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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!
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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
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“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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.