According to the Brennan Center, Between January 1 and December 7, 2021, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. More than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 states in the 2021 legislative sessions. These numbers are extraordinary: state legislatures enacted far more restrictive voting laws in 2021 than in any year since the Brennan Center began tracking voting legislation in 2011. More than a third of all restrictive voting laws enacted since then were passed this year. And in a new trend this year, legislators introduced bills to allow partisan actors
footnote1_lxt83ss1to interfere with election processes or even reject election results entirely.
Not only do these Republicans want to make sure certain constituencies don't vote, they still have their eyes set on overturning 2020.
In his War Room podcast that the he and the right are trying to do away with democracy by “taking over elections” and overturning Trump’s loss last November.
“We’re taking action. We’re taking over school boards. We’re taking over the Republican Party with the precinct committee strategy. We’re taking over all the elections,”
“Suck on this!” he added. “Ninety-five percent of the ballots in Virginia were occupied with election officials and poll watchers and that is a principle reason we secured the election of Youngkin. They know it. They’re there to have a free and fair count. We’re going to continue that and get to the bottom of 3 November and we’re going to decertify the electors and you’re going to have a constitutional crisis." -Steve Bannon as reported by Rolling Stone.
The critics hated this song when first released, but there's a reason why this tune is so popular. It touches on a common experience, feelings of loss and the grief that accompanies being replaced in a relationship.
That's according to Dr. Randl Gunther in an article for Psychology Today,
The opening paragraph reads, "Of all of the possible experiences people endure when they are abandoned in love, rejection is probably the most painful. Once felt beloved and valuable, they are understandably demoralized and broken when they are no longer “necessary” in another’s life. A once familiar and treasured experience turns into a terrifying, seemingly endless nightmare."
"Many times, the warning signs that could have predicted the loss were not obvious or denied. When the partners who are done leave the relationships, those left behind must face not only that humiliation of “being the last to know,” but the additional sense of powerlessness that accompanies a “done deal.” They are not only abandoned, but robbed of the chance to fix what is broken."
In her experience as a therapist, Dr. Gunther says the most commonly asked questions are:
1) How did I not see his discontent?
2) How could I have been so attached and not realize she was disconnecting?
3) What could have led me to believe that our relationship was still so valuable, when he obviously didn’t feel that way anymore?
4) When did we start falling apart?
5) What were the warning signs I didn’t see or didn’t want to see?
6) Why did she run away without giving us a chance?
7) Did he ever really love me?
8) Is her new partner just a better deal for her than I was?
9) How could I have done this differently?
"By the time a relationship ends, those questions can never be adequately answered. There is too much guilt on one end and grief on the other."
Matthias Roberts put it this way, "Being cut off from [an] Intimate relationship affects every other relationship in our lives."
You can move on, adapt, once the grief heals. The feeling of loss never goes away entirely. But you can adapt. At that point, you can rebuild by learning from the experience, and develop healthier relationships. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Lean on the support. Above all, take it easy on yourself.
Best practices for radio announcers eliminates barriers between the audience and the person behind the mic. There should also be a sincere effort to promote an increase in time listening. Seems basic, yet I still hear:
"We'll be right back after this"
First: You're not going anywhere.
Second: This is really lame forward promotion. Promote to something specific coming up in less than 20 minutes.
-0-
"More on that story at 5:44."
You don't need a specific time. Say something like this, "Senators react to the resignation of Ted Cruz, in 15 minutes on Baltic Public Media's All Things Considered." Don't expect me to make an appointment for listening, but if it's only 15 minutes away, I'll probably stick around. The goal is to increase Time Spent Listening.
-0-
"Wow, it's really cold out there! Windchills are expected to be minus 32 outside tonight."
You don't need to say 'out there' or 'outside.' We'll get it. Instead say, "Stay safe and bundle up. Windchills are expected be 32 below tonight." Saying 'out there' puts up an unconscious barrier between you and your listener.
-0-
"All of you out there." (Often heard during fundraisers.) "We need all of you out there to step up to the plate and make a donation so we can raise 20 thousand dollars."
Where do I even begin with this? Radio is a personal medium. Most listening is done alone. Throwing up the barrier of "all of you out there" is so wrong on so many levels. Most importantly you've destroyed the intimate relationship you're trying to build with the listener.
What is special about radio?
Based on the human voice, radio is a uniquely personal medium, invoking a listener's imagination to fill in mental images around the broadcast sounds. Radio also can employ a boundless plethora of sound and music effects to entertain and enthrall listeners. -britannica
Why do people love listening to radio?
People love listening to radio according to a recent survey by Edison research - It's ability to connect listeners with new music, both local and global news, and the added benefit of going mobile are the main driving factors why audiences keep coming back for more. -radio.com
As
journalists, the facts we uncover leads to the truth. The telling of the facts
does not begin and end with a statement like, "There was an apartment fire last night in
Anywhere, USA. 14 people died." Uncovering the many facets of a story, the unpeeling of the layers of the onion that makes up the story, leads to insights. Public media listeners understand that these
stories are multilayered. As citizens of the world, they want to know more.
They want context.
Depth,
depth, and more depth
What we cover and how we cover it matters. Disappoint our
audience, and they will go elsewhere. Peeling away the layers to uncover the facts helps
our listeners connect the dots and arrive at the truth.
The Importance of
Truth
Truth matters, both to us as individuals and to society as
a whole. As individuals, being truthful means that we can grow and mature,
learning from our mistakes. For society, truthfulness makes social bonds, and
lying and hypocrisy break them.
https://www.skillsyouneed.com ›
Truth matters as the foundation for
interpersonal trust. It matters because we cannot talk to one another, much
less conduct a serious debate, until we share some principles and facts about
the world at large, not to mention a consensus on how to generate them. Nov 2, 2020
https://www.abc.net.au › religion › s...
Truth-telling makes possible freedom and
trust between people, and, in the life of faith, it makes possible
closeness to God. People of good will must always be willing to demand truth-telling
because no one should be treated as if they were not worthy of being told the
truth.Mar 11, 2017
https://www.mcall.com › opinion
Why is it so difficult to be honest?
The reality is that honesty and transparency require very high levels of emotional intelligence. True intimacy requires comfort with emotional vulnerability and our culture is very far from comfortable with emotions. Further, dishonesty drives fear and fear drives sexual desire. Nov 4, 2019 medium.com
And once the truth is revealed the
story isn’t over. “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Oscar Wilde.
In an interview with our former president, Trump was questioned by Steve Inskeep about his lies about the 2020 election, and asked about his pronouncements about the insurrection. It was clear Inskeep was prepared for the responses he would get from Trump. When presented with the facts, he walked out.
Here's a sampling from the interview:
NPR'S STEVE INSKEEP: Let me read you some short quotes. The first is by one of the judges, one of the 10 judges you appointed, who ruled on this. And there were many judges, but 10 who you appointed. Brett Ludwig, U.S. District Court in Wisconsin, who was nominated by you in 2020. He's on the bench and he says, quote, "This court allowed the plaintiff the chance to make his case, and he has lost on the merits."
Another quote, Kory Langhofer, your own campaign attorney in Arizona, Nov. 12, 2020, quote, "We are not alleging fraud in this lawsuit. We are not alleging anyone stealing the election." And also Rudy Giuliani, your lawyer, Nov. 18, 2020, in Pennsylvania, quote, "This is not a fraud case." Your own lawyers had no evidence of fraud. They said in court they had no evidence of fraud. And the judges ruled against you every time on the merits. TRUMP: It was too early to ask for fraud and to talk about fraud. Rudy said that, because of the fact it was very early with the — because that was obviously at a very, very — that was a long time ago. The things that have found out have more than bore out what people thought and what people felt and what people found.
When you look at Langhofer, I disagree with him as an attorney. I did not think he was a good attorney to hire. I don't know what his game is, but I will just say this: You look at the findings. You look at the number of votes. Go into Detroit and just ask yourself, is it true that there are more votes than there are voters? Look at Pennsylvania. Look at Philadelphia. Is it true that there were far more votes than there were voters?
INSKEEP: It is not true that there were far more votes than voters. There was an early count. I've noticed you've talked about this in rallies and you've said, reportedly, this is true. I think even you know that that was an early report that was corrected later.
TRUMP: Well, you take a look at it. You take a look at Detroit. In fact, they even had a hard time getting people to sign off on it because it was so out of balance. They called it out of balance. So you take a look at it. You know the real truth, Steve, and this election was a rigged election.
When pressed, it was excuse after excuse — it was "too early" to claim fraud, his attorney was no good, things just seem suspicious.
The truth can be hard. It is hardest on those who lie, or is it? Research shows that once people go down that path, the easier it is to continue lying. Don't expect to reform the liar. Instead, lay bare the lies. Reveal the lair for who he is. Repeat the facts, because the liars will continue to lie.
The Top Ten Truths were discoveries made by ARA during Audience 98.
Perhaps you don't remember Audience 98, or are not aware of the efforts being made by ARA on behalf of CPB and PRPD to find out more about the Public Radio Audience. It came a decade after the discoveries of Audience 88.
Audience 98 was a major study that aimed to extend programmers' understanding of listener behavior developed in the widely influential Audience 88.
Audience 98 is based in part on a rare re-contact survey of 8,000 Arbitron diary-keepers who indicated in fall 1996 that they listened to public radio. The survey was designed to elicit their pledging behaviors, personal beliefs, and attitudes toward public radio.
Besides nostalgia, what other feelings does the Top Ten Truths elicit from you? To be sure, this should not be confused with The Ten Commandments, but how much has changed from the listener's perspective. These ten points helped us build a loyal and engaged audience that still values our service today.
There’s an essay in Sojourners by Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg
where she observes reactions to “In America:
Remember.” She’s the social practice artist who created the vast field
of flags: one for each person who died from COVID-19.
We’ve become numb to the
statistics.
In the United States:
·825 thousand deaths
·55 million cases.
Worldwide:
·5.4 million deaths
·288 million cases
When Brennan Firstenberg completed the installation in mid
September there were over 666 thousand deaths. By the time installation closed in
early October there just over 701 thousand deaths.
“Watching Strangers Console Strangers – Was the Magic of
the Place.”
Brennan Firstenberg, who is a hospice volunteer, brings a
willingness to witness grief to this art. “We treat the one sure thing in all
our lives as if it is never going to happen.” “There is a flag dedicated to a
woman named Kitty: ‘I asked you to get vaccinated, but you said, God will
protect me. The vaccine is from
God. You passed the end of July.’ I love the flag dedicator’s more
wholistic understanding of God – That God works through people, and science,
and society."
Waiting
for the Miracle
For those of us holding out for God to save us,
look up the parable of the drowning man. There are several versions of the
story in Christianity, the Jewish Faith and Buddhism. In all of them a pious
person declines the help of those who offer to save him. He is waiting instead
for God to intercede on his behalf. When he dies, he asks why God did not try
to save him? The reply is, God sent the rescuers to save him on the expectation
he would accept the help.
When I read that, I am not overwhelmed by a sense of
self-righteousness. Instead, I feel a sense of sadness. I understand and am
reminded that I'm being called to do something about our perilous situation. Listening
to the preacher extoll, “God is always with you.” His declaration is not our armor against the
pandemic. According to reporter Andrew Quintana, On Dec. 19, New York City's average hospitalization rate was 15.78 for every 100,000 people, those that were vaccinated accounted for 3 per 100,000 people. Unvaccinated people had a hospitalization rate more than 32 times higher than that, accounting for 97.46 per 100,000 people.
More is expected. God works through us. That is our calling. We better answer the call soon.
