"A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true."

"A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true." -Martin Luther King, Jr. 

I'm so sick of old white men making decisions for our country.

This week my heart has been so heavy. I've had renewed anxiety and dread after Christine Blasey Ford courageously spoke up about the assault she survived at the hands of SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavenaugh.

So I turn to writing it out to try to process it.

It's a pivotal point for our country. Have we grown at all in the 27 years since the Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas episode? Does the #MeToo movement have the teeth to force old white men to wake up to the reality of countless women's experiences? And believe them? And mete out consequences to the perpetrator?

They can't confirm Judge Kavanaugh. Period.

Boys will be boys. Boys will not be rapists.

Some of the more outlandish statements:

A female Republican panelist discussing the issue: "But we’re talking about a 17-year-old boy in high school with testosterone running high. Tell me, what boy hasn’t done this in high school?”  No doubt that woman was assaulted and has told herself lies for the last half-century.

GOP Congressman (N.D.) and Senate nominee Kevin Cramer: "If to the degree there was any legitimacy to Anita Hill's claims, and she tried and didn't prevail -- Clarence Thomas did and America did -- this case is even more absurd because these people were teenagers when this supposed alleged incident took place," Cramer said on the Jarrod Thomas Show on 1310 KNOX, a local North Dakota radio station. "Teenagers. Not a boss-supervisor-subordinate situation, as the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill situation was claimed to be. These are teenagers who evidently were drunk, according to her own statement. They were drunk. Nothing evidently happened in it all, even by her own accusation. Again, it was supposedly an attempt or something that never went anywhere."  From CNN. Let's hope this guy isn't raising children.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R- S.C.):  "Did y’all hear this latest late-breaking news from the Kavanaugh hearings? Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out that she was groped by Abraham Lincoln." From the Post and Courier. Sickening.

New York Republican politician, former judge, former district attorney, and current Faux News TV personality Jeanine Pirro:

JEANINE PIRRO: This is worrisome, it means that people will make up stories. 

SEAN HANNITY (HOST): My understanding is, didn't they say that this came out for the first time in couples therapy in 2012?

PIRRO: Yeah and what was that about, and when was the first time Kavanaugh's name came up? And what about, is this hypnosis? Is this confabulation? This is all stuff that is contrary to what the law calls for. 

Yeah, hypnosis to plant a SCOTUS nominee's name into her brain to sit for several years, just waiting for the day....

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in an interview:  “What do you expect me to do? What am I supposed to do? Go ahead and ruin this guy’s life? I don’t know when it happened, I don’t where it happened, and everybody being named in regard to being there said it didn’t happen, Unless there’s something more, no, I’m not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh’s life over this,"   Excuse me, sir? There is a witness, known as THE VICTIM, who can tell you when and where it happened.

Lawyer and conservative think-tank leader Ed Whelan, in a (since-deleted) tweet, put forth a conspiracy theory. His angle: the assault happened, but it was a case of mistaken identiy. He has since taken a leave of absence from his firm and apologized for the tweet. You gotta feel for Kavenaugh's classmate who he fingered.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) (who, by the way, has retweeted a Neo-Nazi tweet) at a Faith and Freedom dinner, said that no man will ever qualify for the supreme court if this is the "new standard," according to the Des Moines Register. He said:

“I’m thinking, is there any man in this room that wouldn’t be subjected to such an allegation? A false allegation? How can you disprove something like that? Which means, if that’s the new standard, no man will ever qualify for the Supreme Court again.”

And the worst, from our Supreme(ly ill) Leader. SCROTUS wrote in a tweet: "I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place."

And as usual, The Onion gets it right. He was simply attempting to rape while white.

The repercussions of these statements and attitudes, I think, is what scares me the most. What is this teaching our sons and daughters?  Why are women still second-class citizens? If that?  For eons, women have been afraid to come forward. Out of fear of retaliation, fear of being disbelieved, fear of being judged, shame, or just plain not knowing it was a crime, or who to contact, or not wanting to believe that it happened.

And the overwhelming reason. The criminal justice system fails.

Statistics from RAINN

The bright side, if there is one, is that women are coming forth with their stories, bringing these atrocities to the light. The tag #WhyIDidn'tReport has sprung up on Twitter with countless women sharing their stories and their reasons for not reporting.

As a dear friend reminded me over and over, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant." Listen to our sisters with love and compassion.

How to help?

Thanks, Syz, for the photo

Call your Members of Congress. Demand a fair hearing. Demand they vote against confirmation.

Register to vote now and VOTE in November.

And after that, run for office.

Talk about sexual assault. Share your stories.

Here is a suggestion from my Sister Resister Anne:

I don't know if it would help, but it might in enough cases to make it worth while- if you are a person who was assaulted, write down everything you remember and mail it to yourself. When it comes in the mail, tuck it away so that there is a paper trail. If the person who damaged you has continued to victimized people, and is caught, you can be a witness if you desire. A college friend of mine was raped but said nothing. I stand ready to speak his name anytime.

Believe others' stories and support survivors in their recovery. Speak about it.

Teach your sons and daughters.

Volunteer or donate to RAINN, a resource for survivors of sexual assault.

Change the things you cannot accept. 

Breaking: New allegations are emerging about a second and a third victim of assault by Kavanaugh. 

Adults in the Room

I apologize for the long hiatus. Personal stuff kept me away from my blog.

And now I come back with the specter of the eleventy-second constitutional crisis that we have faced in the last 594 days. But this one is big.

Yesterday, an anonymous "senior official in the Trump administration" penned an OpEd in the New York Times. It was explosive. Jaws dropped from coast to coast.

When I read it, I was shocked like everyone. By the end, I was moved to tears. We have allies working for good! And then in reflection, I was scared that things might get more dangerous. Then I returned to Hope. Maybe this will get Congress really moving. Maybe, just maybe, some brave senior Republicans will start the process to remove the Orange Scourge from office.

Bob Englehart

This article appeared just after previews of Bob Woodward's book, "Fear: Trump in the White House" came out. Even the President* admits that Mr. Woodward is a credible and "fair" journalist, as you can hear in their telephone conversation below (transcript below that).


Transcript here.

The stuff reportedly in Woodward's book, especially coming from such an esteemed journalist, was explosive. His sources were tape recorded; Woodward quotes many describing an off-the-rails President*.

And just a couple days later, the OpEd, reflecting Woodward's work but almost crying for help, was published. It is astounding that it was published anonymously. It goes against editorial sensibilities, but obviously the New York Times decided it was a person high enough on the totem pole and serious enough in the accusations, to allow an anonymous essay. Imagine, a 2018 Deep Throat.

Speculation is running rampant about who the author is. There are good analyses with educated guesses.

HuffPost speculated that it is Vice President Pence, based on one word (lodestar) that Pence often uses. However, the article concedes that anonymous leakers will often use catch-phrases of others in order to throw off speculation.

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell methodically analyzes the top officials and makes his conclution that it is Dan Coats. It's a good analysis.


No matter who it is --and it could be more than one-- we have to ask, what does it mean for the country?

The Atlantic ran with my second emotion. Danger, Will Robinson! The author warns that these revelations will lead to more instability and recklessness. He stipulates that if the administraion leaders feels he is not fit, then proceedings to remove him from office should commence under the 25th Amendment.

I don't know why Republicans are so afraid to remove him. They'll still have a Republican President, they'll have some of their credibility with voters restored, and they'll be able to move along their policies without the fear of WWIII. But perhaps Russia has something on every single Member of Congress.

Senator John Kerry expressed grave concern about this OpEd. I couldn't embed, but the video is in this link.

A columnist for the New York Times, who was not part of the decision to print the OpEd, outlines reactions from several sources. None of them shared my first reaction, that thankfully, someone is on the side of Right inside the Whitewash House. More than one source characterize the actions described in the OpEd as a "coup."  Not good stuff.

I may be in the minority, but I still have hope. I think the author is a hero. Maybe I'm just a Pollyanna, but if some are in there trying to do their best to steer the burning ship away from the rocks, then the ideals of our Nation have teeth. Some of those "best people" may actually be doing good work in difficult circumstances. Like Susan Hennessey of Lawfare said, it must be genuinely scary for someone to take this unprecedented step.

Let us convert this Hope into Pressure. Call your Members of Congress and insist that movements be made to remove this madman. You can find the phone number of your representatives here: Senators and Representatives.

And breaking: This esteemed publication shockingly offered two more anonymous letters from some close to SCROTUS.

Buckle up. The Resistance Road is going to get bumpy.

For those of you who have the highest trained consciences

For those of you who have the highest trained consciences:

Happy Independence Day!

It's one of my favorite holidays, and like you, I'm sad today. It is a bit of a struggle today to feel good about America. All around social media, I saw pessimism and dismay today. Like this:

and comments such as: 

My answer is this. Being disgusted and outraged is Patriotic! The reason you feel outraged, disgusted, and less-than-patriotic is because you instill the very hope and the values that are at our base. We must not abandon American ideals now! We must, now more than ever, embrace the standards that have driven America for the last 242 years. Yes! Enjoy your hotdogs and watermelon today. Engage in some introspection and self-care. Dig down and find your strength as individuals so that we can, together, lift America out of this pit. America is great -- we need to work hard to make it better!

Why must we be Patriotic?  Because it's hard.

“Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty. No kind of life is worth leading if it is always an easy life. I know that your life is hard; I know that your work is hard; and hardest of all for those of you who have the highest trained consciences, and who therefore feel always how much you ought to do. I know your work is hard, and that is why I congratulate you with all my heart. I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”
― Theodore Roosevelt, American Ideals: And Other Essays, Social and Political


Go Team Resistance!

Little Sister Resister with a cuppa (gifted by Big Sister Resister!) and a good book.

Now in November nearer comes the sun down the abandoned heaven.

"Now in November nearer comes the sun down the abandoned heaven." -- D.H. Lawrence

******Only 125 days until Election Day!******

Happy Independence Day!

Today I look forward from today, Independence Day, July 4, to four short months from now: Tuesday, November 6.

Twenty states still have federal primaries to go, including Louisiana, whose primary, strangely, is on Election Day. But with the majority of states having had their primaries, the fields are shaping up.

What are things looking like across the country? Will the left go more left? Where should we Bleeding Heart Leftie Libtard Snowflakes put our energy and our money?

There are 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats up for grabs, and I of course would be hard-pressed to look at all the races. The Cook Report and Ballotpedia are good sources for that! But I'll try to hone in on some races, some battlegrounds, and some close to home here in California. For House races, I'll especially look in California, Texas, Oregon, and New Mexico, as that is where some of my favorite readers reside. I'll also look at other important races across the country.


The House of Representatives

California has about 10 battleground elections, all held by Republicans. Dems need to take several of those seats to turn the House blue. I'm going to look at only a few. Read more at the LA Times or  ballotpedia.org.

Daniel Issa (CA 49th) - Daniel Issa is one of the Republicans to turn tail and run, and his seat is up for grabs after he chose not to run for re-election. He had won the last election by only a half a percentage point. His district is turning blue. The two candidates going against each other in November are Democrat Mike Levin and Republican Diane Harkey. This is a hot race.

Edward Royce (CA 39th) - Ed Royce also decided to leave his seat. This is one of the hottest races in the country. Republican Young Kim will go against Democrat Gil Cisneros. It's generally considered a toss-up at this time. This one may be a good one to get behind.

Devin Nunes, (CA 22nd) is considered a battleground, but it is doubtful he will lose, as his district is solidly red, in the heartland of the California Valley. Last election, Nunes won by 35 points, but SCROTUS won here by only 10%. Nunes has had some backlash from his behaviors while chair of  the House Intelligence Committee. It would be great if his challenger, Democrat Andrew Janz, could pull off a victory. I despise Devin Nunes.

Mimi Walters (CA 45th) will go up against Democrat Katie Porter. Though Walters won handily in 2016, the district went for Hillary. In the past, this district was solidly Republican. It should be an interesting race.

Dana Rorerbacher (CA 48th). Hillary squeaked by in this district, and it is a competitive race, with the incumbent Republican Rorerbacher going against Democrat Harley Rouda. It's considered a toss-up to slight tilt Republican.

Steve Knight (CA 25th) is another hot seat. Hillary won here in 2016, but Republican Steve Knight won the seat by 6 points. Democrat Katie Hill is challenging him in November. It's a toss-up to tilt Republican race. I think this race is where I may send some support.

Read more about Battleground races across the country at Ballotpedia.

I wanted to outline more elections across the country, but it's turning out to be a big project. So, I'll leave you with some links. Texas has some important battlegrounds. New Mexico has one. Oregon, true to his Dark Blue bent, has no battleground elections. Four out of five of Oregon's districts are held by Democrats, and they are expected to hold on to their seats.

There is hope for our country. There are exciting races coast to coast.

Last week, this exciting upset happened. Twenty-eight-year-old Alexandria Ocasio Cortez handily beat 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley for the Democratic nomination to represent New York's 14th District, and given the district's Democrat history, she is likely to take the seat. She is a far-left candidate who beat a reliably progressive incumbent. She is a ray of hope for the far left. We need to go far left to right our ship.

I am not a huge fan of Trevor Noah, but I like his report on Cortez's victory:




More hope: Reuters reports that polls show that white people are shifting heavily left. The article states:

Nationwide, whites over the age of 60 with college degrees now favor Democrats over Republicans for Congress by a 2-point margin, according to Reuters/Ipsos opinion polling during the first three months of the year. During the same period in 2016, that same group favored Republicans for Congress by 10 percentage points.

WE WILL TAKE THE HOUSE IN NOVEMBER!


The Senate

Of the 35 Senate seats up for grabs, 13 are considered battlegrounds. It's a little tricky for Democrats, as they are defending more seats than Republicans are, and of the Democratic seats that are being defended, 10 of them are in states that went for DumbHead, whereas Republicans are defending only one seat in a state that voted for Hillary. Dems need to flip only two seats, but it is a tall order this year.

I'll outline just a few exciting races.

North Dakota: Democrat incumbent Heidi Heitkamp is defending her seat vs Kevin Cramer (R). North Dakota is deep red, and the Puke Orange One won in ND with 63%; now he's at 57%. Still, Hietkamp, though a moderate Democrat, is in good position to keep her seat. She has a 47% approval rating, 37% disapproval, in this Red state.

Nevada: Representative Jacky Rosen could take the seat from incumbent Republican Dean Heller. Nevada voted for Hillary in 2016, and Heller had a damaging flippy-floppy in his stance on Obamacare, first siding with the unpopular Republican governor, then acquiescing to pressure from SCROTUS. His political missteps are positive for Rep. Rosen.

Arizona:  Arizona hasn't had its primary yet -- it's happening August 28 -- but Senator Jeff Flake is retiring, and there's a chance a Democrat could win, namely Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who looks like the de-facto Democrat nominee and who is leading polls against all three Republican contenders. We need Arizona to flip blue. We need Joe Arpaio's (who is one of the Republican candidates) stain on Arizona to be cleansed. This is one race I can get behind. We need Arizona to redeem herself.

Texas: A long-shot, but ooooh how I hope Ted Cruz will leave Washington! He is wildly popular in Texas, though, but I'm rooting for underdog Beto O'Rourke to pull it off!  Go, Beto!

...and Tennessee. Tennesee! Tennesee might flip. Republican Bob Corker is stepping down, and presumptive nominees Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R) and  former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) will duke it out. Blackburn is solidly, rabidly pro-TЯUMP, but Bredesen is old-school and hugely popular. This one will be interesting to watch. Go, Tennessee! 

I would love to go through all of the Senate races, but I'll point you to Ballotpedia and Politico.


It's important that we all continue to work hard to flip seats in both chambers. The stakes are huge.

Keep your pulse on the action. Here is an interactive election calendar from the New York Times. Read the latest on Ballotpedia. Watch Politico's ongoing coverage. Apple News is also covering the midterms in a special section on iDevices.

And most of all, participate. Find a candidate to get behind. Donate money or time. Put up signs. Man a voter registration booth. Get people to the polls. This is the most important part! We need to get out the vote! It's critical!

To vote is to resist! Celebrate your Freedom today, and on Election Day! 

Mike Luckovich

"Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life."

"Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life." Sophocles

I joined my friend Lindsey, with whom I started my career in protests at the 2016 Women's March, and participated in the nationwide protest, Families Belong Together, calling for immigrant families to be reunited and kept together, calling for all of us to rethink immigration in general, calling out the Nation's racist roots, calling on white people to use their white privilege to help, and calling for action. It is encouraging and gives me hope that so many good people are out there, protesting, working, and resisting.

There were at least 1500 in De la Guerra Plaza yesterday. There were many inspirational speakers. And we marched in the streets.

We learned that words matter. We learned that immigrant children are at risk for horrors when they finally make it to the US and are captured. We learned that there are plenty of networks of helpers, ready to give legal aid to those in need. We learned that our white privilege should be wielded to support and advocate. We heard from immigrants who are truly grateful for the opportunities in our Land, and who still appreciate being in the US, despite being "scared shitless."

There was one moment that was wonderful to me in the sense that it affirmed to me that concerned citizens on the Left have reason and independent thought. When a speaker was describing some inflammatory, graphic, and shocking things about unspeakable horrors that some children face, people called out, "What are your sources?" I just don't see those kinds of shouts at a White Supremacy rally, for example.

And we made our voices heard.

My sister resister Lindsey and me

The dress I chose is symbolic. My daughter and I bought matching dresses. I wore mine, as I can't imagine the unspeakable anguish those mothers are experiencing.

The speaker's sign is made of wire and it reads, "Don't cage our children"

Surprisingly, there wasn't much coverage of the march in local media. At least, not yet. Noozhawk had an article. The Los Angeles Times outlined the marches in LA and across the Nation. Interestingly, the local TV news did stories on Santa Maria and Ventura, but nothing about our march. And, predictably, the local rag, The Santa Barbara News-Suppress (ok, its real name is News-Press), the only paper in the Nation to endorse the Fascist Cheeto, ignored the story as well.

UPDATE: Adding local media coverage.

Santa Barbara Independent
edhat
Noozhawk

After the March,  I came home and donated to causes that are helping during our immigration crisis. And you should too. Find a charitable organization here. Or here. Or here.

And if you don't have money to spare, Volunteer. Call your Members of Congress. Protest. RESIST!

Descending into Darkness

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santanaya

Facism.

Bristly word, huh?

I've always been a little hesitant to use the word to describe current events or to compare someone to Hitler. It's a serious comparison, strong and harsh. Comparing to Hitler or the Holocaust, or to any of the world's brutal fascist dictators, should be done with caution. Those were the darkest days of our world's history, and to go back there is the scariest of scenarios.

But now.  Now....  Now!

John Darkow

Now it fits.

It seems like we're headed there. Gawd, it seems like the US is headed there! The old adage "Don't forget history lest you repeat it" has never been truer. We are so close in so many ways to fascism that we need to really look seriously at the situation and NOT let our guard down.

This was making its rounds on Facebook:

I checked Snopes.com (I try to fact-check most "factual" memes, and you should, too) about its authenticity. Snopes reports that though this wasn't a display at the Holocaust Museum, it was offered in the gift shop (no longer offered). It was based on writings by Laurence Britt, a self-described "amateur historian" who has written articles, chapters, as well as a novel exploring the beginnings of fascism in America.

In any case, it's an interesting list, and I thought of dissecting these points with an example or two. Some of them are obvious, but for reasons of clarity of thought and factual documentation, I wanted to go through these points one by one.

So here we go.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism. Well, this is quite obvious. He wants to "Make America Great Again" -- whatever that means -- and is unapologetic about his nationalism. He ran his campaign on Nationalism. In its purest form, Nationalism, is a positive. It's also called Patriotism. We all want to defend our country. We want to be sovereign and self-governing. But when Nationalism becomes extreme, such as by alienating allies, by punishing allies,  by mandating patriotism, by developing a brand of White Nationalism, or by ripping immigrant babies from their mothers' arms, it becomes the first step toward dangerous ground.

2. Disdain for Human Rights. Jailing babies from other countries. Withdrawing from the UN Council on Human Rights. Human rights are at the basis of our country's ideals, and he just doesn't care.

3. Identification of enemies as a unifying cause. The Others are the enemies, especially if they are brown. Xenophobia is rampant in his base, and Cheeto Benito plays to the fear of Others, whether they are Black Football Players, Muslims, Mexicans, or anyone from Shit Hole Countries. "They" are the cause for our woes. He not only vilifies the Others, he dehumanizes them. It's a tactic of dictators, and it is putrid.

4. Supremacy of the Military. He ran on the promise of vastly expanding the military. He wants a military parade -- with tanks -- down Pennsylvania Avenue. He wants to develop a Space Force (separate but equal!). He has flubbed a lot on this point, however. He doesn't mesh well with the Military, often clashing with "his generals." Veterans widely supported him in the election, but they are on to him.

5. Rampant Sexism. Sexism is an understatement. We don't need examples. There are plenty of disgusting examples. You know them.

6. Controlled Mass Media. Though he hasn't controlled it, he sure has been dangerously contemptuous of the Fake Media. He does, however, control at least one outlet. Faux News is his propaganda mouthpiece. The good news: his contempt is transparent and it may come back to bite him in the @ss.

7. Obsession with National Security. Interestingly, though his mouth screams "national security," his actions undermine it every day.

8. Religion and Government Intertwined. Oh gawd yes! Though this has been a hallmark of the Republican Party for decades, the Orange Scourge takes it to a new level. White Christians and TЯUMP: They are indistinguishable. Though his own personal religion is nebulous, if it weren't for White Christians, he would not have gotten the votes he got. And he knows it.

9. Corporate Power Protected. It seems superfluous to give evidence on some of these! Corporations control today's US politics. Period.

10. Labor Power Suppressed. Boss Tweet has done a lot to undermine labor unions, including just last month signing orders intending to hobble Federal employees' unions.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts. This is the topic of a planned blog post. This disdain is rampant! I'll come back to you with more.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment. This statement defines Hair Hitler. Did you see his February, 2017 speech to the joint session of Congress? Did you see his Inauguration speech? Here are some of the touch points on crime. Do you remember his 1989 full page ad calling for the punishment of five innocent people for a crime they did not commit? And his continuing obsession with the Central Park Five case,  still insisting they are guilty decades later?

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption. Arguably THE most corrupt administration* ever seated in the Whitewash House. Cronyism abounds. And Loyalty is Requirement #1 for this worm. I've looked at his mob boss (at its best) / dictator (at its worst) tendencies in a previous post.

and finally,

14. Fraudulent Elections. His bestie Putie took care of that.

Oh goodness! Just after I finished writing this, I found this article, which also examines several traits of Fascism and their expression in today's America. Read it!

So, where are we? Do we really have a dangerous madman? Or is he, as this excellent article from The Washington Post, just a two-bit conman?

Do we dare have hope? Will our 242-year institutions and ideals hold up to preserve our Republic? Some have dim hope. Me? I have bright hope. We are a nation of laws. Our checks and balances so far have worked to keep Li'l Adolph in check. Our citizenry is rising, especially now, at our darkest. People are risking their businesses and their jobs in efforts to resist. The owner of the Red Hen restaurant in Virginia asked Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave her establishment. Antar Davidson quit his job this week at an immigration center rather than follow orders to prohibit family members from hugging each other. In Montana earlier this year, Jordon Dyrdahl-Roberts felt a moral obligation to quit his job rather than cooperate with ICE agents.

Wouldn't it be great if some organization started a fund for conscientious objectors who quit their jobs instead of following immoral orders?

The majority DID NOT elect 45, and the majority continues to grow. Our resolve to right our country's path also continues to grow. We do have hope. We have November.

And if we learn enough about the dangers, we can avert disaster. Here's a quick primer. (Thanks to Resister Anne for pointing me to this video)



Go! Register to vote. Help register the newly-minted 18-year-old down the street. Read. Perhaps pick up Madeline Albright's book, Facism: A Warning. Take action. Wrestle back our Democracy. Resist.

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." ~ The Dalai Lama

And then it happened. The dark days descended.

Source

The United States of America began to use state-sponsored psychological warfare and child abuse as a weapon. Lady Liberty was brought to her knees crying.

Her poor, her tired, her huddled masses yearning to be free: ripped at the seams. Children torn from their mommies and put in cages.

I truly can't believe that my fingers are typing these words. I took up the task of documenting this shit show, and so I must. It's the hardest post I've had to write.

In March, 2017, MSNBC was first to report on the "zero tolerance" policy soon to come, that children would be separated from their families at the border. They admitted then that they planned that this policy would act as a deterrent.

A year later, the policy was put in place, with the blatantly false narrative that it was a Democrat's law that mandated the separations. In April, 2018, Attorney General Sessions implemented the policy and by the end of May, over 2000 children were taken from their families and kept in detention facilities ran by prison contractors. Thousands more unaccompanied minors have also been held.

It was the most unconscionable act this sham of an administration could muster. It's hard to fathom than anyone would even consider this action. I'm sure you, like me, started losing sleep over it. I felt anxious. I could barely absorb the news; I didn't want to click on one more link.

On June 4, Senator Jeff Merkely (D-OR) tried to gain entry to a detention facility in Texas and had the police called on him to make him leave. This week, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) tried to tour one of the facilities in his home state of Florida but was refused.

Let that sink in. United States Senators were denied entry into federal detention centers housing motherless children.

That is some scary shit.

Citizens, political leaders, corporate leaders, religious leaders, healthcare leaders, and every human being on the planet who has an iota of morality (insert mirror here), were becoming outraged. All five living first ladies made statements of outrage. The Pope made a statement of outrage. Drumpf dug in. As did his minions.

• Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Invoked the Bible to justify his heinous act
• Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Strapped on her puppet strings and sang her boss's song in a stomach-turning press conference. (Side note: I was curious, so I found that $165,000 was Sanders's price to sell her soul)
• Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen: Gave Orwellian answers and flat-out denied that separations were happening. Just looking at this person with her gotta-take-a-poop look on her face gives me the willies.  

Finally, yesterday 45 relented and signed a toothless executive order, which stopped the separations but did nothing to direct the reunion of mother and child. It was reported that Melania urged her husband to revoke the policy. Perhaps she did, her voice rising above the 7.6 billion other anguished voices, but she all but undid any of her nascent compassionate tendencies by her misguided decision to wear a $39 jacket that proclaimed with 6-inch letters on the back: "I DON'T REALLY CARE. DO U?" when she went to visit one of the detention centers holding primarily unaccompanied minors (she did NOT visit a center holding children separated from their families). Is she really that tone-deaf? Are her English language comprehension skills that limited? Did she have lapse of judgment? Did her handlers have a lapse in judgment? Was she sending a message to the media, as her husband claimed? Whatever the cause of the unfortunate wardrobe choice, it was really an unconscionable decision during the biggest crisis our nation has faced in many many years.  The world's eyes were watching.

The order ending the separations has been written, but it is not clear when it will be implemented. Nor is there a good plan -- or any plan -- to reunite families who have been separated. It is feared that reunion might not happen at all. The logistics are daunting. Their record-keeping has been null.

The Department of Justice has made movements to make family detentions indefinite.  Babies do not belong in jail.

Every piece of this breaks my heart.





So, what do we do to help? There are plenty of organizations ready to help. This article has a list of legal and social services organizations. As always, I encourage you to do due diligence and check any charity through a watchdog like Charity Navigator or Charity Watch before you donate.  The ACLU will lead the charge. Donate to them again.

And another way to help: Protest. There are protests planned around the country for Saturday, June 30. We cannot rest until the families are reunited. The US -- and that's all of us -- MUST get the kidnapped children back to their moms and dads. Look for a march or rally in your area. Make a sign. Yell loudly.

Resist.

And just because I think he is brilliant, here is Colbert's take. Cuz yanno.






Thanks for reading.