Blind acceptance dulls your mind

 

There was a time when looking for solid advice about what I could do to stand against tyranny in affirmative ways didn't seem all that important. Times have changed. The following is from 20 Lesson For Fighting Tyranny. Historian and Andrew Carnegie Fellow Timothy Snyder suggests ways to defend democracy with individual actions. I've selected four of the 20 ideas that resonate with me. There's a link to all 20 below.

1. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights. 
2. The barrage of mis-statements and lies can seem overwhelming. It's deliberate.  He wants us to cave.
3. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
4. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.
5. Five million protesters is a gaudy number, but not nearly the numbers needed to create a lasting change.  It's only a beginning. Small groups working together will make a difference. This requires we make it our intention to stay informed. 
6. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on the Internet is there to harm you. Learn about sites that investigate propaganda campaigns (some of which come from abroad). Take responsibility for what you communicate to others.

1. https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/twenty-lessons-fighting-tyranny/

Public Broadcasting's Future

Uncertainty

The future of public broadcasting is in doubt. Trump wants to zero out current funding. He can do that by asking Congress for a recission. 

This not about saving federal dollars. CPB's federal appropriation is modest: roughly one one-hundredth of a percent (0.01%) of the federal budget. CPB is distinct from NPR and PBS and does not produce programming or own, operate, or manage any public media stations. -opb.org. 

This is about retribution. "President Trump is looking to go after PBS and NPR to settle political scores and muzzle the free press, while undermining foreign assistance programs that push back on China's malign influence, save lives, and address other bipartisan priorities," (-Sen. Schumer) Foreign aid is part of this order for recission by Trump.

Will he get his way?

 I remember observing focus groups for Audience 88 and Audience 98. One of the questions asked about the importance of public radio. What would you do if public radio were to disappear? We were asking our audience why they found public radio important in a crowded media environment. It is now up to Congress to decide if Trump can pull all funding for NPR and PBS. It's called a recission of funding. Most Republicans say they support this idea. If public media is important to you, speak up now! You will get talking points back, but it is sheer numbers that will impress Congress.

And what did we discover about our listeners? They considered themselves to be citizens of the world. They appreciated how we were able to put stories a broader context, and they understood the interconnectedness of our shared experience.  

Contact Congress

U.S. House of Representatives:
* Telephone:  202-225-3121
* Website:  http://www.house.gov/ 

U.S. Senate:
* Telephone:  202-224-3121
* Website:  http://www.senate.gov/

Find your member of Congress and contact him or her:
Contact your Representative
Contact your Senator

Insights into Action

These four passages offer insights into my core values and beliefs. All of these inspire. All of these shout, "Take action, don't remain silent. There's always more to be done." Being informed and digging deeper is a really important catalyst for motivation.

I invite you to immerse yourself and find the truth.

Good news is not the spiritual and intellectual property of males only or of a particular religion. And true discipleship or learning involves dialogue, mutuality, and humility.

Inspired by Acts 16: 9-15

As we strive for a vision of a peaceful earth, may we recognize that true nonviolence is not weakness but a sacred trust in humanity’s God-given capacity to grow, to change, and to choose the plowshare over the sword.

Inspired by Isaiah

May the Lord torment you. May the Lord disturb you. May the Lord keep before you the faces of the despised, rejected, lonely and oppressed. May the Lord give you strength and courage and compassion to make this a better world. And may you do your very best to make this a better city, a better state, a better world. And after you have done your best, may the Lord grant you peace. Amen.

UMC Bishop White

It is estimated that at least 300,000 individuals, mostly children, have died because of the slash in funding for USAID. That's according to NPR, PBS, The Times, ProPublica, and the NYTimes. The journalists reporting on this issue have sourced everything in their reporting. Of course, Marco Rubio denies this, but offers no sources that back his assertions. His denials will not make this go away.

The Hollow Men

The administration thinks mercy, empathy, and generosity are signs of weakness. His spiritual advisors proclaim empathy is a sin. They are bereft of any compassion.

I first became aquatinted with the concept of the hollow man in the 60's. The counter culture thought the establishment were the plastic people. They told us their conformity got us through the Great Depression and World War II. We rebelled against that conformity. But it wasn't conformity that got us through the 30's and first half of the 40's, it was unity. It was disparate communities coming together that got us through perilous times. We both had it wrong. 

Then later, a song by Sam Philips broadened my awareness about what TS Elliott was writing about in The Hollow Men.

        You try to tell the world how it should spin

        But you live in terror with the hollow men

        Who stun you with their lies

        With fever in their eyes as they drown you

        From "Baby, I Can't Please You."

The current administration is the essence of the Hollow Men. TS Elliott's poem depicts a world populated by "hollow men," who are spiritually and morally bankrupt, lacking purpose and meaning in their lives. The poem uses imagery and allusions to convey this sense of decay and despair.

“This is the way the world ends.

This is the way the world ends.

This is the way the world ends.

Not with a bang but a whimper.”

― T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men

Not if we unify against the hollow men. Unity is a concept of oneness where individuals join together by finding common ground. When I searched for a better definition, I came up with a couple of things. Notice there is not a duality, instead there is inclusiveness.

The concept of oneness is a multifaceted idea, generally referring to a sense of unity, interconnectedness, and a transcendence of boundaries or separations. It can be understood as a state of being whole, complete, and harmonized, with different interpretations arising in spiritual, philosophical, and psychological contexts.

Divine Essence

In the spiritual context there is divine essence. Many spiritual traditions believe that a divine force or energy permeates all of existence, and that individuals are part of this same essence.

Embrace the diversity. Find value in each of us. It is a force that is much stronger than fascism.

We are all different, together

What do we fear most? 

Standard answers may be:

Public Speaking?

Death?

Spiders?

Snakes?

Sharks?

Chapman University came out with something a little more definitive in 2023. 

Fears are ranked by the percentage of Americans surveyed who reported being ‘afraid’ or ‘very afraid.’

Top 10 Fears of 2023                                                    % of Very Afraid or Afraid

Corrupt government officials                                                      60.1%

Economic/financial collapse                                                        54.7%

Russia using nuclear weapons                                                    52.5%

The US becoming involved in another World War                     52.3%

People I love becoming seriously ill                                            50.6%

People I love dying                                                                       50.4%

Pollution of drinking water                                                           50.0%

Biological warfare                                                                         49.5%

Cyber-terrorism                                                                             49.3%

Not having enough money for the future                                    48.0%

Hmmm...

You know what I don't see in these listings? Inclusion! I don't see Diversity, Equity and Accessibility for that matter. So, what's the objection to inclusiveness? Some conservatives believe DEIA lowers standards in the hiring process. Then incapable people are put in charge of critical functions. They believe the voting rights act and civil rights acts need to be rolled back, because they give an unfair advantage to women and people of color. They believe women and people of color are inherently inferior. Lifting up people, other than white men, is leading to our downfall, and they are willing to tear down democracy to prove their point.

DEI has become a talking point, at times acting as a sort of dog whistle and scapegoat, as the measures were falsely blamed for events such as the demise of Silicon Valley Bank, Boeing’s aircraft safety problems and the collapse of a bridge in Baltimore after it was struck by a cargo ship. -the guardian

Benjamin Barber defines democracy as a system of government in which the majority of the adult population participates in politics on the basis of a representative system. Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as a system of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. I looked this up in Wikipedia and found, Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age by Benjamin R. Barber  published by the University of California Press in 1984 and republished in a twentieth anniversary edition in 2004. The book argues that representative or "thin" democracy is rooted in an individualistic "rights" perspective that diminishes the role of citizens in democratic governance. The work offers a theoretical critique of representative or liberal democracy and a foundation for participatory politics. The final chapter elucidates practical ways to apply the theory of strong democracy in large industrial societies. In a Strong Democracy all of us have something valuable to bring to the whole. 

Is their hold on power so fragile that it cannot stand against an inclusive (strong) democracy where we all are given a voice? There is power in true unity that values the talents all of us can bring to our community. Rugged individualism serves nobody, and it makes us all more vulnerable by dealing whole groups of people out.

Inspiration

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other, but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.  

 -Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

We need to be working together, because equality is not just a state; it’s an active relationship. -Malcolm Foley, “The Church Doesn’t Talk Much About Greed. Malcolm Foley Says That’s Weird”

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country". -JFK

Afrikaner's Exception

Because they are white

Donald Trump has blocked thousands of refugees from entering the U.S.—but is welcoming white South Africans.

“It is better to die for an idea that will live, than to live for an idea that will die” ...Biko

Afrikaner police admitted to killing Stephen Biko. Why? Because he was willing to speak out against racism and oppression. 

"An administration official’s attempt to explain Donald Trump’s decision to allow white South African “refugees” as an exception to his ban on asylum-seekers revealed just how racist the policy really is.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau was greeting the group of 59 Afrikaners who arrived in Washington Monday, when he told a reporter that Afrikaners had received an exception to the president’s order because they could be “assimilated easily” into the United States.

The deputy secretary’s language indicates that the Trump administration is willing to admit refugees who are more culturally and ethnically cohesive with the predominantly white U.S. population." -the new republic

NPR reports South Africa's Department of International Relations has hit back against Trump's allegations that Afrikaners are discriminated against.

"It is ironic that the executive order makes provision for refugee status in the U.S. for a group in South Africa that remains amongst the most economically privileged, while vulnerable people in the U.S. from other parts of the world are being deported and denied asylum despite real hardship," the department said in a February statement.

Afrikaner's who own about 70% of the commercial farmland in South Africa, despite being about 7% of the population, believe their ownership is through Devine Mission. They contend the land was empty when they arrived there. In fact, it was not. The land of South Africa was inhabited by various indigenous peoples, most notably the Khoisan groups (Khoi and San). These groups had lived in the region for thousands of years and were the original custodians of the land.


NPR reports President Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that white South African farmers, known as Afrikaners, are facing genocide and land seizures. The Trump administration classified the white Afrikaners as refugees earlier this year. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said: "It's a genocide that's taking place that you people don't want to write about, but it's a terrible thing that's taking place. And farmers are being killed. They happen to be white, but whether they're white or Black makes no difference to me, but white farmers are being brutally killed, and their land is being confiscated in South Africa. While South Africa passed a land reform law earlier this year allowing, in rare cases, for land expropriation without compensation, no land has been seized.

 

Strange Times

What are we going to do about it?

 

I’m a-goin’ back out ’fore the rain starts a-fallin’

I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest

Where the people are many and their hands are all empty

Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters

Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison

Where the executioner’s face is always well hidden

Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten

Where black is the color, where none is the number

And I’ll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it

And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it

Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’

But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’ 

-Bob Dylan Hard Rain...

We've been here before

Someone told me at the beginning of the pandemic that these are really strange and perilous times. She was right, and it has gotten much worse. We were asked during the election if we were better off in 2024 than we were in 2020. Decidedly, yes!

Getting Even

"Trump has moved aggressively to fulfill his promise of “retribution” in the first 100 days of his second term by taking action against over 100 people and institutions, according to an NPR review. He has used the government to target political opponents, news organizations, law firms, universities and more. Some of the harshest actions he has taken against people he has targeted include ordering multiple Justice Department investigations."
" Trump is also effectively telling investigators what he believes the outcomes of the investigations should be, NPR’s Tom Dreisbach says. The Trump administration uses over 10 agencies in various ways to get payback. Secret Service protection has been pulled for President Biden’s children, media companies that Trump dislikes, including NPR, face FCC investigations, and universities face investigation from the Department of Education unless they agree to sweeping government demands."

We are living in dark times.

Giving up is not an option. Starting by gathering with like minded people is a beginning. The mutual support makes us stronger. Speaking out is important. Taking action, even in small ways is the beginning of a ground swell. 

The attacks on the dignity of individuals, on whole communities, goes beyond the attempts to silence contrary voices, voices that uphold the facts.

You understand what's going on here, right? Blatant racism! A callous disregard for the health and well being of fellow Americans based on their skin color and economic situation. The mere fact I am bringing this up, the fact that the previous administration was willing to step in and alleviate the plight of groups of people is deemed racism. Do you understand how warped their reasoning has become? Are you willing to stand with the facts, to stand in favor of justice, and treating people with dignity? 

Trump shut down environmental clean-up programs

 In Lowndes County, Alabama, funding was granted to end human waste backing into Alabama homes. A situation that went unchecked for years. Lowndes County is majority black. The State of Alabama was unwilling to do anything about the unhealthy situation. The Biden administration stepped in to alleviate situation. It was a $26 million federal program to help residents of Lowndes County, Alabama, who have dealt with inadequate sewage systems for decades.

 "The Biden administration investigated and allocated nearly $26 million to rebuild Lowndes County’s water infrastructure, with the Department of Justice declaring the majority-Black area was suffering from “environmental racism.”   

"But earlier this month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to kill the deal, calling it “illegal DEI.”

Five things we can do

The UN suggests five things we can do to stand against injustice and hatred.

1. Show your support for diverse ethnic groups in your community by attending, promoting or helping fund events run by local organizations and houses of worship that bring people together: festivals, film series, guest lectures, language classes and celebrations. Bring your children.

2. If you see something in news reports or on social media that reflects prejudice, write a letter to the editor or leave a comment to let others know that intolerant remarks are unkind and uncalled for.

3. Prejudice and hate are not innate. They are learned behaviors — and they can be unlearned. Children absorb biases from the adults around them, and from the media, books and their peers. So set a good example. The process of countering negatives with positives begins at an early age. Talking about differences does not increase prejudice in children.

4. When the public stands in solidarity with immigrants and marginalized groups, bullies lose their power. If you see someone being harassed or physically attacked, it is important to help if you can do so safely. Make your presence as a witness known. Make eye contact with the person being attacked and ask if they want support. Don't escalate the situation.

5, It's more important than ever that we all remain in solidarity with one another. Human rights are a collective promise made by all countries of the world, including those in distress. Children from all ethnic backgrounds — especially children who have been uprooted by violence, war and poverty — need our support, wherever they are. Every child deserves to be treated with humanity, and to grow up in a safe and healthy environment.

Don't forget to laugh.

It’s just easier to laugh than to cry. If I cry, I’ll cry alone. But if you laugh, we can do it together. I guess no one knows how strong they can be until it’s their turn to deal with tragedy.
- Yusra Mardini,“Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian, My Story of Rescue, Hope and Triumph”

 

The Resurgence of Racism

Is Being Anti Woke Overt Racism?

To be "woke" politically in the Black community means that someone is informed, educated and conscious of social injustice and racial inequality, Merriam-Webster Dictionary states.

In the LGBTQ community it is a movement advocating for the equal treatment and elimination of discriminatory policies hurting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, according to Britannica.

Disability Studies emphasizes that disability is not solely a medical condition but a social construct influenced by the environment and societal attitudes. This perspective focuses on removing barriers and promoting inclusivity.

Woke feminism is a movement against the oppressive patriarchy and not against the community of men. Later on, as people from around the world modified and molded this term and its motto in their own convenient ways, it became a worldwide rage against men. But please, do not ignore issues of women's health, the glass ceiling, the right to vote, and abuse.

And what does the civil right act say? The act that Trump is trying to dismantle?

In simple terms, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended discrimination in the US based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It prohibited discrimination in public places, employment, and voting, and also outlawed segregation in schools. This landmark legislation aimed to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all Americans, according to the National Archives (.gov).

The Definition

Racism is the belief that one race is superior, or inferior, to another, and that certain social and intellectual traits – such as personality, behavior, intelligence, and morals – are pre-determined based on one’s race or biological characteristics. These biases may be conscious or unconscious.

In the workplace, racism can take on many forms. It can manifest as deliberate, subtle, or even unintentional acts of discrimination because of a person’s race. These acts may take the form of stereotyping, “othering,” or avoidance.

Hiring or promoting someone based on the assumption they are better at math because they are Asian.

Complimenting a US-born Latino on how well she speaks English.

Asking a black person how he got promoted, implying he was selected based on his race – and not his intelligence, experience, or competency.

Assuming someone is not trustworthy because of their race.

Racism should never be tolerated or ignored. You have a responsibility to prevent and speak up against racism and maintain a workplace free from any form of racism, harassment, or discrimination.

The Civil Rights Act has the noblest of intentions. It's an attempt to put the institutions of slavery and Jim Crow behind us. It is there to stop and say, "no wait, bias is wrong." Those who oppose the act would take away the rights from large groups of Americans. Freedoms of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and petition. Additionally, the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to a fair trial are fundamental, and they are codified in the Constitution. The Meritocracy will only award those rights to those they say qualify, white men who think like they do.

Don't believe it?

After the mid air collision between the Army helicopter and airliner in January, president Donald Trump suggested without evidence that the deadly midair collision of two aircraft in Washington was the result of the Federal Aviation Administration's efforts to hire a more diverse workforce, according to Reuters.

Trump leveled the accusation at a White House press conference called to update Americans on the Wednesday night crash in which a passenger jet about to land at Reagan National Airport collided with an Army helicopter on a training flight.

The implication is that women, people of color, and people with different cultural heritages are inherently inferior to white men, and anybody in any of those groups are the proximate cause of this tragedy or any other in this country.

Epilog

“As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”
― Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Letters

We hold the future in our hands

Despite the Chaos

This morning I choose to share some hopeful words from David Brooks in an article written for the Atlantic, I Should Have Seen This Coming.

 "I have thought of America as a deeply flawed nation that is nonetheless a force for tremendous good in the world. From Abraham Lincoln to Franklin D. Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan and beyond, Americans fought for freedom and human dignity and against tyranny; we promoted democracy, funded the Marshall Plan, and saved millions of people across Africa from HIV and AIDS. When we caused harm—Vietnam, Iraq—it was because of our overconfidence and naivete, not evil intentions."

Included in the message is a call to action to stand up for a hopeful future that lifts all of us up. There are signs of movement, people are beginning to push back against the authoritarian rule of the Trump administration. 

Cory Booker's speech on the Senate floor. 

The lawyer in Michigan who is taking on cases defending the civil rights of foreign students despite being detained by immigration and customs officials. They wanted access to his cellphone.

The protests last Saturday. 

Sermons on the dignity of humankind. 

Richard Blumenthal's hold on nominations of Trump's appointees should be a starting point.

Brooks Says...

 "In the long term, Trumpism is doomed. Power without prudence and humility invariably fails. Nations, like people, change not when times are good but in response to pain. At a moment when Trumpism seems to be devouring everything, the temptation is to believe that this time is different." 

"But history doesn’t stop moving. Even now, as I travel around the country, I see the forces of repair gathering in neighborhoods and communities. If you’re part of an organization that builds trust across class, you’re fighting Trumpism. If you’re a Democrat jettisoning insular faculty-lounge progressivism in favor of a Whig-like working-class abundance agenda, you’re fighting Trumpism. If you are standing up for a moral code of tolerance and pluralism that can hold America together, you’re fighting Trumpism."

"Over time, changes in values lead to changes in relationships, which lead to changes in civic life, which eventually lead to changes in policy and then in the general trajectory of the nation. It starts slow, but as the Book of Job says, the sparks will fly upward."

Dignity

It isn't my imagination that we used to be able to talk to one another. Cultish tribalism was on the fringes. Lincoln was right when he spoke about a house divided. The issue he was speaking about was slavery. The issue today is about raw power, and brutish acts aimed at denying human dignity to all that might stand in the way of attainment of that power.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other."

Arrogance to Suppression

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. I'm beginning to believe it.

Clarence Darrow

Have you noticed the arrogance of the Trump administration? It seems there is no validity to the opinions of those who actually have the experience and expertise to deal with the situations and kinds of problems we are dealing with today. I think it's because Trump can never be wrong. His fragile mental state can't handle criticism or correction. And if he thinks he's always right, he is delusional.

Unfortunately, if his goal is disruption and chaos, it's working.

I Read the News Today

I get a newsletter from the Bulwark. this is what greeted me this morning. "In the news since Friday: Donald Trump is openly floating the possibility of running for a third term. Elon Musk is distributing corrupt prizes for voting in Wisconsin Supreme Court elections. And we’ve learned one of the Venezuelans the administration imprisoned in El Salvador is a legal migrant who was detained purely because an ICE officer thought his tattoos of the words “Mom” and “Dad” looked like gang signs."

"You can’t take a single weekend off with these clowns. Happy Monday."

Buying the Vote

The Wisconsin AG tried to block the attempt to buy votes in Wisconsin. His bid was turned down by the State Supreme Court. According to the AP, the state Supreme Court, which is currently controlled 4-3 by liberal justices, declined to take the case as an original action. The court gave no rationale for its decision.

No Due Process

How many gang members were rounded up and deported? That's unclear. ICE admits that many of the deportees did not have criminal records, but explained they might do something bad later on. ABC news reports, "The admission that many of the men lacked criminal records – and were deported on the assumption that they might be terrorists – comes as top Trump administration officials insist that the men were violent criminals, with President Donald Trump labeling them monsters."

The Constitution Is Inconvenient

And what about the third term? Think about this, most of us thought he would never try to forcefully overthrow the results of an election. A lot of people thought he didn't have a chance to get re- elected. Many think he is bound by the rulings of the courts, or that congress would hold onto its constitutional powers. The party in power wants to dismantle the federal courts and Republicans in congress are encouraging the dismantling of the courts, and the Trump administration is ignoring courts rulings with no consequences.

What To Do

Speak Out!

Being silent means we're willing to let this stand. I take encouragement from many sources, and that includes the Bible. If you're wondering, this comes from the part of the Bible that White Christian Nationalist ignore. This is two of the 4,000 passages that deal with dignity and justice. It's a part of the Bible that the slave holders edited out to prevent slaves from reading passages they deemed dangerous. And yeah, that's part of our history too.

Proverbs 31 verse 8 and verse 9

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

DEIA means hope for a better world

White Washing Words

You're scrubbing words because...why? What's the rationale? Are you afraid the truth will finally be told, that you're afraid of the competition? Underlying your motives are deep seated prejudices, against the disabled, people of color, women, gender identity. Your willingness to tear America apart in the hopes of gaining more power.

Rights advocates say measures Trump is trying to dismantle aimed to uplift marginalized groups and addressed the continued effects of historical and generational inequity.

Trump and his allies defend his actions by saying his orders aim to remove what they call discrimination against other Americans, including white people and men. -reuters

Reuters and NPR both report that among the executive orders issued by Trump is banning rules against discrimination in government contracts. This means the Jim Crow laws eliminated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would return.

DEIA does not exclude you. It includes you. Discrimination against any person or group is illegal, not just against white men. Open your eyes. End the bigotry. You can make the world more like God intended. DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, while often promoted in secular contexts, can also be seen as aligning with Christian values, emphasizing the inherent worth and dignity of all people, and calling for justice and reconciliation.
-a variety of online sources

Diversity

"There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted." — Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"

Equity

We all need to work together, because there are no jobs on a dead planet; there is no equity without rights to decent work and social protection, no social justice without a shift in governance and ambition, and, ultimately, no peace for the peoples of the world without the guarantees of sustainability.
Sharan Burrow

Inclusion

It's when we care for each other - choosing inclusion and love over division and hatred - that this great country is at its greatest.
Tulsi Gabbard

Accessibility

If you’re more offended by language than systemic ableism, it’s time to rethink your priorities.

Sheri Byrne-Haber

Two warnings about the politics of division, hate, and fascism.

The schools would fail through their silence, the Church through its forgiveness, and the home through the denial and silence of the parents. The new generation has to hear what the older generation refuses to tell it.
(Quoted in the introduction to The Sunflower)

“Rule #1: Believe the autocrat. He means what he says. Whenever you find yourself thinking, or hear others claiming, that he is exaggerating, that is our innate tendency to reach for a rationalization. This will happen often: Humans seem to have evolved to practice denial when confronted publicly with the unacceptable.”—Masha Gessen (New York Times Review of Books, Nov 26, 2016)

That's just rude!

 Rude behavior seems to be on the rise. A survey by Pew sems to confirm the perception. But then, I am part of the cohort that perceives certain acts as rude.

It's Only Words

 

You cannot end racism and gender bias by banning certain words. You'll make it worse. Of course, that may be the +intention. Banning words is denial. It is holding your hands up to your ears and singing, la-la-la-la. 

When bias, bigotry, prejudice, racism, and all the other isms and phobias are directed against people it's a sin. Think about it, Sunday school 101, The Golden Rule. We are to treat everyone with love and respect, no exceptions to the rule.

        A racist policy is any measure that produces or sustains racial inequity between racial groups. An antiracist policy is any measure that produces or sustains racial equity between racial groups. By policy, I mean written and unwritten laws, rules, procedures, processes, regulations, and guidelines that govern people. There is no such thing as a nonracist or race-neutral policy. Every policy in every institution in every community in every nation is producing or sustaining either racial inequity or equity between racial groups.

(Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist)

The good news, bias, bigotry, prejudice and racism are learned behaviors. I went to a site called Psych Central to reinforce my assumption that behaviors can be changed. What was it that Red Green said in the Man's Prayer? "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess."
People can change when they're self-aware, receive support, and become intentional about behaving differently. But, change takes time and it may be challenging in some cases. For example, if you live with a mental health condition that involves lifelong symptoms that may impact your attitude, habits, and behaviors. Self awareness means facing and acknowledging the problem instead of denial.

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)