Category: White Supremacy Movement

The Rigged Game

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The Rigged Game

The Rigged Game

Editor: The Jan-Feb 2026 edition of Mother Jones published a scathing indictment of the sitting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, and the actions that have directly led to the “corrupt and abusive Trump reign”. What follows are direct quotes (with large parts of the article left out because of copyright issues) from that brilliant article by Pema Levy and Ari Berman. All items within parentheses are added by this writer for clarification. Please subscribe to Mother Jones and support its 50 years of fearless journalism; it’s definitely worth the money. Call 1-800-438-6656 for subscription information. Sign up for newsletters at motherjones.com/daily-news-D.S. Mitchell, aka “Calamity”.

Excerpts from “Blame John Roberts for Everything”

By Pema Levy and Ari Berman

 

“Today, as the Robert’s court rewrites the Constitution in the image of Trumpian autocracy, it’s become clear that Robert’s promise (when he was testifying to the Senate at his confirmation hearing) to be a neutral umpire was a lie. We are watching a rigged game, and Roberts set it up.”

“Twenty years ago, John Roberts promised (the Senate, the country and the media) that as chief justice of the Supreme Court, he would be like an umpire, calling balls and strikes. The delusion was so powerful that for two decades the media defaulted to portraying him as a moderate institutionalist.”

“The Robert’s court has spent Trump’s second term not applying the law so much as clearing it out of his (Trump’s) way. In a matter of months, the court’s 6-3 GOP aligned majority has permitted a long list of lawless actions, including firing independent agency commissioners, using racial profiling in immigration sweeps, disappearing immigrants to authoritarian and war-torn nations, and defying Congress’ power of the purse.”

(This didn’t start yesterday,) “Robert’s has been embedding white-dominant authoritarianism into the country’s source code for two decades. It is impossible to imagine today’s crisis without the Robert’s court having first undermined the foundations of our democracy.”

“(Representative) Democracies are built on the right to vote and choose representatives. The United States finally recognized this right for all people with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (and 1982).”

“As chief justice (Robert’s) has helped craft a string of rulings knee-capping (the Voting Rights Act of 1965 & 1982) laws, starting with his 2013 Shelby County v Holder. The decision overruled Congress and freed states with histories of discrimination to change their voting rules, spurring the creation of 115 voter suppression laws in more than 30 states. Many were inspired by Trump’s election lies.”

“After oral arguments in a Louisiana redistricting case, observers expect Roberts and the GOP justices to declare that the districts drawn to preserve representation for voters of color are either unconstitutional or subject to insurmountable barriers. It’s a decision that would turn the 14th and 15th Amendments-passed during Reconstruction to give formerly enslaved people citizenship and equal rights-on their heads, and turbocharge Trump’s gerrymandering push.”

“Such redrawn (gerrymandered) maps could shift up to 19 eats to the GOP in 2026 and runs the threat of creating a permanent GOP control of Congress.”

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OPINION: The ICE Has Yet to Melt…

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OPINION:

More Freeze is Coming

OPINION:

The ICE Hasn’t Melted & More Freeze is Coming

By Cate Rees-Hessel with Wes Hessel

 

ICE Arrests Continue

Brutal ICE arrests are on going. Violent incidents are increasing as we end a grim and troubled holiday season. The horrific murder of the beautiful and kind hearted Renee Nicole Good has brought widespread public outrage, but an arrest for gunning down this American citizen in cold blood has yet to be made. She leaves behind 3 precious children and a loving spouse. Her wife Becca Good is broken hearted, saying in her statement about the tragedy, “And while any place we were together was home, there was a strong shared sense here in Minneapolis that we were looking out for each other. Here, I had finally found peace and safe harbor. That has been taken from me forever.”

Fucking Bitch

Renee was not a threat to anyone – her final words were “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you.” The words of the ICE agent that shot and killed her were full of hatred, “Fucking bitch.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke eloquently with strong words against this tragic act of pure evil.

Alex Pretti, RN

The morning of 1/24/2026, two weeks after the murder of Renee Good, Registered Nurse, Alex Pretti, a white guy, an American citizen, was shot an estimated 8 times, or perhaps as many as 10 times, by a Border Patrol agent while Pretti was being held down by at least half a dozen other officers. Before the last bullet had left the chamber of the agent’s gun, the Trump administration came out full force labeling Alex Pretti a gun wielding psycho, a “domestic terrorist,” a madman running toward federal law enforcement agents attempting to kill them. The attack on the character of Good and Pretti is shameful. The character assassination of Pretti and Good by Noem, Bondi, Bovino, Vance and Trump makes it clear there’s no truth coming from our federal government. In fact, state authorities in MN are so distrustful of the federal government the DHS was ordered by a Minnesota court to preserve all forensic evidence from the cases.

Filming the Interaction

From videos and affidavits from witnesses on the scene; Pretti was filming the interaction of agents with protesters. In one video he was clearly shown trying to help a woman get up from the pavement after being knocked down by the feds. At no time did Pretti  draw or attempt to draw his legally licensed and permitted weapon. Alex was a caring man, he was an ICU nurse at the VA Medical Center. He wanted to help people not harm them; that’s why the citizens of Minneapolis, MN are protesting the presence of ICE on their streets.

Worthy of 1984 Double Speak

The character assassination of Pretti and Good by Noem, Bondi, Bovino, Vance and Trump makes it clear there’s no truth coming from this crowd and we need to be clear on that. In fact, so distrustful of the federal government the DHS was ordered by a Minnesota court to preserve all forensic evidence from the cases.

Reign of Terror

America, we are better than this. The “ICE reign of terror”, as U.S. Representative and senatorial candidate from the Chicago area Raja Krishnamoorthi succinctly put it, this “must end.” Her former sister-in-law Morgan Fletcher said, “she never expected a loved one’s death to be ‘so high profile’ or a ‘massively divisive, political topic.’” This lovely human being sure does not sound like a “domestic terrorist” to the millions mourning her death, myself and my spouse included. Slander is speaking ill of the dead and Ms. Good’s children don’t deserve to hear awful lies about the mommy they mourn.

No ‘Absolute Immunity”

Our eyeliner wearing “Vice President JD Vance claimed agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, had “absolute immunity” because he was engaged in a federal law enforcement action. Although federal officials have some constitutional shields against state prosecution, the immunity isn’t absolute.” Legal experts, including the University of Wisconsin Law School, conclude that Vance is wrong. There is no “absolute immunity.”

Stars Wear ‘Be Good’ Pins

At the 2026 Golden Globe awards in support of Renee and her family, prominent attenders such as Mark Ruffalo, Wanda Sykes, Natasha Lyonne, Jean Smart, Tessa Thompson, Bella Ramsey, and Ariana Grande, wore “BE GOOD” pins. Such buttons are available from multiple sources online. Rest in peace Renee. Rest in peace Alex. We will fight for your memory – your lives stood for Good and no gaslighting from the Nazi’s in the White House can change that.

More atrocities of ICE:

  1. In North Aurora, IL, a woman was pepper sprayed in the face by an ICE agent while standing still with her arms at her sides.
  2. ICE agents, per tribal leaders, detained four Native Americans, with only one being released a short time after.
  3. Chicago area U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez is calling for ICE to be defunded – her comment that funding ICE only fuels our own destruction is spot on…
  4. A U.S. appeals court has lifted the restrictions on ICE using force on protesters in Minnesota – this sickens and scares me.
  5. A recent CNN poll shows 3/4 of the respondents agree ICE used excessive force and killing Renee Good was unjustified.
  6. Mark Ruffalo, while wearing a “Be Good” button, spoke against Trump in a heartfelt red carpet interview.
  7. Lehigh County is cooperating with ICE to the fullest extent of the law, sad to report this.
  8. Anti-ICE activist Mark Pinsley is seeking to run for office in Lehigh County.
  9. There is an unpaid rent allegation against ICE for a facility(s) being used by them in Pennsylvania
  10. Homeland Security via email has confirmed there is a “Catch of the Day” in Maine after over 50 arrests were made.
  11. Tom Homan claims the ICE agent that killed Renee Good is fearing for his life and that of his family. Renee Good feared for her life before she was killed by him.
  12. A photo on social media shows an elderly man in boxers and a robe being taken by an ICE agent. His door was broken down and a gun put to the head of his daughter-in-law. His name is Saly, a naturalized US citizen.He was driven around and frightened by ICE, then dropped back at his residence as if this was normal.
  13. Democrats now control Virginia and have moved to stop cooperating with Trump’s ICE.
  14. Renee Good’s mother spoke of her daughter’s kindness and fear in her final moments of life.
  15. A doctor who wanted to try to save Renee Goods life was stopped by an ICE agent that said he didn’t care. Help was kept at bay with the use of weapons while a shocked and angry crowd watched in fear and horror.

Know what’s right – know your rights: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights-share-your-rights-immigrants-rights

Used Car

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Used Car

Used Car

By John Curran

I needed a car and I needed it bad, and I needed it fast. So I got online ‘n found an outfit called ‘Used Cars From Hell.’ Hmmm…thinks I, what ‘hell’ indeed; I decided I’d check it out. So, I went on down there, it was down in the fiery pit of town, a rough area supposedly known for a lot of radical left activity; whatever that was. No matter, I went in the daytime and it all seemed pretty peaceful to me, the action was down a ways, I could see something going on, another shooting probably but oh well, whatever, none of my affair, more a them outside agitators, communist infiltrators, who knows, life goes on.

I was no sooner off the bus, not even feet on the ground, when this guy comes running up to me and says, “I know what you’re looking for, and I got it right here, a hot one, just got it in yesterday. It’s another sad story but the deal I got for you will fire ya up sure, so much good coming from so much bad would you not agree?” Well, I didn’t know what he was talking about but as we walked on to the lot he pointed out what he was so excited about.

“Yeah,” he says, “we got some doozies here alright, confiscated cars from murderers, thieves, bootleggers…every kind of mayhem you could imagine. If there was a car involved ‘n it got confiscated I get a shot at it after the initial investigation is done. A little deal I have with Big D.” He looks me in the eyes then real significantly like, kinda wink wink, adds, “You do know of Mr. D.,  don’t ‘cha?”

I just kinda’ nodded, and asked, “watcha got?”

“Well then,” he says, “got a beauty. Like new.” And pointing at a maroon SUV, “barely used. She didn’t get far you might say,” kinda chuckling, “Let’s have a look.”

So we walk up to the rig an the first thing I noticed, besides it being a really pretty nice, newish SUV was a rather large caliber well defined bullet hole in the front windshield. The airbag had been engaged and looking inside the rig I could see there was blood all over it ‘n other areas as well; there was even blood covering a child’s toy tiger laying on the front passenger seat.

“I call it the DT SPECIAL. A real conversation piece, this one.”

“DT SPECIAL?” I mumble.

“Domestic Terrorism SPECIAL.”

“Oh, yeah,” I say, a little weirded out actually, “so what’s the story?” Too weird actually I’m thinking.

“Well, so you want the story then?” and he’s kinda rubbing his hands together like, yeah, sure, I’ll give you a story, but before he can go on there’s a commotion outside the gates, people running, shots being fired.

“Damn,” he says, “I really wish they’d taken it somewhere else,” and then turning back to me says, “we can replace the airbag if ya like. But, my boss, Big D says we gotta leave the windshield as is, just so they’ll know we mean business.”

Was he joking? “Who is your boss then sir, the damn devil?”

But he would not answer me, not that I was serious, just looking for a car, fast and cheap. I’ll spare you the gory details but I gotta get the hell out this town, now. Speaking of hell.

 

OPINION: Dementia and Corruption at 20500

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OPINION:

Dementia and Corruption at 20500Not every president of the United States is remembered well.

OPINION:

Dementia and Corruption at 20500 

Editor: The number 20500 most commonly refers to the Zip code for Washington, D.C., often associated with federal buildings like the White House (1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20500)

By D. S. Mitchell

I started the Calamity News and Politics website to vent my frustrations and to keep from losing my frigging liberal mind; that was at the end of 2016, right after Trump’s first presidential win. I joined the Women’s March and the Resistance. Well, its 2026 and the Mango Menace is running wild through the government.  I have always tried to focus on facts and also try to support my statements with at least two sources. With this post, I’ve thrown all those established behaviors to the wind. Fuck Trump and that Project 2025 crowd, here’s what I as an average everyday American am  seeing from Trump and his cronies, and this list of ten terrible things Trump has done in his first year, not one damn one of them has helped lower grocery prices or made life better for the average American.

1.) Presidential dementia should be a big concern for us as Americans and as citizens of the world. This near  80 year  old guy that we call “president” is a babbling, wandering, impulsive, mentally disabled individual encumbered by several severe personality disorders and undeniable and worsening dementia.  Trump has always been evil and cruel, now he is demented too. Seriously, I worry who is running the damn country? What, you say, Trump may not be running the country? It is obvious after listening to 2 or 3 minutes of Trump’s indiscernible  word salad that he’s not running much but his mouth. I believe this guy is incapable of finding his own ass with a handful of toilet paper. They were doing MRI’s of the brain and multiple cognitive tests at his second, or was it his third annual physical. LOL. I thought annual physical meant once a year. However, in our guys case he needs more testing. Shit, folks, I’m 3,500 miles away and I can tell you, without MRI’s and cognitive tests that Trump is deep into his decline into dementia. So; a couple likely suspects for running the country in Trump’s mental absence are the Jewish pretend Nazi, Stephen Miller and the anti-humanist, Russell Vogt. Scary combo. As far as the Trump kids go, they’re out making billions of dollars from foreign governments. Gotta make it while Daddy is in the White House appears to be the combined mantra.

2.)  Images of the masked ICE agents massively funded, newly emboldened and empowered handcuffing and loading people into vans and disappearing them without access to legal representation, without due process. This crap isn’t supposed to happen in America. It definitely reminds me of the Nazi’s rounding up the Jews eighty-five years ago in Germany.  Obviously, hate lives on. But, in some ways this goes beyond hate and straight to the pocketbook of several Trump supporters. These allies intend to make billions of dollars running government concentration camps, like Alligator Alcatraz. The plan is not to remove the immigrants from our country, but to instead, imprison the immigrants and pay some company owned by a card carrying MAGA to operate a government prison at the cost of millions of dollars a year; until then we’ll be filling prisons in Sudan, Cuba, and El Salvador at the cost of the American tax payer.

3.)  I once had a husband.  He believed and practiced the theory, “if you repeat a lie enough times, most people believe it.”  I am more of the,  “You can fool all the people some of the time.  You can fool some of the people, part of the time,  but you can never fool all the people, all of the time.”  I’m watching Trump and he’s lost his luster even to many of the diehards. I’ve got my fingers crossed.  There’s a lot at stake here, our country is celebrating 250 years as a constitutional republic (democracy). But, for how much longer. We need 3 active branches of government each religiously exerting its guaranteed checks and balance power. You would think the reps and senators and the black robed justices on the Supreme Court would cherish their power and guard that power, but since Trump came down the escalator the reps, the senators and the all powerful justices have turned over their power to a 35 count felon.

4.)  In 1973, Richard Nixon declared, “there can be no whitewash at the White House.” A thought that is needed now more than ever; because there is a stench rising out of  Washington, D.C. the stink so foul it can be smelled around the world. I have never smelled anything so disgusting, except the odor that hovers over a rendering plant in mid-August.  a.) A “free” jet for the prez from Qatar. Qatar?? The prez of the U.S. is taking “a gift” from one of the biggest troublemakers in the middle east. Qatar is a supporter of Hamas. This new, “free” Air Force One that’s going to cost at least a billion dollars of U.S government money to retro-fit, and then the old fossil takes it home with him. Wow. Sounds wrong. b.) And then there’s the billions of dollars in profit for the prez and his family from their crypto currency shenanigan’s. Who’s writing the rules on this made up currency?  Oh, silly me, there are no rules and regulations and that’s what makes it so lucrative, folks. c.) With a series of million dollar a plate dinner dates with Donald and the fossil fuel barons have reversed United States environmental policy and Trump is quickly returning to a “drill baby drill” mentality, opening up wide swaths of public lands, most dramatically in Alaska. d.) And the “maybe you” or  “maybe not you” tariffs, I wonder how much is costs to be a “maybe not you” in the tariff war the prez has decided to unleash on the American consumer. e.)  What is the price of a pardon? We may never find out but the pardons being issued by this president seem to have a lot of donor money behind the presidential action.

5.)  The unrelenting attacks and insults against the media, by President Trump, are inexcusable and dangerous.  A little contention is good, but what is going on is unprecedented.  Since when does the top liar in the country have the right to accuse anyone of being “fake.”  The fabricated accusations by Trump are disgusting and unnecessary.  Trump’s assault against the press must stop. The press in an indispensable part of our democracy, understood by our founding fathers that’s why we have the First Amendment to the Constitution.  Free speech whether written or spoken is the foundation of democracy. Calling people “fat”, “nasty”, and “stupid” demeans the office of president and calls into question the abilities and motives of anyone that dares tell the world the emperor has no clothes.

6.) “Who knew, health care was so complicated?” President Trump expressed Monday, February 27, 2017.   OMG.  Move forward to 2026. Nine years later and the dumb ass has participated in the biggest bait and switch in American history. Well, at least now, he admits, not everything can be solved on Truth Social.  In fact, the Republicans are so mean and cruel that they are about to give billionaires the biggest tax cuts in history while making health insurance skyrocket in price for the average American. On top of that health care calamity this country is designated as #42 on the world health care service effectiveness list.  That’s a pathetic placement.  “42”?  That means 41  other countries in the world are providing better and cheaper health care than we are. Absolutely, heartbreaking.  41 other countries provide both  better and cheaper health care for their citizens than we do here in the United States.  Has anyone thought to go to the  number 1 country, or even the number  2 country; and see how they do it?  Universal health care; that’s where I’d start, if I really wanted the best for the American people.  Let’s find out how to do it right.  We can still learn.

7.) What a bungled mess the Trump Administration has made of the Epstein files, nothing unusual for this crew of idiots. Trump’s AG, Pam Bondi said she was about ready to make Epstein’s client list public, whipping up public furor for the big reveal. In fact, Ms. AG said the file was “sitting on my desk right now,” leading to expectations that the information would soon be released. For Trump, a candidate that had made a big deal of releasing the Epstein files was now treading water, doing a lot of backscene arm twisting to keep the files secret. Then by memo the DOJ stated it would not be releasing the promised files. Reports indicate that Trump is mentioned at least 1500 times (maybe more) in the documents received from the Epstein estate. In at least one photo it sure looked like a 50-ish year old Trump had hold of a young beauty contestant’s breast. But, it must contain a lot more than a couple inappropriate pictures otherwise Donnie wouldn’t be so damn scared of what the full reveal will expose. Trump says “people will get hurt.” What the F? Epstein is believed to have sexually abused and trafficked over a 1,000 women and under age girls, perhaps more. These women have been hurt and continue to be hurt. It was about this time that even the Republicans began to break from the official dogma. Marjorie Taylor Green the most famous MAGA in the House, said, “no more”  to the coverup and announced plans to resign from office in January 2026,  after a very public falling out with Donald Trump.

8.)  Trump was impeached twice during his first term, but the Republican dominated Senate refused to convict. and it didn’t seem to slow the 35 count felon down. After a try at insurrection Trump and his followers went loudly into the political night…until 2024 when this friken’ criminal was re-elected by an amnesic electorate and the first thing he did was commute or pardon the January 6th, rioters. The only saving grace in this situation has been that many of them were criminals and kept offending which led to further incarceration. His second term has been different; the Republicans control the house, the senate, and the White House. In 2017 the Democrats were in charge of the House, led by spit fire Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. It seems that the Republicans have no intention to bring this dog to heel. Soo00, folks we need to send the MAGA’s reps and senators home with their tails between their legs and send a whole new generation of Democrats to Washington.

9.) First our troops were attacking “narco” fishing boats off the coast of Venezuela. Trump upped the ante when he began boarding and seizing Venezuelan oil tankers. Then on 1/3/2026, according to Trump in a morning news conference, flanked by Pete Hegseth and Pam Bondi, announced that Nicolas Maduro along with his wife was  apprehended by the U.S military, following a large scale strike on Venezuela. I find this action alarming. What the hell? I’m not alone, the UN’s top counterterrorism expert has condemned the US actions, calling the strikes and “abduction” of Maduro an “illegal aggression.”  Such activities by our government should be alarming. Since when does the U.S. swoop in and kidnap a government leader of a sovereign country? What? Didn’t Trump just pardon Juan Hernandez the former president of Honduras or the crimes Trump is now accusing Venezuela’s leader Maduro. This is not the American way. Really dangerous, folks. Having our demented president Trump claim “we are going to run the country…” should make the hair on your arms stand up. What next, Greenland? Cuba? Mexico? Columbia? Iran?

10.) It was Saturday afternoon and I wasn’t doing anything…so I decided I’d watch former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s testimony to the Republican led House Judiciary Committee on YouTube. Mr. Smith testified in a closed-door deposition in December 2025. He defended his investigations into Donald Trump regarding the 2020 Russian election interference and the missing classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. Smith pushed back against accusations that his investigation was politically motivated, and stated categorically that Trump was guilty of all charges brought by the Special Counsel team. Smith denied emphatically  that the probes were in anyway political. I think if you have 6 or so hours, please watch it.

My big question, why are we ‘effin around in Venezuela, Nigeria, Argentina? We have hungry kids in this country, we have sick old people, we have nearly 30 million people about to be unable to pay for health insurance. Stop the bullshit, its time for our government to start taking care of the needy in this country. The cost of Trump’s demented government policy is dangerous and costly. And I want to remind you, just because it hasn’t happened (yet), doesn’t mean it can’t, or won’t.

Opinion: Spiritually Bypassing Politics?

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OPINION: Spiritually Bypassing Politics?

 

OPINION: Spiritually Bypassing Politics?

By Vajra Ma

**For the purposes of this discussion I am not distinguishing between religion which is based in dogma and spirituality which is largely free from specified beliefs. Both come under the umbrella of a world view, that is, who are we, what is Life about, what are we here on Earth for and what is our place in the Cosmos?

The Spiritual is Political

“The personal is political” is a well known phrase in feminism. I go further. I maintain “the spiritual is political.” The spiritual view of a people is what determines politics. It determines the structures of government, corporations, academia, society overall, including family, sexuality, and human rights. To see how the spiritual is political one need only look at the Project 2025 agenda which is rolling out in the United States today, roundly supported by the right wing Christian evangelicals and the right wing Republicans in Congress. The agenda is to dismantle the government and turn the United States into a Christian Nationalist Nation. This is not my opinion, it is a fact. The slimmest of research into the Project 2025 makes this clear. It is no secret.

Treat and Move Your Feet

A phrase used in some spiritual circles is “treat and move your feet.” Treat meaning pray, move your feet means take outward action. What does it mean for me to move my feet? It is one thing to have been apolitical in the past, quite another to be apolitical at this pivotal point in United States history when democracy is being dismantled and fascism established. (If the reader does not recognize fascism when it’s happening, please educate yourself.)  (1) Spiritual bypassing at this time enables fascism. Silence is consent. Lest one say “my prayers are not silence,” I say if we aren’t moving our feet, we’re spiritual bypassing. “Treat and move your feet.”

This and That

Can I live the loving, neutral Divine Principle of Oneness while moving my feet in response to divisive and rancorous worldly circumstances? Yes. To do so, I employ the perspective of “this and that” rather than the polarized “this or that.” To treat only would mean one does not move their feet in the relative (human, 3D) world. The equivalent in the health area would be if one were ill and treated only with prayer, firmly denying the use of medicine or medical procedures. That denial is the stance of Christian Scientists. But most of us are not Christian Scientists and are not bound by their dogma. We can encompass this and that.

SOM Philosophy

Ernest Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind was originally influenced by Christian Science. He eventually broke from that rigid doctrine as he developed the SOM philosophy which synthesizes what he called “the Golden Thread of Truth”–universal principles of love, creative power and oneness woven through all world religions, philosophies, and even science.  Holmes came to say if a pill gives relief by all means take a pill. In other words, treat and move our feet.

The Point is to Traumatize

I wonder, would an Ernest Holmes or anyone of his universal world view advise us to pray but not move our feet in response to the current violations of the U.S. Constitution?  The violations of due process, court orders, habeas corpus, rule of law? Would he counsel us to be silent about the brutality playing out visibly on our streets on both undocumented immigrants and US citizens? How ought we to respond when a pastor looks up at the armed ICE agents on top of a building and preaches the words of Jesus to them with his arms wide open, to which they shoot him in the head with a pepper ball, knocking him to the ground? What ought we do when a man drives up to day care to drop off his toddler but is grabbed by ICE agents, his child crying “Papa! Papa! Please don’t take my Papa!” and the child is put alone in a separate police car and driven away? Even if they are reunited, the terror has been done. Terrorism is the point. Multiply this by many thousands. (Russell Vought, a main architect of Project 2025 said, in a leaked video a year before Trump was re-elected, “We will traumatize the federal employees.” They did. And are.) Their aim is to detain and deport millions. Detention centers are being built across the country. Silence is consent.

Informing Ourselves

I believe to be a responsible citizen, particularly at this time, requires due diligence to at least inform ourselves about what is going on. To not be informed about violations such as those mentioned above and to not speak up in any form about them, how could that be anything but spiritual bypassing? Being informed is the first and irreplaceable step in moving our feet. Being informed is not burdensome. Written blogs can take no more than five minutes a day. My top six recommended blogs and other sources (any one of which is sufficient) are:

1) Heather Cox Richardson — Cannot recommend her too highly!  Articulate, grounded, super-informed professional U.S. historian. A daily five-minute-read email newsletter. Plus up-to-date YouTube videos if one prefers spoken word. What I love about her is she correlates what’s happening today with what has happened in past U.S. history. I find this fascinating and affirmative. Her perspective gives me scope, hope and vision without diluting the gravitas of what is going on in our country. Dare I quote the Bible? “Without vision the people perish.”

2) What the Fuck Just Happened Today (WTFJHT). This daily five-minute email read is a condensed digest of U.S. politics. Fully documented with links. Top of the digest summarizes the contents in a single paragraph and that one minute alone is enough to keep apprised.

3 Ground News. https://ground.news/  “Top Stories from around the world. Compare how different news publishers frame the same news. Read the news from multiple perspectives…See through media bias…”

4) Marianne Williamson Brilliant, clear weaving of spirituality with responsible citizenship. Available on Substack dot com or email newsletter, includes video versions.

 5) Meidas Touch Network  An independent media on YouTube with nearly six million subscribers. It won a Webby Award. The Trump administration is trying to close it down. Videos on YouTube or blog form via meidastouch@substack.com

6) The incomparable Rachel Maddow also gives us scope, hope and vision, with entertaining story telling. Monday nights on MS Now. Plus her documentaries–Ultra and Ultra Two which trace the origins of Trump’s “America First” motto. The original “America First” movement during World War II, which included several Congress members, advocated supporting Hitler. Her latest documentary, Burn Order, which came out just this month reveals the parallels between the incarceration of Japanese U.S. citizens during World War II and what’s happening to immigrants today.

Time and Means

We have the time and means to stop fascism in this country. We’ve done it before. Heather and Rachel have shown us this. We can move the feet of the fascists to the fire! We can adhere to the Constitution and evolve our democracy into “a more perfect union.” But the time and means are short. The time is NOW to treat–and move our feet.

Recommended reading: The End of America: Letters of Warning to a Young Patriot, by Naomi Wolf, (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007. Contains the ten planks of the fascist playbook. Every one is plainly visible in the U.S, today.)

 

An OMG Christmas Newsletter

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An OMG Christmas Newsletter

 

 

An OMG Christmas Newsletter

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Too Many Days

I know all years, except for Leap Year, have 365 days.  So, why does 2025 feel like it’s got 750 days? Never mind; I figured it out on my own. Donald J. Trump’s in office and it feels like every ‘friggen day has somehow been virtually stretched and twisted until it feels like two.

How Much Bullshit is Too Much?

My memories of Trump’s first term are foggy at  best, but I think Trump wanted to takeover Greenland during his first administration and he continued the rhetoric into his second term. While deflecting the fallout from suggesting that we should make Canada the 51st state, I think  that’s when Trump started  demanding Google and all the map makers change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Just meaningless distractions? I’m not so sure. The ramblings of a demented old man? I’m sure it’s some of that, but certainly not all of it.

Heritage Foundation

None of it makes sense; unless you believe in Project 2025. The deeper we move into Trump’s Alice in Wonderland world the more chaotic…the more numbing. Trump has signed more than 220 Executive Orders since retaking the White House, surpassing all previous records and raising major concerns about the abuse of presidential power. The Robert’s Supreme Court seems more than willing to grant Trump’s every wish. Is there no conscience? No justice? No honor? No fairness? Apparently, not. There seems to be no limit on the Heritage Foundation’s love affair with the Robert’s court and its willingness to drag us back to 1950, or 1850. A time when women bore children, lots of them, a time when a woman had no rights except those allowed by her father or her husband. A time when white children were sold into indentured servitude, when blacks were slaves. A time when none of us want to go back to unless you are white, male, and wealthy.

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Do You See Domestic Terrorism?

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Do You See Domestic Terrorism?

Do You See Domestic Terrorism?

Alternate Title:

Do You See It When You See It?

Editor: Follow this link to watch some really ugly stuff that ICE is doing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOXOWAhFz0A

By Vajra Ma

Don’t you know that waking up in the middle of the night to the deafening roar of a helicopter over your home–that is not domestic terrorism?

Don’t you know when dozens of masked men in military gear smash your windows, break down your door and point their assault rifles at you–that is not domestic terrorism?

Don’t you know when they take you and your children at gunpoint from your home onto the street–that is not domestic terrorism? And when you are forced to stand there for hours, barely clothed or even naked–that is not domestic terrorism?

Don’t you know that when your children are taken from you, zip-tied and held corralled in a van for hours–that is not domestic terrorism?

Doesn’t it make you feel better this is happening to all the other 140 people in your five-story apartment building?

Don’t you know you are not experiencing terror? You are experiencing protection. Protection from the “mass invasion of hardened, foreign criminals.”

One of those criminals might be behind one of those 140 doors! That’s the only reason masked men smashed your windows, broke down your door, dragged you out of bed and separated you from your children–to protect you from the domestic terrorism of criminals.

The violence you experienced is protection.

George Orwell said it long ago. War is peace. Hate is love. And if I hold up four fingers you’d better say you see five.

What do you see?

But it’s more than that. If I hold up four fingers you must believe you see five.

What do you believe​? Do you see four, or do you see five?

 

OPINION: What About Charlie?

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OPINION: What About Charlie?

OPINION: What About Charlie?

** “Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized SAINT specifically, the official act of public veneration.”

**The White House announced that Charlie Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

By Kelli Mathison

 

Charlie? Charlie? Hmmm….Charlie. Charlie Kirk? Mmmm, Charlie Kirk. Who? I don’t know who this guy was but apparently his death beat out Jesus Christ for the top political murder in history.  On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing political activist, was shot and killed while making a  speech at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah.

So-o-o-o this guy, Charlie Kirk, that more than three quarters of the country never heard of, is getting more fevered press than the crucifixion of  Jesus Christ. Certainly more histrionics than we got when then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi’s 82 year old husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked in their home and nearly beaten to death with a hammer by a pissed off MAGA guy. Or on Jun 14, 2025 — House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (D) Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their home by a right wing extremist with little more than a ripple on the political airwaves.

The screaming, red-faced hysteria over Charlie Kirk’s killing is difficult for me to process, much less comprehend. So before writing this little piece for Calamity Politics I decided to do a bit of research. The most obvious question you probably have is, what did I find out about MAGA’s newly canonized martyr when I looked him up online. Charles James Kirk was 31 years old.  He was born and raised in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights. His father Robert Kirk was a recognized local architect who had the distinction of working on Trump Tower. So, Charlie had the benefit of money and great contacts and he used them without hesitation or restraint.

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9/11 2001

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9/11 2001

9/11 2001

 

By D.S. Mitchell

It was 2001 and I was an RN working at the Portland, Oregon VA Medical Center on the Telemetry Unit.  It was about 9:00 and I was finishing up the morning med pass for my patients. Most of the rooms were two man units. The guys in Room 206 were still eating breakfast and watching the morning news. As I handed the pills to one of my guys I looked up to the wall mounted TV just as a mammoth 767 jet plowed into the World Trade Center’s South Tower. “Holy shit!” our echoed commentary. Both my patients said it was probably “homegrown terrorism.” “Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t turn out to be another disgruntled vet-another Timothy McVeigh,” both insisted. At first I thought they were teasing, trying to get a rise out of me. But as they continued, I realized they were in no way joking.

The thought that this could have been perpetrated by a group of disgruntled U.S. veteran’s was both disturbing and heartbreaking. Yet, these two Vietnam veterans were both as serious as hell. I couldn’t understand the Timothy McVeigh bombing in the first place. Why would he kill nearly two hundred of his fellow countrymen? Mad at the government? Ok, but to kill innocent kids and others is just plain madness. I couldn’t understand how these two seemingly mentally stable individuals could even understand McVeigh’s rage.

The 9/11 airline hijackings and subsequent suicide attacks were not homegrown terrorism, as both my patients had insisted, but were rather 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremists group al-Qaeda. In final count, 2,750 died in N.Y., 184 at the Pentagon in D.C., 40 in Pennsylvania. Also, all 19 terrorists died. Police and fire departments in New York were hard hit, with more than 400 police officers and firefighters being killed.

After the tragic destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11 2001 a  new complex was built. Several towers, a 9/11 memorial and a museum and a transit hub were built on the site. While the new complex doesn’t replicate the original twin towers, it serves as a place of healing and remembrance.  

Remembering 9/11 is important. Not just for the lives lost that day, but remembering the mistakes our government made-before and after-is just as important as remembering the attack.