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“I’ve finished my 3 book Spider Series. If you’re into hot sex and heart pounding adventure please check it out. Available on Amazon. Thank you for your interest and support. D. S. Mitchell aka “Calamity” at Calamity News and Politics.

“There is nothing more inspiring than taking action against injustice.” D.S. Mitchell 2025

“If stupidity got us into this mess, why can’t it get us out of it.” Will Rogers

“If you can’t be a poet, be a poem.” David Carradine

“No god would want a child killed in his name.” D.S. Mitchell 2023

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” Friedrich Nietzsche

“Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving taxicabs and cutting hair.” ― George Burns

“A politician thinks of the next election – a statesman of the next generation.” – James Freeman Clarke

“I want to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.” Arthur Ashe

“Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and it’s beauty.” ― Albert Einstein

“So the America I loved still exists, if not in the White House or the Supreme Court or the Senate or the House of Representatives or the media. The America I love still exists at the front desks of our public libraries.” ― Kurt Vonnegut

“Let’s just remember that social security is not the government’s money, it belongs to the people who had it taken out of the checks involuntarily their entire working lives.” Mike Huckabee

“I have insecurities of course, but I don’t hang out with anyone who points them out to me.” ADELE

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” Christian Grey

“My favorite old car had no reverse gear. It taught me I could only go forward.” Flavia

“Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela

“Those who think they can control the mob are fools and are often the victims of their own incitement.” D.S. Mitchell 2021

“A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

“If now isn’t a good time for the truth I don’t see when we’ll get to it.” Nikki Giovanni

“Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is that you are stupid and make bad decisions.” Your mother

“Studying American politics has taught me several disgusting lessons, the first being, money buys friends in Congress. That alone should terrify the American public.” D. S. Mitchell 2021

“My art is my heart.” D. S. Mitchell 2015

“Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back.” Arthur Rubenstein

“Every lie is like stepping in a quicksand pit. Every lie as dangerous, as telling the truth.” D. S. Mitchell 2020

“Sometimes when challenged we find out we are capable of the unthinkable.” D. S. Mitchell 2022

“Surround yourself with those on the same mission as you.” Anonymous

“Dimming the lights will not hide the social injustice in America.” D. S. Mitchell 2017

“The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true. So I elect for neither label.” – James Branch Cabell

Smile

"If puppies and kittens don't make you smile, you might consider therapy." D. S. Mitchell 2015.
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” T. S. Eliot

“Voting is like a prayer.” Raphael Warnock 2021

“We are all valuable. The problem is not everyone is smart enough to realize it.” D. S. Mitchell 2021

“I wonder, if you were blind, lost and confused, would you care what color the offered hand?” D. S. Mitchell 2015

“Silence in front of savagery is savagery itself.” Abhijit Naskar

“To be happy and contented, count your blessings, not your cash.” Chinese Proverb

“We can never be too busy to be kind.” D. S. Mitchell 2017

RIP RBG

“The rain falls because the cloud can no longer handle the weight. The tears fall because the heart can no longer handle the pain.” The Wise You

“Let my old days be my best days,” Cousin Lucille

“In no instance have… the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people.” James Madison

“Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes.” Charles Dickens

“Thoughtful people are slow to anger, not necessarily less efficient in their killing.” D. S. Mitchell 2019

“Endings are not always bad. Most times they’re just beginnings in disguise.” Kim Harrison

“The United States like so many countries around the world has chosen to give to the few and deny the many.” D.S. Mitchell 2020

“It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. This is true, its called life.” Terry Pratchett

“Trickle down economics is like having three dogs and giving one of them a hot dog, and thinking he’ll share.” Bill Maher

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” John Kenneth Galbraith

“When people start acting as though the past is the same as the present and context doesn’t matter, things start to get dangerous.” Trevor K. McNeil 2020

“Pardoning the Bad, is injuring the Good.” – Benjamin Franklin

“I don’t need to attend every argument I’m invited to.” Unknown

“I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret between the shadow and soul.” Pablo Neruda

“Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” ― Bruce Lee

“I have been far oftener discriminated against because I am a woman than because I am black.” Shirley Chisholm 5/21/1969

“The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they pass unobserved.” ― George Washington

“We only fail when we fail to try.” Rosa Parks

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Thomas Jefferson

“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” Albert Einstein

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The 7 Social Sins are: Wealth without Work; Pleasure without Conscience; Knowledge without Character; Commerce without Morality; Science without Humanity; Worship without Sacrifice; Politics without Principle.” Frederick Lewis Donaldson

“All evils are equal when they are extreme.”-Pierre Corneille

“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” John F. Kennedy

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

“People without vaginas shouldn’t be able to regulate them.” Unknown

“What this country needs is more unemployed politicians.” Edward Langley, artist

“Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” Abraham Lincoln

“When sleeping women wake, mountains move.” Chinese proverb

“If people stopped searching for things that offended them and started looking for things that inspired them; what a wonderful world this would be.” Night Owl

A Poem For Don and Vlad
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” Booker T. Washington

“To argue with a person who has given up reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” Thomas Paine

“Imagination is the bridge between the things we know for sure, and the things we need to believe, when our world becomes unbearable.” Staceyann Chin

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Steve Jobs

“Inspiration descends only in flashes to clothe circumstances; it is not stored up in a barrel, like salt herrings to be doled out.”Patrick White

“I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness that surrounds me.” Sojourner Truth

“Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.” Doug Larson

“Law without humanity is injustice.” D. S. Mitchell 2020

“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear, is the beginning of wisdom.” Bertrand Russell

“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Plato

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Category: Social Issues
Thoughts on 4/5/2025-HANDS OFF !! Protest
Thoughts On 4/5/2025:
HANDS OFF!! Protest

Thoughts on 4/5/2025:
HANDS OFF !! Protest
By D. S. Mitchell
Making Signs
The alarm woke me at 4 a.m. I was up and out of bed in a flash. I was excited. The protest was scheduled to start at 11:30 and I still had signs to make. “RESIST MAGA,” “HANDS OFF!! EVERYTHING,” “Radio Free America, 2025” and “Musk to Mars”. The “Musk to Mars” sign was quite distinctive; big, bold letters on a field of white. It was definitely my favorite. All four signs only took me a couple of hours with poster board and project markers, but I thought they made a big statement.
A Lawless Operation
Despite all my frenzied activity I was still mad as hell. The Hands Off !! protest was my first protest march since 1968. A lot has happened since those days. I’m now grey-haired, and older than the Ten Commandments, but I’m pissed off. I’m so pissed off I’d even called a couple of friends and we agreed to do the protest together. Strength in numbers. The Trump Administration is running a lawless operation out of the White House and I wanted to let those a-holes know that me and a majority of Americans want it stopped. I could spend the next 1,000 words ranting against the Musk/Trump policies, but I won’t. Instead I want to tell you about my Hands Off!! protest experience.
Deep Red
First of all, let me make it clear. I live in deep red, Trump country. More specifically, Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon. Josephine County hasn’t voted Democratic since 1930 something.; that’s nearly a 100 years, it’s that red. However, over the last month, as the darkness of Trump’s agenda has emerged, I have seen fewer Trump yard signs, some of which have been in the ground since 2020. Furthermore, there is a significant drop in the pickup trucks with the giant American flags and mammoth Trump banners parading up and down the main street of our little town.. That boiling pot of MAGA outrage seems is cooling, while the Dems and the Independents are blue with rage.
Fingers Crossed
There were about 500 people at Oregon Senator(D) Jeff Merkley’s Town Hall a couple weeks ago. I hoped the Hands Off !! protest would draw at least as many. I had my fingers crossed. While I worried about attendance, I also fretted about parking. With one of my gang in a wheelchair and me using a walker; ease of parking was a priority. With that in mind, we headed out about 10 o’clock and easily found parking across the street from the courthouse. I high-fived my comrades and with help unloaded first the rollator and next the wheelchair and headed to the front of the Josephine County Court House on 6th street.
Drum Roll, Please
I was surprised to see such a large crowd an hour and a half before the scheduled event. It looked like people were fired up. I could hear the sound of a cow bell, a chorus of drum beats, and a megaphone shouting encouraging chants. People were flowing in from all directions, waving signs. The diversity was striking. The grievances many. There was a sizeable group of boomers, many like us using walkers and wheelchairs. I was happy to see a large turnout of all age groups. Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z; everybody was there. There was also a sizeable group of young folks flying the flag of many colors.
Too Many Problems
There were as many concerns as there were people. Women’s rights, Democracy, due process, Trump’s Imperial presidency, DOGE, corruption, the reckless gutting of essential government services like Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Veterans benefits. complaints. Despite the anger and outrage all the participants I encountered were respectful and even smiling and good natured, happy to be with a group of supporters and proud to be speaking out.
Democracy in Action
Peaceful protest is Democracy in action. We as citizens of this great democracy are expected to dissent when we see injustice. It is our duty as thinking, caring human beings to speak out. Right now, our country’s government is working against the many for the benefit of the few. The Trump administration is a disaster for the average working person. It is critical that the citizens of this country express their shared outrage over the direction Trump and his cronies are pushing the country. And people are speaking up. They are making signs, putting on their sneakers, and hitting the pavement. I hope the White House is listening. We want no kings here.
The Few Against the Many
The crowd stretched about three blocks up and down NW 6th Street. From my vantage point, it was hard to estimate the size of the crowd. With that said, I would guess that there were at least 1,200 Americans on the street making their voices heard. This was a very well-organized and well-attended event. Organizers repeatedly stressed that the 4/5/2025 Hands Off protests would be peaceful and non-violent. Respect and tolerance was the organizing message, and the crowd did not disappoint. At no time did I see any confrontations or disputes of any kind between the 3 Trump supporters and the 1200 gathered in opposition to him.
There is nothing more inspiring than taking action against injustice. Resist MAGA.
National Day of Action: 4/5/2025
HANDS OFF!
4/5/2025 National Day of Action

Elon Musk.
HANDS OFF!
4/5/2025 National Day of Action
By D.S. Mitchell
Chainsaw Maniac
If you don’t like what you are seeing from chainsaw wielding unelected billionaire Elon Musk, and golf-absorbed semi-retired president, Donnie Dumpster, then mark this Saturday, April 5th, 2025 as a National Day of Action. Nearly every community in the country has something planned. Whether young, old, big, small, male, female, able or disabled, each protestor is important and is needed. Time to rock their boat-and push back against the oligarchs’ brazen power grab. The 1% are bent on destroying services that millions of elderly, disabled, Americans depend on; SNAP, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Obama Care, HHS, and the VA; to pay for their budget busting tax cuts. We can’t let this travesty continue. Last time I heard Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and their ilk already pay less taxes than the average secretary in America. If that isn’t an outrage I don’t know what is. It is time to push back against the destruction of federal agencies. and the firing of federal employees.
Shoes and Signs
Take a few minutes and look up the activities being held around your area and make a pledge that you will be putting on a pair comfy shoes, dusting off the old 2016 Resistance sign, and get your butt out on the street. Make your voice heard. You have power, but only if you exercise it. Time to protest the policies of the oligarchs and dictators. It is clear that this group of rich men are ready for an outright assault on our democratic government, our legal system, our economy, and our basic rights.
Schedule a Protest
As recently as Wednesday there were nearly a 1,100 protest events have sprung up across the nation, organized by a grassroots coalition of progressive groups and nonprofits. Organizers are urging protestors to commit to nonviolent action, and when necessary, to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who may disagree with them.
Hands Off!
Joe Did, Trump Did . .
Joe Did, Trump Did…


Joe Did, Trump Did . . .
By Cate Rees-Hessel
Although I have made my position known on President Biden remarking, “Welcome home”, to Donald Trump, I don’t like it at all that Joe said that during Trump’s travesty of an inauguration. I feel strongly that you never say, “Welcome home”, to a traitor. I still have the utmost respect for Joe, and will always love him. “Welcome home” is a term of endearment and the comment I do feel was inappropriate to say the least, but despite the faux pas Biden will go down in history as one of our greatest presidents.
I can agree to disagree with those I care about on most subjects but “The Donald” is a bone of contention with me, not to mention the majority of his followers can not be reasoned with. Having made my position clear, please allow me to point out the extreme differences between President Biden and “The Donald”. As my husband would say, the difference between the two is like day and nightmare…
- President Biden makes me smile. Trump makes we cry, shake my head in wonder, and at times laugh at his stupidity, because Dumpty has made America the laughing stock of the world.
- Joe Biden’s administration gave seniors insulin for $35; Trump took it away immediately after taking office.
- President Biden gave confidence to a young boy that stutters, showing compassion, and giving the youth his private phone number. Trump maliciously made fun of a disabled journalist and suggested his own disabled nephew “should be left to die.”
- Joe gave us our first female VP; Trump grabs them “by the p____”.
- Biden is responsible for the Violence Against Women Act; Trump has used violence against women.
- President Joe pardoned his son; “The Donald” pardoned those that participated in his insurrection.
- Joe prayed during his inauguration; Trump held a Bible upside down outside of a church he does not attend, then scribbled on God’s Word, selling made in China versions of the Good Book for $60, claiming every household should have a Bible. I agree that everyone needs access to God’s Word but if you can’t afford sixty bucks, you still deserve a Bible. Take note that the orange haired monster never said everyone should read the Bible – he admits he does not read books.
- Biden has not had any marital scandals; “The Donald” has committed adultery on many occasions and brags about it.
- Joe brought us beautiful Dr. Biden, an educated and beautiful First Lady of dignity and class; Trump brought us the only first “lady” with a staple in her navel and a history of naked pictures in cheap slut magazines.
- Joe built bridges with a much needed infrastructure plan; Donald continues to tout his unfinished racist wall.
- Joe Biden gave President Carter’s eulogy; Trump refused to allow flags at half-mast for Jimmy.
- Biden brought two adorable dogs and a cat to the White House; Champ and Major. Trump promoted trophy hunting and poked fun at pet owners.
- Joe Biden honored MLK, the man synonymous with peace; Trump is an avowed racist and violence supporter.
- President Biden wanted a path to citizenship for dreamers; Trump began mass deportation the first day back in office.
- Joe created jobs and unemployment was down in record numbers; the orange haired monster has already caused migrant workers to not show up for work.
- President Biden ended the pandemic, got us vaccines, reopened the economy, and gave the largest amount of stimulus. He rehired Dr. Fauci and now COVID is much less frightening and treatable. Trump refused to acknowledge or utilize the pandemic National Security Counsel Directorate for Global Health and Security and bio defense plan that the dishonest Mitch McConnell is trying to deny the existence of that the Obama administration put in place. Because of Trump millions died from COVID, not to mention many people have long term effects from the virus, and our economy is still suffering the effects of the pandemic.
- Biden works to end war and negotiates the safe return of hostages; the orange haired devil thrives on violence in any and every form.
- Joe and the Obama administration brought about much needed healthcare reform, providing insurance to millions; “The Donald” wants to end Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security- the life line for the middle and working classes. Medicaid pays for nearly all nursing home care for seniors AND on the other end of the scale and half of the births in the United States.
- President Biden is a champion for safe gun laws; Trump has the NRA in his pocket (or maybe vice versa…).
- Joe Biden signed into law the Social Security Fairness Act, protecting the money that teachers and first responders paid into the SSA. This legislation was originally proposed all the way back in September of 2022 – Biden got it done. Trump wants to rob seniors and the disabled of their funds. Joe Biden shows respect for the LGBTQ community; Trump on day one of his second term attacked trans individuals’ rights. amongst others.
- President Biden is a law abiding attorney; “The Donald” is convicted felon that belongs nowhere near the Oval Office. He should not be allowed to take so much as a White House tour – Trump belongs behind bars.
- Biden was never impeached; Trumpty Dumpty has the unique distinction of being impeached twice…so far.
- Joe fights racism and anti-Semitism, and has been doing so for decades; Trump is completely anti-Semetic and a racist to everyone that is not a rich white arch-conservative male.
- President Biden went into action immediately to control the recent wildfires that have wrecked havoc in southern California. Trump thinks windmills cause cancer and that global warming is a hoax. Science saves lives, let’s not forget it.
I plan on writing more about Trump’s atrocious mishandling of everything he touches and more about President Biden’s years of public service. I have just begun to resist…
OPINION: The Myth of Elon Musk
OPINION: The Myth of Elon Musk

OPINION: The Myth of Elon Musk
Editor: A version of this post came off the internet from “Lillian” who posted a version of this condemnation of Elon Musk on the social media platform X. Bravo, sister, let’s slap this SOB right in his criminal face. I personally support the revocation of Musk’s U.S, citizenship and a fast flight back to South Africa for him. This guy is no American, in spirit or action. It is only because of the Supreme Court’s flawed and disastrous Citizens United decision that Musk was able to donate over $250,000,000 (!) to re-elect Donald J. Trump. It is only now that we are getting a glimpse of what Musk’s money was buying.
D.S. Mitchell
A Rich Cat
The myth of Elon Musk is fast collapsing. He is not a genius. He is not a visionary. He is not a creator, or a builder. He is just another rich cat playing us. His persona has been hyped for the last decade plus as the brilliant businessman, changing the world for the better with electric cars and cutting edge technology. Space exploration. The colonization of the moon and even Mars. As with many things that glitter, Musk is neither gold nor diamonds. Elon Musk is a fake and a phony. He has been given, or taken, credit for the work of others while burning through U.S. taxpayers money like a California wildfire.
Behind the Curtain
Musk didn’t create Tesla. He bought it. He didn’t invent SpaceX, engineers did. He didn’t create PayPal, in fact, the company fired his arrogant narcissist ass. Obviously, the reason he was fired was because he couldn’t work or play with the other billionaire narcissists at the company. He wasn’t out of work for long, however. Suddenly, he manifests as a contractor for the U.S. government, thank you SpaceX and Tesla. U.S. taxpayer’s have propped Musk up for at least the last decade and a half. OMG, our tax dollars are supporting his CHINESE car company.
South African Roots
Apartheid, was the name given to the social system of racial segregation created by the white-ruled country of South Africa. The system was harsh and deeply institutionalized and legally enforced. Musk grew up in apartheid South Africa. Musk, a rich, white kid, born into the era of apartheid, has a distorted view of human skin color. Clearly, Musk is unable to separate himself from his roots. Multiple lawsuits against his companies alleging discrimination and untenable working conditions by persons of color is concerning. Is this really a man we want making decisions about Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and who those biases might effect? This guy and his family benefitted off the near slave labor of black miners at the South African emerald mines they owned.
Marketing Slut
Musk is not a brilliant scientist/environmentalist, he is instead a marketing slut doing anything to keep his face in front of the public, a certifiable attention addict; anything to get us to look his way, a man desperate for adulation. Every day Musk is tweeting far right conspiracy theories, picking cyber fights, and embarrassing himself and his adopted country. While true leaders lift up those in need, Musk, like Trump, pushes them face down into the dirt. While leaders innovate, Musk destroys. His sociopathic quest for attention and front page media coverage, will I’m sure lead to his eventual collapse. In the entertainment industry it’s called overexposure. The continuous media spotlight on Musk has resulted in more than eye rolls; it has resulted in growing disfavor and rejection of the man and what he represents. There comes a point when merely a picture of the celebrity causes us to turn away. I have turned my back on Elon Musk.
Backlash From the Street
Musk thinks he is above the law and public reprisal. It’s apparent he thinks there will be no backlash for his destruction of the agencies that serve millions of people in this country. I’m done with secret billionaire clicks and their Supreme Court flunkies. Speaking as an American I don’t like what I’m seeing coming from Musk/Trump. The American public wants solutions, not hucksters and tricksters. Unfortunately, what we have is an unelected “surrogate”- “a sometimes U.S. President” arm-in-arm with the fat, old, tired, and psychopathic Donald Trump who can’t find the toilet paper hanging on the wall next to him.
On the Street
Tesla owners are being confronted on the street and educated about Tesla and Musk, often in less than glorious language. Crowds carrying signs and shouting insults are showing up at Tesla dealerships around the world; not just in the United States. I feel it-people are emerging from the mind numbing shock of Trump’s election, asking desperately, “what can I do?” to stop the billionaire assault on the very structure of our government.
A Growing Out Cry
A new Resistance is forming. The dazed and shell-shocked opponents of Trump and his gang of modern day robber barons are finding their voices and stepping up their defiance. The crowds are growing in size by the day; turning out to protest the unprecedented intrusion into the very heart of our government. DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) led by Musk’s gang of youthful cyber hackers, all under 25, are looking at millions of sensitive records at the Social Security department, the VA, the Defense Department, the IRS, Medicare, and Medicaid, with what intent?
No Good Intent
It’s clear that multiple agencies designed to help millions of disadvantaged American, going back to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration of the 1930’s-1940’s are under intense attack. Why have all the Inspector General’s been canned? These are the very folks that weed out fraud, corruption, and abuse. If this DOGE stunt was really about fraud, corruption and abuse, Musk should be working with the IG’s, not firing them. However, this should be no surprise, Musk was worried that several of the fired IG’s were investigating him and his companies. I don’t like seeing rich guys, like Musk, and our felonious co-president, Donald Trump, flaunt the law just because of they have fat bank accounts.
Oligarchs and Kleptocrats
In a kleptocracy, corrupt politicians secretly, or not so secretly, enrich themselves outside the rule of law, through kickbacks, bribes, and special favors, or by simply redirecting government funds to themselves and their friends and associates via contracts and special concessions. This is the world of the Oligarch. We can’t let their money and power intimidate us and those who will stand with us. What is emerging is a world wide struggle between the rich and the hordes of the poor. I can’t imagine anything that polls worse in America than the richest man in the world coming after Public education, your Social Security check, your VA healthcare, your Meals on Wheels, or your neighborhood Head Start.
What Can I Do?
I know you’re tired and I understand that you don’t think you can do another 4 years of protests. I want to assure you, we are all tired; exhausted in fact, but our democracy is quite literally in the crosshairs of the dictators. We can sleep later, what we need now is activism. Indivisible, MoveOn, 5Calls.org, democracydoccket.com, are all organizations that can help you direct your anger and focus on the goal to clean out the billionaires from our government and their Republican allies in the House and the Senate. I’m ready to start marching, hollering my head off, and raising my middle finger in response to Musk’s Nazi salute. Just remember that there are a hell of a lot more of us than them.
He Still Speaks to Us
He Still Speaks to Us
MLK, Still Speaks to Us
By Wes Hessel & Cate-Rees Hessel
A True Leader
Monday, January 20th, we honor a great, charismatic leader who led a huge multitude of committed followers – and no, we are not talking about Donald Trump. The real man celebrated today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the most visible champion of the civil rights movement. The men who were referred to as the “Big Six” were also key in the work: James Farmer, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and John Lewis. But Dr. King, or MLK, as he is often referred to, was the center of the fight for freedom for all. We hear the echoes of truth in his quotable phrases and speeches.
The Bible He Actually Read – And Lived…
The basis of what Dr. King strove for is rooted in the Scriptures he preached from – the Bible. That foundation is apparent throughout his words of wisdom, but particularly in these:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
And one paraphrased from his namesake, reformist Martin Luther:
“Live like Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow.”
“And I say to you today my friends, let freedom ring.”
Muster The Mustard Seed
MLK pointed out everything should proceed from faith:
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”
“I have decided to stick with love…hate is too great a burden to bear.”
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
“We must learn to live together as brothers…or perish together as fools.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”
“Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love. Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another.”
Donald Trump: It Should Have Ended Then and There
Donald Trump:
It Should Have Ended Then and There

Donald Trump:
It Should Have Ended Then and There…
By Cate Rees-Hessel and Wes Hessel
- 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…
- When he got the nomination in 2016, it should have ended then and there…
- When the Donald made fun of a disabled journalist, it should have ended then and there…
- When Trump bragged he “grabbed ‘em by the p_____”, it should have ended then and there…
- When Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- When the Donald completely mismanaged the pandemic causing catastrophic loss of life, it should have ended then and there…
- When he told the nation to drink bleach, it should have ended then and there…
- When the orange buffoon touted the unproven and ineffective anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for COVID, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- When he said the windmills cause cancer, it should have ended then and there…
- When Trump claimed the Continental Army “took over the airports” during the Revolutionary War, it should have ended then and there…
- When he held a Bible upside down outside of a church that has he does not attend, it should have ended then and there…
- When he began selling autographed Bibles and a bevy of of other merchandise to his loyal followers, it should have ended then and there…
- January 6th, it should have ended then and there…
- When he was impeached twice, it should have ended then and there…
- When the orange marmalade was indicated, it should have ended then and there…
- When he was convicted on thirty-four felony counts, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- 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…
- When he orchestrated the overturning Roe v. Wade, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- When he ran again after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, it should have ended then and there…
- When he got the Republican nomination despite being a convicted felon, it should have ended then and there…
- When he promised a “bloodbath”, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- When he chose JD Vance as his running mate, it should have ended then and there…
- When he refused to release his tax records during his 2016 campaign, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- 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…
- When Project 2025 came to light, it should have ended then and there…
- After Trumpty Dumpty was not reelected but was giving Putin confidential pandemic information, it should have ended then and there…
- When the boxes of classified information were found in the bathroom at Mar-A-Lago, it should have ended then and there…
- The fact the Donald lies more than he breathes, it should have ended then and there…
- When we learned his abnormal and horrifying fascination with dictators, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- When Trump told MAGA right wing “Christians” they will never need to vote again, it should have ended then and there…
- When conservative Republicans began to jump ship, it should have ended then and there…
- When he called our military members who made the ultimate sacrifice “suckers and losers”, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- 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…
- When Trumpty Dumpty said black people can relate to him because he is now a felon, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
- When the “My Pillow guy” and Elon Musk are his buddies, it should have ended then and there…
- 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…
You Might Just Be A Childless Cat Lady
You Might Just Be A Childless Cat Lady

You Might Just Be a Childless Cat Lady
By Cate Rees-Hessel
We need the childless cat ladies’ vote in this important 2024 election. Here are twenty-four reasons you might just be one of us ladies:
- If you realize your own worth, you might just be a (childless) cat lady…
- If you own adorable feline(s) and/or canine(s) and treat them like children because they are your furbabies, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you show your love for children in other ways: auntie, teacher, foster parent and so forth, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you understand the pain of infertility but still support reproductive freedom, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you hiss, growl, and instinctively put claws out when you hear the names JD Vance or Donald Trump, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you proudly support Momola Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you realize what a complete moron JD Vance is, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you love a good cat reel or meme, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you dressed as Catwoman at the last costume party you attended, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you support animal welfare organizations, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you recognize locker room talk for the abuse it is, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you can’t be grabbed – we have claws and we’re not afraid to use them, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you will donate kitty litter to the next Trump rally, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you believe in woman’s rights, equal pay, ERA, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you despise sexism, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you want the world to be a better place for all daughters, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you believe in sisterhood, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you read Cat magazine, not National Affairs, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If the sight of the Donald makes you want to cough up a hairball, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you want all children male or female to thrive, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you are a Democrat, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you wish you had a ball of string to strangle the Trumpy Bear that’s been advertised on television, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you bought a Trumpy Bear for your cat to use as a scratching post or chew toy, you might just be a childless cat lady…
- If you can be a playful kitty when the mood strikes, you might just be a childless cat lady…
Come on childless cat ladies, we can meow with the best of them. Our votes count, our lives have meaning, and frankly we are as cute as kittens…
Why I Am With Her
Why I Am With Her

Why I Am With Her
By Cate Rees-Hessel with Wes Hessel
The Democratic National Convention has been celebrating all week in Chicago at McCormick Place and United Center. A sincere thank you to President Biden for all he has done to heal and restore our nation, as well as giving us our first female VP. I stand with Kamala Harris and can’t wait to call her Madame President, since we were robbed of the opportunity in 2016 when Hilary Clinton won the popular vote. We fondly remember the legacy laid by Shirley Chisholm and Geraldine Ferraro as we move forward with this year’s election.
I feel a great sense of pride that my city is hosting the Democratic Convention. Especially this week we ladies are featuring pearls and Converse shoes. Of course, we also have to watch where we walk – there’s glass everywhere on our streets from another proverbial ceiling being shattered… So for the 2024 election, here are 24 reasons that I am with her, our Vice-President, as our candidate for President of the United States:
- To save social security, I am with her…
- To protect children, I am with her…
- To protect women’s rights, I am with her…
- To protect reproductive freedom – not because I want to see woman have abortions but because I want to protect both woman and children, I am with her…
- To preserve the middle class, so everyone can live with dignity, I am with her…
- To protect health care, I am with her…
- To cut down on crime, I am with her, the successful prosecutor…
- To pass common sense gun laws and prevent violence, I am with her…
- To put food on the table and in the mouths of children, I am with her…
- To continue the work of President Biden, I am with her…
- To continue the work of President Obama, I am with her…
- To protect unions, I am with her…
- To protect basic human rights, I am with her…
- To bring forth affordable housing, imagine 3 new housing units in four years, I am with her…
- To govern as a democracy, not a dictatorship, I am with her…
- To protect education-not student loans, I am with her…
- To prevent predatory lending practices, I am with her…
- To eradicate racism, I am with her…
- To stop sexism, I am with her…
- To stop antisemitism, I am with her…
- To serve the American people, not big business, I am with her…
- To address climate change, not pretend it doesn’t exist, I am with her…
- To prevent a convicted felon from stepping back in the Oval Office that he never belonged in to begin with, I am with her…
- To stand up to the orange haired monster and make history once again, I am with the intelligent, beautiful, strong and compassionate lady, Kamala Harris, in 2024…
Once again, we are reminded of the words the late Helen Reddy sang best:
“I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an’ pretend
‘Cause I’ve heard it all before
And I’ve been down there on the floor
And no one’s ever gonna keep me down again
Yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I’ve gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul
Yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I’ve gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
I am woman, watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin’ arms across the land
But I’m still a little embryo
With such a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand
Oh yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I’ve gained
If I have to, I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman…”
So this November 5th, or sooner in many districts, we need a blue wave across the nation, like we did in 2020. President Biden received then the highest number of popular votes in any presidential election in history, which removed Donald Trump from his desecration of the office. We must never let Trump set foot in the White House again; a convicted felon belongs behind bars.
Walz In With Harris
Walz In With Harris

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.









































































