Oh Yes … Racism Is Alive And Well In America

Posted on April 9, 2021 by jilldennison under Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

Yesterday I read a statement by one of the terrorists who attacked Congress and the Capitol on January 6^th that made me want to connect my fist to the man’s nose …

“This is not 1950. I’d say about 95, 96 percent of people are not the least bit racist.”

SAY WHAT????

John Hugo at ‘Straight Pride’ parade

The remark was made by a ‘man’ named John Hugo, president of a group called, believe it or not, Super Happy Fun America (SFHA) that bused some three hundred people to the Capitol on January 6^thto create chaos, murder and mayhem, and first earned their claim to fame when they held a “Straight Pride Parade” in Boston in 2019. I guess this is what they call “Super Happy Fun”, eh? Let me tell you something, MR. HUGO … racism is alive and well in this nation … and YOU, sir, are part of the problem!

According to a PEW Research study … well, here … take a look for yourself …

Even without the Pew study, we can see with our own eyes that racism surely exists among the majority of people with pale skin in this country! I’m talking about the sort of racism whereby pale people believe … truly believe in their warped minds … that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Case in point: There is overwhelming proof that white people use more illegal drugs. Yet, the only way anyone can explain why Black people are arrested for possession at three times the rate of whites is the racist belief that there is a huge drug use problem in Black communities. Racism is the only way to explain why the largest policing project in world history revealed “Black drivers were searched about 1.5 to 2 times as often as white drivers, while they were less likely to be carrying drugs, guns, or other illegal contraband compared to their white peers.” It is necessary to believe that race is a “fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities” if one wants to understand why Black men receive prison sentences that are, on average, nearly 20 percent longer than white men who commit the same crimes.

I have a Black friend who has been incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, that nobody, not even the police, thought he committed, and now his sons are stopped on average once or twice a month for the crime of “Driving While Black”. ‘Splain that one, Mr. Hugo!

It isn’t only Black people, it is Hispanics, Asians, and anybody who doesn’t have the physical traits of those pale people. WHY??? WHY, people … can somebody please explain to me why those pale-skinned people think they are somehow superior???

The PEW study goes on to show that most (65%) white Americans believe it has become more common for people to express racist or racially insensitive views since Trump was elected president …

And while I really don’t like tying such things as racism to one political party or the other, the proof, as it were, is in the pudding that overall, Republicans are the ones who think Black people actually have too many r ights!

DAMMIT!!! Could somebody give these nudniks a bit of education??? Eight-in-ten white Democrats – vs. 40% of white Republicans – say the legacy of slavery continues to have an impact on black people’s position in American society today. And when it comes to views about racial discrimination, 78% of white Democrats say the bigger problem is people not seeing it where it really does exist, while a similar share of white Republicans say people seeing racial discrimination where it really does not exist is the bigger problem. Tell me again that the Republican Party hasn’t turned into the party of racism and bigotry … go ahead, tell me!

All my life, since I was a small child, I have believed that someday racism and bigotry would end, that people would come to understand that the colour of a person’s skin, the homeland of his ancestors, do not change the fact that his heart and brain function just the same as anyone else’s and that there is nothing … NOTHING … that makes pale people superior. All my life … nearly 70 years now … I believed that people would eventually wake up and smell the goddamn coffee. Today, I no longer believe that. I have seen the human species as it is and I understand, after all these years, that some people are simply never, ever, going to give up their illusions of superiority and will continue to pass those heinous beliefs on to their children and grandchildren.

It doesn’t mean I will stop fighting, though in truth I am tempted, for I see all too clearly that humans are not going to change, that stupidity and cruelty is ingrained and passed on through the genes. But, what it does mean is that I have lost hope. I have lost the belief that people are basically good. I have stopped caring whether the human species survives or not.

Ranting … Again

Posted on April 8, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Election 2020, Free Press Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

I am disappointed and angry at a large portion of the people in this nation. I really thought we were better than this, but the number of people who simply have zero concern for others is … overwhelming. Those who still, five months after the election, have their heads stuck up their rears is astounding, but worse yet … compassion among those same people is dead. I hope … I sincerely hope … that this nation can mend its broken fences, that people can learn to live together without hatred and bigotry, but each and every day the news makes that hope seem less and less possible. I have three snarky snippets tonight … the first one is just for laughs, but the other two have sent me even deeper into the rabbit hole.

Still good for a few laughs

You just have to laugh when you read that former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says that liars should be held accountable. When McEnany took over the job of press secretary, the very first words out of her mouth were her first public lie … she said she would never lie to the press, and then she proceeded to tell lie after lie after lie. So … should she be held accountable? McEnany now works for … wait for it … Fox ‘News’, and as such she appeared on Sean Hannity’s show to discuss the controversy surrounding Florida Governor Ron DeSantis …

“It’s just really important to point out that the standard is so high to hold any of these news organizations accountable. You have to prove intentional malice. It is extremely hard to prove. It’s why 60 Minutes — It’s why the left, MSNBC, CNN, they get away with murder each and every day. They can say whatever they want because you can’t hold them accountable. It’s a travesty.”

Right, Kayleigh, and can we now hold you accountable for the hundreds of lies you told in your relatively brief tenure as press secretary? How many lies did you attempt to feed the public, using the press as your bullhorn? What a hypocrite!

Where did they leave their brains?

Yes, I know that rage and fury are self-defeating, that they don’t help anything. But I made the mistake of looking at comments on one of President Biden’s tweets this afternoon and … I am furious at the ignorance, the stupidity, the blindness of some in this ‘country’.

The comments were on President Biden’s tweet reading …

Not one damn thing that should stir controversy there, right? Not like the tweets of the former guy who cursed, lied, denigrated others, incited violence, and ranted in nearly every one of the tens of thousands of tweets he posted. But yet, leave it to the fools and idiots to find a way to bitch …

And it went on and on and on. You’ll note that not a single one of these actually addresses the topic of Biden’s tweet, but rather go off on their own agenda. Yes, there were some positive comments, but at the time I saw the post, the negative outweighed the positive by about 2-to-1. Is this really the nation we’ve become??? If it is, I want out … NOW!

Do these freaks not understand that they drive over those unsafe bridges, they ride the unsafe railways, they drink the damn tap water that is contaminated with lead? Are they really so damned stupid? Yes, the answer is obvious … it was, after all, a rhetorical question.

As I see it, there is no longer a “United States”, only a conglomeration of states peopled with both intelligent people of good conscience, fools like those above, and the majority of us somewhere in between. I cannot be united with someone who, despite overwhelming proof and evidence, still claims last year’s election was “rigged”. I cannot be a citizen of the same country as a person who is so ignorant that they are shooting themselves and their children in the foot by fighting against policies that will help them, their families, and future generations. I cannot … I will not.

Naturally, I responded with my own snarky brand of vitriol … thus far, I haven’t been suspended from Twitter … yet. Don’t really care if I am, if they are given over to the fools who haven’t got brains in their heads!

They’re CHILDREN, for Pete’s sake!

A child is a child, whether it’s your child or mine, whether it’s a John or a Jill, whether it is dark-skinned or light, whether it wears its hair in braids or has a buzz cut. A child is a child and they are, each and every one, precious. They are the future of this world, if in fact the world as we know it has a future. And yet … the folks over at Fox ‘News’ seem to think otherwise.

Last month, the San Diego County Office of Education put out a completely voluntary call asking teachers in the region for their time. The reason: the city’s convention center will be holding as many as 1,450 unaccompanied children, all girls, as sponsors (usually a relative already here) are sought out for them. “We want to instill hope, instill joy, and show care for our students while they are with us, no matter if that’s for a few days or a few months,” San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold said according to Border Report.

By the end of the month, about a dozen teachers had signed up to volunteer their time, some of it likely after day hours, for these children. A dozen??? That’s all? Only a dozen out of how many thousands in the area? But to the point … Fox ‘News’ seems to have a problem with this and decided to make it a target of their never-ending bigotry. Their headline read …

“San Diego public school teachers to give migrant kids in-person instruction before their own students.”

The article included a quote from a parent in San Diego, who said that “what is happening right now is immoral” and asked, “Why are taxpaying students put last?” The article also quoted Rep. Darrell Issa, a U.S. Representative from California, who said, “The decision to provide in-person instruction to illegal migrants is outrageous and parents have every right to be angry.”

Fox anchors Shannon Bream and Bill Hemmer both treated the story as if they had uncovered some mass criminal investigation … the education of children. Wow, way to show compassion, Fox! But it didn’t end there, and to date Fox has covered this story some 30 times! For additional details, check out the full story on Media Matters.

There Can Be No Compromise On Voting Rights!

Posted on March 26, 2021 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Election 2022, Law and justice, Personal, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants

Every person 18 years of age or older has the right to vote in the United States. Per the Fourteenth Amendment, states will lose their congressional representation …

“… When the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime.”

Since 1787 when the Constitution was first amended, we have passed laws to include women “inhabitants” and to lower the legal voting age to 18 instead of 21.

In the Fifteenth Amendment, the right to vote is not to be …

“… denied or abridged on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

So, what part of this do the legislatures in 43 states not understand? What part of this do the Republicans in Congress not understand? They have allegedly read the damn Constitution … with the exception of some like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Greene, who cannot read! It’s as plain as the noses on their pocky faces! Everybody over the age of 18 has the right to vote! Read that again! Better yet, perhaps Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia needs to read the Constitution before he opens his mouth again!

There are two bills that have passed the House of Representatives and are now awaiting consideration in the Senate. S1 and S4 are about voting rights. We should not need new federal laws to give us the right to vote … WE ALREADY HAVE THAT RIGHT!!! But, sadly, the states, particularly those in the South and those run by Republican governments, are passing bills willy nilly that would rob us of those rights.

Manchin says that any legislation on voting rights must have the support of the Republican senators … WHY??? They aren’t about to support our right to vote because they know damn well, they have even stated, that if everybody can vote, they don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of winning another election. They aren’t going to compromise, they want to dominate the discussion, the landscape. They want only white, Christian male voters, if the truth be known. They don’t want Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, Asians, or really even women voting. They don’t want college kids voting. The majority of people in this nation would not vote for a Republican today if they offered … a Krispy Kreme Donut!

The State of Georgia just shoved through demonic voter suppression legislation. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature in the span of a few hours before Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed it into law yesterday evening. The new law imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, empowers state officials to take over local elections boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to approach voters in line to give them food and water. WTF??? You’re going to make is such that they will be forced to stand in lines for HOURS to vote, yet they cannot be provided with life-sustaining WATER??? What a bastard!

Voting rights advocates say the state’s rapid-fire action — and plans in other Republican-controlled states to pass restrictions of their own — underscores the need for federal legislation to set a national baseline for voting rules. In my book, the only ‘rules’ should be that the person be 18 or older. Nothing else matters! I may not have two forms of photo ID … in fact, I don’t. It doesn’t matter! I pay taxes, I’ve lived here all my life … I have the right to cast my vote. If I don’t, then I no longer wish to live in this hellhole! If my Black friends Rob & Aundrea or my Muslim friends Ali & Maha don’t have the right to vote, then why are they bothering to pay taxes to support a government that has robbed them of their voice?

I am fortunate to live in a state where it is relatively easy to vote by mail and where voting laws are not being altered, but for the majority of people in this country, it will be harder to vote in the next election unless S1 & S4 are passed by the Senate. That is the goal of the Republicans in Congress and in state legislatures around the nation. Are we going to let them get by with it? I certainly hope not, for the sake of this nation that has already seen far too many of our rights go down the tubes.

Funny, isn’t it, that the fools on the hill will go ballistic over “protecting gun rights”, but they don’t give a royal f*ck about our voices, our rights to participate in our own government – the one that we fund!!!

Joe Manchin calls for ‘compromise’. Well, we’ve been compromising for ages now … on healthcare, on education, on wasteful military spending, on foreign affairs, on just about everything. There is no room for compromise on voting rights … there is no wiggle room at all. We all get to vote! Understand that, Republicans???

AGAIN, DAMMIT!!!!!!!!! 💔💔💔

Posted on March 23, 2021 by jilldennison under Election 2022, guns, Law and justice, Political commentary, Rants

Yes, my friends, it has happened again. Another mass shooting in the United States. Last week, it was 8 killed in Atlanta, Georgia, and this week it’s 10 killed in Boulder, Colorado.

I don’t want to hear “thoughts and prayers” from anybody. Keep the damn thoughts and prayers … they won’t bring back the dead, and they won’t stop the next one, probably later this week or next week. ACTION is what’s needed. Action on the part of our inert Congress to pass emergency legislation banning any further gun sales, effective immediately. Action to shut down the National Rifle Association, aka NRA. Action to ban assault weapons and to require rigorous background checks on every single damn gun sold, no matter who the seller. Action to begin removing guns from the homes of the mentally unstable, the domestic abusers.

The shooting, for any who may be unaware, took place yesterday afternoon in a grocery store. Police are, apparently, still trying to figure out the motive. The shooter, last I heard, was injured in the leg and was “being treated for his injuries”. WHY is he being ‘treated’ for anything … throw the son-of-a-bitch in a jail cell and let him writhe in pain … or die … doesn’t much matter which to me at the moment.

While he is being treated for his injuries, let me note here that if he had been Black, he would be dead now … there were SWAT teams at the store within minutes of the shooting and they would no doubt have killed the shooter if his skin had been darker. Instead, he is gingerly put on a stretcher, placed in an ambulance, and taken to a local hospital.

Welcome to America, land of opportunity. Opportunity to get killed while picking up a gallon of milk on your way home from work. Opportunity to get killed while working in a spa, or a grocery store, a bank, or a news station. Opportunity to make less money in 2021 than you made in 2009. Opportunity to graduate from college with so much debt that you will be nearing retirement age before you pay it off.

When are people going to wake up and realize that we have a critical gun problem in this nation? Perhaps when their own child or grandchild is killed while at school? I have written before about people who, when confronted with a choice between their children and their guns, chose their guns. This is not human, people!

And guess what, folks? Just 3 days before the shooting, as a result of a lawsuit filed against the city of Boulder, Colorado by none other than the NRA, Boulder’s ban on assault-style weapons such as the AR-15, was deemed to be unenforceable. Guess what the shooter used? Yep, an AR-15. It’s only a damn shame that NRA head Wayne LaPierre wasn’t doing a bit of shopping in that grocery store yesterday, or having a massage at a spa in Atlanta last week!

Funny, there is a certain element in this nation who believe that mass voter fraud is the most important issue to deal with, that restrictions must be placed on voting such that Blacks, Hispanics, women, and the poor will find it almost impossible to vote. This, despite the fact that it was overwhelmingly proven last year that there was no mass voter fraud. However, those same people are all about making it easier to buy a damn gun. Something is seriously screwed up in this nation, so much so that I seriously doubt we can continue as a democratic republic. Our headlines read much more like a third-world country, with people being shot at random in a grocery store, and our politicians appear to favour a plutocracy – a government by and for the wealthy.

I will likely be suspended from Twitter again by morning, as I responded hastily and in a fury to a post by none other than the consummate gun looney, Lauren Boebert, who posted she was sending those damn useless “thoughts and prayers”, when she is part of the problem with her arsenal pictured behind her during a congressional Zoom meeting. I let her know my feelings in no uncertain terms … just waiting for an email from Twitter to slap me on the wrist … again.

People … this has to STOP! This nation is eating its young, so to speak. We are killing for no good reason. We are a nation peopled with bigots … gun-owning bigots … and our Congress is in such a stalemate that no legislation is likely to be passed this year or next, no matter how urgent, how sensible.

We the People voted for the fools who are currently playing games with our lives. Yesterday, ten people lost their lives, one a police officer, because this is a nation that cares more about their “right” to own a gun than they care about this country and the lives of the people who live here. Let’s all do some serious thinking and study the issues, and before next year’s election, let’s make some wiser choices. Let’s vote for people who do NOT have an A+ rating with the NRA! Our lives depend on it! Instead of sending useless ‘thoughts and prayers’, let’s send some people with brains and consciences to Congress!

Some Good News, And A Mini-Rant

Posted on March 11, 2021 by jilldennison under Biden's Staff Picks, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

Let’s start with the good news today … the Senate confirmed Merrick Garland as Attorney General in a 70-30 vote! This was the best news I’ve heard all week … maybe all month. As Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois said …

“Attorney General Garland will lead the Department of Justice with honesty and integrity. He has a big job ahead of him, but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have in his place.”

I second that motion. It’s been a while since we’ve had an honest person leading the Department of Justice and it will be a welcome relief. Even Mitch McConnell played nice, saying …

“I’m voting to confirm Judge Garland because of his long reputation as a straight shooter and legal expert.”

Garland has said his first priority will be the investigation into the January 6^th attacks on Congress by domestic terrorists, and to that end he is planning to meet this week with FBI Director, Christopher Wray, and with Michael R. Sherwin, the departing top prosecutor in Washington who has led the Justice Department inquiry. But Garland has many more things on his plate, such as civil rights, police reform, and restoring the trust that has been missing under the last two Attorneys General, Jeff Sessions and William Barr.

And now that I’ve given you the good news, let’s move on to the bill currently passed by the House, For the People Act, aka HR1.

On February 26^th, 1869, Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Amendment was ratified by the people on February 3^rd of the following year. Sections 1 and 2 read …

Section 1

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Section 2

The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

The language is straightforward … even s 5-year-old child could understand it. So WHY do we have 43 states doing the very thing that they are forbidden under the Constitution to do??? What the hell is so difficult to understand here?

Why should Congress have to pass a bill to do exactly what has been the law under the Constitution for 151 years now? It isn’t rocket science to figure that every citizen of this country has the right to vote in elections! It’s actually pretty much common sense! Here is a rundown of what HR1 contains:

A set of national voter registration and mail-in voting standards
Nonpartisan redistricting commissions
Big changes in campaign finance law (long overdue!)
New ethics rules for public servants
A requirement that presidential candidates disclose their tax returns

I think that the last few years have shown us how critical those last two are. It should also be noted that Mr. Lee is facing a re-election next year. But the biggest issue the congressional republicans seem to have is setting federal standards for voter registration and postal voting. Why? Because, my friends, if every eligible voter actually votes, the Republicans will get only crumbs. They are not wildly popular these days among Blacks, Hispanics, women, LGBT people, or basically anybody who cares more about people than money. They have to cheat in order to win, and if what the do is unconstitutional … they really don’t care.

I was incensed yesterday when I read what Senator Mike Lee from Utah said about HR1 …

“I think I disagree with every single word in HR1, including the words ‘but,’ ‘and,’ and ‘the.’ Everything about this bill is rotten to the core. This is a bill as if written in hell by the devil himself. This takes all sorts of decisions that the federal government really has no business making. It takes them away from the states, makes them right here in Washington D.C. by Congress.

Apparently in an effort to ensure an institutionally, revolutionary-democratic party of sorts. One that can remain in power for many decades to come. It does this by taking away these decisions. Elections in America have always been conducted at the state and local levels…

They are completely flipping that principal on its head so that all these things can be micromanaged from Washington. That’s wrong. That’s really wrong, it’s bad policy. As much as anything else, it’s wildly unconstitutional.”

I wonder if Mr. Lee has read the U.S. Constitution? It should also be noted that Mr. Lee is facing re-election next year. The argument republicans are making against HR1 is that it takes election laws out of the states’ hands and puts them in federal control. Another day, under other circumstances, I might back that argument, but this time my response is that since the states are attempting to disenfranchise half the voters, they’ve lost the privilege of making their own election laws. Period. As I’ve said at least a few million times, ‘rights’ come with responsibilities and the states … at least 43 of them … are shirking their responsibilities to We the People and We the People are not going to stand for it anymore!

We should not need federal legislation to force states to allow every eligible person to vote, but because this nation has shown a desire to return to the days of Jim Crow, we do need it. It’s a sad statement about some of the people in this nation that they still think it’s okay to treat those who don’t look, act, or believe exactly like them as second-class citizens. A sad statement that makes me ashamed of this country, ashamed to be a part of it.

The Republican Party has proven three things to me: they are not honest, they do not care about the people of this country, and they are blatant racists. Yes, that’s a broad brush … go ahead, Senate republicans … prove me wrong! I dare you! Do the right thing, don’t filibuster HR1 but give it a fair and fighting chance, or better yet, vote “aye” instead of “nay” on the bill and then maybe, just maybe, I’ll apologize for what I said.

“United” States??? What A Joke!

Posted on March 5, 2021 by jilldennison under Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

Are you as sick and damn tired as I am of the constant criticism of members of the Republican Party toward anything and everything that wasn’t their own idea, of anything that promotes common sense and racial equality? They claim to want unity, but then they act as if they are the only ones whose opinions or ideas have a shred of value. Frankly, I’m sick of it, sick of the blatant racism, homophobia, and utter stupidity. On Tuesday, Texas Governor Abbot announced that there would be no more mask mandate and that businesses in Texas could now re-open. On Wednesday, Mississippi followed suit, eliminating all pandemic-related restrictions.

Both states will pay a heavy price for these decisions, for the pandemic is far from over, not even under control. Abbott claimed he had consulted with doctors about his decision, but the doctors deny his claim and say it was the wrong decision. There isn’t a shred of doubt that these two states will see a rise in the number of cases and deaths before the end of the month. President Biden responded …

“I think it’s a big mistake. Look, I hope everybody’s realized by now, these masks make a difference. We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way in which we’re able to get vaccines in people’s arms. The last thing — the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it. It’s critical — critical, critical, critical — that they follow the science: Wash your hands, hot water, do it frequently. Wear a mask and stay socially distanced. And I know you all know that. I wish the heck some of our elected officials knew it.”

What he said was a hell of a lot nicer than what I said when I heard about Texas and Mississippi, but of course the damn fools on the right had to jump on what he said. Senator Marco Rubio from Florida claimed Biden should seek “training on unconscious bias”. WHAT BIAS, Marco? Facts are facts! It was neanderthal thinking … worse yet, it was lunacy. And picking a fight over this is … or should be … beneath the dignity of elected lawmakers who have a job to do and don’t need to be wasting their time and our money nitpicking every word out of the president’s mouth! Especially given that they supported the former guy who never uttered a sincere or kind word in 4 years!

But, there is an even more serious issue on which congressional republicans are determined to fight. The issue is HR1, aka For the People Act, a bill that primarily deals with anti-corruption and voting reform. The bill passed on Wednesday night in the House and now moves on to the Senate, where it faces an uphill battle, especially among … yep, you got it, Republicans.

HR1 is not actually a new bill … it was passed by the House in 2019, but like most every other bill during the reign of Mitch McConnell, it sat gathering dust as he refused to even open it for discussion. A few of the key components of the bill are …

Instituting nonpartisan redistricting commissions to end partisan gerrymandering
Creating a national system for automatic voter registration
Putting in transparency requirements for political advertising

When the bill was first introduced back in 2019, it had broad public support. It might have even passed in the Senate, had Mr. McConnell allowed it to see the light of day. Today, the criticisms of the bill are infuriatingly false. For example, a recent Facebook post claims the Act will “permanently destroy voting in America.” My my my … what drama queens they are! Actually, the Act would make it easier for people to vote by mail, which would benefit us all, but especially the poor and minorities who often have difficulty getting to the polling places in time. It would require states to implement automatic and same-day voter registration. In short … it would allow every eligible voter to vote!!! What the Sam Hell is so hard to understand.

The Facebook post makes alarmist claims, such as that murderers will be allowed to vote, and broad generalizations suggesting that the bill will lead to regulation of freedom of speech. While the post doesn’t use the phrase “voter fraud”, it leaves readers with the misleading impression that the bill aims to weaken election security. The bill actually includes provisions to increase security through grants and cybersecurity improvements.

43 states currently have some 250+ bills on their dockets that would restrict voting rights, make it far more difficult for people, especially those who happen to not have white skin, to vote. WHAT the hell is fair about that? Oh, Black people are supposed to work hard, pay their taxes, but not be allowed a voice in how those taxes are spent? And you call this liberty???

The crux of the matter is this: The Republican Party is in the minority, is not particularly popular with people who use their brains to think instead of playing silly putty with them, and the only damn way they can win in some areas is if they can repress the vote. So, they criticize, they lie, they cheat, and they steal!

Mike Pence, for whom I actually had a bit of empathy after his life was nearly taken and still he proceeded to do the right thing, certifying the electoral vote on January 6^th, has written an opinion piece in The Signal, a far right-wing publication, where he claims …

“After an election marked by significant voting irregularities and numerous instances of officials setting aside state election law, I share the concerns of millions of Americans about the integrity of the 2020 election.”

WHOA … let’s stop right there for a minute! After 60+ lawsuits where not a shred of evidence was provided to support the former guy’s claim of election fraud, this statement by Pence should have caused his nose to grow by at least an inch!

“Congressional districts would be redrawn by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. Illegal immigrants and law-abiding American citizens would receive equal representation in Congress. Felons would be able to vote the moment they set foot out of prison.”

Yeah … so … your point, Mikey, is what??? I don’t want elected bureaucrats drawing district maps … I want independent, non-partisan people drawing them so we don’t see maps that make no sense other than to cram minorities into as few districts as possible. There is no such thing as an “illegal” immigrant! If an immigrant is working and paying taxes in this country he/she ought to be able to have a voice. And why do you think released felons ought not to be allowed to vote? They are citizens. They work and pay taxes once they are released. WHY the hell do you think they ought not to have a say??? BIGOT! Next, you can look for Pence, who is a blatant homophobe, to try to take away the LGBT community’s right to vote!

Okay, enough about what Mike Pence and the rest of the bigots in the Republican Party have to say, for my blood pressure is already somewhere up in the stratosphere. Does HR1 stand a snowball’s chance in hell of passing in the Senate? The short answer is ‘no’, for in order to avoid a filibuster it would require a 60-vote majority … and it’s already obvious that not more than maybe one republican will vote for it. There is a path … a very narrow path … if the senate democrats are committed enough to it, then they can partially amend Senate filibuster rules to allow democracy reform legislation like HR1 to advance on a simple majority vote and therefore potentially be able to pass on a party-line vote. That would be different from fully blowing up the filibuster, but it still could get pushback from Senate institutionalists even in the Democratic Party like Senator Joe Manchin, a staunch advocate of keeping the filibuster in place, though I have no idea why.

If HR1 fails, then the 43 states who are trying so hard to rob us of our voice in the government we support financially will likely succeed and this will no longer be a nation I can bear to live in. If every single person, regardless of skin colour, ethnicity, gender identification, or religion cannot vote, then what’s the point in even holding elections? Perhaps it’s time to admit that this is by no stretch of the imagination the “United” States?

They KILLED 216 Wolves!!!!! 😭

Posted on March 4, 2021 by jilldennison under animals, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Rants, Social commentary

I am sickened, disgusted, and enraged to read that in Wisconsin, hunters (assholes with guns) killed 216 wolves within 60 hours! WHY??? What is it about the human species that leads them to think they have a right to take other species lives for ‘sport’? 216 wolves died at the hands of jerks who are so cowardly they need guns to make them feel like ‘men’.

According to the story in The Guardian …

The kills all took place in less than 60 hours, quickly exceeding Wisconsin’s statewide stated limit of 119 animals.

As a result, Wisconsin’s department of natural resources ended the season, which was scheduled to span one week, four days early.

While department officials were reportedly surprised by the number of gray wolves killed, they described the population as “robust, resilient” and expressed confidence in managing the numbers “properly going forward”.

So, it’s ‘okay’ that 216 wolves lost their lives in less than 3 days, because the wolf population has enough remaining wolves that it is not in danger of extinction? But … what about the 216 who died??? They had as much right to life as the damned ‘men’ who shot and killed them so that they could brag to their friends, perhaps even hang a wolf’s head on the wall above their fireplace. WHY should there even be a ‘hunting season’??? In this, the 21^st century, people buy their food at the grocery store – there is no need to kill innocent animals for food. The wolves weren’t threatening to harm these sorry excuses for ‘men’ … the men went out of their way to shoot and kill the wolves … wolves who, by the way, did not carry guns, could not defend themselves.

A federal judge, in response to a lawsuit from wildlife advocates, decided in December 2014 that the gray wolf must be put back on the Endangered Species List. In October 2020, the Trump administration removed the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List.

One more reason for me to despise the former guy … as if I needed another.

Last month, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources decided not to hold a hunting season on wolves this year, but a Kansas-based hunting advocacy group filed suit against them, forcing them to ‘hold a season’ before the end of February. I will be finding out the name and address of that ‘advocacy group’ and they are going to receive a letter that will be so full of wrath that it will burn their fingers when they open the envelope!

There are far better hobbies a person can have than murdering innocent animals! Take up bowling, knitting, wood-carving, learn a new language, maybe even learn proper English! Nobody … NOBODY has the right to determine how many of a species should be allowed to live on this planet! NOBODY has that right! If they did, then I would suggest the world is far overpopulated by humans, so let’s have an open season on them and kill off a million or so every year!

I hope every last one of those sorry excuses for humans who killed a wolf has nightmares every night for the rest of their lives.

They say that the United States, aka ‘America’ is a free country, but apparently that means something different to some than it does to me. Apparently to many it means freedom for humans, death for all other species. Some days I hate humans.

It’s Time To Burn Bigotry

Posted on February 26, 2021 by jilldennison under Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

Just a short update before I delve into my main topic this morning …

Bye-bye DeJoy

In his testimony before Congress yesterday, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy arrogantly said that he plans to stay in his current position, despite opposition, “… for a long time. Get used to me.” Well, we’ll just see about that, because on the same day that he so cockily said that, President Biden nominated three people to the USPS Board of Governors. Those three – Ron Stroman, Anton Hajjar and Amber McReynolds – once confirmed by the Senate, would create a Democratic majority on the Board and DeJoy could easily be fired from his position. Fingers crossed on that one, for while I don’t like to see anyone fired, this arrogant man has all but destroyed the U.S. Postal Service and has unabashedly spoken of his intent to further slow the mail and raise prices. I shall dance on the day he is told to pack his bags!

Equality Act

The Equality Act has passed its first hurdle … it passed in the House yesterday with a vote of 224-206 and even three Republicans voted for it. What is the Equality Act? It is an amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act to provide protections for LGBTQ individuals. The bill would ban discrimination in various areas, including the workplace, housing and education, in addition to federally funded programs. The legislation also would expand the 1964 bill to cover public accommodations to include places like shopping malls, sports arenas, and even websites. Pretty simple, right? People should not be punished for being LGBT. Period. They are human beings just like me, just like you, and they deserve the same legal protections.

The Republicans in general, however, don’t quite see it that way. With the exception of the three who crossed the aisle to vote for the bill, they are dead set against it. Why? Truth is because they are bigots, homophobes who would disown their own child if he/she told them he/she was gay. They believe that the only people who deserve the best life has to offer are white, straight, Christian males. But they have a remarkable excuse for their homophobia … they claim it takes away people’s religious freedom. Yeah, really … go figure.

One portion of the Republican argument, as well as religious leaders’, is that the bill doesn’t limit “public accommodations” to exclude churches. Religious leaders want to be able to forbid LGBT people in their churches. Well, guess what, Mr. Bigot … I doubt any LGBT person would want to enter your “house of worship.” Keep it filled with racists and homophobes …

Another part of the argument against the bill claims that giving equal rights to the LGBT community would “alter the country’s social fabric by blurring gender lines in women’s sports and other cultural practices.” Bullshit! I’ve never heard such a crappy excuse in my life! Our society, our lives, and our culture are enhanced by the diversity, and any who cannot see that are culturally and socially blind.

The infamous Marjorie Taylor Greene crossed a line when she hung an anti-transgender sign outside her office, claiming “there are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE”. Bad enough to say under any circumstances, but what made it even worse is that the office across the hall from hers is that of Representative Marie Newman, whose daughter is transgender. Ms. Greene, as I have said on multiple occasions, does NOT belong in Congress.

One comment I saw to this story stirred my ire …

“This pieces [sic] of legislation is just another way for “the establishment” to keep us divided as a nation. All people are created equal, I certainly don’t need the DC establishment to pass legislation for me to understand this Fact.”

Seriously, buddy? Don’t you think that if Blacks, Hispanics, Jews, Muslims, and LGBT were all treated equally, we wouldn’t even have needed the Civil Rights Act? Don’t you think that if everyone treated everyone equally, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation? What keeps us divided is not that the government is trying to protect people from discrimination, but rather that there are bigots out there who would lynch a Black man, who would kill a transgender person on sight. There are landlords who would refuse to rent housing to them, employers who would refuse them a job, and even businesses … oh, say like a bakery that specializes in wedding cakes … that would refuse them service! Sadly, the bigots have to be forced to do the right thing and treat people right! And they call themselves “Christians”. Ask me again why I consider religion the source of most of what’s wrong in the world!

Next stop for the Equality Act is the Senate. This same bill was passed by the House in 2019, but when it got to the Senate, Mitch McConnell refused to even bring it to the Senate floor, so there it died. I think it will be different this time, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised that the legislation will get a floor vote “at exactly the right time.” But … it will need 10 Senate Republican votes in order to beat back a GOP filibuster. Are there 10 Republicans in the Senate with any form of a conscience? Apparently not, given the outcome of the impeachment trial. DAMN the filibuster! I have a brilliant idea … remember how many were calling to ‘defund the police’ last summer? Let’s start a movement to ‘defund republicans in Congress’ until they start acting like adults!

I will be composing a letter to the republican senator for my own state in the next day or two … not that it will matter or change his mind, but … I have to try.

Darkness

Posted on February 13, 2021 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

Today is a dark day in the United States. Today, some 43 senators threw the first shovelful of dirt into the grave of the United States Constitution, of law and order, of justice for all. These are the men and women who have the blood of this nation on their hands … these are the men and women who sold their conscience in exchange for future votes … these are the men and women who owe us all an explanation, an apology, and their resignations:

John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)
Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
John Boozman (R-Ark.)
Mike Braun (R-Ind.)
Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)
John Cornyn (R-Tex.)
Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)
Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
Ted Cruz (R-Tex.)
Steve Daines (R-Mont.)
Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.)
Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa)
Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.)
Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)
John Hoeven (R-N.D.)
Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.)
James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.)
Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)
John Neely Kennedy (R-La.)
James Lankford (R-Okla.)
Mike Lee (R-Utah)
Cynthia M. Lummis (R-Wyo.)
Roger Marshall (R-Kan.)
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
Rand Paul (R-Ky.)
Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
James E. Risch (R-Idaho)
Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)
Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
Rick Scott (R-Fla.)
Tim Scott (R-S.C.)
Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.)
Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)
John Thune (R-S.D.)
Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)
Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
Todd C. Young (R-Ind.)

Remember these names, for they are responsible for what follows. Seven Republicans actually found a bit of courage and voted to convict:

Richard Burr (R-N.C.)
Bill Cassidy (R-La.)
Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Mitt Romney (R-Utah)
Ben Sasse (R-Neb.)
Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.)

I will write to these 7, thanking them for upholding their oaths of office and having the courage to do the right thing.

We Will NOT Forget!

Posted on February 12, 2021 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Rants

In case you didn’t notice, there is a trial of some importance taking place this week in Washington, D.C. Now, I used to watch Perry Mason, and a number of other courtroom dramas, the names of which elude me at the moment, so I have an idea how a trial is supposed to be conducted, how lawyers, defendants, and jurors are supposed to act, but this trial is like nothing I have ever seen before.

First, the defendant is nowhere to be seen. He decided that it was too cold up north to leave his Florida resort, and besides, he had a golf game scheduled for yesterday. But what really blows my mind is the jurors! Have you ever seen a trial where the jurors, rather than being bothered with listening to the evidence being presented by the prosecution, got up and walked around, texted on their phones … about breast milk, for some strange reason?

Worse yet, can you imagine a murder trial where three of the jurors have a closed-door session with the defense attorneys??? NO, just NO … this is illegal, immoral, unconscionable, and a number of other adjectives I can think of once the steam stops coming out of my ears!

House impeachment managers, the prosecution, were presenting compelling evidence of the attack on Congress and the Capitol and the defendant’s involvement in said attack on Wednesday afternoon, but Ted Cruz and several other Republican senators were apparently bored watching themselves narrowly escape the violence on January 6^th and instead sought other distractions, such as shuffling papers, or playing on their cell phones like Teddy was doing.

Under absolutely no circumstances, in a trial, are the lawyers on either side allowed to meet in private with jurors. That is called tampering with the jury, it is illegal. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. Trump’s legal team and the three Republican senators, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, and Mike Lee are all in violation of the law for their little tête-à-tête . They are attempting to turn this trial into a sham, but all they are doing is further destroying their reputations and that of the Republican Party, for they are proving with every passing minute that there is no collective conscience. The Republican Party has decided that they don’t need to represent the will of the people, but instead will do whatever they damn well please, and force us to continue to pay their salaries.

“We were discussing their legal strategy and sharing our thoughts,” said Cruz. No, jackass … you are not a member of the legal team … you are the jury! Your job is to listen to both sides and decide which has merit, not collude with one side against the other. You are the damn jurors in this case! In a normal trial, the judge would at this point likely declare a mistrial and schedule a new trial, else dismiss the jurors and call for a new selection. But this is an impeachment trial and apparently the Republicans in Congress are allowed to make and break the rules with impunity. Imagine if the Democrats tried that!

The public has heard the evidence, and while the corruption is so rampant in the Republican Party that the senators will allow a conman, a man guilty of plotting murder free to incite further violence, to kill again, We the People know that he is guilty. We weren’t playing on our cell phones while the evidence was being presented, and we did not collude with the lawyers for the defense. We saw the evidence, we know Donald Trump is guilty, and we will never again trust him or those senators who refused to perform their duty, to uphold their oaths. We Will Not Forget. Ever.

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

Category Archives: Rants

There Can Be No Compromise On Voting Rights!

AGAIN, DAMMIT!!!!!!!!! 💔💔💔

We Will NOT Forget!