Cowards in The Capitol

          We have all seen the images of the insurrection that occurred on January 6, 2021. Images of the assault and destruction that took place at our nation’s Capitol. We all know of the plans to execute Congressional leaders and we all know, those plans were incited by Donald J. Trump, the emperor with no clothes, the loser-in-chief, who thought he could overthrow the government because he did not want to give up his position.

          What the entire world is waiting to see, is whether or not, the current administration will have the guts to make sure there is a remedy, one that is severe enough to deter any possible similar action in the future. We know the Retrumplicans (though there were a few Republicans who stood tall) were too cowardly to vote for his impeachment—with the lamest excuse in the world. “He’s leaving the White House—what would be the point?”

Well, let’s see, what would be the point of pursuing a rapist, if he’s leaving his victim, torn and abused? What would be the point of pursuing criminal charges against a bank robber if he’s already left the bank? What would be the point of seeking an arsonist if they’ve already left the fire burning out of control? What would be the point of pursuing charges against a murderer if they have already left the scene of the crime?

The point of having consequences for any criminal or criminal activity is to deter it from occurring in the future. But then, cowards don’t understand that because they’re not really interested in upsetting their supporters—the ones who condone criminal acts in order to retain power—in spite of the fact that people died. No, the cowards in the Capitol are concerned that they may anger enough of their constituents who “love trump” that they’ll be faced with a primary during their re-election. In other words, their re-election prospects are far more important to them than upholding their oath of office, “to defend and protect the Constitution.” They would rather defend and protect an orange menace who didn’t care whether a mob harmed them or not.

Every one of them—the Retrumplicans included—in the House and the Senate were eyewitnesses to what happened when they were cowering in rooms, hiding from an incensed mob, seeking to harm them. They heard them—what they did and what they said—and none of what the Retrumplicans heard or saw when they returned to the Joint Session to certify the electoral college votes, deterred them from being cowards. They still took the cowardly way out (they had to protect their re-election potential) and objecting to certifying votes, in an attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters—who did not vote for the orange menace. They have yet to understand that 81 million is more than 74 million—so not only are they cowards, but they also need to hone their math skills.

The true heroes (of sorts) in the Republican Caucus are those who dared to do the right thing—look at that—the right thing, not the party thing. But of course the Retrumplicans didn’t see it that way and they are now on a rampage to make the “good guys” pay for being disloyal to the orange menace. They are smearing the names of those who weren’t “cowards in the capitol” and publicly lying about them, both those in House and the Senate.

In subsequent interviews—the Cowards—who have victimized themselves claim they are victims of cancel culture—forget about the fact they voted to “cancel the votes of millions of the black community.” They claim they don’t have a platform to air their grievances, but they manage to do just that on Fox News and other right-wing-nut networks, and by writing columns for newspapers (don’t understand why) trying to make everyone else the villain, when they refuse to see their part in what happened on January 6, 2021.

As a result of the Cowards in the Capitol, which is enshrined with barbed wire fencing and surrounded by National Guardsmen, the seat of government is no longer accessible to the public because there is still a threat, by extremists to do bodily harm, to lawmakers—from within and without. Had they just not been Cowards and stood up for right, the end of this threat would have been in sight because the consequences, would have been known and told, both near and far. And all the Cowards had to say, publicly is, “Joe Biden won a free and fair election. There was no fraud.” But the Cowards, yet remain silent, unable to utter the truth because the lies have bound their tongues.

We have a way to go yet before the final curtain falls on this theatrical piece of nonsense, but that final curtain call, will change the landscape for all for the next 150 years, while we wait for the hammer to fall on the Cowards in the Capitol.

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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.

Russia, Russia, Russia!

Now, do people believe that Donald J. Trump is a Russian asset? Those of us who had already figured it out, feel vindicated in our stance trying to warn others that Russia was running our government. Of course, I don’t expect Trumplicans or MAGAts to believe anything that doesn’t flow from trump’s mouth or the liars on Fox News, but hey, at some point, probably when they need to start speaking Russian, they’ll figure it out. But that’s their problem. They can all go exile to Russia and be happy. But the rest of us–who are more than the 38% of those who support the Russian, know who’s who in America and we know–trump is not a loyal American, but a Russian plant.

In order to keep people unfocused, trump has pushed for and allowed the government shutdown–is it to make sure Putin has time to worm his way in and supplant American workers so they’ll have control over our resources and assets and infrastructure? Well, is it? I’m sure the FBI knows, but every American–true Patriots–should feel the hair rising on the backs of the necks because trump truly is a national emergency and we need to remove him for the safety and security of our nation.

Will our impotent GOP Congress finally do something for America instead of for trump? We may never know. DOJ has to do its job and file charges of treason against trump and any of the GOP who have been complicit in their attempts to dismantle our government by interfering with the election process–across the nation–with attempts to suppress voters’ rights or infringe upon their ability to vote. We are America! We are Americans! And America is governed by Democracy–not Democrats or Republicans, but Patriots who respect our Constitution and understand the importance of maintaining our Sovereign Republic for all Americans.

I challenge every trump supporter to ask him, point-blank–why he chose Russia over us. I wonder if they really understand that the Russian Asset has sold them out, too. They don’t matter to trump as we can see from his stance about a wall that won’t deter anyone from trying to get into this country. The gullible, hateful,  and fearful bigots are so easily led down a merry path of treason and they’re too foolish to even know, they’re being led to slaughter by their low IQ leader.

If a person hasn’t taken the time to speak up before now–to acknowledge America is in a Constitutional Crisis and we must find resolution and the answer is not Pence or any other Republican–ever again, since we know, they cannot be trusted to safeguard American interests, they may never get the chance to express their thoughts about the matter. White Evangelicals are also responsible for this mess since they lied to their congregations about “God putting trump in the White House.” God is not concerned about who is in the White House, but He is concerned about those He loves–regardless of political affiliation because those of us who believe God, know He operates out of love, not hate.  I am so sick of “so-called Christians” adding to the fearmongering we get from the White House. I know they’re not true Christians because they don’t function out of love, but hatred and fear, especially since they’re supposed to believe that, “perfect love casts out fear.” There is no “fearmongering employed by Jesus” in the Bible.

Where do we go from here? I suggest we all pay attention to all the information we have access to and not just Fox News who never tells the truth about trump on any level and know what our options are. We do have options. We can descend up Washington, DC like the locusts during the plague or we can sit back and twiddle our thumbs while democracy crumbles. It’s up to us. Don’t believe me? Let me refresh your memory–

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.

Who is the people? Those of us who are Americans, citizens of the United States, have an absolute right to hold those we elect accountable to abiding by the Constitution of the United States. If we don’t hold them accountable, we become complicit in American’s demise and eventual subjugation to other countries–especially our adversaries–like Russia.

In spite of all the hogwash being perpetuated by some, regarding the fact Democrats “were” the party of slaveholders–which is true, but it is also true that the Republican party’s ideologies are more in line with the Democratic party of old. It is the Republican party who wants to control others while the Democratic party wants to liberate the spirit in every citizen, freeing them to achieve all they can achieve, shoring up equality for all and making sure that access to education, healthcare, and earned benefits (for veterans and senior citizens) are available to and for all–without discriminating practices hindering anyone from becoming all they can.

We have a reached a time–since the trump candidacy and time in the White House in which we must sure we are on the right side of history. For all that has been done and all that will be done will surely be written in the history books and when our grandchildren and great grandchildren ask us what we did to keep democracy working in America, what will we say? I’ve worked diligently to support all Democratic efforts to elect those who care about all and am now, still exploring the possibility of a Presidential Run, even the field is expanding with potential candidates. No matter what I end up doing, I know for a fact that I’ve been on the right side of history–warning people about the danger of electing trump even when people didn’t believe me, and I’ve maintained a stance to keep people aware of what’s going on in our country–continually–even though some have accused me falsely of perpetuating a lie. I’m not a liar, but there is a pathological liar currently residing in the White House and he’s not there because I voted for him. Can you say the same?

If in fact, our planet still exists in the next 50 years–the historians will prove who was right and who was wrong. Since I’m already beyond the halfway mark of a century, I’m sure I won’t be around to see it, but my grandchildren and their descendants will be. I’m acting on behalf of those I love because I want them to breathe clean air, drink clean water and not have their food supply contaminated by toxins in chemicals used in our soil.

Russia is here–in the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania, Washington, DC! Will we continue to allow Russia to govern this great country or will we stand up and fight back to maintain and sustain our Democracy? We are Americans, so let’s act like the Americans who fought in revolutions who at every turn, refused to back down from the liberty we sought and we will not do so, now!

 

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.

It’s Time Folks!

Time to wake up and see clearly all that this election means.

What everyone needs to remember first and foremost are these two facts about the major political parties:

Democrats Care More About All The People Than The Party

Republicans want to control every aspect of a person’s life and care about party ideology more than the people (power over people)

Can I make it plain?

I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears–the kind of hatred and bigotry spewed by Republicans (especially the trump party) that has led to people being randomly targeted and killed, pipe bombs sent to silence those who dare to criticize the orange monster in the White House and all the while–Republican leaders are posturing that they care about human life (trump wants the death penalty back on the books). Here’s what This Era Republicans care about–maintaining power over people (controlling what people do) and maintaining the wealth in the hands of a few. That’s it. They care nothing about the people in America and everything they do–legislatively–proves it.

This administration since 2017 has rolled back environmental protection measures established to protect all of us. They rolled back the requirements for corporations so the corporations could make more money and not be held accountable for the damage done to our health because of toxic soil, polluted water and air. And on top of all that not caring about our health and food supply, they’re doing everything they can to gut healthcare for those with pre-existing conditions as well as remove access to affordable healthcare for the masses. They claim the government can’t subsidize healthcare because it will blow up the deficit. Well, their tax cuts for the wealthy, did just that–blew up the deficit (21 Trillion Dollars), jeopardized farmers with the imposed tariffs, and now–to prove they care nothing about the “poor and the needy,” they are planning to gut Social Security benefits for the elderly, including Medicare and Medicaid for the poor. Veterans don’t matter to them at all as we can see in the fact that there is no one overseeing Veteran’s Affairs with any specific skills to do so.

Even in their political campaigns–though they claim to be “fiscally conservative” they spend more money on negative attack ads than they do commending the candidates. They lie and stoke fear about all sorts of imagined evil (claiming Democrats are evil and planning all sorts of evil deeds–when in fact–it’s them; they’re projecting). They even claim Democrats have no message or platform other than “hating trump.”

Well, I’ve got news for everyone who thinks this lie is true. Democrats have a message and the message is–We care about all the people! We respect the rights of every person to live their own best lives no matter who they love, what faith they practice, the color of their skin or gender. We want common sense gun reforms to protect the innocent and we care about women’s health choices.

It’s time for Americans to make a decision and the decision made with this election will determine whether American Democracy survives or crashes. There is already widespread efforts of voter-fraud with the voting machines used (changing Democrat votes to Republican), voter suppression with contrived justification to keep people from voting due purged voter rolls and alleged “non-matching signatures for absentee ballots” to refusing to allow a bus load of Black Senior Citizens to go vote as a collective group and closing voting locations in key areas in effort to dissuade the vulnerable from voting. This is what is occurring in every state that is currently controlled by Republican leadership. That’s what they do.

Democrats on the other hand, do everything we can to encourage voting by all. Yes, we make recommendations about the issues and candidates, but we ultimately respect the choice of people, believing they’re intelligent enough to make decisions without being led by lies and deception.

I’m very proud of the political ads I’ve seen in which Democratic candidates are merely expounding upon their own abilities to get the job done. Only some of the PACs are airing negative ads, but not nearly in the number that Republicans are airing them. So there are a few things I want every voter to consider:

• Download your sample ballot from your voting district and know who you want to vote for before you get to the polls. In Michigan go to michigan.gov/sos
• If possible, vote early to avoid the frustration of waiting in lines–in most states, absentee ballots are available prior to any day of election. Get one and take your time to complete.
• Make sure you’re familiar with the ballot proposals or initiatives and the judges who are listed in the nonpartisan section.
• Never allow fear to be a deterrent in making your choices.

If Americans don’t make the right decisions about voting in this election cycle–it could very well be our last opportunity to vote since Republicans are more concerned with “controlling the masses” and are planning to rewrite the Constitution to make sure they maintain control. Be wise, research and know whether your representatives care about you or care about controlling you.

 

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.

Money, Money, Money!

Sitting here thinking about “the new world” Christopher Columbus was so excited about when he was making his journey from Spain and got lost. To be clear, he was not the first person to set their sights on the Americas, but that’s a discussion for another time. For now, people need to take a serious look at what we have called a democracy in America.

The pillars for which this democracy upholds are being eroded by Russian influence and a traitor to America. We know that Russia attacked our electoral system and I believe it was not just through the social media accounts–gaslighting gullible people, but it was also through deliberate bribes of those in the electoral college. Notice that in all the swing states where a recount was requested and in some cases started, money convinced judges to call them off. So if money can determine the direction of our country, what is the purpose of the Constitution? What was the purpose of establishing three branches of government by which all policies would be established, reinforced and adjudicated when needed? We have an illegitmately elected clown in the White House–who has ignored the Constitution from the beginning and more despicable clowns in Congress who refuse to exercise their oversight responsibilities. And now, with the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, a blatant liar, and possible serial sexual predator, the Supreme Court will never again be seen as an arbiter of justice and truth. Three pillars missing from the democratic structure leaves only one left–a free press and even there, that pillar is endanger of toppling with all of the vicious lies told by the White House clown.

I have to wonder if people really understand the significance of this process in which it was nothing like the process, usually observed. Brett Kavanaugh has had several sexual assault allegations lodged against him, he perjured himself under oath during his last hearing, he’s had political PACs paying for advertisements (out of the norm for a judicial nominee), and then because he knew he had screwed up with his belligerence, wrote an OP ED in the Wall Street Journal (owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns Fox), which defies all logic, other than to conclude, he was begging for the position. His behavior is abominable, but that won’t stop Republicans from confirming him into the position he feels he’s entitled to have. Law Professors have sent letters to the Senate warning them not to confirm him; the ABA has warned them not to confirm him and former classmates have attested to the fact that he was lying while under oath. And why oh why wasn’t the FBI allowed to question the 20 or more people who contacted them with information? Cover-up anyone? If Brett Kavanaugh had any integrity or honor he’d step aside rather than have the Supreme Court’s reputation tainted forever.  Oh yeah, the Republicans know he’s not fit to sit on the bench of the Supreme Court but they don’t care because they care more about their agenda, than people and doing what’s right. Traitor Don will have his “get out jail card” when the crap catches up with him. That’s what this is really all about–along with all other Republicans who are complicit in the Russian meddling. We know. We are not the victims of the gaslighting. That’s trump’s base. Gaslighted into cult worship.

Here’s the thing–all women, Black and White–our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren will be subject to Supreme Court decisions for decades to come. And the one thing I don’t understand is why women would sit back and allow this travesty to continue. When women vote, they should vote for people who are committed to serving them, not the lobbyists who pay them. We deserve a return on the tax dollars all elected persons get for their pay. As a result, voters must take more time in getting to know who it is they’re electing, since we are actually their employers. I don’t want to pay anyone who neglects or ignores my rights in order to obtain money from corporate entities or rich old white men who have nothing better to do with their money than to influence politics and politicians.

With the Supreme Court appointment–a life time appointment–we pay them, too. And if they choose to screw over us all, we’ve allowed it to happen by those we elected who confirmed them. So, now–it really boils down to–how do you want your tax dollars used–to promote sexual predators and those like-minded elected officials who support them or people who look out for all the people, protecting their interest for decades to come? The real issue here is that elected officials get greedy with corporate lobbyists and others. They’re not happy or satisfied with the $174K salary, they want more money and some think they are entitled to more money so they allow their greed to lead them into situations like Russia, where so many are guilty of receiving money from a foreign entity.

So, if we want democracy to work–to have government, “by the people for the people,” we must engage in the process. We must get to know the candidates that seek our support and vote, before we vote for them. We must work side-by-side with those candidates we have *vetted* to encourage others to vote for them. If we’re not going to be part of the process, we can expect to see the dismantling of our democracy by those who wish for it to crumble–the rich and powerful–who will not consider the people since they only care about money. Think–Mr. Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) and remember how the only thing he cared about was his money and making a profit. That’s what we have in the White House now–policies are legislated for the rich, not the poor; tax dollars are being wasted on the rich (US Marshall protection of DeVos, Conway, and others) instead of being used for the poor (healthcare, education, etc.). They’re stripping away all the consumer protections just so their rich cronies can make money–ravaging the land, out of greed. We see it. Gas prices rising along with food costs and everything, but do those in the legislative branch of our democracy care about what happens to the people they’re supposed to be writing legislation for?

I can’t speak for anyone other than me at the moment and all these shenanigans are giving me a headache. My blood pressure is also rising and I guess the next step I need to take would be in suing the White House for decimating my health. That’s a thought. I have to think about it more. Perhaps, the ACLU will take on the case as a class action suit.

I’m not rambling incoherently, I’m thinking out loud about my options and the possible options for others. Someone has to be thinking about–what’s next? We already know trump lied about his own wealth and how he accumulated it (I’ve known since 2016) and the fact that he doesn’t want anyone to see his tax returns, is telling. But we will see them, one way or another. But knowing, definitively, won’t change a thing about our lives, so we must muster all the energy we can to get people out to vote. This is key! We must get people to vote. This is our voice in our crumbling government and if we want to salvage it, we must vote and vote Blue or we may never get a chance to vote again. This is not a scare tactic–this is reality. Anyone can do the research for themselves–pay attention to what Steve Bannon said–destroy democracy in America. Pay attention to the Koch Brothers who have never wanted government in charge of anything. Pay attention to all the Republican politicians who are only interested in pushing forth their agenda–taking steps to move us backwards instead of forward. PAY ATTENTION! If you don’t see what’s happening right in front of you on a daily basis, it’s because you’re not paying attention or you’re willfully blind to the facts as they unfold.

I’m not blinded by gaslighting, nor am I gullible. I am fully capable of thinking for myself, researching information and analyzing what I discover, and drawing accurate conclusions. I know there are millions of others who are just as capable as I am of knowing what needs to be done–65M others who know right from wrong and they are not Putin’s puppets and we don’t have an agenda that involves us getting more money, money, money by ripping off the US Treasury.

What In The World?

I’ve been pretty vocal about all the nonsense Americans have had to endure for the past two years, but it’s getting crazier and crazier with no end in sight (except 11/6/18). I mean really, we are facing the most autocratic Oval Office resident this country has ever seen. And it’s all part of a grander plan. When our democracy falls apart (if people don’t vote Blue in November), all those who fell for the okey doke of trump’s campaign can blame the Republicans in Congress who would not exercise their constitutional right of oversight of the executive office. But here’s why they didn’t do their job. They wanted tax cuts for the rich, and conservative judges who will rule against individual rights of people regarding: women’s reproductive rights, who people can love, access to affordable healthcare, and of course we cannot forget–the corporate promises fulfilled with the roll back of consumer protections that will lead to the deaths of many people. Now, don’t forget–trump also wants the Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, to prosecute people for disagreeing with him, for criticizing him, and for daring to exercise their 1st Amendment rights in expressing their criticism.

This is the gist of what they wanted and have succeeded in obtaining:

What the world has had an opportunity to observe with the “confirmation hearings” of Brett Kavanaugh, we are assured that he will cave to “party preference” and not care about what’s best for the country if given an opportunity to overturn, Roe v Wade, the Marriage Equality Act, and the Affordable Care Act leaving millions without healthcare. Additionally, the conflated views of “religious freedom” will be tested when corporations and insurance companies can use “their faith” to reject the rights of others.

The most interesting thing about this hearing is the fact that the nominee, avoids answering any questions and it won’t matter to the Republican majority because they have already determined they are going to confirm him. So what is the point of these hearings in which no answers are expected? This had been such a farce and waste of time, but his non-responsive answers–tell the average American a great deal about the character of the person.

And now we have the rantings of the moron-in-chief upset about an anonymous OpEd, all because someone in the White House dared to tell the truth about his behavior and lack of knowledge. Personally, I’m glad the person wrote it–whoever it was, since it confirms what has already been said–trump is a psychotic narcissistic moron who knows nothing and is consistently endangering our national security. Michael Wolff said it in his book, Omarosa said it in her book, and now it would appear that Bob Woodward has unveiled the same sentiments–with receipts!

What is it going to take for the those who blindly support the “enemy of the people” to wake up and smell the stench of treason emanating from the White House? Did they really drink a mind-numbing shake or other drink at his hate rallies that makes them incapable of rational, logical thought?

I don’t know what’s going to happen to America if people don’t get out and vote in November, but I know it won’t be pretty since we already know Russia has a tight, vise-like grip on trump’s balls and he’s afraid of him. What does Putin have on trump and the rest of the GOP? It’s got to be really bad for them to cave to foolishness and risk alienating our allies!

Here’s the thing. What in the world are you going to do about it? Yes, you–whoever is reading this. Are you going to make it your business to encourage the vote in November and for people to vote Blue or are you going to sit back on the sidelines and just shake your head? We, the people, have the power to change the course of events and save Americans and our democracy. Are you going to be part of the solution or part of the problem? I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to help get people registered to vote, encourage them to Vote Blue and take them to the polls with me–if I have to–to make sure they vote. I am going to use all of my social media platforms to make sure everyone knows this is not a drill! Our rights to vote are on the line if we don’t get this right in November!

So, again, I ask you–what in the world are you going to do?

Why? Because Democrats care about the people and they will work #ForThePeople!

If you care at all about our environment, how veterans are treated, how our senior citizens are treated, education, a living wage, and access to affordable healthcare–now is the time to act–get it in gear and move mountains to get out the Blue Vote on November 6, 2018 so we can all breathe a little easier, knowing there will be checks and balances as the Democrats do the job, Republicans won’t do.

Don’t forget–if we have a democracy surviving the resident idiot, I’m running for president in 2020 and I guarantee you, I won’t forget who it is I’m supposed to represent and serve. I will always work #ForThePeople–the Everyday Americans!

I’m Tired!

I’m tired of all the lies and all the liars!

I’m tired of Republicans acting like there’s nothing wrong with trump.

I’m tired of the white Evangelicals making excuses for the WH menace.

I’m tired of trump supporters’ inability to think for themselves.

I’m tired of the media outlets allowing ignorance to manipulate the news cycles.

I’m tired of seeing children separated from their parents being treated like animals.

I’m tired of people who know truth but won’t speak up to help end this nightmare.

I’m tired of politicians who are afraid to speak truth to power because they might lose an election.

I’m tired of all the people who complain, but won’t vote to change things.

I’m tired of listening to the cult expound the lies they’ve been told and believe.

I’m tired of those who won’t uphold their oaths of office and are allowing this country to sink.

I’m tired of apologizing to our allies for the nut job in the WH.

I’m tired of watching rising prices for gas, good and healthcare.

I’m tired of people thinking that Democrats can’t be Christians even though we’re more Christian than the Republicans who apparently don’t know Jesus.

I’m tired of the evil ones who use the bible to perpetuate their evil.

I’m tired of not knowing where all this will end–in the next year or two.

Okay, so I’m tired and I’m sure there are millions of others just as tired as I am of all the stupid we’ve had to endure. There is a way out from under the stupid–people simply have to get out and vote and vote for the party who has a heart, not just ideological beliefs.

Regardless of party affiliation or none–it’s time for Americans to step up and take control of the situation and vote for Democrats up and down the ballot in every city, township, and state. We must start where we live with local elections and then spread it out to all the general elections so the United States of America will have a chance to preserve our democracy for future generations.

Are you ready? Let’s get it done!

Can We See It Now?

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 1 John 4:16-21 NIV

To clarify, the question–can we see it now–we must be able to understand that if we do not see how love motivates our behavior, we cannot see Christ in those who claim to be Christian, yet have not love for all, unconditionally. Do we see the love of Christ in those who consistently support and applaud a person who ignites hatred in people just because they are not male and white? Do we see the love of Christ operating in those who assault others because of their religious beliefs? Do we see the love of Christ in those who deliberately lie to others? Do we see the love of Christ in those who mock the disabled and do all within their power to not care for the poor and needy? Do we see the love of Christ in the policies established by those in government that burden the poor and enrich the wealthy?

Can we see–how the promotion of false propaganda, Russian meddling, and a pathological liar conned their way into the White House? Can we see–how Evangelicals misled people simply because they want to control what others do? Can we see it now? If we cannot see how misinformation and disinformation led people hate Hillary and Obama just because, it is due to the scales over our eyes that blind us, and the molten wax in our ears that keep us from hearing truth.

If we refuse to see–how our democracy is being demolished at the hands of a few–compromised by their connection and involvement with Russia, we are doomed to deal with the consequences–already formulated and playing out in America. The House and Senate are compromised and are complicit in all that’s unfolding in DC because they refuse to uphold the oaths of their office. They have allowed countless violations of the Constitution to go unchecked because of their fear of being exposed in the duplicitous efforts to rig an election.

And these are the men and women (primarily men) who claim to be Christians and adhere to Christian values, yet we have not seen those values illuminated in any of their actions. They lie. Anyone supporting them lies and the truth is not in them. I can only imagine how distraught and disappointed our God is watching those misuse and misrepresent who He is–making a mockery of all He has done in coming down to earth to save us from ourselves and now–this! We are in the midst of a Constitutional Crisis and our elected leaders have abrogated their responsibilities in not checking evil coming from the White House. They have a constitutional duty to oversee what happens in this country and they have not once–attempted to keep this country from being derailed by Vladimir Putin.

America Has No President. Congress Has No Balls Or Integrity! The American People Have No Hope Unless they change the dynamics of who is governing our country. It is imperative, for the sake of sustaining our democracy and sovereignty that we elect people who are true Patriots–those who love the country more than a person in office, and those who do what is right for all!

We can no longer afford to listen to those standing behind podiums in a church–leading us in the wrong direction–those pretending to be followers of Christ–all the while making a mockery of who He is, when they preach hatred and dissension, instead of love and unity. Perhaps it is because they have forgotten (if they ever learned), that where there is love–there is no room for hatred. They tout forgiveness of the adulterer, the pathological liar, the misogynist, and con man, yet they want to demonize everyone else who won’t go along with their agenda. They promote fear of anyone who doesn’t look like them or worship like them or lives their lives according to how they think a person who lives. If they operate from a position of fear–they demonstrate no love resides within them. If no love resides within them, they are not Christians, they are “label-wearers, not label doers–for all who belong to Christ, dwell in His love and His love dwells in them.

Love does not seek to destroy, but build and embrace all. For where there is love, peace and hope abide and thrive–taking care of the needs of all it encounters.

There is yet time to hope for change–not only in the November election of 2018, but in every election from this point forward. We need to elect those who care more about people than status or position or the opportunity to control what others do. God is pro-choice. He gives us the right to choose–what we do and the consequences of our choices. Mere man should never attempt to usurp the position of God in our lives. For God never forces us to do anything and we should never allow mere mortals to force upon us anything that is not like God.

I’m ready to serve as the next President of the United States and I can assure all–America will have a president that honors the position and the standing we have in the world.

I’m ready for the change I know will come with Democrats–the ones who care about all–are leading this country into the next era of greatness.