Angry? Feeling Betrayed? Here’s Why

Angry? Feeling Betrayed? Here’s Why.

 

 

Angry? Feeling Betrayed? Here’s Why.

 

By D.S. Mitchell

 

So, I’ve been doing my own research and right now my blood pressure, despite medication, is at least 40 points above normal. Damn fucking serious, my doctor tells me. So while the doctor adjusts my medication based on the nightly news, I have put together a list of Trump’s most despicable actions. I can only imagine the number of outrages I don’t know about; those hidden behind the curtain, those hidden behind a wall of corruption.

1.) During Round One the Mango Menace tore up Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Better known as the “Iran Nuclear Deal”. Why? Because Obama was connected to it. No other reason than a black man had been its guiding force. The agreement provided for inspections and prevented Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. Now in Round Two, Melon Head, under the spell of Israel’s Netanyahu and big Jewish donors in the U.S., launched major combat operations against Iran without formal, direct advance notification to Tehran. Trump’s War characterized by a surprise military campaign, aimed at destroying Iranian capabilities, rather than a declared, notified war. Now here we are;  and it looks like the Iranians are winning.

2. ) This one is a twofer for Trump. This is the second time he has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, ending U.S. participation in global climate efforts. Trump’s fossil fuel donors are jubilantly jumping up and down, while the environmentalists cry. However, as oil prices skyrocket, Europeans are buying EV’s and talking wind and solar power and even nuclear. Hopefully, we in the U.S. will take up a similar cry.

3.) Fed chaos has caused market volatility while Trump’s shifting economic policies are  an economic disaster. Trump’s wildly gyrating tariffs based on nothing other than how he felt when he woke up. His tariffs are a tax on the U.S. consumer and those policies have triggered inflation and chaos; and now that the courts have ordered repayment of tariff charges to  many big companies. When asked about it, Trump suggested he would “remember” the guys that wanted their money back; like he’s some ‘effin mob boss. A really ugly look for the United States of America.

4.) Trump and his sometimes buddy Elon Musk dismantled USAID and other U.S. “soft diplomacy” efforts. The battle was loud as food and medicine rotted and expired in warehouses around the world waiting to be delivered to those desperately in need. An estimated 600,000 to 732,000 died, most were children and those deaths were directly related to the withdrawal of  USAID. Apparently, the number of those who died mattered little or nothing to Trump and his allies. My God, that’s like wiping out every man, woman, and child in Denver, Colorado; without a single tear shed.

5.) Trump revoked federal recognition of transgender Americans by executive order and federal agencies have rushed around carrying out Trump’s orders. The common goal of all his  orders is to remove transgender and nonbinary people from public life by restricting access to accurate federal identity documents, threatening to withhold hospitals’ federal funding over gender-affirming care, and erasing trans history from federal websites and in schools. The Trump White House is using the federal government as a cudgel to make it harder for trans Americans to live openly — without fear of harassment and discrimination.

6.)Trump egged on by drug intoxicated Elon Musk joyfully halted the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program completely. EXCEPT, as I understand it, “for select white South Africans.” This while Secretary Hegseth is firing black officers with decades of service without reason or explanation. Everything this administration does has an anti-melanin component to it; and they are making no effort to conceal their love of white.

7.) After Trump denied any knowledge or understanding of what Project 2025 was during his 2024 campaign he suddenly embraced the project after the election. Project 2025 is a plan to restructure the U.S. government in the image of  a Christian Nationalists homeland where we all follow their narrow religious beliefs. In the introduction to the document the authors call for “deleting” LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive freedom, and removal of diversity, equity and inclusion language and intent from “every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.”

Project 2025 plan is to:

  • Eliminate the Department of Education
  • Fund private religious schools with taxpayer money
  • Delete LGBTQ+ rights
  • End marriage equality
  • Limit reproductive health care and in the process ban the most accessible forms of abortion
  • Create obstacles for racial justice through gerrymandering and the resulting loss of voting rights
  • Using religious freedom to discriminate

8.) Trump ended the Energy Star appliance-efficiency program and any other credit or tax benefits derived by the purchase of energy efficient products including  EVs.  Oh, I keep forgetting, grandpa thinks “global warming is a hoax.”

9.) Trump’s “Big beautiful bill” cut a trillion dollars from United States health care expenditures. An estimated 12 million people will lose health care coverage. Children’s Medicaid, nutrition, and vaccine programs have been devastated.

10.) Trump in demented tweets has threatened to abandon NATO commitments if allies don’t increase their military spending; while walking away from Ukraine forcing NATO Europe to ramp up money and resources for the Ukrainian defense. His saber rattling and threats to take over NATO countries such as Greenland by force if necessary is causing a wide rupture between us and our long time friends.

11.) With the scribble of his sharpie Trump attempted to revoke birthright citizenship via executive order. The Supreme Court is reviewing numerous law suits regarding the constitutionality of such presidential action.

12.) The Trumpster has used the Alien Enemies Act to justify mass migrant detentions. The public is sick of warehousing human beings for the profit of Trump allies and community after community is fighting back and they are winning and ICE detention warehouses are being shut down across the country.

13.) Trump looked at a couple pictures and appointed unqualified loyalists to high-ranking posts. The Trump cabinet is the richest cabinet in U.S. history with little experience at public service.

14.) Proposed turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East”-resettling Gazans “some place-anyplace” without a view.

15.) Trump has pushed for mass surveillance expansion focusing on protestors and immigrants and then have used that information to deport students.

I had intended to list 47 abhorrent, disgusting, revolting things that Trump has done since being elected  for his second term, and truly I am so angry I don’t know if I can get to 47 with out  having an ‘effin stroke. Because right now, I’m guessing my blood pressure is somewhere close to 170/100! As far as finishing this article I don’t think it will be this week. Hugs. Love you. Keep protesting, keep resisting.

 

 

An OMG Christmas Newsletter

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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OPINION: What About Charlie?

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.

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Donald Trump: It Should Have Ended Then and There

Donald Trump:

It Should Have Ended Then and There

Trump is a destroyer not a builder

Donald Trump:

It Should Have Ended Then and There…

By Cate Rees-Hessel and Wes Hessel

  1. When Donald Trump announced his original run for the White House; June nine years ago, and we all thought it was a joke, it should have ended then and there…
  2. When he got the nomination in 2016, it should have ended then and there…
  3. When the Donald made fun of a disabled journalist, it should have ended then and there…
  4. When Trump bragged he “grabbed ‘em by the p_____”, it should have ended then and there…
  5. When Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, it should have ended then and there…
  6. When the orange haired monster talked about a military parade that only dictators do (of course, it was just one more thing the Donald didn’t follow through on), it should have ended then and there…
  7. When the Donald completely mismanaged the pandemic causing catastrophic loss of life, it should have ended then and there…
  8. When he told the nation to drink bleach, it should have ended then and there…
  9. When the orange buffoon touted the unproven and ineffective anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for COVID, it should have ended then and there…
  10. When he promoted ivermectin, a drug primarily used to deworm animals like horses and is unsafe for humans, it should have ended then and there…
  11. When he said the windmills cause cancer, it should have ended then and there…
  12. When Trump claimed the Continental Army “took over the airports” during the Revolutionary War, it should have ended then and there…
  13. When he held a Bible upside down outside of a church that has he does not attend, it should have ended then and there…
  14. When he began selling autographed Bibles and a bevy of of other merchandise to his loyal followers, it should have ended then and there…
  15. January 6th, it should have ended then and there…
  16. When he was impeached twice, it should have ended then and there…
  17. When the orange marmalade was indicated, it should have ended then and there…
  18. When he was convicted on thirty-four felony counts, it should have ended then and there…
  19. When he claimed to be better looking than the beautiful (soon to be our next president) Kamala Harris, it should have ended then and there…
  20. When he “took a bullet” and only wore a bandage during rallies but not while golfing, claiming that his getting shot proves he is not a threat to democracy (Does anyone else stand with me that the bullet he took was a set up? Adolph Hitler faked his own assassination attempt…), it should have ended then and there…
  21. When he orchestrated the overturning Roe v. Wade, it should have ended then and there…
  22. When he bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade while woman are bleeding to death in their cars from miscarriages, it should have ended then and there…
  23. When he ran again after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, it should have ended then and there…
  24. When he got the Republican nomination despite being a convicted felon, it should have ended then and there…
  25. When he promised a “bloodbath”, it should have ended then and there…
  26. When Donny boy insisted Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, who are legally in the United States, are eating dogs and cats, it should have ended then and there…
  27. When he chose JD Vance as his running mate, it should have ended then and there…
  28. When he refused to release his tax records during his 2016 campaign, it should have ended then and there…
  29. When he claimed the 2020 election was stolen from him despite a record number of votes against him, it should have ended then and there…
  30. When Trump, the oldest candidate to seek the presidency, is slurring his words, speaking completely out of his mind more than usual, it should have ended then and there…
  31. When Project 2025 came to light, it should have ended then and there…
  32. After Trumpty Dumpty was not reelected but was giving Putin confidential pandemic information, it should have ended then and there…
  33. When the boxes of classified information were found in the bathroom at Mar-A-Lago, it should have ended then and there…
  34. The fact the Donald lies more than he breathes, it should have ended then and there…
  35. When we learned his abnormal and horrifying fascination with dictators, it should have ended then and there…
  36. When he made a promise to be a dictator from day one if he were to get another term, it should have ended then and there…
  37. When Trump told MAGA right wing “Christians” they will never need to vote again, it should have ended then and there…
  38. When conservative Republicans began to jump ship, it should have ended then and there…
  39. When he called our military members who made the ultimate sacrifice “suckers and losers”, it should have ended then and there…
  40. When The Donald tried to take credit for the $35.00 monthly insulin Biden and Harris arranged for seniors, it should have ended then and there…
  41. When he said “Do you want the black president or the white president, I think they want the white guy”, it should have ended then and there…
  42. When Trumpty Dumpty said black people can relate to him because he is now a felon, it should have ended then and there…
  43. When his plan is to tax ninety-five percent of the middle class more and give billionaires a tax break, it should have ended then and there…
  44. When the “My Pillow guy” and Elon Musk are his buddies, it should have ended then and there…
  45. When he called the intelligent and mentally astute former prosecutor and Vice President Kamala Harris “retarded” and a “low IQ individual” at one of his recent fundraisers, it should have ended then and there…

It will finally end with a vote for Harris-Walz on November 5th, 2024. The Mango Mussolini’s reign of terror will finally end, and despite what the MAGA say, America will continue to be great. Every woman, man, non-binary gender, LGBTQ+ community member, other minority, each of those in drag and childless cat ladies must vote. Racism and bigotry must end, antisemitism must end, gun violence must end – hate will finally begin to end. Democrats and Republicans alike must vote and vote blue. Thank you, Joe Biden, for all you have done to heal our nation and bring us our next president – our first female VP and soon our first female biracial president. We are not going back. When we fight, we win. God bless America…

Walz In With Harris

Walz In With Harris

Harris and Walz are igniting the Democrats

Walz In With Harris

By Wes Hessel with Cate Rees-Hessel

 

A Man of Service

 Our Madame President candidate has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her Vice Presidential partner. The two-term leader of the Land of 10,000 Lakes is also a retired National Guard veteran, a former factory worker, a high school social studies teacher and football coach, and a six consecutive term Congressional Representative. He is originally from the northwest part of Nebraska, then moved with his family to far north central Butte, NE, where they were closer to relatives, after his father’s lung cancer diagnosis. Mr. Walz would graduate from Chadron State College with a bachelor’s in social science education.

 A Teacher

After a year as an instructor in Guangdong, China, through WorldTeach, his first teaching job in  the U.S. was back in northwest Nebraska at Alliance. Here he met Gwen Whipple, a fellow teacher, marrying her in 1994. Together then they helmed an organization called Educational Travel Adventures, arranging high school student educational summer trips to China, until 2003. In 1996, the couple relocated to Mrs.’ Walz’s home state of Minnesota, settling in Mankato. Tim received his educational leadership masters there in 2001.

A Veteran

In the meantime, Mr. Walz had been in the National Guard since he turned 17. In 2001 he reached 20 years of service and intended to retire, but re-enlisted after the September 11 attacks. As part of Operation Enduring Freedom, he deployed to Italy with his unit for a posting as part of the European Security Force. Command Sergeant Major Walz was for a short time the senior enlisted member of his 1st Battalion of the Minnesota National Guard’s 125th Field Artillery Regiment. He retired in May 2005 with the rank of master sergeant.

A Six-Term Congress Member…

His 2005 retirement was in anticipation of his run for Congress. His decision to run for office came after he worked as a volunteer for the presidential campaign for John Kerry. In February 2005, Mr. Walz filed to run for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District House seat. In 2006,  Walz beat six-term entrenched Republican Gil Gutknecht  and was off to Congress. Tim Walz was the highest ranking (retired) non-commissioned service member to ever enter Congress.

Multiple Significant Committees

One month into his first term, Congressman Walz became a member of the Agriculture Committee, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This required a special waiver from then-Speaker Pelosi, exempting Tim from the rule preventing most freshman representatives from serving on more than two congressional committees. Later that same year he added the Armed Services Committee to his responsibilities. After twelve years of service as a member of Congress, he was the ranking member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, where he was continually working hard for our veterans.  It was then that Walz returned home to Minnesota and throw his hat into the governor’s race. In 2022, he beat his Republican opponent by nearly 8 percentage points.

A Governor

During his most recent term as Minnesota’s governor, he signed into law bills which provided students with free lunches (a program he wants to make national), instituted universal gun background checks, codified abortion rights, and implemented free college tuition for low-income families. His policy positions have been described as ranging from moderate to progressive.

A Family Man

Personally, Tim and Gwen have a daughter Hope, who is a social worker for a homeless shelter, and a 17 year old son, Gus, who has, as they told People Magazine, “…a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD and an anxiety disorder — all conditions that they call his ‘secret power.’” Mr. Walz has been a hunter since high school, and is a gun owner, but is a strong advocate for gun control.

An Awesome Vice Presidential Candidate

Walz is a stellar candidate for the office of Vice-President of the United States of America. We all need to strive to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz this coming November. Vote Blue.

Who Would You Rather Run the Nation?

Who Would You Rather Run the Nation?

I'd rather be Joe Biden than Donald Trump

Who Would You Rather Run the Nation?

Editor’s Note: Over the last couple days most of the political talk shows have been rehashing Joe’s poor debate performance. I think it involved terrible optics. Why did his people allow him to be facing away from the camera? Whoever it was on the presidents team that okay’d the studio lighting should be horsewhipped. And the total incompetent that was responsible for Joe’s make up should be fired.  So much of what happened was visual. In response to all the negative chatter Cate Rees-Hessel and hubby Wes Hessel wants to have a word with you. 

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel with Wes Hessel

 

Winner, and Still Champion…

After the first presidential debate, I must say that I honestly feel President Biden won. Why? Because he actually answered the questions, didn’t whine or insult like a spoiled brat, and he was honest. Would you rather have a slow talker that tells the truth, or a fast-talking felon as president? Yes, it comes down to this.

A Real Leader

Joe had a cold – his voice was a bit soft and raspy, but his answers were solid. He spoke slowly with his stutter, but that has never stopped him from being an effective leader. He has even helped empowered a little boy who has a stammer challenge, because Joe Biden is a good man. He cares about America. Even if you felt his lost his train of thought at times during the debate, many of us need to pause to think in order to give an intelligent answer. Taking a moment to compose yourself is not a sign of weakness, especially when you’re not feeling well from a bad cold – our President got the job done, because he is a professional. “The Donald” was arrogant, spewing the same old hate instead of giving legitimate answers.

Run, Joe, Run…

After the debate, our president said he walks a bit different, does not debate as well, but knows he can continue to run our nation because he is mentally and physically fit. He quipped that he is not a young man – that is stating the obvious – but I truly feel he does not look or act his age at all. When he accepted his victory in 2020, Joe jogged to the podium like a man half his age – that was only four years ago. I can recall President Obama stating that before his presidency he was a much younger man. The office can age a person, but President Biden is still as strong as ever.

Breakfast (Lunch, and Dinner) of Champions

He was on fire when he gave the State of the Union a few months back. One slow talking debate does not mean he is not able to continue being a strong leader. Donald Trump is only three years younger than President Biden. Just look at them – it’s clear Joe is in better shape than Trump, and that’s without the hair and makeup jobs that Trump has used for years. President Biden eats nutritious food, not a diet of junk food; he exercises and does not have the stress of a possible jail sentence like the Donald has.

Running Mate

Joe Biden also has a very capable vice president if Lord forbid something were to happen to him. Kamala Harris is a very capable woman that can run the country well. Trump has not even chosen a running mate – Lord only knows whom our president would be if Trump’s felony convictions or poor diet catch up with him. Rumor has it Marco Rubio may be his choice, and frankly Marco scares me with his extremist mind set and Tea Party-type association.

Just a Number

Age is just a number. Patrick Stewart at 84 is a fine actor, intelligent and powerful and still a little bit sexy. Engelbert Humperdinck is still entertaining audiences live at age 88 with a clear voice, moving about the stage with vigor and grace. Carol Burnett is still on the tube for MTV at 91, and Dick Van Dyke is going strong at 98 years old. And Clint Eastwood is still directing movies at 94. In fact, his recent thriller “Juror #2” should be released around Christmas. The number of capable senior citizens that continue to handle challenging careers is growing.

The Right Choice

I am voting for the silver fox, in the ever so cool Aviators. Joe Biden, is one of the best presidents to ever serve this country. Joe Biden is the first real working man’s president. Joe Biden knows what its like to worry if there will be enough money to make it through the month. He will stand up to terrorists, foreign and domestic. His administration has created a record number of jobs, cares about the environment and women’s rights, including reproductive freedom. Women with unsafe pregnancies that are approaching death’s door before they can get the medical treatment they need, can rely on Joe Biden to save their lives. He will protect the children already on this Earth with nutritious school lunches, quality child and health care.

Clean Up Man

Are prices higher than before Joe Biden took office? Yes, they are because during Trump’s reign of terror, the pandemic raged unchecked, leading to rampant deaths and economic collapse. Americans are back at work now, thanks to the hard work of Joe and Democratic lawmakers, and it’s only a matter of time before prices begin to decline, but only if President Biden remains in office. Trump gives tax breaks to big business and the ultra-wealthy, not caring if Americans can put food on the table.

…vs. Sell His Soul

Maybe you don’t like President Biden, perhaps he is not your first choice for whatever reason, but please recognize he is the only choice, because the alternative(s) is unthinkable: a convicted felon that holds the Bible upside down and then tries to sell them for sixty dollars apiece. A racist that tries to claim a connection to the African American community because he is now a convicted criminal, and wears gold sneakers that he is also peddling. That is the biggest insult to the Black community that I can even imagine. And his claim that immigrants are stealing “black jobs” should outrage us all. And then the rarely mentioned third candidate Robert Kennedy Jr, who is an extremist anti-vaxxer who claims a now dead worm ate a portion of his brain. Oh my. The choice is clear, Joe gets four more years.

What a Leader Looks Like

The real man of God is the one who prayed during his inaugural speech, attends church on a regular basis for worship of the Higher Power, not himself, and does not participate in “locker room talk”. A convicted felon cannot vote, so how can one run for political office? Donald Trump, the person that wants to be president, has lost his right to vote – think about that. He didn’t belong in the Oval Office before, and he certainly does not now.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

President Biden respects women – he wrote the Violence Against Women Act; he respects our military – his son served. He’s created a record number of good jobs, brought unemployment down, is daily working to protect our labor force and our unions. Joe stands up to large corporations, getting them to pay their fair share of taxes. He got insulin capped at $35.00, finally affordable for those that need it to control diabetes. Allowing Medicare (the government) to negotiate drug prices is another big Biden win.

Oh, Sleaze…

Donald Trump brought us the first “lady” with a belly button staple, President Biden brought us a beautiful Doctor of Education, a true lady. There is no doubt about it the Biden’s have brought class and dignity back to the White House. The Trump era had a mice infestation and a chief rat in the Oval Office. Don’t let our nation go back to being the laughingstock we were during the orange monster’s “presidency”. Trump had the audacity during the debate to refer to the Biden era as an embarrassment – this is surely the pot calling the kettle gray. There’s a reason, well, dozens of them, why he wasn’t reelected. Donald Trump promised a bloodbath if he does not win; don’t let that bully scare you, vote blue and the authorities will stop the violence. He promise to be a dictator from day one should on itself be disqualifying.

Democracy in Action

America is a democracy. We have the best economy in the world after the pandemic because Joe Biden took office – he is the clear choice. President Biden promises to stay in the race after this debate, because one debate does not define a President. A record of making a needed infrastructure bill happen, decreasing student loan debt, limiting rent raises for tenants, saving social security for our seniors, these things define a good president. “When you get knocked down, you get back up” – President Biden got right back up; ninety minutes does not define a presidency.

Go, Go, Go, Joe…

I agree with my girl Jill, there is no one I would rather see in the Oval Office than her husband, a President for the people, not a criminal puppet of Vladimir Putin. Let’s go Joe, four more years; there is still more work to be done, and you are the man to do it.

“Go, go, go, Joseph, you know what they say

Hang on now, Joseph, you’ll make it some day

Don’t give up, Joseph, fight till you drop

We’ve read the book, and you come out on top…”

(Go-Go-Go Joseph, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Andrew Lloyd Webber)

 

 

My Hand in an Electric Socket

My Hand in an Electric Socket

Don't let the events of the day deter you from the work of democracy.

My Hand in an Electric Socket

By D. S. Mitchell

 

4,000 Days

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve had my hand stuck in an electric light socket for the last 4,000 plus days. Those four thousand days roughly translating into the ten years since Donald Trump descended the golden escalator at Trump Tower amidst the cheers of a paid-to-show-crowd, and announced his run for the presidency of the United States. Of course it wasn’t Trump’s first run; he had gone after the presidency in 1999 as a Reform Party candidate, but this time he was going to run as a Republican.

Shame on Them

Trump’s escalator announcement came on June 16th, 2015. Since that day, Donald Trump’s lies, misogyny, xenophobia, isolationism, conspiratorial theories, Putin love, and bombastic rhetoric have altered our national political discussion and, quite honestly, that of the world. We as a nation had  consciously been working toward kindness and civility in our speech to one another; since Trump’s emergence as a big voice for roughly 30% of the country, tough talk and gun waving, have emerged as acceptable. The acceptance of the minorities “right” to use violence when they are unhappy with the results of an election is terrifying. This is not a good thing and is unacceptable in a democracy. Death threats and mafioso tactics now define how things get done in the Republican Party.

Done With George

Unpredictability, narcissism, and other despotic traits are things our Founding Fathers rejected. The American Revolution began on April 19, 1775. The next year the colonies jointly declared independence from the tyrannical, tax collecting, King George the Third. Trump says he’s ready to be a dictator on day one. Well, Donald the majority of Americans reject such bullshit. Maybe you and Tucker Carlson should buy a place in Victor Orban’s Hungary and settle down over there. 

Down Memory Lane

In case you’ve forgotten, Trump like any entertainer worth his salt, managed to excite, incite, and agitate us all, everyday of the year, for four explosive years. Although seemingly impossible, the Trump administration grew more chaotic with each passing day. Diplomacy via Twitter, threats of U.S. military intervention in domestic affairs, promised “target practice” at the border, and bleach injections for those who wanted to give it a try. I was so glad to see quiet, “normal” Joe Biden, take over the reins of government from Trump; but I’m still unsure if there will ever again be such a thing as normalcy.

We Have the Numbers

An overwhelming number of Americans support a progressive agenda. Progressives want to put a stop to big money dominating elections, they want to cut drug prices, and seriously address the dangers of climate change. By large numbers Americans favor stronger gun laws, national health insurance (Obamacare), transgender rights, same sex marriage, and access to abortion. Sometimes it seems as though the Trump side is smarter, better funded, more united, and more determined, than we progressives, but I don’t believe that’s true. When I say an overwhelming number of Americans support progressivism I am talking about 75% of the population and growing. Powerful well-funded minorities are threatening our democracy and we must stand up to them. It is not okay that a minority is able to impose its will on the entire nation.

Sucking up all the Oxygen

It’s Friday February 16, 2024. Aside from the tragic news of Alexei Navalny’s death in a Russian prison camp, the news focus for today has mostly centered on the many trials of Donald Trump.  It looks like Trump has just been hit with over $453,000,000 in fines for a civil fraud case brought against the Trump Organization by New York Attorney General, Letitia James. Furthermore, Trump and his two sons, Erik and Don Jr will be unable to conduct real estate in New York for at least two years. Between the civil fraud case, and the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, it looks like Donald Trump will be required to pay over half a billion dollars in fines and damages in just these two cases. Yikes, that ought to take a bite out of his “billionaire” status.

The End Result

It will probably take fully a generation to measure the damage Trump  and Trumpism has done to America; but that is a job for the historians, not humble writers. A lot depends on whether Trump can get his ass re-elected. If Trump succeeds in winning the presidency in 2024, America will go down the same road as Brazil, Russia, China, Hungary, and Venezuela. If however, the United States can resist the lure of neo-fascism we have a chance to recover from Trump’s terrible vision for the country, but it will take time to heal. It will take working together, participating in collective action.

Indefinable and Immeasurable

The effect of Trump and MAGAism, is probably, at least as yet, unmeasurable.  The effect Donald Trump has had on the American body politic has been horrifying and terrifying. For the sake of the country, I hope the love affair with Trump and MAGAism is about over. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait until he’s dead.

Another, I Saw It On The Internet #3

Another, I Saw It On The Internet #3

May be a doodle of heart and text that says 'Be careful who you hate. It could be someone you love.'

Another, I Saw It On The Internet #3

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Slime Pit

The internet is an unbelievable source of knowledge and social connection, but it is also the source of an incalculable amount of hate, anger, bigotry, ignorance, and downright bullshit. But every once in a while I see something that strikes at my heart and I want to share it. Today I saw the above image posted to the Josephine County Democrats on-line newsletter; I love it.

From My Heart

It is so easy to hate, so easy to blame others for our life-situation, but folks, believe me, hate does not build, it destroys. A culture based on anger, bigotry, and hate is destined for failure. Hate requires a lot of energy to keep the dynamic going. It is exhausting,. It consumes every bit of mental or emotional energy a person has, there is no energy left to create, to build, to grow. Limit the hate, expand the love.

Kamala Harris, An American Story

Kamala Harris, An American Story

Kamala Harris, fulfillment of the American dream. Vote Blue 2024 Biden/Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris: An American Story

 

By D. S. Mitchell

Preparing For The Challenge

Kamala Harris is a leader. You see it in her demeanor, in her confidence. Her story, her views, and how her education and work have prepared her for the challenges of her job as the first female vice president of the United States should be explored and written about. An attorney,  a fierce prosecutor, California Attorney General, senator, social leader, best selling author, and Vice President of the United States; all by the age of 58.

Early Examples

Harris grew up watching her parents forge ahead into unknown territory, and—by her own admission—her yearning for something meaningful started at a young age. Harris’s mother Gopalan immigrated from Chennai, India, to study at the University of  California-Berkeley for her doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology. She met and fell in love with Donald Harris, a Jamaican-born economics major earning his Ph.D. Rather than returning home to marry someone of her family’s choosing, Gopalan stayed in the United States. Together Harris and Gopalan had two daughters. They raised their daughters immersed in their two combined cultures in a new land and instilled in them respect for activism and academia.

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TRANSGENDER TEENS REMAIN UNPROTECTED

Transgender Teens Remain Unprotected

By Quinton Reed

Wait Until After Class

Current and former high school students can probably agree on one thing: it’s hard to get a restroom break during class. For transgender teens, however, that difficulty is amplified. Choosing a restroom that aligns with a transgender person’s identity is preferable to many trans teens as it can affirm their sense of self and – particularly for transgender girls – a sense of safety. When a school restroom choice is denied to the student, the basic and universal need to relieve one’s self becomes not only complex, but also heartbreaking and potentially dangerous.

Failure to Provide

In 2016, Donald Trump said that transgender students should “use the bathroom they feel is appropriate.” His administration has thus far fallen short on supporting that statement. School restroom choice has, in fact, been dismissed by the Department of Education . Transgender teens asking for help from the department now have their cases indefinitely on hold or dismissed altogether. What is the justification for yet another denial of protection toward transgender teens and younger children? According to a Buzzfeed news interview with Department of Education spokesperson Liz Hill, the 1972 federal civil rights law Title IX does not include transgender students. The law, Hill says, “prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, not gender identity.”

What is Biological Sex, Anyway?

The 1972 amendment to Title IX does, in fact, fail to specify protection on the basis of gender identity, instead providing protection on the basis of “race, color, or national origin” as well as “on the basis of disability”. However, one must consider the definitions of “sex” when navigating the amendment. Time magazine’s article addresses the Trump administration’s relationship with the definition of sex; the concept of sex as binary is not only oversimplified but it is also wrong. If transgender students are not given their choice of restroom usage at school on the basis of Title IX’s exclusion, intersex people are also excluded because these individuals fail to fall within the commonly understood binary of sex.

Ignoring the DSM-5

Even if the definition of sex were to exclude transgender teens from protection under Title IX, the protection on the basis of disability is another angle to consider. Whether one considers a transgender person to have a mental disability or a physical disability, gender dysphoria is listed as a condition in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Again, the nature of transgenderism as a disability is a matter of debate. However, from a legal standpoint, gender dysphoria is considered a disability. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “treatment may focus primarily on affirming psychological support, understanding feelings and coping with distress, and giving children a safe space to articulate their feelings”. Affirmation can be given by granting school restroom choice; to deny treatment to those suffering with gender dysphoria can therefore be considered to be discrimination on the basis of disability.

Self-sabotage

The Education Department released a statement, saying it is “committed to defending the civil rights of all students and ensuring all students have an equal opportunity to learn in an environment free from harassment and discrimination”. Considering the amendments to Title IX, the agency has failed to protect transgender teens not only on the legal level but also on a personal one. As a result of feeling forced into using a school restroom of their assigned sex, transgender teens often suffer from emotional and physical discomfort. Faced with no choice, trans teens may fast in order to prevent the need to use the restroom, or simply wait to relieve themselves which can result in urinary tract infections and other complications.

Forceful Erasure

Speaking of the “commitment” of the Education Department, the 2017 election of Trump saw the removal of resources for transgender people, including information intended to help transgender teens and children fight for their right to choose their restrooms at school. Specifically, the resources deleted were to seven civil rights complaints and three federal court filings, including the court documents written under the Obama Administration in support of Gavin Grimm, whom – by no small coincidence – won his court case.

Moving Backwards

If the true intention of the Education Department was to give transgender students protection and assurance of equality of access opportunity, why remove resources that educate the transgender  community or their supporters? Is the Department afraid knowledge may stimulate activism? Furthermore, when the Trump administration rescinded Obama’s transgender rights directive, the rescission was based on the pressure of “significant litigation” from numerous states opposing the Obama directive.

Identification and Assignment

If true choice in bathroom access is to be achieved perhaps we should do some research on the effects of having people use the bathroom based on birth identification and assignment rather than identity choice. Research should be a priority. In order to accurately research the matter of transgender rights, it would make sense to pool research from the party affected most: transgender people. Yet, the removal of resources on the Education Department website suggests there is little concern with transgender rights; and such conduct by the department shows little interest in providing protection to a group in great need.

Slaps on the Wrist

Even with the removal of resources, the few transgender students that have managed to make their cases known to the Department of Education have steadily had their cases dismissed. During an investigation conducted by Politico, five of the six complaints regarding trans students’ bathroom rights were dismissed; that’s over 80 percent. Furthermore, the language of one dismissal letter, given to Texas high school student Alex Howe by the Title IX compliance officer for his school’s district, is not only insensitive but also incorrect. The school district’s “investigation” concluded Howe was “provided with equal access to all school facilities as there was a plan in place for (him) to use a particular restroom which was gender neutral,” according to compliance officer Valerie Little.

Separate But Not Equal

Which is by its nature not equal. Alex Howe identifies as male, not as “gender neutral”. No other students were required to use the gender neutral bathroom. This designation of a “gender neutral” bathroom versus the binaric “male/female” restrooms used by Howe’s peers is the problem. The “gender neutral” designation invalidates Howe’s identity as male, reducing him to “none of the above”. Quite simply unless all bathrooms are gender neutral, such designation is an act of segregation.  The policy designates a space where a transgender student is “expected” to be and where a transgender student is “not allowed”.

Federal Courts Know Better

While the Department of Education continues to attest to a lack of clarity in Title IX as being grounds for exclusion, federal appeals courts in the 6th and 7th circuit have already ruled that Title IX does indeed allow transgender students the right to choose the restroom matching their gender identity. As highlighted in the 7th circuit court case Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified School District, a three-judge panel came to the conclusion that “policy that requires an individual to use a bathroom that does not conform with his or her gender identity punishes that individual for his or her gender non‐conformance, which in turn violates Title IX.”

It’s Even Worse

The fact that the Education Department under DeVos ignores this ruling is bad enough, but to then dismiss all possibility of further ruling, after such a ruling, is wrong.  Refusal to accept the court mandate is to act in favor of prejudice. The agency presents itself as the protector of children, but under the Trump administration, it has not only under performed but intentionally regressed. To refuse a child’s right to feel comfortable when they are extremely vulnerable is cruel and unconscionable. These kids are human beings and our human physiology requires defecation and elimination. Such actions by both federal and local school authorities is inexcusable and indefensible, regardless of the “definition” of “biological sex”.