Just Two Snippets This Morning …

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary, voting rights

I just have two tidbits of snark tonight … well, in truth I have a bunch more than two, but two is all I feel up to imparting tonight, for I am tired.

The 51st state? 

Yesterday, the House passed a bill to make Washington D.C. the 51st state of the union, but that bill is almost certain to fail in the Senate.  Not one single House Republican voted for statehood, and that is likely to be the case in the Senate, where the filibuster will demand 60 votes to pass.

At present 714,153 people live in Washington D.C.  With only 61 square miles of land, DC has the highest population density in the U.S.  Yet, the people who live in DC have no political representation, and the Republicans in Congress would like to keep it that way.  Why?  Primarily because DC has a majority Black population, and it is the goal of the Republican Party to keep as many Blacks as possible from voting, since they typically vote for Democrats.  If you don’t believe me, just look at the 250+ voter suppression bills in process in 43 states at present — all aimed at keeping people of colour and the poor from having a voice.  Republicans may give you a dozen excuses for their obfuscation, but when you cut through the bull, it boils down to the fact that if the people of DC had the ability to elect two senators, they would most likely elect Democratic senators and the Republicans don’t want that.  Simple.

Of course, Republican lawmakers have come up with a multitude of excuses, such as Representative Glenn Grothman, who claims the district does not qualify for statehood because it does not have manufacturing, agriculture or natural resources.  Or another who said it couldn’t qualify for statehood because it doesn’t have a landfill.  But, at the end of the day, it doesn’t qualify because it has a Black majority.  Apparently those excuse-seeking members of Congress have never actually read the U.S. Constitution.

Imagine those residents of the district … they live, they work, they pay taxes, they serve in the military … with no representation in Congress.  I think the people of the district have been remarkably patient … and they deserve better than they’re getting.

One less racist cop

William Kelly was a Lieutenant in the Norfolk, Virginia, police department until he was fired earlier this week.  The reason for his firing?  He contributed to the legal defense fund of that teenage punk, Kyle Rittenhouse, who killed two people last year in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a Black Lives Matter protest.

But, Kelly not only contributed financially, he also left a message for Rittenhouse on the GiveSendGo crowdfunding site, saying …

“God bless. Thank you for your courage. Keep your head up. You’ve done nothing wrong. Every rank and file police officer supports you. Don’t be discouraged by actions of the political class of law enforcement leadership.”

Did nothing wrong?????  WTF???  The boy, at the time 17 years of age, wasn’t even old enough to own a gun … in fact didn’t own a gun, but he borrowed an AR-15 from a friend and ended up killing two and seriously injuring another!  And a high-ranking police officer is applauding his actions???  Tell me again that we don’t need police reform in this country!

Chip Filer, Norfolk’s city manager, issued a statement …

“His egregious comments erode the trust between the Norfolk Police Department and those they are sworn to serve. The City of Norfolk has a standard of behavior for all employees, and we will hold staff accountable.”

And from the city’s police chief, Larry D. Boone …

“A police department cannot do its job when the public loses trust with those whose duty is to serve and protect them. We do not want perceptions of any individual officer to undermine the relations between the Norfolk Police Department and the community.”

So, there’s one less racist officer on the streets of Norfolk, Virginia tonight, but how many more in cities across this nation?

42 thoughts on “Just Two Snippets This Morning …”

  1. I think we can best sum the current mindset of the vocal wing of the Republican Party and its associates as;
    “I KNOW MY RIGHTS! I KNOW MY RIGHTS!I KNOW MY RIGHTS! I KNOW MY RIGHTS! I KNOW MY RIGHTS! I KNOW MY RIGHTS!
    Don’t bring facts, rationality and responsibility into you, you liberal snowflakes you! I KNOW MY (white) RIGHTS! I KNOW MY (white) RIGHTS! I KNOW MY (white) RIGHTS! I KNOW MY (white) RIGHTS! I KNOW MY (white) RIGHTS! I KNOW MY (white) RIGHTS! I KNOW MY (white) RIGHTS! I KNOW MY (white) RIGHTS!”

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  2. Pingback: on free speech | Random thoughts

  3. That people would individually defend –and support the legal defense of– Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old KID (!), for KILLING two people is simply beyond mind-boggling!! The act of taking human life is becoming more and more irrelevant.

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  4. Jill, you and I both know that if the tables were turned, and those voters were white and mostly Republican, D.C would have been a state years ago. They can’t even hide the blatant racism anymore.

    Liked by 1 person

    • and if the tables were turned Jeff, would you and Jill be advocating for Washington dc to not be a state because more people would vote republican? I’ll wait for the answer which I actually don’t expect to receive because when I’m right, I’m met with just silence.

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      • I’d bitch and complain Scott. But really the point is mute isn’t it? Republicans in power know that black people make up 46% of D.C population, meaning, they could give a rat’s ass about them. All they care about is power. Mitch McConnell’s been playing Dems for patsy’s long enough. They stole at least two Supreme Court Justices-simply because they had power, and they exercised it. It’s beyond comforting to see Dems finally growing a spine against the most despised party we may ever see in our lifetimes. And by the way. South Dakota and North Dakota are two separate states, because Republicans back then, wanted 4 additional Senators. Just a quick history lesson for you Scott. Oh, and if I’m not mistaken, they also did the same for Nevada, which at the time was a territory. I can’t wait to bring D.C in, and hopefully, not long after, Puerto Rico. Ahhhh, isn’t life wonderful?

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      • If every person living in the District where white, I would still be fighting for statehood. Every person, regardless of skin colour, has a right to be represented, especially since they pay taxes! If I lived in the District, I would be raising 9 kinds of hell over having to pay taxes without representation.

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    • Hell yeah it would have. It’s a damn shame, though, that the Republican Party as a whole seems to be the PWS … Party of White Supremacy. I’m just about sick and damn tired of their self-sanctimonious “nationalism” which is nothing but pure racism.

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  5. Hey, Jill, I just left a comment about statehood on Claytoonz blog. I know you go there, so maybe you will read it. Todayz toon was also about a 51st state, and a 52nd state, and maybe a few more.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. about statehood, the constitution is pretty clear about that, whether you and other liberals want to actually believe it.
    “Article I, section 8, clause 17 of the Constitution, which says that the “Seat of the Government of the United States” shall be a district that is at most ten square miles and separate and apart from the other “particular States.”

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    • The proposal for statehood would exempt the area that is actually the seat of government, ie the White House, Capitol and Supreme Court buildings. But the rest of the district would become a state. Given that, as part of my Masters in International Relations, I studied Constitutional Law for 2 years and read the entire document so many times that I’ve got part of it burned into my memory, I feel I am qualified to say that the proposal for statehood is not at all unconstitutional. Imagine, for a minute, that you live in DC and work, say as a janitor at the Capitol, making just enough to keep a roof over your family’s head and food on the table. Wouldn’t you expect you should have the right to vote for someone to represent your state, your best interests?

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  7. Jill, what I find of interest is the world saw what we saw in the Chauvin footage. They saw the testimony from many. One prosecutor noted it was one of the more compelling cases she has ever seen. And, even 55% of US Republicans agree with the Chauvin verdict, with another 20% not sure. That leaves 25% who disagree and side with the Tucker Carlson, Brian Kilmeade, Donald Trump world. At some point, the sycophants who support trumpism will have to realize that being an untruthful bully like the former president will eventually catch up to you.

    As for the former Virginia cop, that is about as misguided a move that he could possibly make. He chose poorly and is paying a price for it. Keith

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    • Indeed, I don’t see how anybody could watch that video and not agree with the verdict of the jury. I’d like to ask that 25% who disagree with the verdict if they would feel the same if it had been a Black cop kneeling on the neck of an unarmed white man. Care to make any bets on their answers? This verdict was the right one … but it’s only a small step toward holding police accountable.

      Definitely so. His message to Rittenhouse floored me … and coming from an officer of the law, no less!

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  8. Thank you for sharing!!… change is in the winds and there are many who have found their comfort zone (ideological and economics) and are trying to deny any change that may affect them in some manner.. “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future.” ( John F. Kennedy)…. I expect every generation has gone through the process, the difference today is technology has given more people knowledge and a voice… 🙂

    Until we meet again..
    May the road rise to meet you
    May the wind be always at your back
    May the sun shine warm upon your face
    The rains fall soft upon your fields
    May green be the grass you walk on
    May blue be the skies above you
    May pure be the joys that surround you
    May true be the hearts that love you.
    (Irish Saying)

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    • Thanks, Dutch! Excellent quote by JFK … and he’s so right … nothing remains static. Technology has certainly changed the world and I often think it’s time for a re-write of the Constitution, but not in today’s polarized political climate!

      Many thanks for the Irish saying and the PPM song! I always did love PPM

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