part of what I sent to my Rep/Sens.

“Amendment 1 - 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 the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” Malala Yousafzai

Andrew Sullivan's Recent Musings

Since the election, I have felt a bit at a loss of how to describe my unease. I know the current president has difficulties with the truth, admitting any error/wrong doing and apologizing. But I really didn’t see how profoundly that impacts MY world. I think Andrew Sullivan has (in this missive) hit the nail on the head!

I feel a bit better having his words to name my unease. He has also strengthen my resolve to speak up, write, call, walk, etc. etc. etc. for the TRUTH. As the old saying goes: The Truth Will Set You Free. Here’s to that freedom! Without TRUTH we have no freedom!

“Amendment 1 - 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 the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” MalalaYousafzai

Medicare and Social Security

I know, I know, this isn’t exactly addressing the 1st amendment but I did think it is worthy, While my resistance has been mostly critical of the president’s nominations, executive orders, and statements, I have thanked one of our Alaskan senators (Lisa Murkowski) for her vote against Betsy DeVos. Even though DeVos was confirmed, Sen Murkowski’s vote was important!

Today, I have a request of the president for positive action. Here are the president’s own words: “Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts. Have to do it. Get rid of the fraud. Get rid of the waste and abuse, but save it. People have been paying it for years. And now many of these candidates want to cut it. You save it by making the United States, by making us rich again, by taking back all of the money that’s being lost.”[New York, NY, 6/16/15]

Send this quote to your congressional team. Offer support for SAVING “Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts.” If you are over 65 any cuts will impact you directly! Send the quote to the president and ask him to stand by his words. We need to do this before (it may be too late already) the president makes some statement impacting these programs!

“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

Next Step in the Resistance

On March 15th, each of us should mail the president a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips.

Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math. No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say. So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce the president’s famously thin skin.

Prepare for March 15th, 2017, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump. Write one postcard. Write a dozen! Take a picture and post it on social media tagged with #TheIdesOfTrump! Spread the word! Everyone on Earth should let the president know how he’s doing. They can’t build a wall high enough to stop the mail.

Note from Ruthi - The only thing I would add to the postcard is a statement like – “I am a tax paying voting citizen (by birth or naturalization) and NOT a paid protestor.”

Then, on March 15th, mail your messages to:
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Not my original post but someone else's great idea!
PLEASE COPY AND REPOST

“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

Arguments on Muslim Ban in Front of Appeals Justices

Whether you read the Appeal account on Huffington Post (http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_589a4aece4b09bd304be9a8c?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009), New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/us/politics/trump-immigration-ban-hearing-appeal.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0) or Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-their-courtrooms-theyre-protected-by-people-like-me-dhs-secretary-weighs-in-on-legal-dispute-over-trump-ban/2017/02/07/5e37fc4e-ed4e-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_trum) sites, it looks like it is going to come down to the 1st Amendment (see bold below).

“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

More Links to the Attacks on the Freedom of the Press

First, a little humor for you to start the day! Remember laughter is the best medicine. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdV_8TGswRA)

The White House is going to “smear” press as FAKE news until they start being “nicer.” (http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/7/1630993/-WH-official-pledges-to-smear-press-as-fake-news-until-it-starts-being-nice-to-cry-baby-Trump)

Then there was the false claim that attacks are not being reported. Well, check it out. The 78 attacks identified by Sean Spicer’s list had at least 17,000 stories. (https://thinkprogress.org/does-donald-trump-even-read-the-news-51ef98758af#.1pgprrbze) An interesting fact is Trump and Spicer neglected to mention any of the dozens of attacks committed by white supremacists or Islamophobes (like the Canadian Mosque attack just a few days ago – Trump has said nothing publicly about the attack against Muslims!). (https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-list-of-underreported-attacks-contains-0-perpetrated-by-white-supremacists-or-islamophobes-1d1a66f4b2dc#.gr1lhxgd4)

“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

Kellyanne Conway Lied About Bowling Green . . .

not once but twice. There’s FAKE news and then there’s outright LIES and more LIES! All of this is in the hopes of frightening people! Scared people make (or agree to) rash decisions! Keep looking for the TRUTH!

“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

WATCH: Lily Tomlin’s Acceptance Speech at SAG Awards

It has been a long long week. So, I thought some good laughs would be helpful. Enjoy!

http://heavy.com/entertainment/2017/01/lily-tomlin-acceptance-speech-lifetime-achievement-award-sag-watch-video/

Comment - comply with orders from the judges? [Incident: 170202-000052]

Below - see my attempt to ask the Anchorage Customs and Border Protection their actions with respect to the Muslim BAN Executive Order from the president.

You kinda have to read bottom up. In that my email is last and their response is in the middle. I highlights in bold red the real final answer.

“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

From: Customs and Border Protection Information Center [mailto:customs@mailfg.custhelp.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 10:19 AM
To: ruthi.muffler@gmail.com
Subject: Comment - comply with orders from the judges? [Incident: 170202-000052]

Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it within the next 7 days.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

Subject
Comment - comply with orders from the judges?

Discussion Thread
Response Via Email (Compliments and Complaints Officer) 02/02/2017 01:19 PM
Dear Ruthi,

Thank you for taking the time to email the Compliments and Complaints Branch (CCB) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the President’s Executive Orders on Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.

On Friday, January 27, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order to provide further guidance to The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on enforcing our immigration laws and to suspend entry into the United States certain classes of foreign nationals in order to ensure our immigration system is working in a way that best protects the safety and security of the American public.

The Congress provided the President of the United States, in section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), with the authority to suspend the entry of any class of aliens the President deems detrimental to the national interest. This authority has been exercised by nearly every President since President Carter, and has been a component of immigration laws since the enactment of the INA in 1952.

As we worked to implement this Executive Order, a number of court orders were issued based on lawsuits filed in the wake of the order. Upon issuance of the court orders, CBP immediately began taking steps to comply with the orders and did so with professionalism.

Concurrently, DHS continues to work with our partners in the Departments of Justice and State to implement President Trump’s Executive Order to protect the Nation from foreign terrorist entry into the United States.

We are committed to ensuring that all individuals affected by the Executive Orders, including those affected by the court orders, are being provided all rights afforded under the law. We are also working closely with airline partners to prevent travelers who would not be granted entry under the Executive Orders from boarding international flights to the United States.

We are and will continue enforcing President Trump’s Executive Order humanely and with professionalism. We are and will remain in compliance with judicial orders. DHS will continue to protect the homeland.

Additional information can be found here: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/66/kw/executive%20order

We appreciate you taking the time to provide your comments and concerns.

Compliments and Complaints Branch

Customer By Web Form 02/02/2017 01:14 AM
As an American/Alaskan citizen, tax payer, and voter, I just called the Anchorage office of US Customs and Border Protection. I was inquiring if they were following the laws of the US and current court orders with respect to the Muslim BAN Executive Order issued by the president last Friday? Or, were they just “following orders” from the president and continuing to implement the Muslim BAN?

They suggested that I contact you. I repeated to them that I am a citizen and not associated with any media organization. They still referred me to you. So, I ask you the same questions: In Anchorage, Alaska (and throughout the state, really) are they were following the laws of the US and current court orders with respect to the Muslim BAN Executive Order issued by the president last Friday? Or, are they just “following orders” from the president and continuing to implement the Muslim BAN? I continue to follow updates on the impact of this unlawful Muslim BAN Executive Order.

Ruthi Muffler, PMP
200 W 34th Ave #396
Anchorage, AK 99503
888.927.9010

“Amendment 1 - 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.”

Question Reference #170202-000052
Category Level 1: Land Border, Airport, or Seaport
Date Created: 02/02/2017 01:14 AM
Last Updated: 02/02/2017 01:19 PM
Status: Closed
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Hmm - McCarran-Walter Act

One of you kindly provided this additional information - I have checked this reference out. I hadn’t heard about this act though it does appear to have been refernced in our president’s Muslim BAN Executive Order. If you go to the site, you will see that the law is a result of an earlier time of “nationalism,” too. That doesn’t justify it, just provides perspective.

The McCarran-Walter Act, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, allows for the "Suspension of entry or imposition of restrictions by the President, whenever the President finds that the entry of aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. The President may, by proclamation, and for such a period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or non-immigrants, or impose any restrictions on the entry of aliens he may deem to be appropriate."

Read President Truman’s original veto message! There is also a list of people excluded before the act was amended in 1990. There have been modifications to the act since 1952.

President Jimmy Carter was the last to use this, no less than 37 years ago, in 1979, to keep Iranians out of the United States.

“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

New Name of the Resistance

Herbal Tea Party – hey, laughing and doing something is better than crying! (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/01/herbal-tea-party-left-wing-trump-resistance)

“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

A possibly helpful response on the Muslim BAN Executive Order

We have been having to explain the difference between Trump's ban and what Obama did in 2011 this is what we've been sending those people. You may “borrow” whatever would work for you.
1. The Obama administration conducted a review in 2011 of the vetting procedures applied to citizens of a single country (Iraq) and then only to refugees and applicants for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), created by Congress to help Iraqis (and later Afghans) who supported the United States in those conflicts. The Trump executive order, on the other hand, applies to seven countries with total population more than 130 million, and to virtually every category of immigrant other than diplomats, including tourists and business travelers.
2. Not a ban: Contrary to Trump’s Sunday statement and the repeated claims of his defenders, the Obama administration did not “ban visas for refugees from Iraq for six months.” For one thing, refugees don’t travel on visas. More importantly, while the flow of Iraqi refugees slowed significantly during the Obama administration’s review, refugees continued to be admitted to the United States during that time, and there was not a single month in which no Iraqis arrived here. In other words, while there were delays in processing, there was no outright ban.
3. Grounded in specific threat: The Obama administration’s 2011 review came in response to specific threat information, including the arrest in Kentucky of two Iraqi refugees, still the only terrorism-related arrests out of about 130,000 Iraqi refugees and SIV holders admitted to the United States. Thus far, the Trump administration has provided no evidence, nor even asserted, that any specific information or intelligence has led to its draconian order.

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill

Hey, Just wanted you to know . . .

that Boots and I are taking credit for Senator Lisa Murkowski’s “No” vote on confirmation of Betsy DeVos. OK, there might have been others who wrote, called and emailed as often as we did. But the point is she’s voting no and what are you doing to get your senators to do the same? 
“Amendment 1 - 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 have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Attributed to Winston Churchill