With 410 Days To Go... Are You Any Better Off?

 

Some thoughts... 

 

“Decades ago, George Orwell suggested that the best one-word description of a Fascist was “bully,” and on the day of the Normandy invasion, Franklin Roosevelt prayed to the Almighty for a “peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men.” By contrast, President Trump’s eyes light up when strongmen steamroll opposition, brush aside legal constraints, ignore criticism, and do whatever it takes to get their way."

     
~Madeleine K. Albright,

 Fascism: A Warning

“Do not obey in advance.

Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”

 
~Timothy Snyder

  On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

“If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer.”

 
~Hannah Arendt

“Social conservatism and neoconservatism have revived authoritarian conservatism, and not for the better of conservatism or American democracy. True conservatism is cautious and prudent. Authoritarianism is rash and radical. American democracy has benefited from true conservatism, but authoritarianism offers potentially serious trouble for any democracy.” 

~John W. Dean,

  Conservatives Without Conscience

 

“[No] social principle in the world is more foolish and dangerous than the rapidly rising notion that hurtful words and ideas are a form of violence or torture (e.g., “harassment”) and that their perpetrators should be treated accordingly. That notion leads to the criminalization of criticism and the empowerment of authorities to regulate it. The new sensitivity is the old authoritarianism in disguise, and it is just as noxious.”

 
~Jonathan Rauch,

  Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought  

 

 “The authoritarian character worships the past. What has been, will eternally be. To wish or to work for something that has not yet been before is crime or madness. The miracle of creation—and creation is always a miracle—is outside of his range of emotional experience.”
 

~Erich Fromm,

        Escape from Freedom

 

“Flattery is directly proportional to authoritarianism. For this reason, flattery can be said to be one of the main signs of the non-existence of freedom and democracy in the political system. The more "honeyed words", the greater the deprivation of personal liberty.”

 
~Elmar Hussein  

 

  “Democracy can exist only in the countries where people are brave! Coward nations always live under the authoritarian regimes!”

 
~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

 “Patriotism is a villain's last refuge.”

 

 ~Xiaobo Liu,

  June Fourth Elegies

 

 “One need only to admit that public tranquillity is in danger and any action finds a justification. All the horrors of the reign of terror were based only on solicitude for public tranquillity.”
 

~Leo Tolstoy, 

  War and Peace

 

 “Who is watching the Watchers?”

 
~James Hauenstein  

 

There are 410 days left until the 2026 midterm elections. 

 

Are you any better off then you were 4 years ago?

Are you any better off then you were 4 weeks ago?

Are you any better off then you were 4 days ago?

Are you any better off then you were 4 hours ago?

Are you any better off then you were 4 minutes ago?

Are you any better off then you were 4 seconds ago? 

 

VOTE

 

 

My Electoral College Map Guess

 

"The ignorance of one voter in a democracy

 impairs the security of all.”

 

 John F. Kennedy,

 Former U.S. President

 

It's about 12:00 noon Pacific Time.

 

I'll get back to you.

 

OMG... I was wrong. He won.

 

 

"This Is How Dictators Destroy Free Nations"

 

 

"This is how dictators destroy free nations. They threaten those who speak against them with death," Cheney posted Friday on X. "We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant."

 

~Liz Cheney

November 1st, 2024

 

In response to the comments made to Tucker Carlson,

by Donald John Trump on October 31st, 2024 

 

With only a few days to go, Donald Trump is spewing violent rhetoric against, Liz Cheney, and against women in general. He stated that he will "protect women whether they like it or not." Make NO MISTAKE, those are the words of a man who feels like he has control over women in all aspects. Trump is a violent man, a man who was found guilty of sexual abuse. Remember the Access Hollywood tape?No man with that in their past, should be never allowed anywhere near the presidency of the United States, but here we are. Fortunately, the Attorney General of the state of Arizona is investigating his comments about Liz Cheney, and it seems he may have just added yet another felony to his long rap sheet! Please talk to your daughters and granddaughters, nieces, and friends about who should be elected to the presidency. What their character should be. About talk about trust issues and ask them to think long and hard about what they want their future rights to be.

"When people show you who they are, believe them."

~Maya Angelou

 

 

 

November 5th 2024

 

During a 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, Vance — now former President Donald Trump’s running mate — said Harris was one of the “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable too.” Vance added, “If you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.”

 

 

See you on November 5th, J.D.! 

 

 

What About Next Time?

 

"The vast majority of Americans the risk is very, very low."

 ~Donald Trump

 

Oval office to the nation,

 restricting travel to most of Europe,

 while creating confusion about trade.

March 20th 2020

 

If elected, Donald Trump wants to again close the office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy. We know what happened the last time this occurred. Covid-19 devastated us, in very short order, and it seems he learned nothing, even after contracting it. At the time, October of 2020, when didn't have the vaccine yet, but we did at least have some general guidelines for keeping ourselves safer. Social distancing, having a single household member doing the shopping for the family, the use of masks, and working from home, and washing your hands more often.You know, common sense stuff! Everyone was at risk when he made that speech, and he knew it! So what will he do with the Avian Flu?

 

While its rare for that particular flu to spread to humans, it has the ability to do just that, and in fact it has. What will happen next? We don't know! Covid statistics show that we have gotten it under control but do we really? Does it have the potential to spin into another rampage version of itself... one we aren't prepared for because of negligence? Will the next pandemic come at us from out of the blue? How will we know? It's not like he tells the truth! And it's not like the world is seeing any great urgency, because why offend folks who are scared of wearing masks.

"Bottom line, it's going to get worse."

~Dr. Anthony Fauci

 March 20th 2020

 

 

(Via New York Times)

Countries Fail To Agree On Treaty

 To Prepare The World For The Next Pandemic

(Yahoo Finance)

It's not a matter of "if" but "when" a pandemic will begin.

Please do your reading. Do you know what birds are affected by the Avian flu? Most folks are forgetting about what happened with Trump's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. I haven't. I have Long-Covid. I can't forget, even if I wanted to. Please read the links in this post, and think a little deeper about your vote in November! Please read these quotes in their entirety. They are from just the first few months of the pandemic. Long before he suggested drinking bleach and inserting light as cures for the disease.

Update:

This link is an important read also. Just like a with the Coronavirus, misinformation is dangerous, and Trump did nothing to stop it. Watch, and asses who Trump surround himself with. Pay attention.

Body Language

 

“The measure of a man is what he does with power.” 

~Plato 

 

I am expecting the Supreme Court to rule that Donald Trump is allowed to be on the ballot. You know how I feel about things, but here is a link to the 14th Amendment of the Constitution Section 3. It's not a long read, it's one small paragraph, and that is kinda the joke, isn't it?

One small paragraph is standing between us, and the fall of democracy. The court issued a trigger warning for tomorrow, a rarity on a weekend, so I assume they want both sides to brace for impact. Well, I am doing just that.

I can't stop thinking about this clip of Trump saying something to Justice Kennedy, the night of his retirement announcement. Justice Kennedy seems genuinely taken aback about something. Who knows? Trump is such a goon it could have been anything I suppose, but it also could have been Trump bragging about his political power to do evil, and how the Supreme Court will now be young enough now to continue his agenda for years to come. He made them his bitch.

So what do you think? Was it a devil's handshake?

Read the article at the New York Times.

...About As Smart As A Box Of Hangers

 

"Change is coming, she whispered to the bugs

 bouncing off her window. You can't escape it."

 

~A. Lynn

Itsy's Ugly 

 

Alan and I were visiting Berkeley, a couple months ago, and as we drove down Ashby, I was snapping photos of everything I saw. I missed Berkeley a lot, so visiting was nice, and there is always something to see! Ordinarily when we visit, I spend, for the most part, in Tilden park. It's so pretty there, and it relaxes me to enjoy the trees and the wildlife. But on this day, I wanted to visit other parts of town, and so I decided that I really needed to visit Gladys, who lives on Ashby. You remember Gladys? She is my gorgeous friend (sculpture) who lives with her friends, in a strange little house with a lot of windows. Oh well, see below. If you know me, or have been reading this blog, then you know her, if you are new here, after you see her photo, if you have questions, feel free to ask.

 

 Anyway, it was on that day that I spotted a box of hangers, just sitting by the side of the street. I snapped the photo, with no real idea how I would use it one day, and promptly filed it away in my brain. Well, yesterday, as the crazy unfolded, I, for whatever reason, began to think about the box of hangers, and how Rudy Guiliani is about as smart as a random box of hangers, sitting by the side of the road. See, the perfect photo for the perfect situation and post. Let that be a lesson to you, never pass up a chance to photograph a box of hangers! 

 

Elle Magazine

Did You See Rudy Guiliani's Hair Dye Running Down His Face?

Because Twitter Sure Did! 

 

Gladys

~Carly

Stockton, California

Tuesday, November 3rd 2020

 

"The birds will wing from the weather,

 while I stand still as the harvest

 with the sound of Fall in the air."

 

~Carolyn Kizer 

 

 

I pray that those who have yet to cast their vote, do so today with the seriousness that voting in a democracy calls for. I pray that no violence breaks out, and that no one is harmed. I pray for peace. Pray for my friends, my Twitter family, the celebrities I admire, the lady I spoke to, late last spring, who was a Republican from the state of Michigan. She and I had little in common politically, but so very much if we had just been two ladies, who had just met, standing in line at the grocery store. We began our conversation arguing over mask mandates, ended our conversation laughing about seed catalogs and what folks were willing to wear on their faces, while waiting for masks to become available. I don't think I will ever forget her. We had so much more in common, then we had dividing us. That conversation gave me hope, and that meant a lot to me. I had no idea how much worse it would all get, because you can't prepare for the damage Trump is capable of causing, but I knew it would get worse, and it did. All summer long. It was a long, sad, dark summer.

 

 Fast forward. I voted on October 12th, 2020. A crystal clear Autumn day. I have never been more sure of anything in my life, with the exception of marrying Alan. As I sit here right now, I am misty-eyed because the town that carries the distinction of being the very first town to register their votes in the nation, Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. They recorded the results of five ballots. For President of the United States... 5 votes for Joseph Biden. 0 votes for Donald Trump. Does it mean that all is going to go smoothy for the rest of the day? Oh HELL no, but it's a good feeling to know that 5 people in New Hampshire and I would get along, if we met in a grocery store check-out line. See, that's what I have missed most in the last four years... hope. That dumb four letter word. Hope. Maybe we are spelling certain words all wrong. Maybe "Vote" should actually be spelled "Hope". Nah. I HATE Hope's guts!

~Carly

Stockton, California

November 3rd 2020

The Car With Three Messages

"Crying is all right in it's own way while it lasts.
 But you have to stop sooner or later,
 and then you still have to decide what to do."

~C.S. Lewis

The Silver Chair

While on our way to Lake Tahoe, last Monday, I spotted two very distinct vehicles, that caught my photographers eye. Both of which contained very different messages. This was the first one, so in that we had an election day on Tuesday, I thought I would share it first, and give give my regular blog visitors, a much needed break from the autumn overdose I tend to engage in this time of year.

Of course, now that I think about it, it does have a connection to autumn, just not this one. It was all about the election of autumn 2016, and the sentiments are still baring witness to the insanity of nearly one year ago to the day exactly. Decisions, decisions.Would it be Hillary or Bernie in the primaries? We already knew that Trump had locked it all up for the GOP as he set about destroying  the field of establishment Republican candidates will bombastic rhetoric and frankly, character assassination.

Alan and I debated, for about 25 miles, about what this person was actually trying to say. He and I never came to an agreement about what it was, the combination of possibilities was too great, and we began to dwell on the depression of the reality that the far right candidate actually won, but that depressive/oppressive thought gave me what seems like the most likely possibility about the message. 

Hillary. Bernie. Trump.

Was it as simple as Hillary Clinton was the actual Democrat, Bernie was an Independent, and Donald Trump was a Far Right candidate? Could it have been NO deeper than that?

Now lately, and by lately, I mean in the past couple weeks, I have gone through a bit of a political awaking of sorts. A while back, I told a pal of mine in the Twitterverse, that I believed we needed to pay attention to the Democratic side of the mess we find ourselves in, because this doesn't belong mainly to the Republicans.

 If Putin was planning on doing a thorough job of invading and disrupting out democracy, like the brilliant ex-KGB agent he was, we need to pay close attention to both sides, no matter how painful it might be. If we find ourselves as a divided nation, it's because there is one more mole burrowing in the garden of good and evil. I paraphrase myself there, but you get the idea!

I never thought I would lose so much respect, for so many of my Democratic party heroes, as I have in the last week.

Donna Brazile. Elizabeth Warren. Bernie Sanders.

Now, I gave up on Bernie Sanders a long time ago. At times, his "Bernie Bros" have seemed as bad as the far-right Trump supporters that attack anyone who doesn't walk in lockstep with the Nazi or Nationalist beliefs and propaganda nonsense that was well on it's way to destroying what America was built on. We weren't perfect in the beginning of our democracy, and we still aren't, but we have evolved in logical ways that furthered out reputation on the world stage, and in society, so selfish agendas for personal ambition, are not something I take kindly to.

Where was Bernie Sanders, when his "bros" were trying to degrade the Democratic party after his loss to Hillary Clinton? Nowhere! Accept maybe off pouting somewhere about his loss in the 2016 primary, and plotting his next move in his attempt at relevance, as a viable presidential candidate in 2020, or perhaps preparing Elizabeth Warren for her rise to the presidency. Don't know. Don't care. What we needed last year was less... ME... and more...WE. Or is that asking too much in the fast food information age?

I have NO idea what the person who owns that car is really trying to say, but I know it provoke a reasonably passionate discussion between Alan and myself, and I did a lot of thinking about my expectations politically and socially. Are there heroes anymore? Did I fail to grow up about that? When "Deflategate" happened a few years ago, it was easy to think of it as a one off. A stupid situation of blatant cheating, that Tom Brady got away with. It was sports. Who cares... right? Stupid shit happens in sports. Who could imagine that it would flow over to the most important thing in our American existence... our democracy?

And if all this going on this week hasn't shaken me enough, Anthony Weiner is officially off to prison this week for engaging in an illicit communication with an underage Trump supporter! The idiot had a brilliant future in the Democratic party. He passionately worked for his constituents, and stood up for health funding for 9/11 first responders! Then he took a road he should have been smarter to not take. He will have 21 months to think about how HE was his own worst enemy, and how he gave Breitbart news not just relevancy, but, indeed, in his case, credibility. Hey, at least he pled guilty, and owned it! Thanks hero, I'm older and wiser now! I hope you are too!

So, if you care to speculate on what the person with, the car of three messages means, feel free to leave me a respectful response. I would love to hear some ideas! As for me, I think I have finally grown up about heroes, and villains, maybe they are simply the shortest route, to the easy way out of thinking it all through, when deciding what the hell to do!

#9 Leaf Of The Day

November 9th, 2017

Carson City, Nevada

Mood: Introspective

~Me

History... Made Daily

"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'"

~Issac Asimov 

We are finally here. When all is said and done, at the end of today, history will be made. We will have elected either the first woman president, or the first reality star to make it to the presidency. Reality TV? Has it finally gotten to the point that folks can't tell what's real and what isn't? Email? Good thing or the DEVIL? And what about Twitter? Should there be an emotional maturity level that has to be reached before you can use it?

Shrug.?.

No matter which way the election goes, we will revisit those questions at some point in the near future. Right now I want to go and edit some photographs I took this past week. I want to get a nice, long, hot shower. I want to pet the cats and play laser mouse with them. I want to eat some popcorn, with extra butter, and play my favorite music really loud! I want to dance. I want to sing into a hairbrush. I want to play WordBird. I want to just relax for a little while before I go to bed, because later today will have it's moments, good and bad, and I can only imagine what the history books will say about this chapter in American politics. In American life. 

Today...

History will be made.

 Just like it does at the stroke of midnight every single day. 

 Leaf Of The Day

November 8th 2016

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :) 

Bite Me!

"After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels!"

~Governor Ann Richards

I am so proud of our next president, Hillary Clinton. She faced the big orange menace, Donald J. Trump, at the debate, with class, panache, style, intelligence, knowledge, facts, and a fierce toughness that will inspire a new generation of little girls to grow up and become great women! More will choose their paths with confidence, because of her efforts to finally break that glass ceiling! 

I wonder how might life might be different right now, had we had our first woman president a couple of generations before I was born? I think I was probably born into the last generation where there was still a condescending snicker, when the thought of a woman president was mentioned. Don't get me wrong, I knew I could be a lawyer or doctor, I knew I could study political science and run for some public office when I was a young woman, but I took a different path, and I have never regretted it, but I wonder sometimes if I had gone down that other road, how far I would have gotten before the misogyny scared me away from my own goals?

 I faced my fair share of it, when I worked as a draftsman for a title company, and it was difficult! It, at times, made me not want to go to work. I mourned my job when that company downsized and turned my position over to the bosses brother, but I never missed the treatment I would get from some of the men I worked with! After I got married I wanted to stay home and be a wife  and mother because I longed for a real family unit I didn't get to have as a child, but don't think for a minute the men of the world didn't have a little more condescension left for whatever woman crossed their path! I faced misogyny just a couple years ago when I went to purchase my car! The first thing out of a car salesman's mouth to a woman should never be... "what color would you like?" There is no need to dwell on how well that deal went. We'll just say, that salesman learned really quick who he was dealing with!

But back to Hillary! Her handling of Donald Trump at the first presidential debate was masterful! She is one more step closer to the White House, where she will be our next president, and I will be damn proud to see the race called for her! And I will be damn happy to see this long election finally over, although I have a feeling the men of this world who find strong, capable women threatening, will ramp up the misogyny. I hold no real hope that as a woman, I will suddenly be treated better, but I can hope that as we heal as a nation from the many things that leave us shattered, we will heal, and one day, I won't have to worry about being treated like I don't know a red car doesn't get better gas mileage then a green car does!

 Leaf Of The Day

September 27th 2016

Mood: Encouraged

~Me :) 

Prep And Repeat

Leaf Of The Day

September 25th, 2016 

"Your enemies are not to be destroyed, grant them longevity to witness your success."

~Michael Bassey Johnson

Tomorrow evening we will witness the first of three scheduled presidential debates. As a Hillary Clinton supporter, since she was our First Lady, I have been waiting for this time for what feels like forever. I have been anticipating her performance and that of her political adversary, Donald Trump, with a mixture of pride, and anxiety. Pride in Hillary, and anxiety at what stupid stunt might be pulled by Trump. You see, he has no political prowess. No special insightful skills for dealing with world leaders, no diplomatic insights... at all... he got to this place by being a bully and a skillful street fighter. Great if you are a common thug, but not what a reasoned and responsible person want's to see in the person who holds the highest office in the world. 

But here we are. Standing at the edge of a dangerous cliff. Some tough punches have already been thrown. Hillary has invited Mark Cuban, who is one of Trump's most vocal critics, which led to an all out Twitter meltdown of Donald Trump, resulting in the counter-puncher, inviting Bill Clinton's former lover Gennifer Flowers to share the coveted front row with Cuban. Tacky. Mean-spirited. And stupid. Stupid because he tipped his hand, two days before the debate. He proved Hillary right that he can't be trusted to keep his temper in check over something that should have caused him to barely shrug. Instead he responded with what he thought would do the most damage... throwing a painful memory in Hillary's face. And he failed miserably!

Hillary has long since dealt with that pain. She has long since dealt with the embarrassment of a cheating husband. She has long since dealt with all of it. And she did it on the national stage with a great deal of grace. And so have all of us who believed in Bill Clinton! When the whole sleazy mess came out, 20 some years ago, I didn't really care then, any more than I do now. I was sad for them as a couple, and sad for Chelsea that her parents sadness had to be splattered on every newspaper in the world. It was painful to watch, but it was the Clinton's to deal with! Bill Clinton kept his promises to me and my friends felt pretty much the same as I did. I will always consider it an honor that the first vote I ever cast was for the leader of my country, went to President Bill Clinton. He was our man from Hope. And he lived up to his political promises.

So, here we are, with Hillary Clinton poised to become the first female president, and I couldn't be happier to cast my vote for her. She is capable. Knowledgeable. Diplomatic. Intelligent. Strong. Resilient. Brave. And I trust her to be president. She showed me a lot about how she handled that scandal caused by her husband. I began to admire her courage and her strength. She could have divorsed him. Given up on her marriage, and moved on, but she didn't. She stuck it out. She is a brave woman, who deserves respect! And look at what she has already accomplished. She has Trump rattled before they ever took the stage for their debate! She is smart, and she learned how to handle her adversary!

Well done, Madam President! I am proud of you! 

 Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

The Beauty Of Him

"The Beauty Of Me Is That I'm Very Rich."

~Donald Trump

Yes... he is beautiful. A lot in the same way a large heap of garbage is pretty to the scavenger birds that sometimes circles it. Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee for President Of The United States! I knew that there was a possibility of that fact, and I think I might have mentioned it last summer, but I think there was still probably hope that the monster could be and indeed would be stopped in his rampaging tracks. Why did I think that? Its not like the GOP took his presidential run seriously. They shined it on as he won primary and caucuses right and left. And with nothing else to do, the GOP bowed down to them in a shocking display of cowardice. The latest of which, being Paul Ryan, who quietly endorsed Trump by way of a column he wrote for the Janesville Gazette.

 What? Was the Pennysaver already filled for publication that day? And speaking of that day, it should be noted that on the very day Ryan chose to endorse the presumptive savior of the GOP, Trump decided to lash out at the press for doing it's job! Nice timing. And I truly mean that! Highly entertaining for me, and cringe worthy for any clear thinking republicans that might still be left! 

As I write this, Trump is in California. My state. Zigzagging about, threatening the PGA, reporters who aren't employed by the National Enquirer, and flicking verbal rubber bands at Hillary Clinton. Blissfully, he has nothing to say to Bernie Sanders, since Sanders said HELL YES to a debate with Trump, and Trump slithered away like the coward he is. Which brings me to the picture for this post, taken not a year ago, or even 6 months ago, no, I took it about a week ago, in Berkeley, Ca. Okay, yes, it's true, Berkeley is heavily populated by progressives, but there are a few republicans to be found as well, and as I made my way around town, looking for political signs, this is the only one I came up with. From either side. One small sign, in a big window. I will keep watching the windows in Berkeley, perhaps enthusiasm for voting will grow over the summer.

I hope so.

The California Primary is this coming Tuesday. And it is a dead heat between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Trump is the only nominee left on the right. I already voted by mail, so I can go ahead and share who I am voting for, but I have decided to wait until Tuesday, so you will have to comeback then to find out. But I bet you can guess my choice, and feel free to if you like. I will give you a hint... my candidate isn't orange. Does that help? 

Mood: Perplexed

~Me

Elections Belong To The People...

"The Ballot Is Stronger Than The Bullet"

~Abraham Lincoln

Tomorrow is election day... GO VOTE!

Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

With Two Days To Go...

"George Washington was the only president who didn't blame

 the previous administration for his troubles."

~George Washington

As my vacation comes to an end, it's time to give attention the thing that is nearest to my heart and interests... politics. Specifically... the midterm elections! All the analysts say that things are looking mighty dismal for the left, I don't know if that's accurate, but I think I am holding out hope, and maybe some faith, that folks will turn out on Tuesday and vote to protect their interests. We have seen what has congress has done, and hasn't done, in the hands of the republican leadership, and republican obstructionism, and it we don't want to face that on a grand scale, 

we need to keep the senate in the hands of the democratic party.

On the other hand, the democratic party has had opportunity, after opportunity, to get the word out on the accomplishments we have realized by President Obama, and regional victories on local levels. Take California for example... the state turned deep blue and is thriving because of it. A lot of damage committed by Arnold Schwarzenegger has been rectified, and as a whole we are doing amazing again as a state. I am thankful for that. The personal devastation Alan and I experienced was nothing compared to the devastation felt by families all around us, and I know it might takes some longer to regain their footing, but at least we are on our way!

I wish the nation could begin to go forward the way California has! It doesn't mean that every democratic candidate running for office should win... but rationality would be good. Lies aren't useful. Bashing your opponent rather than stating your own record doesn't help either! Feeding into fears, be it on the subject of national security or on the Ebola virus, is a desperate strategy. Give me accurate information, and the credit to understand it! Instead, we tend to get one side or the other, with no moderation from either side. That means its up to me, and you, to figure it all out. It takes a moment, well actually, let's say it takes a whole day, but no matter how much time it takes in actuality, educating yourself, and then showing up to vote, means you can at least know,

 you let your own voice be heard!

GO VOTE!

GO VOTE!

Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Simon Says Take 5 Giant Steps Backwards

"Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity."

~Naomi Klein

I like that photo you see above. I always feel a deep sense of pride when I vote. It's a responsibility. It's a privilege. It's a right of passage. It's a duty, and it's the most basic of rights. I don't take being able to vote lightly. I didn't always feel that way, much to my very liberal/progressive father's dismay. But you have to remember, my father and I had our first deep conversation about politics when I was 3 years old. Not possible you say? Well, you see, my dad was able to explain the world of politics in terms my 3 year old intellect could understand. And as I grew up, we continued our talks, and I really believe, sitting here right now, I am much more mature person because of those conversations.

Bill Clinton was the first president I ever voted for. When I look back at the fact that I could have voted during the Reagan administration, and didn't, is now as dismaying to me, as it was to my father. By the time George H.W. Bush ran for president, and it came down to him or Dukakis, I again chose not to vote. There was NO way I would have considered voting for Bush, but at the same time I had very little confidence in Dukakis. I saw no good choice. To me, voting for the lesser of two evil, was still voting for evil. So I sat that one out.

Four years later, I don't remember the exact date, I saw a fairly young politician, the Governor of Arkansas on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. That governor was, of course, William (Bill) Jefferson Clinton. He impressed me because he had some good ideas. He spoke intelligently, with confidence, and for once, in my lifetime, I found a politician whose ideas resonated with me. He had a sense of humor, and yet he had a seriousness to him that made his point, without scaring the shit out of you. He demonstrated to me that you can roll up your sleeves, and get a job done, without having to fear the sky would fall over the slightest of difficult issues. I was, and still am, proud of the fact that the first president I ever voted for was Bill Clinton. I wouldn't change my voting for him for anything. And if I can, I will be voting for Hillary Clinton for president in 2014.

Why am I on about all of this now? Well, yesterday, the Supreme Court Of The United States made the decision to kill section 5 of the Voting Rights Act Of 1965, in effect, making voting in the United States less fair for some. My father, and his father, never had to worry if they would be able to vote, but my father had lived through a time in this country when voting was not fairly offered to all, and he knew first hand how lucky he was. I understand right now, more than ever, about why my dad was so perplexed by my decisions to decline to cast a ballot. He didn't dictate my choices, he led me in the sense of the morals and values I grew up with, but when I became of voting age, it was up to me, and my conscience, to do what was right. Whatever right meant. I know it would have upset him terribly if I had become a republican, but he would have gritted his teeth and hoped to himself I would see the light one day. LOL.

And when I actually did become a republican... for 6 whole months... I eventually did see the light!

LOL.

And my dad breathed a huge sigh of relief! LOL.

I have never had to worry about when or if someone would take my voting rights away. I know that I am lucky. It's disturbing that bitter people, people who decided if they can't win on the merits of their beliefs, principles and values, they will simply disenfranchise, steal, lie, or otherwise deceive their way into the most powerful offices in our nation. These people deserve very little, if any, respect. When I think of the fact that men and women have laid the lives down to protect the freedom of voting for all, among other freedoms we enjoy as Americans, only to have it stepped on, and disregarded as an archaic law is deeply distressing to me.

I never thought I would see America decline the way it has since 9/11. Our privacy is invaded. Our voting rights are being compromised. Politicians are opening campaign offices in our vaginas. Marriage is only for one group of people... the people who have a divorce rate of 50%. I could go on but why? I don't know how things will play out in my lifetime, but I think my main hope for the future is to see we in the U.S. return to a collective sanity. Sometimes it seems impossible, like I will never see a day when there isn't someone, somewhere blatantly lying and hating. It's depressing. I am just grateful that my father doesn't have to see what's become of America. I believe if he were alive today, he would be deeply troubled, and profoundly sad to see what has happened to the country my grandfather immigrated to escape this exact kind of tyranny.

It's so sad. We must return to a great country again. A country that recognizes each of it's citizens, and treats one another with dignity. We can be a great country, but we have a lot of damage to undue, and unfortunately it will not happen overnight, but with a little bit of work maybe I will see that country in my lifetime.

 The law had an immediate impact. By the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new black voters had been registered, one-third by Federal examiners. By the end of 1966, only 4 out of the 13 southern states had fewer than 50 percent of African Americans registered to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was readopted and strengthened in 1970, 1975, and 1982.

~The National Archives 

"Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote."

~William E Simon

Mood: Reflective

~Me