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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Trashing Democracy

It is the 14th day of November, 11 days after the 2020 presidential election and the incumbent has lost his bid for re-election. Granted, over 70 million people tried to keep him in office, but considering who he is and what he has done that demonstrates a lack of humanity, what does that say about those who voted for him?

Just a brief recap–2016 trump supporters called Democrats snowflakes–said we were butt hurt over Hillary’s loss. I remember telling someone on another platform that snowflakes can be dangerous when they collect in a blizzard. I guess I was right–all of us snowflakes came together to create a wipe-out with the election of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris.

In 2016, hostile journalists on Fox derided Hillary for removing herself from the media circus for some quiet reflection time. In 2020, trump has been a whiny brat–claiming voter fraud and all sorts of allegations for which they had no evidence. Now, in 2016, we know that Russia interfered in the election with disinformation and misinformation and they did the same thing in 2020, but those of us who pay attention were ready for them. Now, trumpsters are so upset they’ve retreated to a new social media platform where they can complain and get ugly without filters. That doesn’t hurt my feelings at all and for some reason, after a time, trumpsters chose not to engage with me on social media platforms. On those rare occasions they would actually try responding to something I said, they quickly backed off when they realized, I take no prisoners when it comes to fact-checking stupid.

But it’s not their fault that most are uneducated and ill-informed–that’s the way trump likes them. And ill-informed they shall be, especially accepting an entertainment network to be a real news network. From most of the statistics already analyzed, trump voters primarily consisted of low-educated white men and women who support white supremacy and some poorly educated black people and Latinos. Other than the highly corrupt GOP elected officials, not many seemed to think education was an important factor in supporting trump. Oh yeah, can’t forget to include the hypocritical evanglicalliars. Amazing how they managed to convinced their flocks to believe God put trump in office and yet, they bemoaned the fact that Barack Obama was president and as yet–haven’t acknowledged that Joe Biden has won the election. I’m guessing they’re waiting for God to make that pronouncement or they think He’s taking a nap.

Okay, I’m being a tad facetious. God doesn’t get involved with politics–He gives us freewill choice to elect whoever and He will always honor our choices. But here is why I know the God of heaven had nothing to do with electing trump–His Word tells us to, “Love our neighbors as ourselves.” There was never any neighborly love shown to our allies–Canada and Mexico, but lots of love for our adversaries–North Korea and Russia. I’m still convinced that trump was a puppet controlled by Russia all along and that the loss of this election puts both them under the microscope and all the corruption will be found–no matter how many documents the trump administration shreds. Right is right and what’s done in the dark or under the cloak of wrongdoing–shall certainly be exposed to the light of truth.

For those who don’t like to believe in facts and math, let me clarify this for you–the numbers some trumpsters believe to be true are the numbers that came in on Election night after the polls closed, but not after all votes had been counted. As absentee ballots were counted, trump’s lead dwindled to nothingness in the swing states he needed for a win. And now–to befuddle the madness in the trumpster realm, they’re claiming only the ballots cast on Election Day should count as “legal votes.” This effort to discount every ballot cast is an attempt by trump and his corrupt regime to trash democracy since he thought he would become an American dictator. In any election, every vote must be counted because each vote represents the voice of a voter. This is how democracy works–we get a chance to have a voice in our government.

In 2016, we didn’t whine–we went to work–educating and informing people of the importance of their vote and the issues that were important to them: healthcare, education, job security, and climate change. 2020 brought with it a pandemic so deadly we’ve lost over 240,000 Americans because trump, refused to tell Americans the truth about the virus and his delayed response, was deadly.

We knew what would happen in 2020 and it did. We, The People, spoke and spoke loudly.

So rather than enable the toddler-in-chief, it’s time for trumplicans (can’t call them Republicans because they have embarrassed the true party) to accept reality and convince the menace it’s over and he might as well cooperate with the transition of power. It will take place, with his cooperation or not and if without–his legacy will remain a huge stain in the history books that will never be erased. His place in the hall of shame will be highlighted and the infamy of this 1-term remembered for generations to come.

That said, I’m still waiting to hear from the hypocrites–those claiming to be Christians yet lie every time they utter the word, Christian. They know where to find me and I know where to find them and of course, they’ll have excuses up the wazoo to deny the election results. At any rate, let me offer an invitation to the inauguration on 1/20/2021 and let’s see who’s sworn into office. Finally, democracy is saved as is the soul of our nation with the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and no amount of fear-mongering is going to change that.

For a new day that includes all Americans!

Educating Voters

Status-quo politics won’t change until those voting change–educating themselves about the candidates! The sooner we all realize that nothing in politics is going to change until we change, the better off we’ll be–with people in elected offices who will get things done.

Far too often, the voting electorate is stymied by the multitude of candidates for any elected office and instead of educating themselves about the candidates and the issues they promote, they simply rely upon “name recognition” or who can schmooze them the most. Let’s face it–with most of the issues, all candidates from either side of the spectrum say the same thing with a few minor differences. On the national level, everyone is talking about healthcare, jobs, education, climate change and infrastructure. On the local levels, the issues are pretty much the same with every candidate declaring how much they love where they live. But are they doing the work to demonstrate how much they love where they live?

Everyone wants a job with a living wage–one in which they only need to work one job, not two or three to survive. Everyone needs quality, affordable healthcare since none of us knows when we might fall ill or have some devastating event occur in our lives. No one wants to ride on roads that are crumbling or see railroads in need of repair or bridges deteriorating. And most sane people–want access to a quality education for their children and grandchildren–along with the hope of leaving a planet behind that will sustain life for hundreds of years to come. Those are the issues. And for us older folks–we want the government to leave our Social Security and Medicare alone!

What’s stopping us from electing the person who will work to solve all the issues? Identity politics–whether it is about party affiliation or name recognition– it is the basis for how many people vote. Some vote against everyone by writing in ridiculous names or by not voting at all. For those who practice–write-in-buffoonery or not voting–it is a vote–and probably for the person least wanted. We see the best example of that–right now.

How do we get the right people in office? We research, listen, ask questions, and evaluate what we discover–educating ourselves as to how the candidates have performed in the past (if they have previous experience), look at what they’re doing right now, and talking to them one-on-one in town halls or coffee hours on the campaign trail. A responsible electorate will not allow a person’s status to intimidate them and keep them from questioning any potential candidate. A responsible, worthwhile candidate will make themselves available to respond directly to the electorate, as often as possible.

So, to get who we want in office who’s going to work for the people, we must do our homework and do it early. We must listen to what candidates are saying to determine their message–regardless to whom they’re speaking–is consistent. We must not become–one issue voters–for when we allow the one issue to influence our decisions, we ultimately allow the wrong person to be elected. We must remember–elections have consequences--and that we will seldom agree with everything any one candidate about everything.

Many people have developed their own formula for determining how they’ll vote. Mine is simple–will I regret voting for the individual at a later date? If I can see where a candidate falls in line with at least 3/5 issues that matter to me, that’s the person I’ll choose. I can always fight for the other two at a later date. If there’s only one or two issues I agree with, I won’t vote for them–that’s too much of a risk to regret.

Since I am a political activist promoting the Democrat’s agenda, I suggest that the DNC and all of its affiliates spend some quality time educating voters about why we should put them in office and not just about voting against trump. Provide the facts, not speculation–with data easily understood. Provide a clear unified message and acknowledge room for improvement in a position on any issue. Include everyone–without a purity test–since none–no, not one–is a perfect human being. We don’t need perfect human beings–we need compassionate, empathetic, people with integrity in office–those who will govern for all the people and not just some.

As the campaign season progresses, I will continue to write about what we should be looking for in a candidate who will serve the country well and help to regain our standing on the global stage. Look for it–it will be coming on a regular basis.

What A Mess!

Lies, government shutdowns, lies, indictments, lies, fake news (WHlies), tax cut scam exposed, lies, border crisis that doesn’t exist, national emergency lie, obese–medical liars, tantrum-throwing toddlers, lies, and still Republicans won’t do their Constitutional duty. Why? They’re bought and paid for with Russian rubles.

As big a mess as this is–the biggest mess that will need to be cleaned up, hasn’t been exposed yet–but it’s coming. We’re getting closer and closer to having the truth exposed about the trump crime family and that could be one of the reasons why trump sounds even more incoherent than he normally does.

I could reiterate all the dumb, anti-American crap he’s pulled, but that would be a waste of time to write and yours to read it. So, I’ll just stick to a few points that warrant attention.

• Stacking the judicial benches is going to prove a problem for America’s democracy being sustained since trumplican appointees are more interested in appeasing him than in adjudicating the rule of law. We see it on a daily basis with decisions by district court judges, federal court judges and with Supreme Court justices who are not on the list of institutions that no longer have integrity and certainly warrant no respect–from the rest of us. We have sexual predators on the bench, drunkards, liars, and those who think their religious beliefs outrank the Constitution. And we know they are serving at trump’s behest because he’s even trying to convince some to “retire” so he can appoint news who do his bidding. Without a fair, unbiased, rule of law judicial bench in the Supreme Court, we move from a democracy to a dictatorship with the ease of the rigged election that installed trump in the White House.
• The idiot in the WH disrupted stability and security for over 800K government workers for a wall that’s not needed. Totally anti-American act in an attempt to get his way with no regard to those affected and he has no remorse. In fact, while the government was shut down, he spent $50K on a simulated golf program installed in the White House. And now–the claim there is a “national emergency” is as big a lie as he is a president. There is no national emergency and he has admitted. He said, “I didn’t need to do this,” right after he declared the emergency–an attempt to circumvent Congress to build a wall, not needed or wanted by many of those who live in the border states. But then again, he pays more attention to Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity and the idiot panel on Fox News than those advisors who are supposed to be experts.
• The only person thrilled by all the chaos in America right now is Vladimir Putin. He’s preparing to attack and knows with all the chaos, America won’t be in position to respond, effectively. Our allies can’t trust us because of the menace in the White House, but our adversaries are tickled pink that he is so easily manipulated. And the idiot actually thinks other world dictators respect him because he refuses to see the truth–they know he’s an incompetent fool and they’re going to take advantage of him, but that leaves America at risk–to the shenanigans of Kim Jong Un and Putin and others.

The most disconcerting thing about this “mess” is the fact that some people who claim to be Republicans still don’t see what’s happening in front of them. Yeah, they’re not happy with their tax returns, they no longer have adequate healthcare and many are dying, and they’re not happy with the wall or how tax dollars are spent, but they’re still supporting the idiot. Go figure!

I don’t have any answers for the questions that I’m sure are raised in the minds of people who actually think. I do know this to be true–elections have consequences–and one of the worst consequences for America could very well be–the loss of democracy in this country. The dismantling began with the rigged 2016 election and continues and will throughout the 2020 election–unless voters shake off the orange stupid-dust, and wake up and vote for the country, not their party.

There’s a slew of candidates preparing a presidential run for 2020 and no matter who the Democratic nominee–that’s who I’m voting for to save America from the treasonous traitor in the WH. I hope everyone reading this, will do their own research to determine what’s fact from fiction and will vote for all the Democrats on a ballot in every state. Now, is not the time for tribalism with a whim to destroy (trumplican party). Americans–True Patriots of the country–It is time to rise up and defend our democracy!

Vote Blue No Matter Who!

Black Voters Beware!

Though reports are just being revealed about the nature of Russian disinformation and misinformation, it is astounding to see how much they understood how easily manipulated Black voters would be. Most of the misinformation under the guise of accounts supposedly belonging to Black Lives Matter or other such accounts, they were able to feed Black voters information that intentionally targeted them to either vote for Republicans or not to vote at all.

The report reveals that the Russian trolls were able to convince Black folks to attend rallies that became chaotic and unruly resulting in arrests, create such animosity against Black politicians and the Democratic party that many chose to stay at home and not vote or to vote and write in ridiculous names for the presidential candidate, and then to me, the most appalling event was in having Black folks malign and disparage other Black folks if they dared to discuss being a Democrat.  When so-called professionals, deliberately attempt to undermine the democratic process by promoting misinformation, we have a problem. The only people who can alleviate the problem is the Black Voter by educating themselves to the facts.

I’ve written about this before in my blogs, but it warrants repeating to some degree.

• “The Inconvenient Truth About the Democrat Party” as told by Carol Swain, Ph.D. at PragerU is partial truth and to me a whole lie. This is a conservative production, deliberately attempting to conflate truth with their own narrative.
• Fox Entertainment Network is not a news show and none of the Black hosts or pundits will ever represent the Black Community. They are shills (especially Candace Owens) who are paid to get Black Americans to rethink their values and hopefully persuade them to vote for Republicans.
• The Republican party of the 21st Century is not the same party of the 19th or 20th Century. Common sense–if all are paying attention to what’s going on in politics–should rule. Republicans are responsible for voter suppression (shutting down early voting, closing voting locations, not counting all absentee ballots, criminally collecting ballots to either change them or to make sure they are never returned, to intimidation–having racist monitors at polling places). Just recently, we have seen election fraud in North Carolina by the Republican candidate–Mike Harris, and Republican legislators trying to subvert the will of the voters in Michigan (Rick Snyder) and Wisconsin (Scott Walker)–simply because they lost leadership positions to Democrats and yet they think they have the right to legislate incoming Democrat authority.
• Republicans are still trying to keep Americans from being healthy and this particularly true for Black Americans who may be stripped of healthcare coverage because of their mandates, designed to strip people of dignity and access to adequate healthcare, especially for those with preexisting conditions.
• Republicans are slashing educational budgets in Washington to make sure that Black communities don’t have the resources needed for a quality education from K-12 and beyond.
• Republicans are reversing consumer protections that allow us breathe cleaner air, drink uncontaminated water and eat food not poisoned by chemicals in the soil.
• Republicans are creating a mockery of economic wealth enjoyed only by the rich since most of us end up paying the costs for unwarranted tariffs on goods we all all use. Ask the farmers how this has worked out for them and then while you’re shopping, understand why a head of iceberg lettuce will cost $2 or more in the grocery store. Don’t get upset with companies falling by the wayside and closing shop, get upset with the idiot in the WH who thinks “trade wars are fun.”
• Republicans are also reconstructing what anti-discrimination laws look like and that directly affects what access most of us will have to educational systems and jobs.

The point of all this is to make the Black Community aware of what has been done to discourage our votes for those (Democrats) who actually attempt to make laws that benefit us. The more we know–especially those of us who have lived through the 50s and 60s–the more wisdom we have to pass along to the younger generations. We must provide them with all the tools they’ll need to be successful and to survive the onslaught of racism and bigotry that will exist for generations to come. We must educate ourselves to the truth, living in the present moment–taking what we learn from the past regarding political parties and using it to build a solid foundation for our future–as forward thinking Democrats.

BLACK VOTERS–LISTEN AND HEAR ME WELL–We are an important factor in every election–local, state and national and it’s time we started acting like we are part of the solution and not part of the problem. How do we manage that? We get involved–totally engaged in the political process making sure our concerns are heard and addressed and and making sure we’re willing to “work” to make it happen. Talk is cheap and the only prayers answered are those that are followed up with action. Heard the saying, “Action speaks louder than words?” It’s true, we more involved we are as a community of Americans of Color, the less likely we’ll be ignored and the greater the likelihood we’ll see legislative policies enacted that benefit us, and not treat us like we are “less than” anyone else.

Is this clear enough for you? If not, please don’t hesitate to do the research for yourself or contact other Black leaders in the Democratic party for resources or to contact me via the email listed on my campaign page: facebook.com/YesIAm2020. This is not an attempt to solicit your vote, but the email address on this page is public knowledge and has a phone number you may call and leave a message. I care enough about the Black Community and what we can accomplish through the political machinery to risk having idiots contact me, however–my political platform is to represent all Everyday Americans and if elected President of the United States, that’s exactly what I’ll do–sign bills and lobby for those which benefit all the people, not just some of them. We can do this–unified–when we understand who we are and how the forces outside of us attempt to keep us marginalized, disenfranchised,  and underrepresented in all arenas.

Find a local Dem club and get involved and then run for office–on the local, state or national level. Don’t just sit twiddling your thumbs and complaining–jump in where you fit in and work it to your advantage–to benefit the entire community. Our Vote Is Our Voice In Our Democracy!

Letter To American Congress

Dear lawmakers:

As a citizen in this already great country, I find it incumbent upon me to remind you of your obligations and responsibilities for all Americans since you chose to run for the office you currently have.

Most people think politics is a dirty business and want no part of it. I’m sure in the beginning of your political career you probably thought the same thing, but you were determined to make a real difference in what happens in this country and to make lives better for all. Unfortunately, you like so many others before you, have forgotten about the importance of people and have instead become inured to the plight of the poor and working class in order to keep your position by caving to those with money. “The lust of money (will do anything to get it) is the root of all evil.” And it appears that particular passage of scripture (from most bibles) is true. Greed and the need to satiate a desire for power has been a disruptive factor for many in Congress. I hope this does not describe you, but if it does, it’s time to make a change.

Most Americans realize by now that had it not been for the interference by Russia in 2016 election that many of those in Congress and certainly the person in the White House would not be there. We know you knew about the cheating and it’s time you’re held accountable. Since truth and integrity were not part of the plan to get what you wanted from the beginning, we don’t really expect truth and integrity to find its way back into your lives, but we can hope. While we’re waiting, we’re demanding that you exercise the Constitutional right of oversight of the White House before there won’t be any of us left.

Unless you are totally blind and deaf and ignorant, lacking the mental capacity to see that greed and corruption are what brought us to this place, you know it’s time to remove Donald J. Trump from the Oval Office and Mike Pence who is complicit in the knowledge that greed was the motivator and criminality the end results. We do not need criminals or those who are criminal-minded to be in positions of authority in America. And we certainly don’t need a dictator-wanna-be demanding loyalty from others, seeking praise and attention to appease his insecurities.

The continued existence of our democracy is up to you. Everything that happens–all the bloodshed and deaths–are on your hands. You are responsible. If you no longer have a conscience, you will still stand before God and be judged for all you’ve done–good and bad. If you plan to hear, “well done,” I suggest you do well and govern for the sake of all the people and not just for the Koch Brothers, the Mercers and Murdochs of this world and certainly not for the Russians or the money they give to keep their plan going–to destroy democracy. If you have family, you should care about how the history books will note this passage of your life.

Thank you for being a true, patriotic American in responding the needs of the people and just remember, compromise is not a bad word and neither is bipartisanship if we want to keep America moving forward and not sliding backwards.

Sincerely,

Everyday Americans

Success Begins With A Step

No matter how badly we may want to accomplish anything worthwhile, until we make the first step to get it done, we’ll never know how successful we could be. This applies to every area of our adult life.

Too many times, far too many people are inhibited from seeking success because someone told them they couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to do what they wanted to do. I’ve heard those same comments, but I want to make sure everyone knows–you never know what you can do until you try. Success stories seldom occur because life just drops success in someone’s life. People have to try and some have to try harder than others. There is one exception to this quaint notion–and that’s for those who were born into luxury and had everything they ever wanted–handed to them, while they made no effort at all to accomplish anything. Whatever is accomplished by the rich and famous without effort is not success–it’s privilege and often not very fulfilling. That’s one of the reasons the “rich and famous” do more stupid than the average person.

But let me get back to the discussion at hand. The best way I can offer insight as to what I’m suggesting is to provide examples from my own life.  Since I’ve shared portions of my life story countless times in my blogs I won’t bore the reader with redundancy. So, let’s start with my move to Houston–where I knew no one, didn’t have a job, and no money to speak of. Some said I was crazy to try, but then–I’ve always loved a challenge. I moved, found employment and stayed four years. The only reason I left was to support my mother while living in the same state (I had been supporting her financially for two years and it was becoming burdensome).

For me, coming back was the biggest challenge–with a potential job no longer available to me, I had to wonder how I would make it, but I did. I’m about as tenacious as a pit bull–refusing to let go. At any rate, I managed to do what was needed and found a job I loved. That ended with a car accident that prevented me from doing the job–mostly driving. At any rate, sitting at home for three years waiting for lawsuits to be settled, I decided to go back to school and finish that BA I’d started many years earlier. Funny thing about going back to school in your 40s, you feel out of place in a classroom with much younger students, but I decided not to let that bother me. I ended my last semester on the Dean’s list with a 3.6 GPA. Imagine that!

From there, I decided I loved learning and continued my education–completed a MA, obtained my teaching credentials passing all the required testing–the first time. Then I decided, what the heck, might as well keep going, so I applied to a graduate program, was accepted and completed all the coursework towards a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (teaching teachers). A significant change for the worse in the teaching field caused me to pause and rethink the direction I was taking. I no longer had a heart to encourage people to enter a field that was not a viable career. When I retired, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but the 2016 election–propelled me in the direction of political activism and that is where I am right now, seeking support for a presidential run in 2020.

I’m not just seeking support, I’m actively involved in the process as some readers may know. I’m happy to report that all the top slots for Michigan government that I supported and promoted were successful. I spent hours knocking on doors, distributing literature, and making some phone calls. I spent even more time promoting the candidates online and talking to people wherever I went. My first time on an election ballot resulted in a loss, but it didn’t deter me. I was on the ballot for a precinct delegate and the person who won–by 18 votes– has never put in an appearance to do the job–I did. As a result, post-midterm election, I am now on the Executive Committee of my county’s democratic party, and a current nominee for secretary for the local Democrat club. My involvement with my online promotions for candidates got me more attention that I thought. On a personal note–just so some understand–there was no pay involved in anything I did–all volunteer–all to make sure Democrats won in Michigan. And I’ll do it again, as often as needed. The upside to all of this is–I met all the candidates and had chance to talk to them. People are beginning to recognize me and it’s all because of a step I took.

There are some who think I won’t make it to the White House. They may be right, but their attitude won’t stop me from trying. I’ve already taken the steps needed towards success, but not everything we try is successful as others measure success. What I’ve been successful at doing is getting my name out there in the atmosphere, stratosphere, cybersphere or however one wants to call it. I’ve had people threaten me because of my political stances and distaste of trump. I’ve had people applaud me because of my political stances and distaste of trump. So, success is all about the angle or perspective from which one is looking. I’m headed in the right direction to achieve my goals and right now, I’m confident I’m going to get there. We’ll know in 2020. But while we’re waiting, you can check me out and see where I stand at facebook.com/YesIAm2020!

Come on, take the first step and decide to join me in my quest and we travel the road to success together.

 

Having What It Takes To Lead!

In observing what people do in leadership positions, and knowing that I see myself in a leadership position, I decided to ask others–what character traits they thought should be seen in a good leader. Though this is not a scientific poll or survey, it does provide insight as to what people expect in leadership. Thanks Facebook Friends for the following:

Joel Rutherford FTA which was in a book by the Dali Lama and I totally agree with; F=Fairness to all T=Transparency… openness in whats expected from both followers and the leadership A=Accountability for the actions of everyone in the group no matter their role.

Eyandra Otis Easy to talk to, open to all opinions and suggestions, has been through some type of struggle, relatable, patient, not afraid of making mistakes, put there own mistakes in the open.

Joey Iceberg Nelson Forthright and bold

Lorraine Horowitz-fenchel Ability to compromise with and respect others and not exploit the worst aspects of the public but appeal to our better selves.

Elena Greer Decisive yet laid back and open

Darolyn Brown A sense of fairness and common sense; a hunger to learn; and the ability to comprehend abstract ideas; persistence; and the greatest of these is the capacity to love.

Mary Ann Freeby Let’s start with sanity, compassion, integrity, the ability to comprehend, listening skills, a desire to serve others, empathy, accountability, reasoning skills and honesty.

Sue Burns Crill 1. Being especially cognizant of your level of patience & waiting until someone is through speaking….holding your tongue, even…..figuratively & literally, if necessary. Asking when the speaker is silent: Is there anything more you would like to … add to that?
2. Actively soliciting & listening intently (take notes, even) to ideas from your t.e.a.m. (yes, constituents too), but remember there is no “I” in team…..it is: OUR team did great…..never MY team.
3. Respect & never deflect.
4. Be your kind, caring, loving self.

Melanie Woodrich Humility, honesty, passion, empathy, gumption, creativity, and integrity.

Honest, Open (transparent), Fair, Caring, Loving, Accountable, Empathetic, Sincere (listening skills), Authentic (respectful of self and others, humble, reflective),  Team-Player, Selfless, Attentive, Focused, Determined, Assertive, Thoughtful, Considerate, Service-minded, Goal-Oriented, Pragmatic-optimist, Relatable, Compassionate, Teachable.

The summary (rephrased for brevity) is my conclusion as to what people intended. Now, if I’m to do a self-assessment with this information–I’d have to say, I fit most of the criteria–I have what it takes to be a good leader. Now, does that mean I know everything I need to know? Absolutely not–but I’ve got a good head start!

More than anyone else, I recognize all my imperfections, but I also realize that no one walking the earth is perfect and that there is always room for improvement. That being said, I welcome comments (from those who know me well enough to make a sensible comment) and I look forward to hearing what all have to say.

How will I use the comments made? Not to get angry or cynical, but to reflect upon what is said and make adjustments where warranted. I see myself as a very honest, forthright person and some might say aggressive, but I stand firm on being assertive. I’m right until proven wrong and when proven wrong, have no problem owning the correction. I know how to apologize to others when needed, but I try very hard not to put myself in a position in which I end up doing anything that needs an apology. There is one exception to this–I will not–under any circumstances–apologize to TraitorDon for anything I’ve said about him. He is the absolute epitome of corruption and power-hungry bigotry. He deserves no apology from any sane individual who is not a trumplican. And for those who would say, we have to forgive others–you forgive him. He knows not the Christ I know and love, therefore, I have no obligation to treat him like a bonafide Christian according to the Words of Christ.

When a person is responsible–directly or indirectly–for the loss of life–they deserve no consideration and since my grandchildren will be negatively impacted by this menace’s decision because of his hatred of Obama–he can enjoy his eternity in the lake of fire prepared for all liars. Make no mistake about it–trump is the menace to society, the enemy of the people, and the leader of bigoted racists.

If you need further understanding of who I am and what I have to offer America in the Oval Office as an Everyday American–check me out facebook.com/YesIAm2020 and then, let’s connect and talk.

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!

Mid Term Election Upon Us!

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment provides, “The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.” It prohibits states from discriminating among voters based on age, for people who are at least 18 years old, and grants Congress power to “enforce” that prohibition through “appropriate legislation.” The Twenty-Sixth Amendment is the last in a series of amendments enacted over more than a century expanding constitutional protection for voting rights. Like many other amendments, it was enacted as a direct repudiation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

We can see with our own eyes (even though the orange menace in the WH told his base, not to believe what they see, hear, or read–cult mentality) that the Republican party is doing everything it can to keep citizens from voting.

In North Dakota–they’ve come with a “legal street residence requirement” for Native Americans who live in rural areas where no streets have been established. It is designed to keep them from exercising their right to vote. Fear of them voting for Democrats–is the real reason since most usually vote for Democrats.

In Georgia–Brian Kemp is afraid of losing to Stacey Abrams–a Black woman who is the Democrat challenging him. Right now–Kemp–is the Secretary of State in Georgia–has over 53,000 voter registrations sitting on his desk because–get this–the signatures don’t match “exactly” those already in their data files. Realistically, if I signed my name three times within three minutes, they won’t match exactly. This excuse is just that–another attempt to suppress the Black vote in Georgia by Republicans.

In North Carolina–the Republicans shut down “Sunday Voting” in counties that are predominantly Black–to keep the citizens from exercising their right to vote.

In Michigan–just weeks before the election–the Republicans changed the rules about “straight party” voting by excluding it. Their hope is that most of the residents won’t take the time to complete their ballots.

All across the nation–wherever Republicans are in charge of the state government–they are enacting “cheating rules” to control how people vote. This is a gross violation of every citizen’s constitutional rights. The word, “abridged” means no state or the nation has the right to curtail, get in the way of anyone of legal age to vote.

So, America–we don’t have to let Republicans get in our way, but we do need to understand that the only way Republicans win–in any election–is by cheating and we have a record of that–in recent elections starting with George W. Bush with the “hanging chads” in Florida where his brother was governor. Fearmongering is another favorite tactic used by Republicans as Laura Ingraham so aptly demonstrates on Fox News by warning their viewers they must vote for Republicans or the Democrats will “replace them with immigrants.” That is fraudulently false that she should be sued for it, but apparently, all’s fair in war and politics–use of the first amendment that is.

Well, I’m exercising my 1st amendment rights in every blog I write and today, this is dedicated to every person eligible to vote, but is hesitating because of lies promoted by Republicans through a number of means–including videos produced by right-wing entities like Prague U and Carol Swain (The Inconvenient Truth About The Democratic Party). What Swain does is to take the viewer of the video to a specific point in history–prior to the Republicans and Democrats–switching their philosophies and platforms–and leaving it there. That was the late 19th Century and Early 20th Century history of the political parties. This is the 21st Century and I guarantee everyone reading this–The Democratic Party is the only political party that cares about “all the people” and not just some as we see in the Republican party (tax cuts for the rich, loss of services for everyone else who now pay higher prices for everything).

Okay, so I know this is a lot to read, but check out my YouTube Channel–Everyday Americans 2020–and listen to the videos I’ve produced to encourage all to vote.

And for the Black Community–don’t be mislead and tricked into voting for people who really don’t care about you and their very recent legislated policies–prove it. Republicans don’t want people to have access to affordable healthcare, education, veteran’s benefits, clean air, water and non-toxic soil from which all of our food production is dependent. Listen, remember, research and then march to the polls on 11/6/18 and vote like your life and our democracy depend on it because they do.

If you still don’t see the need to vote and to vote for every Democrat on your ballot–I’ll have to assume you’ve partaken of the orange shake and incapable of rational thinking–especially if you’re paying attention to the daily news–which demonstrates how our democracy is at risk. The Republicans won’t exercise their constitutional right to “check” all the nonsense trump does and some have even considered, rewriting the Constitution to eliminate terms for a president–that is a dictatorship–when one party rules and keeps others from exercising any choice. Don’t believe me–research it for yourself!

Until then, remember–we only have a little over two weeks before 11/6/18 and the outcome will be a reflection of who we are as Americans–whether we are True Patriots–ready to live out the inscription on the Statue of Liberty–

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

or whether we are just inclined to go along with a party–no matter how much it could endanger us. Elections have consequences and see that every day since the 2016 election. Let’s not be foolish and repeat the mistakes of the past election. We deserve better and it’s up to us–to make sure we have what we deserve–freedom to choose and the right to exercise our choices in government with our vote.

I’m Mary M. Hall-Rayford and I approve the message of the content of this blog.