Above is an excerpt from the Washington Post, quoting Donald Trump. He is very, very upset with a group of Republican congressmen who voted according to the wishes of their districts on repealing Obamacare, rather than the way Trump pressured them to vote. He thinks that he should threaten Congress to give America what it does not want, and he thinks that representatives are there to serve him, not their constituents.
When did it become Trump's job to "run" someone for Congress in a district where he does not live? It is not the job of Donald Trump to determine by whom other Americans may be represented in Congress, and it is not the job of his supporters to attempt to stick Americans with a country that only delivers threats and corruption, either.
Trump should also consider laying off Twitter. If he has problems getting along with members of his own party, he should either keep it to himself, or learn to get along with them.
A Catholic church in San Diego, California is threatening its loyal members with an eternity in the underworld if they vote Democrat. Inside the foyer of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, some leaflets stating that Hillary Clinton is "under the influence of Satan" were found. While this is ripe fodder for comedy, it is also a pathetic attempt to scare innocent people and influence an election. So much for the quote of Jesus, himself, saying, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and unto God, that which is God's." (Mark 12:17) The fictional deity is in obvious opposition to dictatorship and fear tactics. Maybe these Christians and their leadership should listen to him.
And now, here is the best possible campaign song for Donald Trump! He whined, during the final presidential debate, because his opponent pointed out that he complained because he didn't win an Emmy for The Apprentice, because the whole affair was "rigged"! In fact, Trump claims that anything that does not go his way is "rigged". While he probably won't win the presidential election, perhaps he can win an Emmy for his performance during all three debates.
Hillary Clinton described few of Donald Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables". She was not discussing their backgrounds, their lifestyles, or even their appearances; but their behavior. There is a very long list of violent incidents at Trump rallies, and no one else in the presidential race for 2016 has attracted or incited as much violence as Donald Trump. It seems rather obvious that those who openly show support for Trump by attending his events can, at least, be called disorderly; so why has Trump's running mate, former Indiana governor Mike Pence, become irate that Hillary would say such a thing about Trump's supporters? Possibly, because Mike Pence is a lot more fluent in "deplorability." After all, he is the one who used campaign funds during his 1990 run for Congress in Indiana to pay his personal bills. He dropped out of that race because of the resulting scandal.
Maybe while Donald Trump is running his mouth about Hillary Clinton's observations about those who attend his rallies, he could take a minute to wish her a speedy recovery from pneumonia. Not that she won't recover; she certainly will, but isn't it a lot more polite and less deplorable to express concern and well wishes?
The new petition for decriminalization of marijuana, particularly first offenses, was written up, passed around, and signed by enough people to force the city of Wichita, Kansas, to put it on the ballot in April. This will make possession within the city a municipal offence with a small fine, rather than a felony, or whatever is convenient for prosecutors to call it. It seems like a step in the right direction; perhaps our jails and prisons can reserve space for those who commit violent crimes, instead of locking up those who get caught taking bong hits. It's also nice to see Wichita listening to it's constituency.
One aspect of this matter that is troubling, however; is one of the considerations listed by the city of Wichita, as a possible reason ignore the voters. Wichita is worried about lost revenue via fines and other fees, collected from offenders. Suppose everyone in Wichita sobered up and quit smoking pot? Or perhaps got better at hiding from cops? Then how would Wichita deal with "lost revenue"? Is it possible that our judicial system is actually, in it's own way, discouraging addicts and alcoholics from recovery because of financial considerations? Say it ain't so! Financial loss in the form of penalty fines and fees should never be a consideration in this type of referendum. Here's an excerpt from Wichita's proposal:
The city of Wichita, Kansas obviously does not want to decriminalize marijuana, but the people do. After a petition to put changes in the law about marijuana on the ballot this November had garnered more than enough signatures and was presented to the city council, the city council somehow determined that there were not enough signatures. Because citizens called city hall to let Wichita know what they really thought of that, the city has decided to allow Kansans For Change to draft a new petition. Okay, Wichita. Whatever. It appears you know what your voters want. Just don't make them ask for it 420 times.
A petition to decriminalize marijuana has gotten 5,800 signatures so far, in order to force Wichita, Kansas to decriminalize marijuana and change the nature of the offense from a criminal misdemeanor to a minor civil offense. This is over twice the number of signature needed, so Wichita really has no excuse to refuse to put the question of decriminalizing marijuana on the ballot. The petition calls for a twenty-five dollar fine in municipal court instead of the current criminal sanctions and requests that violations be treated the same way building code violations or uncontrolled pets are treated. I do not use recreational drugs and do not approve of recreational drug use, but I also do not approve of prosecuting victimless crimes with millions of dollars that can more productively spent on education. It's also a nice gesture to avoid the needless ruin of lives with what amounts to malicious prosecution and selectively applied sanctions. Power To The People!
Governor Brownback, of Kansas, was met by a small group of protesting teachers in Hays one day last week because he recently signed a bill into law that he hopes will help redistribute funding for Kansas public schools more equally among school districts. The bill has some language and clauses that allow tax credits to those of us who do not use local public schools, and strips public school teachers of their tenure and due process if they happen to get fired from their jobs. Normally, I would be inclined to sympathize with the teachers, but not here in Kansas. My children do not attend the local public school, Frankfort, part of USD 380, because a teacher abandoned my fourteen year old daughter four miles away from school, and when he realized she was lost, did nothing to find her. He went home and had dinner, thinking she could find her own way back to Frankfort. No worries about my daughter being slowed down by an accidental injury, a bee sting, asthma, or an unsavory stranger. The school responded by failing to fire this teacher, and failing to make any changes to ensure safety at school. For this reason alone, I find the tax credit for families that home school and removal of tenure for Kansas public school teachers only fair. Another reason why I think public school teachers in Kansas do not deserve tenure is the way some of them treat children and parents. Below is a rather ugly message sent to me by a teacher who thought she could remain anonymous online. She was attempting to pressure me to vote for a candidate she favored in the 2008 presidential election, and in the 2012 presidential election. She also got very angry with me for enlisting the assistance of the ACLU in the enforcement of Abington School District v. Schempp, which gives children the right to learn in school, unhindered by religious pandering.
"Oh Miss Juli! Once again you just crack me up :) If Mitt doesn't win this election you can pretty much kiss the USA goodbye, but then, you would really like that, wouldn't you? You are the type that doesn't really give two shits about the flag, thinks God doesn't belong....ANYWHERE"
Nowhere else have I had interactions with public school teachers who engage, unsolicited, in disagreeable discourse about politics and elections! A post on this site and a bumper sticker revealed my political leanings to this teacher, and she was unable to stop herself from harassing my children and me! This is actually in conflict with the Constitution, which allows me to vote for the candidate of my choice, and for this reason, it pleases me greatly to see teachers a little bit closer to the unemployment office when they fill their salaried hours with activities other than teaching.
Note: Lemme clarify something about my last picture right here; there isn't a problem in bearing a love child. The problem arises when we pretend to be holy, when in fact, we are not.
Yes, it's time for change. Hopefully, a few of you will wake up. From governors who shut down bridges in retaliation against voters to prosecutors who suspend medical treatment of jail inmates pending guilty pleas rather than jury trials, (you KNOW you bear ultimate responsibility for that young man's death in Marysville Kansas in January, Laura Johnson McNish)* it's time for Americans to stop tolerating the disrespect of our Constitution by our elected leaders. These leaders and officials are on our payroll. It's time for them to pay attention to what we want. The wealthy actually pay a smaller portion of their earnings and resources than the portion paid by most poor and middle class entities, so it is time for everyone's best interest to matter, not just one group's best interest.
*Someone actually died in custody as a result of the coercion and manipulation of jail inmates in Marshall County, Kansas. Instead of allowing defense attorneys to confer with clients and consider the best defensive strategies for court, the prosecutor and law enforcement threaten defendants and their counsel. This includes suspension of medical care of defendants while in custody.
Does everyone in Marshall County, Kansas think that Laura Johnson-McNish, the county attorney, truly represents Marshall County? In light of the Grain Belt Express, to which quite a few Marshall County residents objected, here is some data that was never offered: click on this link to see a picture of someone rather closely connected to Johnson-McNish. Scroll down the page and look at the pictures of the board of directors. You will see a picture of someone possessing a strong familial connection to Johnson-McNish. With a family member serving on the board of directors of the Energy Bar, will Johnson-McNish still truly represent Marshall County if she finds herself at cross purposes with the intentions of the Energy Bar? As we know already, Johnson-McNish is owned by the Republican Party in Kansas. We can expect the Koch Brothers and their ilk to control all of her decisions.
I know, I know. He represents Texas, not Kansas. It's just that his statement is so typical of Republican rhetoric. It never ceases to amaze me that people actually accept this type of reasoning, and the unfortunate accompanying voting record, from their elected representatives. As long as we have folks like Joe Barton in office, wind will not be a "finite resource" and it will never slow down!
This is 2014's message. It is not about hacking, or picketing, a`la Occupy. It involves methods of dealing with government corruption that are practical, and should be taken as first steps, before extreme measure, such as picketing, are even considered. Know who your representatives are write to them. Vote. Get involved with your childrens' school. Hold your childrens' schools accountable for what they teach. Don't allow a corrupt judicial system the latitude of walking all over you or your community; write to the bar association or the supreme court, whichever is situation-appropriate. In the sidebar of this site is some useful information under "links" that can help with things such as public awareness about missing people, writing Freedom Of Information Act requests to government agencies, and contacting the American Civil Liberties Union. If the government agencies that continue to sell out Americans understand that Americans are holding them accountable, they WILL notice. You do your children and all the children of your community a favor when you force the schools to teach instead of brainwash. You do your community a favor when you stand up for the Constitution and liberty.
"Oh Miss Juli! Once again you just crack me up :) If Mitt doesn't win this election you can pretty much kiss the USA goodbye, but then, you would really like that, wouldn't you? You are the type that doesn't really give two shits about the flag, thinks God doesn't belong....ANYWHERE, and is in love with those wonderful goverment handouts! Of course you love Obama!"
As promised, here is the face behind the IP number from which the above comment was sent to me. The person whose computer electronically contacts veterans to tell them that they do not give "two shits" about the flag! The person who preaches Christianity and the evils of reproductive freedom for women to sixth graders out of one side of her mouth and uses the other for......well.....never mind. Lets just say the Christianity I read about in the story books favors less sexaully active lifestyles prior to marriage. As for God belonging anywhere, he, she, or it only belongs in your home, church, and possibly your car. Not in a public school. And if you don't like the fact that Kansas allows children with disabilities to get medical care, and allows people such as yours truly to care for such children when their parents are not present or able to do so, go suck Romney's balls. Seriously. In this country, we may vote for whichever candidate we happen to like. No one is obligated to vote for your personal favorite. Show more respect for the Constitution, and show more respect for veterans.
The morning after. The sigh of relief. The encouragement of watching Americans vote, even while in labor,dying, (he was revived) waiting in long lines until the wee hours of morning, and even after being displaced by Hurricane Sandy. Most of those votors voted for President Obama, too. For the people in a certain Northeast Kansas town who harrassed my children and me because Obama's heritage is African as well as Caucasion, I share this!
Seems there is nothing less surprising than a bunch of Republicans trying to stop others from voting. Florida has taken the measure of reducing the number of days one may cast an early ballot. This action, of course, was undertaken by Republicans, noteably the Republican governor. Why can't an election just be an election? Why must the Republican party try so hard to manipulate the results and give the people what they don't want, instead of what they do want? Some people are even being forced to wait until one-o'clock in the morning to vote because of long lines. Nonetheless, I hope everyone votes.
In case you missed church this Sunday....I think I will pick on Mormons again, today. Allow me to delve into my own personal experience with Mormons, which, thank the Gods, is not terribly extensive. It is only recently that I discovered that Mormons have a "Jesus" icon, which, while different from the Jesus revered by actual Christians, is enough to create some confusion among outsiders as to whether or not Mormons are Christians.
There is a middle-aged Mormon woman who lives two houses away from me. She holds a paraprofessional position at the local public school as well. When I first moved here, she was never terribly friendly or nice to me, despite the fact that our children are about the same ages, and many of them are in the same classes. In fact, she was always rather snippy and rude, preferring to gossip about me behind my back instead of returning my friendly Southern "hellos". Having had worse neighbors during the course of my lifetime, I did not pay her attitude much mind, and when her huge Golden Retriever mutt puppy dog tipped over my trash, the kids and I just picked it up. I thought that her dog's jaunt through the neighborhood despite leash laws was an isolated incident. Then, day after day, week after week, the same dog visited our garbage cans, constantly strewing garbage everywhere. Tired of it, I decided that paying Mrs. Mormon Lady a visit and asking her politely to keep her dog indoors or tether the dog would be kinder and more polite than calling Animal Control, or the Kansas equivilent of same. So I knocked on her door, and when she answered, I told her about the dog tipping over the trash. She immediately began yelling and screaming that she did not have a dog. Then I pointed out that I had seen a Golden Retriever mutt in her yard. She then screeched that the dog was never off of her leash. Then, the dog ran down the sidewalk from the north end of town, turned the corner, ran up the front steps, and sat down on her porch. The dog offered me her paw. "Is this the dog that is always on a leash?", I asked. At that point, Mrs. Mormon Lady slammed the door in my face. She has done quite a bit of backstabbing since that day. She even gathered my children, while at school, to tell them that I cursed at her during the exchange on her front porch about the dog, which is NOT true. I did not even raise my voice, let alone use foul language. So, my firsthand information about Mormons is that they are irresponsible about pet ownership, and manipulative and dishonest. It's one of the reasons I will never vote for a Mormon.
When I stop having ugly experiences with people who claim some sort of "holiness", or "betterness" than the others with whom they share this earth, and stop hearing lies from them, that's when I will start taking these individuals seriously as respectable citizens. Not until then. And that includes Bishop Mitt Romney.
Above is an excerpt from the Washington Post, quoting Donald Trump. He is very, very upset with a group of Republican congressmen who voted according to the wishes of their districts on repealing Obamacare, rather than the way Trump pressured them to vote. He thinks that he should threaten Congress to give America what it does not want, and he thinks that representatives are there to serve him, not their constituents.
