HUMOR: For Whom The Bell Tolls

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HUMOR: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

“Calamity News and Politics believes in free speech no matter what your opinion. We however, do not think it is okay to threaten or insinuate harm to someone who disagrees with your opinion.  Stop bullies. Stand up for free speech.” (Editor: D. S. Mitchell) 

T.K. McNeil

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Death. One of the greatest fears in life. Though still not quite as much as public speaking. As Jerry Seinfeld pointed out, according to the statistics, more people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. Or, as another notorious brain box once said, “life is beautiful, death is peaceful, it is the transition that can be troublesome.”

When A Writer Gets A Death Threat

You might well be wondering why the change? When did Calamity’s resilient humorist switch over to gallows humor? First of all, it’s not recent (as my essay “Dark Candy” will attest). Second, I’ve had  reason to meditate on the dead recently. Introspection brought on by betting some very creative death threats.

Not What You Think

I am used to criticism. You have to be when you write for a living. You can’t appeal to everyone and that is fine. Even if they fall short of Dorothy Parker in terms of their retorts. Things go pear-shaped when criticisms and retorts are replaced by violence and threats. This is why death threats can be so effective. Just the threat of violence is often enough. The issuing of a Fwata can be as, if not more, effective than an assault with machine-guns. As happened to British Novelist Salman Rushdie and the Charlie Hebdo offices respectively. There are few faster ways to silence someone than threatening to do it permanently.

Trump Card

Political violence is nothing new. The majority of assassinations in the last century or so were of a distinctly political flavor. Even in the last few years things have been amping up. It has come to the point where there are fist-fights and machine-guns at political rallies. There are even fatalities. Such as the death of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville. Trump has made many changes to the national fabric. Making it dangerous to engage in political discourse is one of the worst.

Heathen!

Imagine my surprise when the messages wishing me fiery death and parking tickets came not from my copious political writings. What really ticked off the loonies was my writing on the more fringe aspects of culture. Particularly those dealing with religion as well as subject the religious think they have a right to weigh in on. I am not someone who can stand to see people getting kicked for no reason. An attitude which has seen me speak up on behalf of everyone from Wiccans to Metalheads to independent porn producers  and modern LaVeyan Satanists. The last of whose ideology is basically atheism with a floor show, which they will be the first to tell you. While I am sometimes rather critical of those who persecute such groups, my goal is always to foster greater empathy. Even for people you might think you have nothing in common with.

Can’t Type Straight

Yet this has somehow lead to me being labeled, let me check my notes here, a “satanic, sinful, goat-f**king, god-hating, misogynist, pro-free market, baby killing, apostate who will suffer the righteous wrath of the faithful before enduring the eternal fires of hell.” I would have sent a reply but I was laughing so hard I couldn’t type straight.

 

Impact of COVID-19 On Sub-Saharan Africa

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Impact of COVID-19 in Sub Saharan Africa

By Michael Leonard Douglas

*Calamity News and Politics.com

*Our Man in Africa: Michael Leonard Douglas grew up in Birmingham, England. Michael has an undergraduate degree in Arts, with a major in Design.  Michael currently resides in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition to contributing to Calamity Politics, Michael manages a freelance writing company, WritersInc. Michael’s first piece for Calamity Politics was, “Animal Cruelty Linked to Human Rights.” 

COVID-19 Lands

Nigeria became the first Sub-Saharan African country to report a case of the novel coronavirus on February 25th 2020. The patient was an Italian who had flown in from Milan, Italy. Italy was one of the places hardest hit by COVID-19. Since it’s arrival in Sub-Saharan Africa, the disease has spread dramatically. The statistics change daily but as of last week South Africa led with 622,551 total cases followed by Nigeria at 53,727 cases, Ethiopia at 49,654 cases, and Ghana at 43,949 cases (WHO, 2020).

COVID-19 Measures in Africa

The moment the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic in February 2020, African countries rapidly established containment measures including,, the closure of borders, active promotion of hand washing, social gathering restrictions, and mask wearing. A COVID-19 awareness campaign was activated to debunk rising myths and mistruths surrounding the disease (Osseni, 2020). These quick actions taken by Sub-Saharan African governments are, so far at least, working to keep case numbers down.  In fact, Africa south of the Sahara still has a lower case rate than most of the world.

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The History of Portland Protests

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Calamity Video Casts – The History of Portland Protests

The police in Portland have been dealing with our unique protesting style for years. Outsiders just don’t understand the need to stay home and not interfere. You can find Dave huddling in a bunker miles from the center of action!  Look for David Shadrick’s weekly video cast on Calamity News and Politics.

 

HUMOR: No Laughing Matter The Defamation of Clowns

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HUMOR: NO LAUGHING MATTER

The Defamation of Clowns

By I.B. Freely

Wokeness

“Representation.” A major buzzword in the modern media landscape. “Wokeness” has become the name of the game, with little resistance. Much like how Mussolini managed to take-over all of Italy without a shot being fired. Just marched in and took the seat of power. Looking very stylish while doing so.

Exceptions

Inclusion has become job one on film sets and at publishing houses.  Oppressed minorities fighting damaging stereotypes of the past. Ones which saw African-American actors not being  taken seriously until Sidney Poitier, except for the ones who were. Women didn’t have it much better, acting mostly as foils, motivation or “eye-candy.” Except for the ones who weren’t. Muslim thespians, meanwhile, are still dreamily  nostalgic for 1980s and early-1990s. When terrorist and villain roles were reserved for Brits, Germans, Russians, Irish Republicans and Jeremy Irons.

The Ignored

Despite the leaps and bounds made in terms of “representation”, there are still some crushed under the shiny, black jackboot of prejudice. Groups who even self-proclaimed liberals and SJWs (Social Justice Warriors) think absolutely nothing of mocking and vilifying. Only adding to the pain and violence visited upon the down-trodden and ignored.

Clowning

Once  a position of great respect, the vocation of clowning requires a post-secondary education to practice. The ancient vocation serving as the inspiration for one of opera’s most iconic roles. The truly tragic Pagliacci, defined in the 1980s by none other than Luciano Pavoratti. Ask your parents.

Not The Same

Sadly, the humble clown, who only ever wanted to make people happy, has plummeted in terms of social regard in recent centuries. Not only mocked, their name becoming a term of insult, it has become socially acceptable to portray members of the clowning community as the ultimate evil.

A Trend

While rarely recognized as such, the slanderous stereotype of “killer clowns” have been a horror staple since 1980s. Pennywise, the big bad in Stephen King’s novel It, is the granddad of the killer clown trope in horror. A trend continued in the 1988 “cult classic” Killer Klowns from Outer Space. A so-called “funny” horror film, which is really little more than vile, anti-clown propaganda from fade in to credits roll. Such foundations being the framework upon which everything from Halloween costumes to the crime against music known as The Insane Clown Posse are hung.

Culturally

The original “scary clown” archetype in popular culture, presenting the practitioners of the royal art as painted faced psychopaths, is The Joker. First appearing in Detective Comics (DC) in 1940, The Joker has developed into the most feared and hated character in modern culture. Presented evil as the night is long and twice as scary. Try that with any other recognized minority and just see how fast you get curb stomped in the metaphorical.

To The Rescue

There is hope however. A group of reasonable adults with no obsessive or reductive tendencies at all, no sirree bob, have formed the Organization for Representation of Clowns or O.R.C. Let us hope these brave freedom fighters can help address a grave crime against humanity that has gone on for far too long.

Women’s Suffrage: 100 Years In Retrospect

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Women’s Suffrage: 100 Years in Retrospect

By Anna Hessel

 A Century and Counting

Our nation just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which gave women the universal right to vote.  “You’ve come a long way, baby…” but we have an even longer way to go.  The women’s suffrage movement was a decades-long fight, giving females their voting rights, but the battle for equality is far from over.

The Fight Heats Up

In 1875, women’s suffrage had reached a monumental mark when Mrs. Virginia Minor filed suit against the State of Missouri for her constitutional right to vote in the presidential election.  The case wound up in the Supreme Court.  Unanimously, the justices claimed the privilege to vote was not a fundamental right of United States citizenship, and further asserted the denial of her voting rights was not protected by the 14th Amendment.

Coming Together for the Common Good

Before 1890, the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), specifically worked toward securing a woman’s right to vote by a federal Constitutional amendment.   The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) had their focus on the passage of women’s voting rights legislation on a state-by-state-basis.  That year they joined forces, becoming the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).  Strategical arguments had threatened to derail progress towards the goal on more than one occasion.

The Twenties Roar Right Out of the Starting Block

The 1920 ratification brought enormous changes for ladies in that decade.  These “Thoroughly Modern Millie’s” were scandalous, bobbing their hair, tying their pearls in a knot, painting their faces, and raising their hemlines.  Men found themselves in a quandary, as these new-fangled females were standing strong as empowered women.  As the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” put it about the watershed change of the time:

There are those

I suppose

Think we’re mad

Heaven knows

The world has gone

To rack and to ruin

What we think is chic, unique and quite adorable

They think is odd and Sodom and Gomorrah-ble

But the fact is

Everything today is thoroughly modern

Check your personality

Everything today makes yesterday slow

Better face reality

It’s not insanity

Says Vanity Fair

In fact, it’s stylish

To raise your skirts and bob your hair

In a rumble seat, the world is so cozy

If the boy is kissable

And that tango dance they wouldn’t allow

Now is quite permissible

Goodbye, good, goody girl

I’m changing and how

So beat the drums ’cause here comes

Thoroughly modern Millie now!

Everything today is thoroughly modern

Bands are getting jazzier

Everything today is starting to go

Cars are getting snazzier

Men say it’s criminal what women’ll do

What they’re forgetting is, this is 1922

Have you seen the way they kiss in the movies

Isn’t it delectable?

Painting lips and pencil-lining your brow

Now is quite respectable

Goodbye, good, goody girl

I’m changing and how

So beat the drums, ’cause here comes

Thoroughly modern Millie now!

Inspired by a 1967 Musical About 1922

I remember singing and dancing to that song at the age of 15 – it was the opening number for my modeling school’s graduation.  I was completely inspired by those lyrics, and I was armed with my Great Lash Mascara, Bonnie Bell Jumbo Lip Smacker in the very grown-up flavor of watermelon, Aqua Net big hair, and brand new platform sandals.  Just like those teenage girls getting their first experience with cosmetics when Bonnie Bell rolled out their skin care line in 1927, I was ready for these new, “all the rage” conveniences.

Equality is Coming…

I stood on street corners with NOW (National Organization for Women), asking people to, “go to bat for girls in sports”.  And, of course, doing everything I could to see the ERA ratified.  After all, I was almost 16; surely by the time I finished my education and joined the workforce, equal rights and equal pay would be a given.  My enthusiastic, “Young Miss” brain was mistaken – the fight continues on.

Give ‘Em an Inch…

The 19th Amendment changed women’s lives in many ways, moving closer to equal rights in many aspects of life in the United States of America.  Ladies were now advocating for education, birth control, sex education, equal wages, job opportunities, and the like.  Another baby of the 1920’s, the original ERA was written in 1921 by fellow activist attorneys and feminists Alice Paul and Crystal Catherine Eastman.  Ms. Paul held three law degrees and had been an instrumental leader of the women’s suffrage movement.  Ms. Eastman, of Erie, PA,  was a socialist, anti-militarist, journalist, and lawyer, educated at Vassar, Columbia, and NYU.

Persistence Pays Off, Sort Of…

The original phrasing read,  “No political, civil, or legal disabilities or inequalities on account of sex or on account of marriage, unless applying equally to both sexes, shall exist within the United States or any territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”  The amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1923, and in some form had been resubmitted in every subsequent session for almost fifty years, until it’s passage in 1972.

Still Trying

Virginia was the 38th state to ratify the ERA since it was proposed in 1972.  That ratification pushed the ERA across the threshold, however, the original deadline had run out in March of 1979.  But President Jimmy Carter signed into law an extension passed by Congress, granting additional time for the ERA to be ratified until June 1982.  Prior to this, though, five states had “rescinded” their ratifications, the legality of which still remains unresolved.  Many hurdles still remain in the amendment’s path.  It received bipartisan support with recent ratifications by Illinois in 2018 and Nevada just the year before, but these occurred after the inactivity of four decades.  Whether the amendment protecting the equal rights of women will actually be added to our Constitution remains yet to be seen.

Still Fighting

In the words of the immortal Shirley Chisholm, “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining.  You make progress by implementing ideas.”  “I want history to remember me…not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the Presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and who dared to be herself.  I want to be remembered as a catalyst for change in America.”  “At present, our country needs women’s idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.”

“Why shouldn’t I run for president?”

“I have certainly met much more discrimination in terms of being a woman than being black, in the field of politics.”  “I ran for the presidency, despite hopeless odds, to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo.”  Those of us that watched the Democratic National Convention will recall with pride a video clip of Ms. Chisholm exclaiming, “Why shouldn’t I run for president?”

Progress is Made but Higher Goals Await

Many women now serve as elected officials, holding public office, but none has yet to break the ultimate glass ceiling of our nation.  Hilary Clinton came very close, winning the popular vote against Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but lost by electoral votes.  Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris may just be the break we need to shatter the enormous barrier.  Marginalized minorities – Native Americans, Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asian women – still fall through the cracks.

Somethings Never Change

Outlandish arguments against the women’s suffrage movement are still in effect today, still being used against women’s rights.  For example, many men feared women voters might disrupt harmonious family relations, distracting away from family values and the institution of marriage, with the possible consequence of divorce.  Why women even may go to the extremes of wearing pants, cowboy boots, and neckties.

In Their Own Words

Both the 19th Amendment and the Equal Rights Amendment are succinct and simplistic in their directness:  Amendment XIX: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

Equal Rights Amendment:  “Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.”

The Vice Squad’s First Member, Almost

We as women voters owe a debt of gratitude to these sash-wearing, determined ladies of yesteryear, and those that followed in their stead.  Geraldine “Gerry” Anne Ferraro, the first woman to be nominated as a vice-presidential candidate by a major political party, quipped, “Vice president-it has such a nice ring to it!”  She faced much opposition, saying, ”The polls indicated that I was feisty, that I was tough, that I had a sense of humor, but they weren’t quite sure if they liked me, and they didn’t know whether or not I was sensitive.  I readily admit I was not an expert on foreign policy, but I was knowledgeable, and I didn’t need a man who was the Vice-President of the United States and my opponent turning around and putting me down.”  Ms. Ferraro, who’s desk drawer was filled with all kinds of prayers, humbly revered her place in history.

Dare to Dream

Author, feminist, and journalist extrordinaire Gloria Steinem reminds us, “Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.  Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”  Vocalist Helen Reddy recorded an anthem for empowered women everywhere:

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

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

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 an embryo

With 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 gained

If I have to, I can face anything

I am strong

(Strong)

I am invincible

(Invincible)

I am woman

Take a Stand, Make a Plan…to Vote

For the women who planned and marched, setting the bar high for those of us that followed a century into the future, I will honor your suffrage and legacy.  With a blue vote to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, I will take my stand for equality, so that the next chapter in our history may be written with dignity and relevance.  Women will decide this election; let us pave the way for our first female Vice-President of the United States.  Ladies, “this is our moment.  This is our mission.” (Joe Biden)

HUMOR: Doc Trump’s Traveling Medicine Show

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HUMOR: Doc Trump’s Traveling Medicine Show

HUMOR: DOC TRUMP’S TRAVELING MEDICINE SHOW

By I.B. Freely

Panacea

COVID-19 got you down? Worried about the long-term effects of the most toxic and contagious viral infection since Spanish Flu? Fear not citizen! Doc Trump’s Traveling Medicine Show has the cure for the most common ill of our age. And he should know, they don’t come much more common than frat-boy-in-chief.

A Spoonful of Toxin

Far beyond mere ‘science,’ this galaxy-brained very stable genius can know if a  treatment will work just by ‘feeling it.’ The pandemic will soon be a thing of the past. Even if Doc Trump has to poison half the population to reach this seemingly lofty goal, which is really no more than his god-like job’s worth. Besides which, as any Dread Pirate worth their cocaine powder knows, a little bit of poison helps build up immunity.

No, Really, Go Drink Bleach

Crowning the tippy, tippy top off Doc Trump’s list of brilliant, perfect, foolproof cures is humble bleach. It obviously kills bacteria, so it must utterly obliterate viruses, right? Viruses and bacteria are exactly the same thing, after all. Don’t let the biased infectious disease “experts” fool you. The skull and crossbones warnings jugs are really more of a guideline, than a hard and fast “truth.” It has even been promoted by a baptist preacher, a group known to have never lied or even exaggerated about anything at any point in the 6,000 year history of the earth, who was kind enough to give a demonstration on how to inject bleach up one’s nose.

Some Light On the Matter

Imbibing cleaning products not your thing? The quacks are all agreed that the use of ultraviolet light is an effective treatment for COVID-19. The only real stumbling block is that said light would have to to be used on the molecular level. The president said it on TV so it must be true. Never mind that he has been caught in upwards of 20,000 lies in the last four years. Criticizing a president for dishonesty is like chastising an assassin for a lack of empathy.

Science, I Guess

For the superstitious types who will insist on having some ‘scientific evidence’ behind their miracles, Doc Trump has you covered as well. Whole heartedly supporting a wonder drug known as Hydroxycloroquine. A real actual, malarial drug, the name of which only sounds like a fatally toxic aquarium cleaner. So read the labels carefully, as the drug in its proper form poses absolutely not health repercussions or draw-backs whatsoever. Aside from the occasional fatal massive heart-attack. Then again, the higher the death rate from heart-attack and accidental poisoning the lower the COVID infection rate will be. A result  sure to landslide the smartest man in the world right back into the Oval Office. Not that has anything to do with the price of coke in Columbia.

All Natural$

Natural remedies are also very important when it comes to battling COVID-19. Doc Trump’s Traveling Medicine Show is in full support of making the magical plant Oleandrin widely available as a health supplement. As well as pushing the FDA to officially name it a cure for COVID-19. The fact that the plant in question is so toxic that a single leaf can send a rottweiler to join the Choir Invisible is just a technicality. As no doubt stated by MyPillow.com founder Mike Lindell during the White House meeting he was granted. The fact that Lindell was fined $1,000,000 for false health health claims regarding his pillow notwithstanding. Perhaps they could suggest cyanide or night shade next.

 

Kamala Harris: Go Easy on ‘Em Kid…

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Kamala Harris: Go Easy on ‘Em, Kid…

By Anna Hessel

History in the Making

Joe Biden made history with his selection of the bright, beautiful and tenacious Kamala Harris as his running mate.  As Vice President Biden points out, “There is no door Kamala won’t knock on, no stone she’ll leave unturned, if it means making life better for the people.”  Joe originally met Senator Harris through his son Beau.  Joe valued his son’s respect for the strong-willed senator from California.  Kalama and Beau became friends when both were state AG’s and worked on financial institution reform.

Day One

Biden knows Ms. Harris has demonstrated her ability to be a leader from day one.  As the Attorney General for the state of California, she ran one of the biggest governmental legal organizations in the world, and is a member of the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees.

Rooted in Community and Excellence

Women of all races and walks of life identify strongly with this spirited heroine.  Kamala Devi Harris is 5’ 2” of pure energy and strength. This pretty, petite powerhouse has stood for justice since she was a child.  Senator Harris is an East Bay native, deeply rooted in the area, She was born October 20th, 1964, in Kaiser Oakland Hospital, Oakland, CA.  Her name Kamala, means “lotus” and refers to empowered women.

Mom and Dad

Her parents were immigrants and academics. Donald Harris, her father, is an emeritus professor at Stanford University. Her mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris, worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  Shyamala attended the University of Delhi, completing her undergraduate degree when she was only 19.

A Family Of Activists

Kamala’s grandmother,  Rajam Gopalan, who married at the age of 16. Rajam was considered an upper-caste wife.  She used her elite class status to help disadvantaged women in India. She was famous for driving around in a Volkswagen Beetle, announcing through a bullhorn how underprivileged women could access birth control.

Grown to the Sky

Kamala holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from Howard University. Ms Harris  received her law degree through Hasting College Legal Education Opportunity Program for Students from Adverse Backgrounds.   She was elected as the Attorney General of California in 2010. She was reelected in 2014.  In 2016, Ms. Harris became the junior senator from California, making her the third female senator from California, and the first South Asian American senator and the second African-American woman elected to the United States Senate.

In the Beginning

The fearless Senator Harris has always fought for our nation’s good. She has worked tirelessly for the American people, a lifelong leader for civil rights and public safety.  Kamala’s political career spans decades, and her exposure to activism started early.   Her parents, met at UC Berkeley and shared a  passion for civil rights. When Kamala was still a toddler her parent’s took her to numerous campus protests.  As a toddler, fussing little Kamala was once asked what it was she that she wanted – having already attended several civil rights rallies, the adorable, precocious tyke replied, “fweedom”.

A Childhood Like So Many Others

When she was only seven years old, her parents divorced.  Kamala was raised by her mother in a yellow duplex in Berkeley, along with her little sister Maya.  While in first grade, she was one of a group of students bused to Thousands Oaks Elementary School, a very prosperous upper-class Caucasian neighborhood.

Movin’ On Up

Maya and Kamala attended both an African-American Baptist church, as well as a Hindu temple, at the same time.  Ms. Harris was influenced by her grandparents when she visited India as a child.  Her grandmother was an activist and her grandfather was a government official of high-rank, both educating and fighting for the rights of the Indian people.  She attended high school in Montreal, where her mother taught at McGill University, and also held a position at Jewish General Hospital as a cancer researcher.  13-year-old Kamala, along with younger sister Maya, successfully led a protest outside their apartment building due to the policy that prohibited children from playing out front on the lawn.

Been There, Done That

Harris had wanted to be a lawyer since childhood.  Harris interned for Senator Alan Cranston of California, worked as a press aide at the Federal Trade Commission, and even served as a tour guide at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  Her role models include Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, and Constance Baker Motley.  Kamala advocates for abuse victims, and works to educate the public that certain behaviors such as dress and music do not necessarily equate to gang membership.

Apples Fall Close to the Tree

Her sister Maya received a B.A. from UC Berkeley, and then her law degree from Stanford.  She was in charge of her sister’s presidential campaign, having worked in television as a commentator and as an executive director of ACLU for Northern California.  Her husband, Tony West, served during the Obama administration as an Associate United States Attorney General, and now is the Chief Legal Officer for Uber Technologies, Inc., in San Francisco.

The Fruit Begins to Show

The stunning and stylish Ms. Harris joined the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha while at Howard University.  Also, during her time at the school, she ran her first campaign, for the freshman representative position on the liberal arts student council, and was also a member of the debate team.  Howard taught an excited Kamala that you can be many things – the homecoming queen can also be the valedictorian, channeling Elle Woods.

“What, Like It’s Hard?”

Daily after classes in law school, she helped potty-train her niece. Recalling the experience in 2018, Harris said, “I’m dealing with this brutal stuff, dog-eat-dog in school, and then I would come home and we would all stand by the toilet and wave bye to a piece of shit.  It will put this place in perspective.”  She passed the bar exam on her second try in 1990. The same year, she joined the Alameda County Prosecutor’s Office in Oakland, as an Assistant DA.

Working to Keep Victims From Being Victimized Further

She was recruited by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to help end teen prostitution.  Ms. Harris’ goal for these young women was to view them as victims, not criminals, selling sex.  She has always advocated for women and children. She was instrumental in developing the San Francisco Department of Public Health program which enables emergency rooms to identify evidence of sexual abuse.   Kamala is the co-founder of the Coalition to End the Exploitation of Kids, pushing the strengthening of laws to end profiteering of those under age.  Her efforts produced San Francisco’s very first safe house for minors to escape sexual exploitation.  Ms. Harris’ creativity and influence has resulted in punishment for perpetrators victimizing youth.

Getting on the Right Track

Even when she receives criticism, she does not back down from her principals.  Kamala insists that it is imperative to be “smart on crime.”  “Back on Track” is a program, she helped design for non-violent lower-level drug traffickers. The program offers life skill and job training, with the chance to avoid a prison sentence.  Only 10% of the program’s graduates had repeat offenses, contrasted with the typical recidivism of 53% for those with drug convictions.  Her rehabilitative program is more cost-effective than jail time.  She refuses to consider offenders as lost causes.

Attending to the Heart of the Matter

Ms. Harris also targeted the truancy of elementary school children when she discovered that nearly 95% of those murdered before the age of 25 in the San Francisco area happened to have dropped out of high school.  Those who were very often absent while in grammar school were more susceptible to leave high school prior to graduation, typically by age 35 ending up dead or jailed.  She developed programs to assist parents with school attendance.

Raising the Bar

In 2003, Kamala Harris ran against her former boss  to become the first African-American female elected DA in California.  Within her first three years as the District Attorney of San Francisco, conviction rates increased from 52% to 67%.  She endorsed her friend Barack Obama when he ran for the Senate in 2004, and in 2010 she went on to win the race for the state’s top attorney.  Attorney General Harris filed a successful civil enforcement action citing “widespread misconduct” on foreclosures against OneWest Bank.

Fashion and Plate

The fashionable and funny vice-presidential nominee often sports pearls and has an extensive collection of Converse sneakers, including platform versions and All-Stars.  Her unique style rocks; a high-low mix of classic attire.  Not since 1984, when Walter Mondale chose Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, have we had the pleasure and progress of a female vice-presidential nominee.   Rumor has it she enjoys a good burrito, and loves cheeseburgers, but admits we need to establish more healthy eating habits, reducing red meat consumption.  She also recognizes the importance of American families being able to put food on the table.

Food Network Calling?

Kamala loves to cook.  In a video she shows Senator Mark Warner the proper way to assemble a yummy tuna melt.  She can roast a chicken with the best of them, using salt, pepper, chopped herbs, lemon zest, and minced garlic, trussing the poultry and allowing it 24 hours in the fridge. Then rubbing it with butter or oil, and slow-roasting it at 325 degrees for at least a couple hours, making a sauce of the drippings and using the leftovers for a scrumptious chicken salad.

Wife and Stepmom

She is married to prominent entertainment attorney Douglas Emhoff. Harris and Mr. Emhoff met on a blind date set up by a friend. Senator Harris is tough and courageous, yet still has a big heart – her two stepchildren affectionately call her “Momala”.

Making History

She is also resolved and resilient – in 2017, her rather persistent grilling, which had Jeff Sessions remarking he was “nervous” after only three-and-a-half minutes of her interrogation, went viral. Another viral moment came during the intensive questioning of Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings in 2018.   During the 2019 Democratic Presidential Debates, Joe Biden quipped to Kamala Harris to, “Go easy on me, kid…,”  Six months later he chose this amazing woman to make history as his running mate. If elected she will become the first female and minority Vice President in U.S. history.of the United States.

‘Beeing’ Herself

The lady Donald Trump referred to as, “nasty”, we call, “insurmountable, decisive, intelligent, and caring”.  Kamala allows us to see her fun-loving side. One video shows her  attired in leggings, a jacket, and sneakers, dancing like everybody’s watching, and we are.  On November 3rd, my leggings, jacket, and sneakers are ready to join our new Vice President-elect in a victory dance – “you go, girl….”

Documentary: White Night Riots

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Gay In America

Documentary: White Night Riots

*Editor’s Note: When Trevor McNeil’s article “Gay In America” was published last week this documentary was supposed to accompany it. Well, it didn’t. So, here we are. Let’s try it again.

Daniel White murdered San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the country. Each victim was shot 5 times. When White was found guilty of manslaughter the crowd awaiting the verdict began to riot.

 

Lionel Richie “Three Times A Lady”

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“You’re once, twice, three times a lady…

Lionel Richie: “Three Times A Lady”

Anna Hessel was jumping up and down when we let her know she had just been tapped to choose the Calamity Politics jukebox song of the day. So in honor of her upcoming article on Kamala Harris Anna chose “Three Times A Lady” by Lionel Richie. Enjoy!

Policing Problematic Puppy Mills

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Policing Problematic Puppy Mills

By Wes Hessel

 Producing Pets For Pure Profit

 By definition a “puppy mill” is problematic.  These breeders raise animals purely for profit.  At best,  conditions barely meet legal minimum standards.  Most often there is flagrant disregard of laws and the animals’ welfare, subjecting animals to horrendous conditions.

Per Wikipedia

Per Wikipedia, a codified uniform legal characterization has not yet been made.  A case law definition was established in 1984 by Avenson v. Zegart, as “a dog breeding operation in which the health of the dogs is disregarded in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits”.   “Emphasis on quantity over quality, indiscriminate breeding, continuous confinement, lack of human contact and environmental enrichment, poor husbandry, and minimal to no veterinary care”, is how The Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS)  Veterinary Medical Association describes the practice.

Make It Stop..

Senior director John Goodwin of The Humane Society of the United States is spearheading a stop puppy mills campaign.  The goal of the campaign is to activate the average citizen. Goodwin believes it is imperative that citizens report puppy mills and then refuse to  patronize stores who sell animals that come from these suppliers.  Some Mennonite and Amish communities have concentrations of puppy mills, particularly in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  The Midwest has a large percentage of the offenders: the animal protection organization’s “Horrible 100” has five Indiana dog breeders on the list, for example, one of which is tied for the seventh worst.  Missouri, who has the highest number of puppy mills in the U.S., reported two breeders with significant numbers of emaciated dogs and abhorrent conditions.

It Gets Worse…

An Iowa  puppy mill with 650 dogs had more than 50 that were ill or injured.  Some of these operations have over a thousand canines in their charge.  Circumstances at smaller breeders aren’t necessarily better.  The Attorney General of Michigan is pursuing action against an AKC breeder for allegedly deceiving customers, euthanizing unwanted puppies, and selling sick animals.  A Kansas puppy miller admitted to shooting and killing over two dozen dogs.  Some others have been known to drown animals rather than go to the expense of humane euthanasia.

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