To Judge or not to Judge

Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing for Amy Coney Barrett

I am watching the confirmation hearings for selecting Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the next member to the United States Supreme Court. What a waste of time even holding the hearings.

Democrats are trying to get the Judge to answer how she views different case outcomes or potential outcomes. The Judge keeps refusing to give any hints on how she may rule on any case. Okay, likely a good course. Especially if you don’t want to taint yourself by showing your true feelings on any aspect of law. Consider though that the idea any person can completely set aside their personal opinions and beliefs and rule on an aspect of the law impartially is suspect. I just can’t buy that they can.

Republicans spend their time throwing roses to the Judge, telling her how wonderful she is. They then spend time in pontificating on the political stand being taken by the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. Of course they ask no questions about her views on the law, knowing she won’t provide an answer.

I’ve seen this more than once in my life. It hasn’t changed really. I also don’t care about the arguments made (by Democrats) of how this nomination is being rammed through this close to election day. The whole thing is theater. The Democrats would do the same thing if they had the chance. Neither side has any moral high ground to stand on. If Democrats controlled the Senate and refused to move forward, Republicans would be screaming foul. Six of one, half-dozen of another.

I am of the opinion that this whole process for selecting members of the Court should even exist? There is no fairness in these type of proceedings. The members of the Committee are not worried one damn bit about what the people may, or may not, want. How could they when the people haven’t been asked? In other words, the process is flawed and appointments to any federal court system are only the will of the Senate.

Justices can be impeached. Only one has, Justice Samuel Chase in 1804. The Senate did not convict Justice Chase, so he remained on the Supreme Court. With a lifetime appointment, federal judges and the SCOTUS Justices have a long reaching effects on the laws in the United States. The people can do nothing about any judge or Justice with regard to their acceptability to be on the courts and their tenure (short of amending the US Constitution). This is an area that should be changed.

Here’s an option that should be considered. Let the Senate have their power to bring a judge or justice to a federal court. But, that lifetime appointment should not be continued for the Appellate or Supreme Courts. Why not have their tenure voted upon by the people every decade after being placed on the bench? So, how can we vote on them all every ten years?

There are 9 Supreme Court Justices and 179 Appellate Courts judges. So 188 members of the judiciary that would have to be voted upon by the people every ten years. Not all would be voted on at the same time, as it would happen ten years from the appointment of each individual judge. The voting would occur in a national election cycle (2 or 4 years), with the judges placed into the closest election cycle for their initial retention vote. Let their record on the bench be the information used by the people to decide. If voted out, no judge could ever hold a seat on the federal courts ever again. This keeps the Senate’s partisanship from subverting the will of the voters.

Now, you can say this won’t work, but you’d be wrong. Many States have retention votes for State Supreme Court judges, so it can work just as well at the federal level. It would require voters to familiarize themselves with a judges record, or it could be that there would be groups that would speak to their records to inform the voting population. Either is fine, just as long as the judges are not allowed to campaign for keeping their job. I’ll grant that it is not a perfect system, but it sure seems better than a judge facing a Senate hearing and vote once in their career.

But, one would ask how that guarantees a judge’s impartiality in their rulings? I would answer that by asking how is impartiality guaranteed currently? No, don’t try to argue that if they’re not they can be impeached. I refer you to paragraph six above. We can not count on Congress, any more than we can with Presidential impeachments. Plus, why should we? If the People are the final authority on how we are ruled, then the People have the right to directly decide. Then, and only then, can we hold judges accountable for what rulings they make, instead of this question and non-answer back-and-forth in judiciary hearings in the Senate.

Take today for example. Judge Coney Barrett is assured a seat on the Supreme Court. On November 10th a case on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act will come before the Court. Now Justice Coney Barrett will be on the Court and will be ruling with the other Justices on the case, unless of course she recuses herself (not very likely). If she votes to overturn and the law and it is overturned, then the votes of the people will reflect whether she is right or not. The people will know how overturning the law has affected them for ten years and may well decide her removal is the correct response. Otherwise, there is no penalty for what she, along with the other Justices, may end up doing to the people in the United States. There should be no hiding from the people by any of them.

The only other choice is completely overturning the US political and legal system and instituting something completely new. That would be my preference, but the great majority of the people in the US are still sheep willing to be led around by the politicians in Congress and the President. Apparently they haven’t been screwed over enough yet to get angry and toss the whole damn thing into the dump.

Until next time

A Rant of Sorts

It makes me feel better

I started working on my musings of a hypothetical change to Socialism in America a few days ago. But, then I was interrupted by watching CNN and reading my internet news aggregator, and became distracted.

I have remained distracted and can’t get into the frame of mind to continue my musings. How can I when so much else is happening that should be holding everyone’s attention in the run up to the November 3rd election?

Are you sick and tired of the inept politicians of the “two” political parties and their sycophant followers? When did America get to the point to where they give up any independent thought and just follow along like sheeple? The issues mean nothing to the followers. The get told their respective leader will “fix” it all and that’s good enough for them. They don’t ask how or for any specifics that will reveal the truth of their leader’s plans. Instead, they go with the “just trust me” attitude projected at them.

I know that a large number of Americans don’t give a damn about politics until it’s time to elect a new President. The party affiliated don’t even listen to all the politicking going on before the election. They don’t need to since they’re mostly party line voters. They exercise their right to vote and immediately return to tuning it all out until the next election.

What these very followers do is fail their countrymen and countrywomen by abrogating their duty to work to make the Republic the nation it should be. These “silent” Americans are the very people who bring the divisiveness to the United States of America. They are too blame for not stopping the destruction of the country by the obscene rich and their corporations of destruction.

There are those of us in this country that are trying to overturn this ugliness called Capitalism, with it’s subordinate political structure to keep everything in place so that they can continue their quests for mega-riches and power over the rest of society. You, who sit on your asses in your oblivious life, caring not one bit for the hell all around you, allow this to happen.

You people are responsible for the suffering of the people. You people are responsible for allowing repressive leaders to rule over us all with disdain, laughing at us for our ineptitude. You people are responsible for the elite you allow to continue stealing the resources of the nation. You people are responsible for making the people poor, sick, tired, hungry, and mistreated. You people are responsible for allowing the continuing of centuries of racist hate that flows through America.

You people, you silent Americans, are responsible for condemning America to become a third-world country. You people are responsible for standing in the way of what is truly life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

This America has had it’s chance. You people have had you chances. It’s no longer your right to interfere with the changes that must be made.

Stand with those fighting for a new America, or get run over and left behind. It’s your choice Silent America.

Until next time

Dead on Arrival: The US Constitution

A Document to enslave, suppress, and oppress the American underclasses.

I was 18 years-old when I joined the military. I took an oath to the US Constitution, as stated below:

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

I lived up to my oath I made through my military service and for long after I left the service. I believed in the importance of the US Constitution to American society. I was prepared to defend the US Constitution when arguments about the Constitution arose. I believed that our society could not survive without it. I chose to overlook any parts of the Constitution that were defective, such as in Article 1, Section 2, wherein Black people (meaning slaves primarily) were to be counted as 3/5th’s of a person for determining representation in the House of Representatives and for taxation. I believed this rule became null and void with the adoption of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. I never questioned any part of the nation’s founding document. It should never been in the Constitution in the first place, but it was added to protect slavery and get the Constitution ratified.

I should have questioned it though. Now, when I look at the Constitution, I see a document written for the elite class only. It was written to keep the elite as the rulers of America. It was to keep all of the underclasses loyal to the demands of the elite. This is the living legacy of the Constitution right up to today. We are taught of the rights each of us have been “granted” and the prohibitions that the government can not use against the people. But, it’s all a lie because there is no equal treatment of all people.

I figure many are shouting, “No, that’s not true.” It’s your right to disagree, but it’s mine to maintain my current belief about the Constitution. The Constitution implement sdifferent ways of determining who represents us in Congress. Originally, for example, Senators were elected by the state legislature until the adoption of the 17th Amendment on April 8, 1913. Yes, it can be argued that the state legislatures were the representatives of the citizenry of the state, but were they?

The Electoral College is an obsolete in the need to determine the President of the United States. In our current technological country, there is no reason that the popular vote should not select a president. As with anything, there are opponents and supporters of the Electoral College. It would take amending the Constitution to end the Electoral College system. Or, completely scrap the Constitution and write a new one more designed with the current state of American society as the focus. My personal belief is to scrap it, along with the current political and economic systems that we have. I’m a socialist, what would you expect me to say, we should fix it?

With the current protesting ongoing in America, the Constitution’s Bill of Rights are being violated on a regular basis. Look at the 1st Amendment. Freedom of the press is ignored as members of the press reporting on protests are attacked, assaulted, and arrested by the police. Freedom to peacefully assemble has resulted in protestors being gassed, shot with pepper balls, rubber bullets, and violently assaulted by police, and hauled away to jail after being arrested – with bogus violations of law being charged. Yes, there is violence at protests, but they are by groups of people who hide among the lawful protestors before setting off looting, arson, attacks on police, and riots. Many of those arrested are held in confinement without charge and later released, a clear violation of the 6th Amendment. Oh, and about the arson, looting, and rioting, when has any demands for major societal changes been accomplished peacefully?

Tell me again how the Constitution protects the rights of the people? Lets go further. President Donald Trump has ordered that cities that he declares are in a state of anarchy should be stripped of federal funding. The memo sent to the, not ever honest, US Attorney General from Trump states, as reported by the Daily Beast:

“For the past few months, several state and local governments have contributed to the violence and destruction in their jurisdictions by failing to enforce the law, disempowering and significantly defunding their police departments, and refusing to accept offers of federal law enforcement assistance. To ensure that Federal funds are neither unduly wasted nor spent in a manner that directly violates our Government’s promise to protect life, liberty, and property, it is imperative that the Federal Government review the use of Federal funds by jurisdictions that permit anarchy, violence, and destruction in America’s cities.”

Show me where in the Constitution Trump has the authority to do this? Don’t give me any garbage about “preserving and protecting” the Constitution. The protests are not an attack on the Constitution, in fact rights are being exercised that are protected by the Constitution. Trump is just exercising his supposed “absolute power” he thinks is his right. There is NO authority for absolute power in the Constitution and there is NO prohibitions in the Constitution to prohibit such delusions.

Plain and simple, the US Constitution is outdated and insufficient as a governing document for the United States. It’s time that it is burned and a new model, suitable for the America that now exists, be put in it’s place. But, I figured people will cling to the Constitution unto death.

Until next time

Thoughts Roundup

Clearing out the clutter.

We’ve all been there, stray thoughts that tend to clutter up our mind. They must, sooner or later, be exorcised from our brain to make room to start gathering more stray thoughts. Well, “sooner or later” has arrived for me. Hopefully, some of these thoughts will be interesting to you.

Breonna Taylor: As we know, Breonna Taylor was, as far as many of us in America are concerned, was murdered in her sleep in her home on March 13, 2020. Yesterday the Kentucky Attorney General reported the decision of the Grand Jury reviewing the case. Of the three officers involved in shooting Breonna Taylor, only one was indicted. The indictment wasn’t for murdering her, it was for firing into the adjoining residence! The shooting of Ms Taylor was completely ignored. Once again, White America has justified murder by police officers.

As a result of this idiotic thinking by the Grand Jury, protests broke out in cities across America. Demands by peaceful protestors for justice for Breonna Taylor was thrown in the faces of Americans, as it should be every day. If Americans must be shown the shame they allow to be perpetrated, SO BE IT! America should not be allowed to continue the systemic racism that does exist, regardless of the opinions of Donald Trump and the Republicans in the country.

I fervently hope the protests never stop until America in remade into a nation where true equality and justice for all is the truth, not the convenient mirage Americans hide behind. I urge everyone to support Mutual Aid groups around the country helping those in need and protestors with supplies to sustain them during protests. These are volunteer groups of activists, not any government agency. They depend on the generosity of donors to their vital work.

Louisville Protest: Last night, as a reaction to the grand jury result, a protest went on in the city by protestors enraged by the decision. During the protest two Louisville PD officers were shot. A suspect was arrested by police and was “charged with wanton endangerment and assaulting a police officer,” according to an online BBC article. The alleged shooter was identified as Larynzo Johnson, a 26 year-old Black man.

We know damn well that Mr Johnson won’t be excused by an grand jury for his alleged actions. We know that when he is convicted he will suffer the full weight of the law at sentencing because he is a Black man. The racist White America will demand it. The system will use him as an example to others considering violent acts during protests. After all, they will say, the officers were just doing their job protecting the public. To me, they were doing their unstated jobs of suppressing lawful protest, using violence, and intimidating people they are also allegedly suppose to protect. The police must ensure the nation’s elite maintain the stranglehold over us.

This is how justice is meted out in America. Cops slide for their unlawful acts, while Black Americans suffer the heavy hand of the police, up to and including being murdered. Whether you want to accept it or not, systemic racism is a foundational base instituted by whites, for whites against all non-white people.

Donald Trump: How would any day be complete without thinking of Donald Trump? I’m being truthful and sarcastic at the same time. As usual Trump has continued his harangue on mail-in voting being rife with fraud (a lie). During his afternoon press conference he was asked if he would guarantee a peaceful transition of power after the election. As reported by CNN, Trump refused to guarantee the peaceful transition. Trump stated, “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens.”

Folks, Donald Trump has decided and is prepared to create a constitutional crisis after the election. He’ll begin by fighting the results in court and when he loses he’ll get his Republican Supreme Court to rule he is the lawful winner of the election. The Supreme Court will deny the will of the people, destroying any faith the people have in the “democratic” election process.We already know the national election process for selecting a president isn’t democratic because of the Electoral College. His grip on America after that will be stronger and America will really suffer. He’ll tighten his fascist regime’s control over every aspect of American society. You have now been warned, again. At least some Republicans are pushing back against his lunacy. I want to be wrong about this, but I fear I’m not.

Yesterday, Dr Stephen Hahn, FDA Commissioner, stated that vaccine approvals will be based on the science, not politics. Donald Trump responded to this statement, at his afternoon press conference, “We’re looking at that. That has to be approved by the White House, we may or may not approve it. That sounds like a political move,” according to a CBS News station. FDA rules must be approved by the White House, so Trump could have them changed.

Many, many Americans will decline to take the vaccine, as will I. No one should be put at risk for political purposes. Trump doesn’t give a tinkers damn who gets ill or dies from the side effects of or failures of a vaccine. He’s incapable of empathy and sympathy, like all sociopaths. He only cares about himself.

This is a pure political move so he can get a vaccine approved before November 3rd. He wants to be able to claim all the credit for the vaccine. He wants to use this, like everything, in his campaign. Why that matters, I know not. The election, in Trump’s mind, is going to be false and he’ll try to hold power regardless. However, it will be America who suffers if science isn’t used to determine a vaccine authorization from the FDA. How many will become ill? How many will die? How many children, for which there haven’t been any trials of a vaccine on children, will suffer? How many more families will mourn?

Speaking of Trump some more, he showed up this morning at the Supreme Court to pay his respects to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As he stood looking towards the cabinet, he was wearing a face mask. So was Melania Trump. So, why now? I know there have been a few, very few, occasions he’s worn a mask, but it is still out of character for him. I believe he and Melania wore masks because he is not able to arrange the area to be “safe” for him. He feared the coronavirus. We’ve all seen at his rallies how he doesn’t wear a mask, as almost all of the crowd doesn’t. But, he is positioned well away from anyone while speaking at his rallies. He feels confident since he had control over the environment. So, obviously, as he also said to Bob Woodward, the coronavirus is dangerous and deadly in his mind.

One more thing on Trump and masks. Trump has said that his rallies should be called protests. That way they can legally, he believes, ignore masks and social distancing requirements, just like the protestors do. However, look at footage of several, or more, of the protests that have been happening since the George Floyd murder. In the footage, the wearing of masks or face covers are the general rule protestors follow. While, they aren’t staying safely distanced, they have masks on. Why has no reporter asked Trump about this being different, on mask wearing, at his rallies? He’d make up some lie probably, so why bother asking him.

Whew, that’s enough on Trump for today.

The US Supreme Court: Love them or hate them, they are a branch of the US Government. For now we have no choice about it. Anyway, we all know of the push by Trump and Senate Republicans to fill the chair of Justice Ginsburg. They have the votes to turn the court into 6 – 3 majority for Republicans. Yes, the Democrats in the Senate can slow down how fast it happens, but it will happen.

This spells ill for the country. A 6 – 3 majority will be able to attack and reverse many of the rights the Court placed into the legal fabric of America, like Roe v Wade for example. This concept of Mitch McConnell ramming through a new, Republican, justice to the Court has angered Democrats. Democrats are now saying that they will pack the Court in 2021, should they hold the House and flip the Senate.

Lets say Democrats try this. There are some things they must insure to get this to happen. If Trump holds the presidency, a Democratic Congress will have to have the votes to override a sure veto from Trump. The Democrats must have 2/3rd’s of the votes in each chamber of Congress to override any veto. That means some of the Republicans in each chamber would have to vote to override a veto. They wouldn’t. If Joe Biden is elected, then the Congressional Democrats have to insure the legislation would be signed by Biden. If he vetoes, back to trying to override the veto.

If the Democrats do get to pack the Court, their “victory” would be fleeting. You have to believe the Republicans will do the same when they regain power. Hell, if they all keep it up, in time the whole Country will sit on the Supreme Court (lmao). While having five ideological conservatives on the Court will be ugly, a Court packing war would ultimately be worse. The Democrats need to drop this stupid idea, like yesterday.

OK, we need a laugh. Check out this photo:

Chihuahua and a Rhino

That’s what our Chihuahua would be nutty enough to do. That poor Rhino is thinking while he runs, “What the hell is that little thing?” It just keeps making me laugh.

OK, my mind has been sufficiently uncluttered for now. We’ll do this again in the future.

Until next time

Republican Hypocrisy

Pisses Me Off, But isn’t Unsurprising

At a time the country, or at least a part of the country, are mourning the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Republicans jump right to the politics of the situation and are already pushing for a quick vote on a successor. Senator Mitch McConnell leads the move to speed things along.

We know that in 2016, Republicans said that the next President should select the nominee to fill the Court vacancy. But, of course, Republicans are now manufacturing “reasons” that things are different now and they must get a 6-3 conservative court right away.

That will create a Supreme Court that rules by following their political ideology, instead of the law. The rollback will be used to destroy 70 years of moving the rights and equality for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ forward. This will drag the United States back to Jim Crow. Discrimination and racism will, once again, become the “law of the land” and allow American conservatives and right-wing extremists to have society belong to “right thinking” White American men. Is this the America of equality we should return to?

Women will be property once again, with not right to control their own bodies. Their will be even more domestic abuse by the men who believe they alone have the rights guaranteed in the US Constitution. We know abortion will be illegal once again, and women thrust into poverty because they know – for whatever reason – they are not ready to raise a child. What will the Republican’s, from their anti-welfare beliefs, say to the impoverished women? They’ll be told that “it’s your problem, not ours.” I’m pro-life, but know any woman has the right to decide for themselves, without scorn. Is this America women’s lack of rights you want again?

American healthcare advances, meaning the ACA, will be rolled back, Millions, tens of million, will once more find they have no options to get even basic healthcare needs met. People with pre-existing conditions will be stopped from getting health insurance, or will pay excessively high premiums for limited benefits if they want health insurance. Free clinics will be where they have to turn. But free clinics, as wonderful as they are, will not be able to provide the same level of care. Medical debt will increase, destroying even more of the ability of people to keep their heads above water and survive. I have been under that kind of medical debt. It beats you down every day, making the future look bleak and unpromising. Is this the America of healthcare you want to live in?

Workers will see rollbacks to worker rights. Rights to equal pay, the right to unionize, workers compensation when you are injured on the job too. Likely, workers will find their rights to sue employers gone. Rights to paid leave will be removed, with medical and family paid leave at the head of the list. Corporations will be able to return to running sweatshops without fear. They could scale back on medical benefits, turn a blind eye to offering education benefits, overtime hours “reconfigured” to prevent paying overtime all together, and allowing hazardous working conditions. There’s more that could get changed, much more. Is this the America you want to work in?

Republicans love private Christian schools and will pass laws, that would be supported by a conservative Court majority, allowing the taking of funds provided to public schools to pay for a child to go to private schools. Court conservatives will be able to make pseudo-Christian beliefs in schooling the law of the land. We could see America fall back to racial education standards of “separate, but equal” for minorities. Money will talk and education will suffer greatly. Is this the America we want again?

Lastly, the possibility of a conservative court backing a fascist like Trump turning American into the evil fascist nation of this millennium. Your very existence held by one man, to do with as he whims. A nation where the common person will either tow-the-line or be severely dealt with. Your voice will be muffled. Your “incorrect” beliefs getting you removed from society to some “re-education” camp. Is this the political America you want to live in?

If you want to stop any of the potential outcomes from happening, then you better scream loud and hard to the US Senate to get them to stop. Be angry, I am and the Republican Senator of my State has already heard from me. Bombard your Republican Senators, if you have one, with your demands. Do it everyday if you have to until you get a satisfactory pledge that they won’t back approving a nominee to the court until after January 20, 2021!

This is a battle for the the very beating heart of America! Deciding to sit on the sidelines shows your support by your silence to Republicans. Do you care enough to fight for it?

Well, do you?

Until next time

Kayleigh McEnany

Donald Trump’s supposedly honest Press Secretary

Kayleigh McEnany has been the White House Press Secretary for Donald Trump since April 2020.

Kayleigh McEnany, Press Secretary

Kayleigh held her first press conference as Press Secretary on May 1, 2020. At that presser, Kayleigh made the statement that, “I will never lie to you. You have my word on that,” according to a Vox article. Further, the article states that this promise lasted a whole 15 minutes before she started her career as one of Donald Trump’s Liars Brigade (There is no “Liars Brigade” known to really exist. It is just a “turn of phrase.”).

From the Vox article, “McEnany’s first lie from the White House podium came in response to a question about comments President Donald Trump made earlier in the day characterizing Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden as “far more compelling” than the accusations made against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings. Asked to flesh out Trump’s thinking, McEnany characterized the Kavanaugh allegations as “verifiably false.””

What is false is her words to the press. This behavior has continued every day since that first press conference. She’s has perfected lying, not answering questions, redirecting to a different subject, parsing Trump’s words to fit her purpose of speaking for Trump, and flat out ignoring questions completely. Her dances around what Trump really says and means are quite ugly.

On the Wikipedia page on Kayleigh, she is said to be a political commentator, lawyer, and author (I wonder if her book is even worth trying to read?). Training as a lawyer answers the question of where she learned to lie. Or maybe she learned as a Catholic schoolgirl? She is the product of elite private schools and Ivy League colleges (including Georgetown University, Oxford, and Harvard). Kayleigh has worked at CNN and Fox (where what she wanted was television face time, according to the Wikipedia page). She’s also worked on onetime Republican Governor Mike Huckabee’s show. Now there’s a stepping stone to being a strong right wing mouthpiece.

Kayleigh has grown up with the best of everything and can be called anything except an average American. Whatever Christian faith she follows, she must spend an awful lot of time praying for forgiveness for her sins of lying.

We can never expect her to be truthful, it’s not in her makeup.

Is the Outrage at the Film “Cuties” Valid?

Or are our knee-jerk opinions wrong?

For the record, I have not viewed the movie. I am relying on the information of two young people and media reports on the point of the movie.

The film “Cuties” have stirred up outrage in American society. Currently streamed on Netflix, the film and Netflix are being vilified. Is this vilification just, or is ignorance (as in not educated and informed) unfairly impacting the wave of hate against Netflix and the film’s maker?

I believe a proper view of the film will change the anger towards the film. Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t at least two scenes in the movie that are disturbing, IMO, but that has to be taken in proper context, as it was explained to me by a 21 year-old and a 19 year-old girls. There is a New York Times article that you may find informative.

The blame for the uproar can be laid at the door of Netflix. The poster they chose to promote the film is not the poster by the film’s maker (shown side-by-side below). But, first I offer a link to the scene causing people to say young girls are being sexualized (“Cuties” YouTube video), but I warn you – it is disturbing when viewed out of context.

Cuties film posters

On the left is the poster Netflix used to promote the film on their streaming service. On the right is the poster created for the film. Obviously there is a great difference in how the images form opinions. Netflix, being a capitalist corporation, wants the shock value to draw in renters of the film. Money was their only motive for using the poster on the left. Netflix caused the rash and uninformed opinions that caused the rage. It, along with the scene of the left poster that I saw, initially caused my own expressions of outrage. Then, I learned more.

Maïmouna Doucouré,a French filmmaker, produced “Cuties.” Sexualizing young girls was not her intent. First, Doucouré was very careful with the actors. Their parents were contacted by Doucouré before a word was said to any of the girls. The parents, after being fully informed about the intent of the film, gave their willing consent for their children to audition for the film. Second, each child selected, throughout the filming, had Doucouré carefully explain what would happen next and insured each child fully understood the reasoning behind the scene to be filmed and understood the ramifications in participating.

There are ongoing misconceptions about the film, based solely on the one scene linked above and the poster used initially by Netflix. Viewed on their own without context, it would be a reasonable reaction to have anger over the film. But, we have to understand the sources of our discomfort and the effects of echo chambers, especially on social media.

Whether we wish to acknowledge it or not, there are shows on American television that have intentionally caused children to be sexualized with only their parent’s consent and without the children’s consent. Take the show “Dance Moms” that ran for 8 seasons on Lifetime. This was a show centered around parents who put their young girls in dance competitions. The children were dressed up in skimpy outfits and performed dances similar to those in “Cuties.”

Dance Moms on Lifetime

Further, we are extremely comfortable with exploitation and sexualization of women and abuse of women in the shows and movies we watch. One of my sources told me that she has read comments saying that had young looking adult actresses been used instead of the young girls the film would be perfectly acceptable. The problem with that thinking is why don’t we care about women once they turn 18? Also, this anger becomes performative if we are fine with the images of apparent children being used for sexual gratification, just so long as it is legal and no “actual” children are being used. Why is it this film that has exposed so much of our discomfort, when other forms of explicit imagery that we see every day do not?

If you are so upset about the film based on the poster or scene I linked to, why have you not looked into media reports about the film maker’s intent in making the film? Yes, I had the negative knee jerk reaction, but have come to see things differently. Yes, the purpose of this film was to make the viewer uncomfortable and to make you want the sexualization of young girls to stop, because it is happening in countries around the world. We can’t end problems unless we see how they happen, which was the intent of the film maker. It behooves all of us to view the film or research the causes of systemic hyper-sexualization.

I don’t expect anyone to agree with me. In the end, the real reason we’re all so angry now is because this film criticized child sexualization, rather than participating in it.

Until next time

BLM Violence

Is it Bad or Necessary?

I strongly support the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. There has been enough systemic racism against Black Americans and now BLM is holding the federal and state government’s feet to the fire in demanding an end to this ignorance and hate against them and all people of color. Only White America can bring and end to it all or continue to be the roadblock to prevent equal rights and treatment to BIPOC America!

In a Time online article, “more than 93%—have been peaceful” in a review of BLM protests by Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Over 7,750 BLM protests were reviewed by ACLED to the percentage of violence at the different protests.

But, is “peaceful” how Americans see the protests? From the Time article, “ACLED highlights a recent Morning Consult poll in which 42% of respondents believe “most protesters (associated with the BLM movement) are trying to incite violence or destroy property.” Is violence, whether by BLM, the authorities, or white supremacist groups, actually worthwhile to gain White America’s support for the end to racism in America?

In a USA Today online article is showing how support for BLM is falling due to violence at their protests. It appears to me that BLM gets the blame even when the violence was from the authorities or other groups. From the article, a “Civiqs tracking poll is particularly interesting for understanding the dynamics at play. Net approval for the Black Lives Matter movement peaked back on June 3 and has fallen sharply since.” Will this decline in approval give the government and Donald Trump a stronger belief that more violent force can be used against BLM protestors participating in peaceful protests?

President Trump, with the public support of his political appointees, will continue to cast protestors as thugs and anarchists in order to inflame voters into believing that all protests are violent and that only he can bring an end to the violence. He wants votes, so he will cast his opponent as being behind the protests by any means necessary. Unfortunately, Trump seems to be winning the people over in how they see the BLM movement.

As to the violence, it’s been necessary anytime a country has gone through a revolutionary change of it’s form of government. Good examples are the French Revolution (1789 – 1799) and the American Revolutionary War (1775 – 1783). The first overthrew the French Monarchy and the second overthrew the British Monarchy’s control of the 13 colonies. Violent revolutions and revolts have occurred from present back through c. 2730 BC. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the protests are anything less than demanding revolutionary change to government.

Many Americans are supporting the demands for new government. These Americans are called Socialists and Communists by anyone to their right politically, including Democrats. Socialists and Communists believe Capitalism and the current governmental system are the oppressors of people and human rights and that it must all be completely changed to attain equality in all things for all the people. That means violence will occur. Unless America gets behind the movement for change and equality, more blood will be shed. We will not apologize for it and know that White America can bring it to an end, if they want to.

Until next time

Depression, A War We Fight!

And I Don’t Mean Economic Depression

According to the Healthline, an “estimated that 16.2 million adults in the United States, or 6.7 percent of American adults, have had at least one major depressive episode in a given year.”

Healthline further states that a major depressive disorder is a “diagnosable condition that’s classified as a mood disorder and can bring about long-lasting symptoms such as overwhelming sadness, low energy, loss of appetite, and a lack of interest in things that used to bring pleasure.”

I suffer from major depressive disorder, I’ll just call it depression for ease of writing. I’ve had depression for roughly eight years. When I’m suffering a bout of depression, my world contains the elements in the above paragraph, except for appetite loss. I tend to eat through my emotions, which isn’t a good thing for my comorbidity conditions.

When I have a depression episode, my family suffers too. They worry about me, knowing I’m struggling just to function. They want to help in any way they can simply because they love me. My wife is a primary care health provider, so for her it’s of concern to her as my wife and as a healthcare provider. Unfortunately, there is really nothing they can really do, I just have to work my way through the episode. They do watch me for any signs of self-destructive behavior, normally without saying a word. I understand that completely and I love them all the more for doing so.

I am on anti-depressive medication, which can normally keep me as a “normal” as most people. But, there are times, such as the past two days, when the medicines can’t really help. It these times that the burden of struggling through the episode is especially difficult. If I was just “having the blues,” it would be a great deal easier for me. Unfortunately, that is not the case currently.

I try to use the tactic of distracting myself by, usually, wandering around online, catching up on my social media accounts, and writing blog posts (many that don’t get posted, because when I review them they don’t make sense. I’m not a great writer, I just try to make sense). I also have five cats and one chihuahua keeping me company. If I don’t try to distract myself, I just sit and stare at nothing as I get lost inside my head. I’d prefer that not happen. It just tends to make things worse.

I don’t know about anyone else, but when I am inside my head during an episode there is very little bright and cheery thoughts. My thoughts that are wondering around in my head are of things tinged in the darkness of depression. I can look at anything during episodes and see only negativity, regardless of the subject. This is not characteristic as I tend to being an optimistic guy. Take yesterday, I just wanted to cry. I know it’s okay as a man to cry, but it bothers me when I want to for no discernible reason.

I do see a therapist, but even a therapist can’t help until sometime after the episode starts, or ends. Plus there is no guarantee that a therapist can succeed in aiding in pulling oneself out of the episode. I see them trying and see my thoughts resisting. When my therapist doesn’t succeed, I feel guilty for failing my therapist and myself. Right now, all I can do is keep struggling and hope for a better tomorrow.

That’s it. There’s no more to say at this point. If you suffer from depression, take care and never give up working to get better. If you suffer from any mental health condition, may your days be all you hope for.

If you are having a mental health crisis, call your local mental health helpline, or call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Until next time

Open Letter to the US Military

Sworn to Protect and Defend

Greetings Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard members.

Whether you are on active duty, in the Reserves, or in the National Guard, each and every one of you from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the enlisted E-1’s have given your sworn oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Well, the time is rapidly approaching when you may have to exercise your oath from a domestic enemy, Donald Trump. In this election year, in an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News, President Donald Trump has publicly refused to state whether or not he would accept the results of the election should he lose . Besides this interview, President Trump has repeatedly tried to convince America that mail-in voting is ripe with fraud (patently untrue). In 2016, when he lost the popular vote, but won the Electoral College, he claimed that there were “millions and millions” of people who fraudulently voted at poling booths. Further, by his own insistence, he added a wealthy donor to his administration as Postmaster General. Right afterwards, a series of directives have the USPS in turmoil and have caused slowdowns in mail delivery. President Trump then uses this slowdown to argue that the USPS will be unable to deliver mail-in votes in time to be counted. While a bill was passed in the US House of Representatives to provide billions for the postal service, President Trump and Senate Republicans are blocking funding. He is building his reasons to refuse to step down as President,

President Trump is well known for doing things his own way, even if his actions are criminal. He has had people in the White House defy the Hatch Act, he has ordered the stripping of rights granted by law to the LGBTQ+ community, he is trying to remove protections for Americans with pre-existing medical conditions by having the Affordable Care Act (ACA) overturned, he has used public funds to pay his own resorts on Presidential trips here and abroad, and he has had his campaign refuse to pay the costs to cities around the country for extra security provisions when he’s appeared there, just to name a few.

He is unafraid of being held accountable for anything he has done, or will do while in office. But, why? It is clear that Donald Trump plans to try to hold on to power if he loses the election. He wants to move from being an elected president to becoming an authoritarian dictator of the United States. He will have help from his base of white supremacists/nationalists. These supporters are frothing at the mouth to have a civil war to accomplish President Trump’s goals.

Make no mistake, there are white supremacists/nationalists in the US Armed Forces that the Services are trying to deal with. These members must be revealed for who they really are and removed from every branch for the good of the service and for the protection of the nation. It is incumbent upon every service member to report these racists to their command authority. Otherwise, how can the American public maintain trust and faith in our armed forces?

Finally, each service branch must be prepared to stand again President Trump if he loses the election and refuses to leave office. His continued presence would be in violation of the US Constitution each of you swore to protect and defend. It is your duty. Any officer or enlisted member who refuses to act to remove Donald Trump in this situation would be a traitor to their oath and American people. The only way he can continue after losing the election is to have the US military backing him. The military is needed in order for a dictator to rule. Do not succumb to being accomplices to such treason against the United States of America.

Let no tyranny overthrow that which you have served honorably!

Sincerely,

An American