Eliminating The Right To Vote

The SAVE Act

The plan is to keep the poor, people of color, and women from voting.

Millions are about to be disenfranchised from voting. According to the Brennen Center this includes 20 million people who are currently voting legally. Among those being stripped of their rights are married women.

"If it became law, the SAVE Act would require Americans to provide a birth certificate, passport, or other citizenship document to register or re-register to vote. A Brennan Center study previously showed that more than 21 million American citizens do not have easy access to these documents. An extension of our previous analysis shows that most of them are Americans who are actively engaged voters. What’s more, the SAVE Act would impact millions more voters who do have access to citizenship documents but register using popular methods, such as online and mail registration, that would be undermined by the bill."
What Are the Implications?

According to the League of Women Voters,

• "This legislation would drastically change the way all citizens register to vote.

• Every time a person registers to vote or updates their registration (from a move, marriage, etc), they would need to show a passport or birth certificate in person.

However:

• 146 million American citizens do not have a valid passport (for context, 153 million Americans voted in the 2024 presidential election).

• In seven states, less than one-third of citizens have a valid passport.

• Lower income Americans would be dramatically affected: only 1 in 5 Americans with income below $50,000 have a valid passport.

• 83% of women change their last name when they marry: 69 million American women may not have a birth certificate with their legal name on it and would not be able to use their birth certificate to prove citizenship. The SAVE Act does not included proof of name change or marriage certificate as acceptable proof of identity.

• The SAVE Act would make it impossible for a voter to mail in a registration application. And it would eliminate the League's ability to conduct voter registration drives."

The bill is currently being fast tracked by Republicans in Congress. Republicans would have us believe that millions of undocumented immigrants voted in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. They say fraud is rampant. The system is rigged against them. If the system is rigged, why did Trump win again in 2024. Why do Republicans control the House and the Senate.

A study about voting fraud in swing states in 2020 found almost no fraud. According to NPR, after the 2020 election, The Associated Press contacted local election officials in six swing states. In their analysis, they found 475 potential voter fraud cases — which amounts to an extraordinarily small percentage of the more than 25 million ballots that were cast in those six states.

States have systems to prevent someone from voting illegally

Why is there so little voter fraud? The report from NPR says it is because of guardrails put up by the states.

Lastly, states have a series of mechanisms to help weed out people who are ineligible to vote before they could cast a ballot.

States, by law, are required to routinely remove ineligible or deceased voters from their rolls. And there are tools like the Electronic Registration Information Center, also known as ERIC, that help states share voter data.

The SAVE act is overreach based on faulty  (When I say faulty, I'm understating the motivation) reasoning in an effort to keep people who might not vote Republican from the polls.

You can do something now. you may phone the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Leave a message with your representative. Don't wait for anybody else. Let them know what you're thinking.

Is It Something I Said?

Certain words will get your life's work banned

Researchers, scientist, sociologist, universities, medical research centers, government agencies, and non-profits are all getting their funding pulled because they are running afoul of the administration's  anti-woke, anti-DEI campaign. Certain words and phrases raise flags, alarms among the elites that run Trump World.

Get Rhythm 

I like this song. It didn't happen right away. The accordion was kind off putting but it grew on me. When I finally saw the video it all fell into place, and I liked it even more. With each view of the video, more and more was revealed. I like the diversity, equality and inclusion it represents. There's also a sense of belonging and the discovery of common ground. And today, mentioning this might get any of us into trouble. I'm not even sure it's okay to share the video.

There are certain thoughts and ideas that will get you flagged and threatened in America today.

Banned Words

Yes, it is absurd, but it's also dangerous. This is what authoritarian governments do. They narrow ideology to a specific way of thinking while demonizing freedom of thought and freedom of expression. Anybody who is determined not to be part of their norm is isolated and made irrelevant, even forced into extinction.

Our country is founded on God given rights. What does that mean? The Supreme Court says, The Founders believed that God-given rights precede human law, and they designed their government to secure those rights. The Bible teaches that man has freedom of speech because God did not give the civil government jurisdiction over the mind of man. The Declaration of Independence emphasizes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is based on the idea that these are rights given by God. The Constitution's First Amendment grants your rights to freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

What we are getting instead is Fascism

The characteristics in common among fascists include extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites, and the desire to create a Volksgemeinschaft (German: “people’s community”), in which individual interests would be subordinated to the good of the nation. (Britannica)

Cutting Medicaid?

 It's a terrible idea. 

Medicaid is being targeted because, well gee, we can't afford it with all those tax cuts. 

Ten Things to Know About Medicaid

Over 80 million Americans depend on Medicaid. A majority of the recipients of the aid go to children, the disabled and the elderly. But hey, the wealthy will be able to keep up with the Russian oligarchs.

BTW around 77 percent of Americans have a positive view of the Medicaid program. Cuts will be like hitting the hornet's nest with a stick.

This is from Kaiser Family Foundation

Percent who say they have very or somewhat favorable views of each of the following:

Total

77%

Party ID

Democrats 87%

Independents 81%

Republicans 63%

Race/Ethnicity

Black        86%

Hispanic  85%

White       73%

2024 vote choice

Harris voters   89%

Trump voters  62%

Household income

Less than $40,000   82%

$40,000-$89,999     81%

$90,000 or more      70%

Here's an idea. How about finding ways to tamp down fraud? A little more oversight and enforcement might work.  Punishing the recipients is wrong headed, Just follow the money.

Fraud against Medicaid is mostly committed by providers – to crack down on fraud, Congress and the Administration should follow the money. There are no reliable estimates of the amount of fraud against Medicaid, but there is one data source that provides visibility into who the bad actors are. Every year, DOJ and HHS-OIG publish a report on their efforts to hold to account bad actors in Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal health care programs. The December 2024 report lists examples of the different kinds of fraud against Medicaid (and Medicare) that the agencies have identified and prosecuted.  Among those convicted are ambulance service providers, durable medical equipment suppliers, diagnostic labs, nursing homes, pain clinics, pharmacies, physical therapists, physicians, and substance use treatment providers.  No beneficiaries are in the listing. (Georgetown University McCourt School)

The Tipping Point

Are we at the tipping point?

 As flawed as Thomas Jefferson may have been, he nailed it in the Declaration of Independence. 

"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" is a well-known phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence. The phrase gives three examples of the unalienable rights which the Declaration says have been given to all humans by their Creator, and which governments are created to protect.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump think we're reenacting Animal Farm, or The Lord of the Flies, where some are more equal than others. Clearly, it's exceptionalism. Exceptionalism is the perception or belief that a species, country, society, institution, movement, individual, or time period is "exceptional" (i.e., unusual or extraordinary). The term carries the implication, whether or not specified, that the referent is superior in some way. That's why Trump says, "I alone can fix this." 

His delusions are dangerous. If that weren't bad enough, he is taking away our unalienable rights, our livelihoods, based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnic background. I think I just described the aspirational goals of DEI. Diversity, equity and inclusion is a term used to describe policies and programs that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals. DEI encompasses people of different ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations. 

One final note. Nowhere in here do these thoughts and ideas say anything about excluding white people.  

(I used a variety of online sources.)

DEI Declared Dead

Donald Trump told Fox News that DEI is dead. Why, exactly, did he kill it? Trumpians would have us believe there's no discrimination, that the system is totally fair, that all of us are treated equally. Then, why is there a wealth gap between women and men, between whites and people of color? Scratch beneath the surface, you will find fear, racism, sexism, and all the other ism schisms and phobias.

It's easier to throw out pejoratives if you don't really allow DEI to be fully defined. Maybe if I name them, you will pause for a moment and think about this. Let me shed light on what these words actually mean. 

(From Chally)

• Diversity: This is when people from all different backgrounds come together. It includes people of different races, genders, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, visible and invisible disabilities, class, or status.
• Equity: The understanding that providing equal treatment or resources doesn’t necessarily deliver equally matching results is the foundation of equity. While many people share the same goals and dreams,  show us who you really are. path isn’t always the same, and one might experience more hardship and obstacles than another.
• Inclusion: Celebrating diversity requires thoughtful inclusion. Everyone must be recognized and appreciated for their talents, be provided with opportunities to get involved, and have their perspectives valued and heard.
• Belonging: A sense of belonging ties diversity, equity, and inclusion together. Each group member is respected, valued, and cherished while being their authentic selves. Belonging is a feeling of a shared community.

Is DEI illegal because there are people who would like to bring about the best in us? Is it illegal because it builds community? 

As defined, these all seem to be positive terms, looking for the best in all of us. As a Christian, this is what it means to love one another.  

Instead of hiding behind a pejorative, why not come out and show us who you really are, and what you really represent? 

(Forgive me. I see somebody else got to this idea before I did with a meme on Facebook, but as this situation rapidly evolves, I thought I should add my voice.)

Trust

There are dark days ahead when it comes to trust.

Trust is the cement that binds relationships, keeping spouses together, business deals intact, and political systems stable. Without trust, marriages fails, voters become apathetic, and organizations flounder. Without trust, no company (or country) can ever hope for excellence.

Our democratic republic is built on trust, and a distrust of the King that ruled us all. That trust is ensured by a system of checks and balances that are supposed to hold our leaders to account. That system is eroding into one party rule, and that party is genuflecting to a would be oligarchs. That party used to talk about a smaller government with minimal government interference. Not anymore. The end game, a few will have power over the rest of us. There will be no one to represent us.

How to be trustworthy?

I found these factors at a veterinarian website. A successful vet succeeds if they exude trust.

 
Key indicators of trustworthiness:
Consistency: Do their actions align with what they say?

Accountability: Do they admit when they are wrong and take responsibility for their mistakes?

Honesty: Do they openly share information, even when it's difficult?

Reliability: Can you count on them to follow through on promises and commitments?

Integrity: Do they demonstrate strong moral principles and ethical behavior?

Respect for boundaries: Do they respect your personal space and decisions? 

We have none of this

We have toxic leadership.

Toxic leaders often display traits such as narcissism, manipulation, aggression, and a lack of empathy. They devalue people, stifle creativity, and breed a culture of fear, mistrust, and resentment. Toxic political leadership can have a range of negative effects including: decreased public trust in government, increased societal division, erosion of democratic institutions, reduced civic engagement, economic instability, and a decline in overall wellbeing due to heightened stress and anxiety within the population. (Variety of online sources)

The final questions, No matter your political leanings, why would you ever trust a liar? And, why does Elon Musk have control of our Treasury Department data, or anything else for that matter?

There is some seriously bad stuff going on. 

"Last time I checked, no one voted for Elon Musk. His “DOGE” was never actually authorized by Congress. He has not been confirmed by Congress. Democrats (and any Republicans with a spine) need to step in and stop this madness. Call your rep now (202) 224-3121"

Robert Reich 

The Truth Is Knocking. Let It In

You might as well answer the door, my child, the truth is furiously knocking.

- Lucille Clifton

What does holding power to account mean?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, to make someone accept that they are responsible for something and explain their actions or decisions: Holding those in power to account is the essence of democracy.

Power and Corruption

Here are two examples of abuse of power and the result of two recent investigations that hold power to account. Both are from an article in Slate, 

The Matt Gaetz Report Is a Reminder That Investigations Actually Matter

By Dahlia Lithwick

When the long-awaited House Ethics committee report on Matt Gaetz came out Monday morning, it offered a stark reminder of how vital it is to continue to carry out thorough investigations, especially as investigators are being increasingly vilified. Today we know much that we did not previously know about Gaetz’s fitness to hold public office. That is to the benefit of absolutely everyone. And anyone who thinks differently should have to explain why we should have remained in the dark.

Matt Gaetz

The committee’s findings were horrific. The 42-page document, which Gaetz tried unsuccessfully to suppress, found the former congressman had “violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.” (Gaetz has denied all of the allegations). Their investigation found that Donald Trump’s first pick for the chief law enforcement officer of the United States had, among other things, purchased drugs including cocaine and ecstasy on multiple occasions; accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts; paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex; lied to the State Department about the identity of one of these women so that she could get an American passport; and paid a 17-year-old girl—a high school junior. 

Justice Clarence Thomas

All of this brought to mind another recent investigation: the brand new 93-page report released by Democratic staff members of the Judiciary Committee, detailing yet more ethics violations committed by Justice Clarence Thomas. Amid the new revelations were two additional trips paid for by Thomas’ billionaire patron Harlan Crow that had not been disclosed, even as Thomas has scrambled to amend his various filings to keep up with journalism. The new trips came to light only because the committee had subpoenaed Crow.

Is It A Moot Point?

No charges have been brought, Republicans deny accountability, and attack the investigators, but the word is now out, and that matters. It matters because the truth is a way forward. Acquiescence to power ends our democracy. 

We now have the emergence of the very powerful Tech Brotherhood within the MAGA alliance. They are pro tech, pro capitalism, anti-regulation, and pro H-1B visa. They are causing a split in MAGA world over their stand on allowing certain people of color into our country. I am not comfortable with the new tech oligarchy ruling America. Will they feed the hungry? Will they house the homeless, including 155,000 children sleeping in the streets tonight? Will they make sure our health care system is affordable, and includes empathy and compassion unlike the algorithms that deny coverage to millions? I'm not optimistic. They are condescending to the MAGA base and to the rest of us. 

Push back is essential from the free press and from everyday citizens. Hold our elected representatives to account, or in a very short while we will hardly recognize our country. 

I Am Only One Person

First, you are not alone. You've heard, "Where two or three gather...?" That's the beginning of something much larger. Small groups grew into the civil rights movement.

We have power over our elected officials. Even in gerrymandered districts, it is possible to affect change. Representatives are chosen by the public to decide on its behalf the policies and actions to be pursued by a Government and are charged with acting in the best interests of his and her constituents. In doing so representatives are accountable to their constituents for their actions. 

-gao