We Must Never Forget–The Republican Sedition!

Over 260,000 Americans are dead from contracting COVID-19 and trump plays golf.

Over 20 million people are in danger of losing healthcare coverage in the midst of a pandemic and trump plays golf.

Over 80 million people have elected a new president and trump denies, deflects, distracts, hinders, and plays golf and the Republican leadership, is silent–totally ignoring the needs of Americans and instead, attempting to protect their party’s power.

From the time Mitch McConnell entered the Senate, his entire motivation was to obstruct Democrats from doing anything. We saw it with Obama and then with trump, we saw McConnell rapidly approve every nomination of every person who would be pervasive in ignoring the needs of the people, but would put party over country. Everything that is wrong with this country–at this moment–is because of the hatred harbored in the hearts of Republicans who will never acknowledge that brown and black people are equal to them. We see with the conspiracy theorists, the Tea partiers, and all the rest who consistently and methodically attempt to make life harder for those who are not rich and have no access to obtaining wealth.

Education is the greatest pathway to accessing wealth and the person put in charge of the educational department–Betsy DeVos–is the actual nemesis of public education. She had no experience with public education–of her own or through her children and she has successfully mangled and destroyed any trust people have had in the government’s involvement with public education for all.

We see this with the appointment of judges to lifetime positions, who are racially biased against seemingly all non-white Americans, in an effort to keep them “in their place” which for many, is incarcerated when they don’t have “legal means” of providing for self and families.

The office of the Attorney General has been forever tainted with William Barr who has chosen to be responsive to trump’s pursuit of justice against his opponents than in acting as an independent operator of law and justice. Not only should Barr be removed forthwith with the new administration, he should be charged with malfeasance and obstruction of justice.

The list could go on for many pages, and as horrible as trump has been, we have to wonder about the 74 million people who voted to re-elect him. Do they illustrate the magnitude of hatred and racial bigotry in this country? Are they complicit in the deaths of 260,000 Americans? Are they willingly complicit in keeping the low-educated and ill-informed from accessing public education that would make a difference in their lives? Did they really want to see American Democracy come to an end in order to see a narcissistic authoritarian dictate what happens to everyone?

These are the same people who found fault with Joe Biden being genuinely affectionate towards others, but they found no fault with trump grabbing female genitalia. They see no problem with 26 women alleging sexual misconduct against trump, but choose to believe Joe Biden is a pedophile because they believed garbage because they’re incapable of thinking for themselves and drawing conclusions based upon solid research from credible resources. These are the same people who chant “lock her up” against Hillary when she’s never been convicted of anything. These are the same people who chanted,” lock him up,” against Joe Biden when he has done nothing worthy of an arrest, and certainly not a conviction. And yet, when Kyle Rittenhouse killed two people and injured a third, they contributed to his ability to be released on bond. To say these people–this 74 million Americans are stupid would be a gross understatement. They are hateful, bigoted, dangerous people who have no interest in law and order, but are interested in maintaining their “misguided assumption of white supremacy,” and they are all around us. Until trump, they were hidden–closeted while steadily planning on perceived plots against them–totally disillusioned by lies, not knowing how to separate truth from fiction.

Most of this 74 million people take exception to anyone claiming that “Black Lives Matter” and they deflect and distract, by imputing that “Blue Lives Matters,” without ever understanding or wanting to understand the entire purpose of the Black Lives Matter movement. Instead, they chose to believe trump who claims the BLM movement is a terrorist group, ignoring the fact that this group of people, were never responsible for the violence and vandalism that white supremacists committed to make it look like–the BLM group was responsible. Why? It is their errant, but inherent belief that white people are superior to non-white people and don’t deserve the same consideration as other white people and certainly won’t recognize any equality.

While many people stopped reading by the time they got to the second paragraph, those that continued to read are needed to help keep this country on the right track–keeping American Democracy intact–and the only way we can do that is to bypass Republicans at every turn. They have shown us (most of them, not all) they are not interested in American government being representative of all Americans, and only want to push forth an agenda that will legislate for the benefit of white people. This is not and should be the “American Way,” but it is certainly the bigoted way of governing.

What can Americans do to stop the effects of being laughed at on the global stage? We can do what’s right–and vote for Democrats in every election, in every city, township, county, state, island or cove. Democrats are not perfect people, but they do what’s right for all and when wrong–own it. Now is not the time for people to see themselves as Independents, when the country needs their total involvement in the process of governing for all. We need the best people, not the most republicans–as we’ve seen–especially in the Senate. We need to see the Democratic process at work in the Senate with appropriate background checks for every nomination and immediate consideration for every bill that comes to the Senate and the delaying tactics, must stop–NOW!

I wonder if the 74 million people who voted for trump understand how Mitch McConnell has hamstrung their ability to receive needed assistance through this pandemic. I wonder how McConnell and and Graham managed to be reelected–especially in light of their attempts to ignore the will of the people on the national level–with the lies about voter fraud–and all the court decisions against their lies.

America–all of us–black, brown, white, red–no matter what our ethnicity is or our faith or sexual orientation or gender–we are the only ones who can make a difference in this country and it is by our VOTE. WE MUST BE ENGAGED BEYOND THIS ELECTION AND INVOLVED IN EVERY ELECTION, to see American Democracy work for all.

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“Access Denied”

I’m not sure how many black Americans feel about all the uproar from those who don’t fully understand, why Black Lives Matter, or what it means to have been denied access to so much in this country that has made the, “wealth gap” between black Americans and white Americans so great. Simply put, from the time African slaves were brought to this country, we have been “denied access” to the basics that promote prosperity for the general populace.

For those who do not claim to be racist, I would like for you to take a walk-through history–via an actual book or Internet research to understand how the denial of access has kept people behind. For those who know and understand–I hope you’ll speak up to confirm what I say and I’m going to use the plural pronoun, “we” because my ancestors were part of the journey and the multitudes who were denied access.

• We were denied access to the native language of the many tribes brought to this country. Fear of what was being said, and not understood by white slave owners, forced African tribesmen to forego their native language to learn a new one–in captivity.
• We were denied access to learning to read or write the new forced language because the white slave owners knew, that once we learned how to read and understand the environment and how it purposefully kept people under control, we would rebel and fight for the freedoms we rightfully deserved as human beings.
• We were denied access to protecting women and children from being molested and raped by white slave owners who “raped the women” to expand their wealth of slaves without paying for more. Many of those women were raped in front of the men they had been given to for “procreating more slaves” and the men were prohibited from doing anything to protect their women.
• We were denied access to having our inventions patented because we were not considered “full human beings.”
• We were denied access to raising our own children when the “master” thought it was more beneficial to separate black children from their mothers so they could benefit economically.
• We were denied access to joining the military to fight in early wars and had to join all black regiments (check the history for yourself), there was more to the black regiments than the Tuskegee Airmen than many have no knowledge about.
• We were denied access to buy land or houses in specific areas and had to use white allies to purchase for us and then were denied access to equality of living in peace and freedom because white neighbors didn’t want us around them.
• We were denied access for the opportunity to go to school with white children (segregation).
• We were denied access to use public transportation in the same way as our white counterparts.
• We were denied access to college education and therefore established our own after a number of black people, sat in hallways, on the floor, grappling to understand what was said by white professors so they could also get a higher education.
• We were denied access to hotels, bathrooms, theaters, and restaurants and when were given access–we were seated in out of the way places so as not to upset or offend the white clientele.
• We were denied access to be accurately portrayed in the movies, and in television shows as a people with their own rich culture.
• We were denied access to economic growth–bank loans, mortgages, and other businesses. When some dared to defy the status quo and established their own access to economic wealth (Black Wall Street), angry, bigoted white people burned down the town and killed many of the residents.
• We were denied access to equal justice in all areas of our “so-called justice system. We were never given opportunity to prove innocence because were always judged guilty simply because of our skin tones.
• We were denied access to the same amenities of our white counterparts on trains, in bus depots and on buses.
• We were denied access to community amenities–the swimming pools, the tennis courts.
• We were denied access to healthcare and dental care and funeral homes–we had to establish our own which were not equal to the access others had.
• We were denied access to cemeteries–I guess dead black folks were a big threat.

So, I get why some people are up in arms with the current environment and awakening of reality–black people have a right to be angry and to protest the injustices suffered by our ancestors and what many are enduring right now–access denied–to being treated like a human being, American citizens, with justice for all.

The following is taken from a post on Facebook in response to someone bemoaning the fact that Black people wanted their own television station and colleges and universities–they did not understand why, so I responded. There was so much more, but at the time I read their post, only two things struck me to remember.

For Blinded Eyes–Historically

This morning, I woke up at 3:00 am and could not sleep, so I started scrolling through Facebook posts and ran across a post that got my attention. I cannot remember who wrote it, but perhaps, if they read through this one, they will know who are.

 

I do not remember all of it, but there are two things which struck me the most. You see, the post was bemoaning the fact that the author did not see the need for: BET (versus WET) or Black colleges versus white colleges. I wish I could remember more, but at 3:00 am, I guess I am doing good to remember this.

 

BET–the Black Entertainment Television–why? Because for years, there did not appear to be any room for black entertainers on most television networks. Most of the network productions portrayed black people as clownish or stupid, illiterate, and poor, with a few exceptions. The reason BET needed to be–because the WET (White Entertainment Television) (the author’s words, not mine) was all there was–and still does not adequately portray who black people are. But I want the author to remember think about this–exactly how long has the television industry been around and exactly how many shows accurately portrayed the black community? How long did it take for black entertainers to be taken seriously and given serious roles in the entertainment industry?

 

HBCU–Historical Black Colleges and Universities exist because for generations–white colleges would not allow black people entrance. The few black people who got into the hallways were left there–outside the classrooms, straining to hear what was said so they could keep up with the workload, but never accepted as part of the class. Historically, and apparently now, that attitude still exists today in some people who think black people are not good enough to get where they are.

 

I would ask the author and any who agreed with them to do some research and remember that the slaves were not allowed to learn to read, then they weren’t allowed into white schools, colleges, hotels, and when they were allowed into restaurants, they were seated “out of the way” of the white clientele.

 

If anyone is still reading this–that is a miracle, but I want to say this much. Instead of bemoaning or complaining about black people wanting equality and justice, remember what was done to us–and all the “access denied” that we endured, and yet, many of us have managed to do so much more than some white people who always had access to whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it–and we did not. My response is not meant to stir up more racial hostility, but to hopefully cause some to wake up–and understand, we are just trying to obtain what you’ve always had–“access to doing better.” Whenever I see a lack of understanding about the history of black folks in America, I will address it and I would hope that–it would open the door to conversations that matter and will make a difference to all.

I do not have a problem addressing issues when I see them, but I will take the time to respond in a coherent manner, that does not promote any further racial tension. What I will not do, is to ignore the obvious ignorance that some have displayed simply because they want to deny history, or never understood it.

 

 

 

A Little Perspective

With all of the Executive Orders limiting and quarantining people–all over the world–and especially in the United States, people are grumbling.

CEOs are grumbling about losing money in businesses–the sports arena, airlines, children and parents are grumbling, every market that contributes to the economy is grumbling because of the attempt by many leaders to save lives–from a destructive virus that does not discriminate and then we have an occupant in the WH who chose not to recognize and deal with the situation earlier than he did. But this isn’t about him, it’s about us–the everyday, working Americans who have apparently taken the privileges (to get into cars and drive where we want to go, when we want to go, and do what we want, when we want to do it), we have as a right.

There are hungry children all over the world. There are adults struggling with lack of job skills, addictions and apathy. There are homeless people living in parks, dumpster diving to eat, sleeping in public toilets so they have someplace to wash their face. There are people who have job skills and can’t find jobs. There are companies who won’t hire specific groups of people and have wage caps that won’t allow a person to save for a rainy day.

Well that rainy day has come and it’s been raining for four weeks now with no sign of a let up, yet. Why? Because of that pesky virus that’s killing people and since we weren’t prepared to contain it or stop it, here we are–on lockdown–except for going out for essential needs–food and medicine. And here is where things get really crazy. The grumbling by folks who yet have lives to live–angry because they can’t travel to their homes up north, or have their landscapers cut their lawns (they can do it themselves, but that’s too much to expect of the privileged, right?) or they can’t go to the salon or the barber or get their nails done or do some spring painting or plant gardens. Really? Did anyone see the statement about lives lost?

Over 200,000 thousand people have contracted the virus in America and 20 thousand have lost their lives. In order to minimize any further loss of life, governors–primarily–have issued executive orders asking people to stay at home, away from large gatherings so they limit contact with others who might be carrying the virus. And what do silly people do? Complain and grumble.

I wonder what they would do if someone had started a war and over half of the nation’s buildings were destroyed, banks, hospitals, stores, farmland–everything. The homes in the Hamptons, and Martha’s Vineyard and further north in Michigan–all desolated and the beaches demolished with contaminated water. What good would privilege do anyone then? There is no food to be found, no water to drink and the air is polluted with contaminates from exploding bombs. What would we do then? There is no shelter other than a partially standing wall here and there, and masses are huddled wondering which way to turn or fearful if they’ll be attacked for the shreds they now call clothes. The rats are thriving, but there is little animal life left and people are hungry. What will they do?

We are not in that situation but there are people in other countries who are and they’re too busy trying to survive to complain. So why can’t we do the same? We need to take another look at ourselves and see this situation from a different perspective. We may be doing without our favorite restaurant or getting gussied up or entertaining friends and families, but what we have, that the dead don’t have is–another chance to live our lives, if we practice social distancing and abide by the executive orders of those who are simply trying to keep us safe. If we don’t have life, having a job won’t matter, flowers and vegetable gardens won’t matter, homes in other places won’t matter, none of it will matter if we are dead.

So, do everyone that’s left a favor–practice social distancing and give us all a chance to live until the next pandemic (for it will come), but let’s learn from this one how to survive and thrive, while we can. Think about it, with a little more perspective other than not being able to live our “privileged lives” having everything we want.

The Case For Truth

I don’t know about anyone who might happen upon this blog to read it, but for me–the truth means, no lies or misrepresentations are presented to mislead the populace and that information provided is supported with evidence, not just opinion. Sometimes simple syllogisms present truth in a very uncomplicated way, when accurate conclusions are readily identifiable.

For instance:

Donald Trump is a pathological liar (over 8000 lies have been recorded by Washington post). People who work for Donald Trump lie to the public on a regular basis. Therefore, working for Donald Trump requires one to lie.

His inauguration crowd was not the largest.

No one has told him he’s the best president in all history.

Not every world leader likes or even respects him.

He’s not a great businessman or negotiator.

There is no “national emergency” or crisis at the southern border other than the one he created.

President Obama did not “tap his wires.”

Hillary Clinton is not a crook and no one is locking her up, but look at all of his associates who have been indicted and some either serving time, or headed to prison. LOCK THEM ALL UP!

Democrats are not demons and do not condone infanticide.

Black people are not “too stupid” to vote for him; we’re far too smart to vote for lying, con man who cheated his way into the White House.

He lied about Stormy Daniels.

He lied about the country being safe from N. Korea.

He lied about releasing his taxes and his eternal audits.

He lied about having any business connections with Russia.

He lied about anyone in his campaign being involved with Russia.

He lied about ignoring the FBI and CIA and their conclusions about not granting Jared a top security clearance.

His cabinet members have lied about events that are easily fact-checked.

His Press Secretary lies every time she opens her mouth.

Kellyanne Conway lies to the public in every interview.

All of his sycophants lie to defend him. How do we know? From the RNC chairwoman to the least of the Retrumplicans–they all repeat (parrot) the same talking points–all lies.

All those who continue to support and believe him, must also be liars since they have no problems supporting a liar.

Retrumplicans lie to their supporters when they promote false propaganda, trying to incite fear and hatred. They don’t understand what “socialism” means and conflate it with their distaste for helping others or providing an avenue for equality for all.

Videos and campaign ads promoted by the Retrumplican party and trump–all lie–to keep their base confused and fearful.

I could do this for hours more, but I really have better things to do with my time, so–I challenge anyone reading this to provide factual, credible evidence that my premises about trump are wrong.

Provide me with the links to credible publications, print or digital and or videos that refute my claims and I’ll write a retraction of all I’ve said. Please don’t use any of the lying sycophants or news pundits to win an argument because whenever they’re asked a direct question, they deflect and change the topic or fall back on: but Obama, but Hillary, or trump has the absolute right… (citing constitutional authority rather than answering the questions). What’s really amazing to me is the number of times trump sycophants can “cite constitutional authority,” but ignore Congress’s constitutional authority to conduct oversight over the White House.

At any rate, contacting me is a breeze if it’s actually necessary and I’ll be certain to post replies and my comments.

For me, the bottom line is this–there’s a lake of fire prepared for all liars and I don’t plan to spend eternity, roasting in it–so for me–truth is essential. One would think it would essential for everyone, but especially those in a position of leadership.

And Jesus tells us, “We shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free.” I believe Jesus–who is The Truth and certainly never lies.

The Fallibility of Human Nature

Before we can understand how imperfect we are, we need to admit we all have imperfections and flaws. That said, let’s look at what happens when we refuse to see ourselves as we really are.

Take the daily news we tend to absorb. What motivates what we see or read? The headlines tend to grab us–based upon our individual stances or beliefs–and we’re often ensnared by the headlines and never read the details of an article or listen to the details of newscasts. Then, when we don’t bother with the details, but want to share what we just read or heard, we become arbiters of spreading *fake news* if in fact, what we shared was not truth. Allowing headlines to ensnare us is a human flaw–we all do it–and this is one of the reasons why we saw what happened in 2016–false headlines led many to believe lies about Hillary Clinton. Okay, this isn’t about Hillary, but it does serve to make the point being made–we are flawed human beings and sometimes, we allow our biases to interfere with good judgment.

Recent news (not fake, but very real) has revealed that Donald Trump is an un-indicted co-conspirator in crimes involving campaign violations (and others as we’ll soon see). He was listed as “individual 1” in a sentencing memo for Michael Cohen–his former fixer. At any rate, many people–including Republican elected leaders–have chosen to ignore the obvious because it doesn’t gel with their personal biases. In fact, Orrin Hatch (invisible glasses) has even stated that if trump has committed a crime, he doesn’t care. Kevin McCarthy has said, “if campaign violations is a crime, then we’d have to prosecute a number of people in Congress” (not exactly a statement that builds trust or faith in our elected officials). As a consequence, trump supporters (Cult45 and MAGAts), tend to believe the menace because he tweeted, “totally cleared the president. Thank you,” after the sentencing memo dropped. Why? He didn’t read the memo to discover he was referenced in it. And because of his ego and narcissistic tendencies, he would never admit it anyway, at least not publicly. Word on the street has it–he’s totally unnerved by the findings, but since his supporters only watch Fox News, they’ll never know the truth of the matter because–they’re not interested in truth, just in finding news that supports their thinking.

Someone on Twitter earlier today suggested that we go back to the Fairness Doctrine where all sides are presented in the media so then the consumer would be able to make wise decisions about the news. In theory, it sounds good, but wouldn’t it make more sense to educate the public in how to recognize credible sources of information? First of all, the consumer of information has to “want to know truth” in order to recognize it when it’s being told. How do we determine truth? What are the facts/evidence supporting what is reported? Who collected the facts/evidence and what is their reputation/credibility? What is their motive in collecting the facts/evidence and in the subsequent reporting? If the person presenting the information has extreme biases about what they’re presenting, can they really be objective in their perception of how the consumer will either receive or reject what they say?

Then, we have to take into account the “place” where the consumer of information is when they either hear or see certain types of information. On a good day, when everything is going our way, we can be a bit cynical about some of what we hear, but on the other hand, if we’re already soured about events surrounding us, we tend to only want to hear those things that encourage our being sour on everything. It’s human nature! It’s what we do!

Right now, many (not all) of us only want to hear the very worst about trump because it serves our purposes in knowing we were right about him all along. But are we right? Did we miss something in the process of wanting to be right? It’s possible, but that’s not the purpose of this article. I’m simply pointing out the fallibility of human nature and the fact that none of us are always right or always wrong. We’re simply human beings with biases developed over the course of lives. Sometimes, we’re wise enough to look deeper–see the details and change our perspectives, but that doesn’t happen too often. When we have hardened views on almost any subject, we’re only inclined to listen to those people who build pillars to support our views, rather than listen to those who deliberately challenge us to widen our horizons and hone our views based upon the facts/evidence we discover.

Today, we live in such a divided society that no matter what one person says (Democrat or Republican) they are judged because of stances they’ve taken with or without justification. We can move our society to a better place if all–everyone–regardless of party affiliation would simply take the time to *research* information, determining whether it is credible or not, analyzing the motivation behind what we use, before drawing any conclusions about any presented information.

Now, I’ll admit–I have some favorite news outlets and most of them will actually support my biases. However, when I hear things that don’t sound credible–I research–and I don’t care who said what. I’d rather take the time to research the information before spreading lies, creating undue animosity–which is what many people do. I know trump supporters don’t like the fact that *he lies* consistently, with no purpose at this point because we all know, he lies. The problem is–one day–he just might tell us the truth (though he and truth have no relationship) and no one will believe it because he lies. I encouraged him over two years to have someone read to him, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” I don’t think he ever read that or had anyone read it to him.

The really sad part is, he never read about Pinocchio either. His comprehension skills, to say the least, are negligible.  The proof of that statement is available in a video clip of him, “tossing a coin” to determine which team did what (Army vs Navy last weekend), but he took that literally. The “coin toss” is actually, flipping the coin, but he didn’t understand that and made a fool of himself and as a result, social media lambasted him. But I digress. The point of this is to encourage others to understand the need to research information from a variety of sources before we decide how we feel about it or spread it to others.  If we’re going to read or listen to *conservative* views, we might want to sprinkle enough information from the other side to come to a logical, rational conclusion. I’m reminded of the nonsense that was spread by conservative outlets about Hillary and the Parkland Students–created because of conspiracy theorists who had no evidence on which to base or promote their fraudulent theories, but they promoted them anyway and many gullible people, swallowed them whole.

Non-credible sources include: Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Tomi Lahren, Tucker Carlson,  Jeanine Pirro, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, Common Dreams, New York Post, Fox News (Entertainment) Network, or anyone who cannot or will not provide facts/evidence to support what they say and that includes Jerry Falwell, Jr. Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker, or Paula White or a multitude of other Evangelicals who lied to their congregations when they told them, “God chose trump to be president.” Where’s the evidence? Are they operating on feelings? Is it based upon The Word of God? The Character of God? Do trump’s actions align with the Word of God?

What the Evangelicals won’t tell people is how they have contrived for years to find someone who will do whatever they want done–under cover of the White House–for an exchange of money–the almighty dollar that speaks volumes for those who are greedy and corrupt. And yes, I’m calling out the Evangelical Community that lied to people and is still lying to people. They do not know God, or His Word, or His Character. If they did, they would not have told people God chose trump. It’s just that simple and that can be researched and proven by trying to align trump’s character and behavior with The Word of God.

But we know, the lying Evangelicals won’t tell people the truth, because they don’t want to admit their fallibility as human beings because to them, being a Christian means you can never be wrong. The reality is, being a Christian really means–we try to live like Christ–admitting our shortcomings, recognizing we’ll never be perfect and always seeking Him to guide us in all things. And when we “think” we’ve heard Him speak to us, we can prove it by aligning what He says to us with what He’s already said in His Word. God is not a man that He should lie or change His mind about What He’s said or the Purpose for which He said, anything.

God knows just how imperfect we are and the fact that we’ll never reach perfection as long as we are in a position to “choose” what we say or do. When we fall short, we acknowledge it, seek forgiveness and guidance and keep it moving, until the next time and there will be a next time. It’s what happens to fallible human beings–we are true to our nature.

 

 

Who Has The Real Power?

I’ve been listening to the news and scrolling Twitter and Facebook and I’m always surprised at the level of hate some use to target others. While thinking about this, I realized that people who hate others–have given the “others” immense power. Think about it! When people hate others enough to obsess over everything they do, that’s power because they don’t have time or the inclination to do anything, but hate!

Listening to an “interview” with a voter in MS–they (a White male) said, they’d rather do without healthcare because–“my grandpa didn’t have have healthcare, my paw didn’t have healthcare and I don’t need healthcare (the man said with a toothless grin). I’ll vote for a Republican just because they’re Republican over a Black person any day.”

So, rather than have access to healthcare, education, and a living wage (the agenda Democrats are promoting), this person and I can only conclude, many like him–hate Black people so much, they’ve given them power over their lives. Really? Hate is more important than having a life worth living? That’s powerful stuff!

I can only imagine how the Black people in MS feel knowing how much people hate them. Some may be intimidated by the hatred, but others (hopefully) will use it to their advantage and really give the haters something to hate. They should unite in their efforts to establish and maintain an educational arena where their children thrive, where healthcare is readily available to the residents in the poorest, communities of Black folks, and they learn to create their own employment opportunities that leaves the haters out in the cold.

Now, before you start thinking that idea is racist, think about what I said and why. For decades, Black people have been forced to do things for themselves when they were denied access to a dentist office, a doctor’s office, a quality education and even the use of public bathrooms and water fountains. If you didn’t think that was racist, don’t you dare think what I said was racist. If poor white people cared about their standard of living, they’d wake up, bury the hate and really see what it is that Democrats want to accomplish for all the people, not just some. But if their hatred is so strong they would rather hold onto it rather than progress in life–that’s their decision. And trust me–Black people have been marginalized for most of their lives; they’re used to it and know how to accomplish in spite of it–without whining about it. Is it fair? Absolutely not, but it is the reality in a region where poor white people have blamed Black people for their lots in life, not having what they want or at least what they think they want.

The reality is–White people have always had the advantage–the access to books, banks, education, healthcare and businesses. That was part of their privilege of being White. Black folks had to earn every thing they accomplished in life and they had no privilege to give them advantage. The weird thing about watching what’s going on in the southern Red States with all of their racism and hatred is the fact that the poor White people, keep electing other White people who are rich and always vote against any possibility of anyone getting ahead in their states–other than those who already have.

Look at Kentucky, with Mitch McConnell leading the Senate and now he’s worth millions, but his constituents are poor, have lousy access to healthcare, one of the worst educational systems in the country and their water is killing them. And yet, Mitch voted in favor of rolling back the consumer protections established to protect people in order to gain favor and money from the corporations who are polluting the water. It would appear that Mitch McConnell could care less about his constituents as long as he can line his pockets.

But Mitch is not the only trumplican who hates their constituents. Look at Florida and Rick Scott’s governance with the Red Tide–killing off sea life, endangering the lives of the people and the economy because of the tourism needed to keep things afloat. They voted against their own interests because of hate. Doesn’t seem like such a smart thing to do, but they did it.

What most “christian” Republicans haven’t realized is that it is Democrats who actually do what the Bible says for us to do. We are commanded to take care of the poor and the needy, to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty and to love all unconditionally. That’s what Democrats do because the bottom line is–love is more powerful than hate because love accomplishes, while hate destroys. And when the haters openly voice their hatred, they empower the target of their hatred to do even more great things.

The White Supremacists have targeted Black folks in a number of states, killed innocent people because of their hate and then end up spending the rest of their lives behind bars, and becoming targets by those who are determined to teach the haters a lesson. So, now–who has the real power?

I’m sure I haven’t said anything new–nothing that hasn’t been said before, but I wanted to emphasize the fact that hatred–gives power to the targets of the hate and does nothing for those who hate. It’s time folks realize that together we all win, but divided–few win and all suffer. Take the time to think about everything I’ve said and really understand who has the most to lose when hate is the driver force in a person’s life.

Accountability For All!

Dear trump supporters:

I’ve had a lot to say for the past two years, but this is my first letter directed at you. And yes, I know I didn’t capitalize his name, I seldom do. I have no respect for him and I won’t pretend that I do. What amazes me is that anyone could have any respect for him, but apparently, some do.

Let me begin with those who voted for him–shortsightedness, frustration, anger, apathy or just plain stupidity guided this shipwreck of a decision and here we are. I really don’t care about those who claim to be pro-life when in actuality, they are pro-fetus, not the life of those outside the womb. The proof–the mindless moron just condoned the killing of an American journalist because he can’t stand the thought of losing any business (his personal business–it’s not about America First) from the Saudis. This is what gets me–he lies and lies, deflects and denies and that same segment of people, keep making excuses for him and justifying his behavior. And for those hoping a Republican court system will prevail against abortions–think again. It won’t. If you don’t want to have an abortion, don’t have one. If you don’t want to be married to a person who is the same sex as you are, don’t marry them. And before you get your underwear in a bunch, I’m more Christian than any of the dolts who voted for this moron, and I know the most important commandment we have from Jesus is to love–unconditionally, so keep your religious, Phariseetical comments to yourself.

He does not care about America–if he did, the deficit would be decreasing and not increasing. He does not care about our military–if he did the 5800 troops at the border would be home with their families, he would have gone to combat zones before now to visit our troops, and he hasn’t done a thing to support our veterans. Anyone with even partial vision and hearing knows by now, he disrespected veterans by not going to the Arlington Cemetery on Veterans Day or the cemetery in France. He met with Putin and was so glad to see him that everyone remarked at the pure joy that showed in his face. Most of the veterans I know and have an affiliation with–are totally po’d with him. They have not been paid benefits for some time now and it’s going to cause problems for many. But does he care–not one whit. He disparaged Admiral McRaven–claiming Bin Laden should have taken out sooner than he was. But now, please remember–trump avoided the draft with phony deferments five times to avoid Viet Nam and now, he claims he doesn’t want to visit the troops for fear someone will kill him. Amazing how that fear never stopped other presidents from visiting troops in combat zones and yet–he claimed he’d run into a building with an active shooter in a school. More lies. He’s afraid of the rain because he can’t manage an umbrella.

And then there was the tax cut scam that many are going to soon regret when they realize, they did not gain anything because all the exemptions and deductions will no longer exist when they file their taxes. So some thought getting a few extra dollars in a paycheck was going to make a difference–short term and temporary. The corporations who got all the real breaks, bought back their own stocks, laid off workers and many closed doors, leaving the workers–behind the eight-ball. Right now, GM is cutting their work force by 18K. What are these folks supposed to do? Join the rolls of the unemployed and watch that percentage rise from 3.9% back to 5.1% nationally. It’s coming–this is what always happens when Republicans control government–they enrich themselves, cut spending for the poor and then we see a recession. Democrats are the ones always left to clean up the messes and reduce the deficit–by raising taxes–because cutting them led to the increased deficit to start with and the working class, did not benefit the same way the rich did.

He’s abused and misused the office of the presidency to the point where America is the laughingstock of the world. We have more lawsuits pending in court than ever before (and we’re only 2 years into this fiasco) and now–journalists have been put in danger all over the world with his stupid, mindless, reckless, rhetoric–calling the media the enemy of the people.  The true enemy of the people–is trump–the wanna-be dictator who wanted to prosecute and jail anyone who criticized him and primarily to impede the investigation into the Russian involvement in the 2016 election. I know some will never believe it, but it’s true, and not believing–won’t change the truth. You know–the way some people say they don’t believe in God–they don’t have to believe Him–and it doesn’t change the truth of who He is.

Further evidence that trump doesn’t care about Americans or America is found in the roll-back of all the “consumer protections” that were established to protect us from corporate greed and disregard. Now, corporations can poison the water, the soil and pollute the air. We’ll end up with all sorts of diseases from the protections being rolled back and then we’ll just die because he doesn’t want to provide healthcare for all. I’m guessing how we bury our dead is not a concern to him.

If I tried to relate all the stupid he’s done in just two years, this would be a very long letter. So, let me get to the point of this. There needs to be accountability for every person in an elected office and since there’s no one in this administration that has shown any capability of being an adult, the culpability for the stupid falls on the shoulders of every person who voted for the menace in the White House. I didn’t vote for him because I knew from listening to him during the campaign that would be the biggest mistake I could ever make. There were at least 65 million of us who saw through all his blather and lies. Strangely, most of that 65 million don’t claim to be Christians and I would have thought, that Christians–who are like me–who can hear Holy Spirit when He speaks–would have known better. I guess that’s the difference between being religious and being in relationship with Christ. I heard Him speak to my heart and did everything I could to warn people, but the religious folks didn’t care. They even lied and said God chose trump to be in the White House. The God of Heaven that I serve is far too wise to have chosen a person who is the antithesis of who He is. If people truly know God–they’d know this. They would also know that according to the bible, if we warn people of impending danger and they ignore us–their blood is on their hands. If they heed the warning, they are safe. But if we don’t warn people when we see impending danger and people are harmed, then their blood is on our hands. I didn’t and don’t want anyone’s blood on my hands, so I warned and I am continuing to warn about the menace in the White House. What you do about it, is on you. Not me.

So, whatever happens from this menace being in the White House, if you voted for trump, you’re responsible. The lack of assistance and support for those in Puerto Rico, the delay in FEMA action from natural disasters, the death of the journalist (complicity), the veterans, the poor, the educational system, the deaths of millions who will succumb to illness because of the heartless, mindless moron you installed in the White House. This disastrous situation is all on you.

We can only hope–that a Democratic House will finally put a check on the menace and maybe, because of their example, the GOP in the Senate will wake up from the drug induced stupor (probably due to Russian connections and bribery) and uphold their oaths of office–which they haven’t done so far.

So knowing all that has transpired in the White House since January 20, 2017, can you look into a mirror and not cringe when you think about how lives have been affected, adversely since his inauguration? If you can look at yourself in the mirror and think he’s doing good things for America, then you are just as heartless and mindless as he is and the world would be better off without you. And when you die–I pray you suffer the same indignities that caged children have suffered and every person who has lost a loved one in a mass shooting or died because of a lack of access to healthcare. That’s all on you and I won’t let you forget it. Count on it.

THERE ARE NO ADULTS IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND NONE IN THE GOP SENATE. WHERE ARE THE ADULTS IN THIS SITUATION THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE DIRECTION OUR GREAT NATION IS TAKING?

They’re on their way and some have already begun the process to make sure trump is exposed for all the evil he’s done and when those in Congress find their spines, they’ll do what they need to do. At any rate, 2020 is looking better and better for me (or someone like me) to win the presidential election and start cleaning up the mess made by trump on the national and international levels.

Let’s face it–you really blew it this time and almost cost the country its democracy. Happy now?

Sincerely,

Mary Hall-Rayford

 

 

Now That 2018 Election Is Behind Us!

Although there are still some “counts” that have yet to be concluded, we are past the 2018 Mid Term Election and the Democrats reached their goal of flipping The House. Now, it’s time to turn our attention to the 2020 Election in which we not only win the WH–with a true Patriot and leader of all the people, we’ll win the Senate as well. It is my hope that we will never again–allow frustration and hatred to be guiding forces in any election. It is for these reasons that we have an idiot in the WH right now–who has no respect for the office or most Americans and certainly not our long-standing positions with our Allies.

What has to happen now–we must get every American engaged in the electoral process. We must educate all about the electoral process and build relationships with everyone in our communities, hear what they have to say and then work to address the issues, the people have shared with us. America can no longer afford for anyone to sit on the sidelines–waiting for others to make important decisions that impact all. We must all–dive deeply into the process and surface with real solutions for real people.

As most of my readers know, I have plans to explore a presidential run for 2020. We will soon begin raising funds to take a bus tour of the country to hear what people have to say. If it is determined that there is not sufficient support for my run, I will certainly support whoever is the Democratic Nominee without reservation. I say this not because of tribalistic loyalty, but because in the 21st Century, it is the Democratic party that does the most for all Americans. We care about everyone and the issues that are important to all Americans. We will not shirk our responsibility in establishing a budget that will support quality education for all who desire one, healthcare for all, protection of the benefits for our Veterans and Senior Citizens, making sure teachers are compensated and recognized as the professionals they are, establishing a living wage standard for all, and in making sure our planet can sustain life for generations to come. This is why I will support the Democratic party–because others simply only care about one group of people–not all. As far as Republicans thinking they are acting upon the Word of God–I have never seen in the Word of God–a mandate to stoke fear and promote hatred and bigotry. I realize this doesn’t apply to all Republicans and henceforth, I will refer to the group that it does, as the Trumplicans–who do not know God in all of His Goodness and have apparently, never had a Damascus Road experience to truly understand how He wants us to treat others.

I have established a path that I will work towards to make sure all Americans have an equal opportunity to succeed. It’s found on my Facebook page–facebook.com/YesIAm2020 and it has been there since 2017. Depending on what is accomplished within the next two years, I will need to change very little, other than to strengthen what is accomplished. It is time for an Everyday American–who understands the struggles of the average working American–to sit at the table at which decisions are made–and usually without our input. I am a strong, Black woman who has overcome some of life’s nightmarish events and still–willing to take on the cowardly bullies who have nothing of substance to say for themselves, but are always ready to attack any who oppose them. I’m not intimidated by bullies and I won’t back down. I would love to see a presidential election occur without the ugliness, but if it is ugliness I’ll have to deal with, then–game on–I’m ready for it, but I will not wallow in the filth and stench of ugliness.

Just recently, because of what I’ve written in my blogs on WordPress, people are falsely accusing me of being guilty of election fraud. Based on their comments, I informed them, they have indicated no understanding of what election fraud is or how it occurs. I also concluded they were simply part of the trump cult who will jump on the bully bandwagon against anyone who won’t kiss trump’s behind. I don’t bend that way and I don’t expect anyone to bend to kiss mine. That’s not what democracy is all about, but if people continue to read, they’ll see and understand–I want every voter to understand the process and be willing to take part in the process by doing more than just voting. That is what democracy is all about–participating in full in the process. So, Travelsbycar–don’t think for a minute you can intimidate me, you can’t and neither can anyone else. I am so much wiser than that. Throw your mud and watch it land in your own face!

Never Again–Should Be Our War Cry To Preserve Our Democracy, Defeating Fascist Efforts In America!

Criticizing Leaders Is American!

Okay, I’m a bit frustrated with all the nonsense promoted by the #MAGA group who think that criticizing trump is anti-American. The truth of the matter is–they do not understand the first amendment rights provided in The Constitution. Better yet, they have no idea what the Constitution really says about anything and since they don’t read, they won’t.

Bottom line is this–under the first amendment of the Constitution, we all have the right to the freedom of expression. So when we criticize the the WH idiot because of all the idiotic things he does, we have a right to do so. After all, American and the entire world saw all the “criticism” of President Obama that was never-ending and still going on now, even though he’s no longer the president of the United States (still better than the one in the Oval Office at the moment). So let’s look at who is truly un-American, Anti-American because they criticized and lied on, President Obama. The list is long so if I missed a few, let me know.

Donald Trump–must be un-American/Anti-American because he promoted the lie that Obama was not born in the United States.

Melania Trump for parroting the lie.

Mitch McConnell–criticized Obama from day one and deliberately thwarted Obama’s efforts to do his job. “We’ll make sure he’s a one-term president and obstruct anything he wants to do.” (Remember that one, Mitch?)

Paul Ryan

Rand Paul

Mitt Romney

Orrin Hatch

Steve King

Bill O’Reilly

All Fox News Hosts

All Media

Most Republicans (and some Democrats)

Most Evangelicals (and faux Christians)

The KKK

And anyone else who “dared to criticize” the president, including me. When I don’t agree, I criticize, but it doesn’t make me un-American/Anti-American. It proves that I am an American who knows my rights as an American. Do you get it now?

Just remember–Karma bites–when trying to malign others and trying to place them in hell–simply because “you don’t know The Constitution” can have its drawbacks. Ask Larry Kudlow–he’ll understand.

And get this–only in a fascist regime, authoritarian government where a dictator reigns is “criticism not allowed.” Ask those in Russia, China, Venezuela, or NK or any other country that does not have a democracy that gives people the right to say what they want to say. Go ahead–ask them! And until you understand what the 1st amendment means, stop trying to coerce others into believing what you believe. We don’t have to believe you, anymore than you have to believe us.

But just so you know–I’ve taken the opportunity to remind you below–about The Bill of Rights included in The Constitution of the United States (not the divided states of trump). https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. (notice this says nothing about the right of individuals to stockpile weapons or to even own them).

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Now check out the “preamble” of the Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Notice how it starts–“We the People of the United States” and not an illegitimate president…One person does not decide what we can or cannot do in this country–and those of us who love this country, will make sure we preserve our democracy and all of the rights it affords others whether we like them or not; agree with them or not, because it is every person’s right to agree or disagree, criticize or not. That’s what it means to be an American, in America.

So, trump is wrong, Mike Pence is wrong, Jeanine Pirro is wrong, Larry Kudlow is wrong, Peter Navarro is wrong and so is everyone else who thinks we shouldn’t criticize trump or any other president. Get the facts and understand your rights and the rights of others.

Constitutional Crisis or Congressional Corruption?

Every single day, there is more nonsense coming from the Oval Office resident–proving he is totally, undeniable unfit for the position in which he holds. Every single day, GOP Congress remains silent and refuses to exercise their Constitutional oversight and rein him in. Perhaps, the real problem with Congress is–they’ve been bought and paid for by so many PACs and corporation donors to the point where they have completely forgotten their congressional oath–to uphold the Constitution, not the person in the Oval Office.

Paul Ryan (OpenSecrets.org)

Representative (R – WI)

• Speaker

First Election:

1998

Rep. Paul Ryan is retiring at the end of the 115th Congress.

TOP INDUSTRIES 2017 – 2018

Retired

$1,801,163

Securities & Investment

$1,172,184

TOP CONTRIBUTORS 2017 – 2018

Blackrock Inc

$121,700

Blackstone Group

$67,712

Mitch McConnell (OpenSecrets.org)

TOP INDUSTRIES 1989 – 2018

Securities & Investment

$4,285,338

Retired

$2,936,546

TOP CONTRIBUTORS 1989 – 2018

Blackstone Group

$313,100

Kindred Healthcare

$251,400

These figures represent a summary of what has been donated by various groups. Fortunately, for everyone–details can be found on OpenSecrets.org for anyone who cares to look.

Of course the NRA contributions to GOP candidates makes it easier for all to understand their reluctance to enact “Common Sense Gun Reform.”

Paul Ryan             $9,900

Kevin Cramer      $5,500

John Culberson   $4,950

Bob Goodlatte     $4,950

Rick Saccone       $4,950

Luther Strange   $4,950

Roger Wicker      $4,950

Ted Cruz               $4,000

I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems like our Congressional Leaders should be the examples for future generations as to how to lead. But then again, perhaps that’s the problem–Republicans don’t know how to lead, just whine and complain.

They complained about President Obama and whined about everything he did–even when they held the majority in both houses–they still whined. They whined about Hillary’s emails, Benghazi, and Uranium One and Fast and Furious and the SCOTUS seat, and Michelle’s bare arms, and Obama’s tan suit, and the daughter’s short skirts, and the Dijon mustard and everything that wasn’t a Constitutional violation.

But with trump–with the violation of the Emoluments Clause, the nepotism, the breech in disclosing–honestly–financial records, attempting to suppress and bar the media from reporting activities that are of American interest, and obstructing justice when he’s being investigated–majority leaders are silent, while a fringe (secretsocietytheorists) are infringing upon the DOJ’s office to unmask an informant–simply because trump ordered it–an abuse of power–according to the Constitution.

Remember when Republicans were supposed to be the “fiscally conservative” party? Now, they’re watching trump run rampant through tax payer dollars with minting coins that mean nothing, parading our military to appease his ego, and never curtailing his expenses–billed to the US treasury with his golf outings and other non-essentials. TAX PAYERS ARE FOOTING THE BILLS.

But then, you have those low-educated, ill-informed voters who choose to support the racist, pathological liar, in the Oval Office–who complained about the Obamas taking too many vacations–at tax payer expense–but not a peep about all the money being paid out for trump’s golf outings at his own properties.

Double-whammies–trump and his supporters (sycophants) worshiping him as their god and a complicit Congress who won’t do their job.

So are we facing a Constitutional Crisis or just seeing what Congressional Corruption looks like–up close and personal?

Whatever it is–it’s time for a change–time for Everyday Americans to be governed by Everyday Americans who care about all. What do you think?