Beating a Dead Horse

I posted this originally on Facebook on November 16th.

Donald Trump is a man. A wealthy man. A savvy man. A man who enjoys power. A man who describes himself as an outsider to Washington, D.C. Politics. Yet now with the election,
over he is surrounding himself with GOP loyalists and lobbyists - a who’s who of Beltway insiders. Was this what his supporters wanted in the White House?  

The Republicans, the Conservatives, the Evangelicals, the alt-right, the Tea Party, the disenfranchised Americans voted for “a savior” and the nation received a demagogue with no checks or balances on his power. The GOP scored a trifecta, something that doesn’t happen very often in American politics, the Presidency, the House and Senate and the promise of appointing at least one but as many as four Supreme Court Judges.  
A man was elected who ran on deportation of "illegal" workers and yet he uses them at his resorts and construction projects. He ran on bringing jobs back to America, yet his own products are produced in China and Mexico. He ran on the catchphrase "Make America Great Again" and he has aligned himself with the alt-right, another word for white supremacists, and what is a return to Jim Crow for all minorities. He is willing to resort to nepotism, instead of a true blind trust, to maintain and possibly increase his business interests while running our nation.

Is this how you “Make America Great Again” by stifling the rights of so many Americans because they don't fit into the RNC's platform? Women’s health and reproductive choice. LBGT rights. Freedom of and from religion. Civil Rights. Voter’s Rights. A living wage. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Programs benefitting active military and veterans. Mentally and physically disabled. Mental illness. Separation of church and state. Environmental regulations. Immigrants and refugees. Education. Rebuilding infrastructure. Healthcare for all. Why are these unifying and pro-people ideas shunned by the Right and in turn by Donald Trump?

America is on the precipice. A choice between bettering ourselves by lifting each other up or widening the divide that separates us through petty cruelties and vulgarities. “E Pluribus Unum” Latin for "Out of many, one" - we who are Americans - all of us - no matter color, creed, age, sexual identity, gender.  How can we garner the world’s respect if we cannot respect each other? Feeding into hate and perceived differences will only drive the country lower in the international world view.


People say we must fall in line behind President-elect Trump and give him a chance. I say the time for chances has passed. I will not blindly follow a self-ascribed misogynist, bigot, racist, and xenophobe. If Trump desires to lead, then he must lead through example. He must cast off the alt-right, the KKK, associates like Steve Bannon, sexist viewpoints, and other divisive attitudes. Donald Trump may never be perfect, but he can be better. If he is to lead us, let him do so with a patriotic love for all citizens, not for those only like him.

Fixing Our Nation

This is from a friend's post on FaceBook and what follows is my response.

"I copied this from a Truckers for Trump comment section. It does hit the nail on the head.
Judy McPherson VERY LENGTHY BUT WORTH THE READ!Had to share this: Ok people, soap box moment.........
Millions of trump supporters feel this way about Donald J. Trump....."We don't care if the guy swears... or how many times he's been married...or who he voted for, or what his income tax return shows. We want the problems fixed. Yes he's an egomaniac, but we don't care. We know he's not a racist, or bad to women, or all the other things the liberal media is trying to label him with. We know he's raised a good family, and that says a lot about him.
The country is a mess because politicians suck, the Republican Party is two faced & gutless, and illegals are everywhere and Muslims are openly trying to hurt this country and make the civilized world adjust to them. We want it all fixed!
We don't care that Trump is crude, we don't care that he has changed positions, we don't care that he fights with Megan Kelly, Rosie O'Donnell, and so many of the elected establishment. We don't care that Rubio, Cruz, Ryan, the Bush's, and so many other top old and new Republicans refuse to endorse him for their own selfish reasons, and we know what they are. We don't care that he doesn't know the name of some Muslim terrorists, we don't care that he tried some businesses that didn't work out.
This country is weak, bankrupt, our enemies are making fun of us, we are being invaded by illegals, we are becoming a nation of victims, where every Tom, Ricardo and Hasid is a special group with special rights to a point where we don't even recognize the country we were born and raised in, AND WE JUST WANT IT FIXED. And TRUMP is the only guy who seems to understand what the people want.
We're sick of politicians, sick of the Democratic and Republican Party. We're sick of the Corporate News Media which skews every detail to fit their agenda! They need to be BOYCOTTED! We're angry about the Iran deal, the budget, treatment of Israel, military weakness, lobbyists, special interests, overpaid politicians with their self serving bills and back room deals, trade deals, loss of jobs, manipulated economic numbers, businesses fleeing, and even the phony pay for play Clinton Foundation.
Americans are no longer going to be fooled, and the movement is out to change the direction we're taking. Trump may not be a saint, but he doesn't have lobbyist money holding him, he doesn't have political correctness restraining him, and all you know is that he has been very successful, a good negotiator, he has built a lot of things, he's flexible, and he's also not a politician. And he says he'll fix it. And we believe him because he is too much of an egotist to be proven wrong or looked at and called a liar.
Public service has become elected greed. This may be our only chance to have a non-politician, despite his flaws, try and correct the mess, at least for 4 years. We must take the shot, because the consequences of putting Hillary Clinton in office are frightening. There is a tidal wave happening, and its going to overcome much of what's happened to this country. If you feel the same you may feel free to repost this.

GOD BLESS AMERICA..."

"Americans are no longer going to be fooled, and the movement is out to change the direction we're taking." - No. No, it's not. Actually you are all still fooling yourselves - it's called cognitive dissonance. The only direction this country will take under Trump will benefit himself and the rest of the very wealthy.
The majority of Americans are lazy whiners who don't want to get their fat asses out of the barcalounger. BTW I am speaking to Americans on the Right, Left and Center. There is no "messiah" coming to save you, not Bernie and not Donald. Our forefathers (and here I'm speaking to the founders of our nation, the underground railroad, women suffragists, Civil Rights leaders, gay activists, et. al.) were motivated because they understood that if THEY did nothing then nothing would change. They had leaders but it was the masses that brought about the change. No one politician/leader will save you or America, we must, collectively, work to right the wrongs of our society. Getting out the vote is only part of change, but it is a big part that so many forgo. People talk of term limits, but the only term-limit our Congress will ever see is the one we instill by voting out the useless carpetbaggers, as they will never change the rules to limit themselves. Petitions, phone calls, protests - the clamor of all our voices making sure our desires are heard. I hear people bemoaning the state of our government and the only solution they have is to elect someone who has NO RESPECT FOR AMERICA OR HER PEOPLE. Let that sink in for a minute, because it is written in the above post in black and white. 
The United States is a melting pot, for generations we have welcomed the world to reside here. Inside the Statue of Liberty, a plaque is engraved with words from "The New Colossus", the poem by Emma Lazarus:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Nearby is Ellis Island which was the first stop for millions of immigrants to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Have we suddenly reached capacity?
Are we going back to a time when Jim Crow "ruled", when according to some America was "great"? Where you can only have standing in the USA if you are white, straight and christian?

The writer is correct in stating: "There is a tidal wave happening, and its going to overcome much of what's happened to this country.", because under a Trump Presidency we will lose all we have gained as a nation. The hate, bigotry and fear that kept Jim Crow alive(albeit in a closet) has risen to the forefront under Trump's hate-inspired tutelage. We are already saying good-bye to voting rights in parts of the South, women are losing control over their reproductive rights and healthcare and we are demonizing so many of our nation's citizens. This last one should give you pause, because it is not just adults jacked up at rallies participating in this, it is our children echoing their parents "feelings of hate". Hatred, loathing, detestation, dislike, distaste, abhorrence, abomination, execration, aversion; hostility, enmity, animosity, antipathy, revulsion, disgust, contempt, odium - all the words that describe the majority of Trump's supporters feelings towards the "others". I fear for women, non-Christians, people of color, LGBT people and our international allies because all are already being looked at with suspicion and what happens when conjecture becomes United States law.

The Bern of Revolution

Are you still feeling the Bern?

Senator Sanders campaign was not about one man bringing about change, he said it himself, it is about all the people coming together for a revolution. A revolution does not end if its leader needs to step aside - it grows stronger because we must ensure that our collective voices are heard. Bernie is NOT going anywhere and neither should we. It's not what he wants. He knows that only together can we defeat Trump, the GOP and hold onto everything that the liberal/progressive agenda stands for. If we really believe in Bernie's message, then we will not only vote in November but we will carry Senator Sander's (and our) agenda to the Democratic Convention and everyplace there is for us to spread the word. Clinton may be the standard bearer, but she will acknowledge and further our agenda if we speak out and not let what is important to us fall by the wayside. Use social media, sign petitions, march, write snail mail, use the cell phone that's attached to your face - speak out to what is important to you! The power for change lies in all of us so get off your ass and quit whining that you have no reason to vote. You have plenty of reasons to get out there and the major one is that your forefathers got you free from English rule so that you could have freedom from tyranny - by not voting you cast a vote for a new tyranny in the name of Donald Trump.

If I'm not convincing then take it from Bernie Sanders:

[EXCERPT] "Donald Trump is running a campaign based on bigotry, which is hard to understand that can still be happening in the year 2016," Sanders said. "After all this party has gone through for hundreds of years trying to combat discrimination. ... It is not acceptable to me that he is running a campaign trying to demonize Mexicans and Muslims, women or African Americans. I will do everything I can, and I'm sure I'm speaking for everyone behind me, to see that he will be defeated."

Sanders said he and the group of advisers concluded that "political revolutions" — which he has called his campaign from the beginning — are not dependent on election days.
"This country faces enormous crises and we together are going to do our best to transform this country by bringing millions and millions of people into the political process," Sanders said. "If you ask me what I am most proud of in this campaign is we have begun doing just that."

Read the whole article at: Sanders in Burlington: Trump must be defeated

Pity, Sympathy, Empathy or Understanding?

What do you want?

Pity, Sympathy, Empathy or Understanding?

I would like understanding.

And not just for myself.

                                          Source: Wikicommons

 How do you account for your opinions?
How do you view others?

This is my story... at least part of it.
I have Bipolar but I've worked since I turned 16... well as much as my illness has allowed. I have worked in restaurants (in the kitchen), retail (as management and CSR), I briefly taught Elementary Art in NYC, I have my FCC license to work in a radio station, I received a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art(Ceramics) and while in college was the Ceramic Studio Assistant, I participated in Student Government and also worked on a Senatorial and a Presidential campaign.
I have to admit I did pretty good for some stretches and pretty crappy other times. I have been hospitalized in psychiatric facilities for what totals up to one year and a couple extra weeks(so far). My first stay was 4 months (February to May) - I was 17 (turned 18 in the hospital) so I didn't get to graduate with my class. My second stint was in 1995, that was the big one, 6 months plus a few weeks. The rest were in one week increments once or twice a year and sometimes when I'm lucky I skip a year (once 2 years!)
Besides the Bipolar I also have a host of other medical issues, so now I am permanently on Social Security Disability. I also receive Medicare Parts A, B and D. However, I "make" too much to be eligible for Medicaid. My Medicare Part D covers the majority of the cost of my medications, if I didn't have it my medications would take up my entire month's check and I would still be short by more than $500 dollars. I also live with my mom. Did I mention I'm 47?

I don't want your pity, sympathy or empathy.

I want your understanding.

Understand that there are times when the life we live
is not a choice. 

We do the best we can and sometimes even that is not good enough.

If I could choose a smile or laughter over suicidal ideation I would.

Having a society that understands that is worth more than all the empathy and sympathy combined.

No one wants your pity.

I want your opinion of those you deem "less than you" to be enlightened by your release of willful ignorance.

Understand that not everyone has the same opportunities and we all do the best we can with what cards we are dealt. 

Where? How? Why? America.

Where are we at as a nation?

How do the rest of the world's nations view us?

This is an open letter to everyone who supports Senator Bernie Sanders, any Democrats, Republicans and also Independents who believe that they are left out and disenfranchised by the Democrats, Republicans and American politics in general.


If Americans want reform in our political system then the way to do it is by not allowing 4 years of Trump to spite the DNC. The way change comes about is thru REAL, TRUE activism. Americans (Red, Blue & Neutral) need to get off their collective asses at the local level and get out to vote, run for office and ensure that we never get to the point of this type of manipulation again. Americans became lazy, complacent and willfully ignorant to our political process and we are now reaping what we sowed. By not participating in your local, state and federal government (thru phone calls, personal visits, petitions - voicing your wants and desires of them), by allowing incumbents a free ride every re-election, by not voting in primaries and lower than federal level elections and by whining that you have no control over a rigged process you allowed the Trump/Clinton dichotomy to occur. The saying is "One Man, One Vote" and that is true but government is more than one vote every four years. The American people need to take stock of what is important to them and simple platitudes just won't cut it, screaming slurs at immigrants, woman and minorities won't cut it and sitting on your ass whining about how you had no choice this election season definitely won't cut it. You had more than one choice but you chose the easy one. The easy one brought grief. The hard choice is difficult because you have to work for the results but if I remember correctly this country and its major milestones were all born of hard choices and work.

Offended?

I'm tired of being nice.

I'm tired of being used.

I'm tired of you.

I have no use for your shit.

I'm not here to cater to your whims.

Go fuck yourself.

To Whom It May Concern - cc: NC

Dear Governor McCrory,

We are all the same, no matter how much you wish to deny it. 
"The genetic difference between individual humans today is minuscule – about 0.1%, on average" It is this infinitesimal amount that accounts for our differences: skin, hair and eye color, sexual orientation, gender, diseases, i.a. but make no mistake a human is a human is a human.

So here's the short version - we are all human beings. I don't care if you are gay or straight you are still a human being. And then comes the part you really have a hard time grasping - we are all Americans. ALL AMERICANS. The Constitution says we are all EQUAL - I'm thinking it must be true.

No matter how much the bigoted Americans want to play fast and loose with it - the Constitution guarantees that we are all equal under the law. 
No matter how much the whiners want to carry on about how they are being persecuted because they can't persecute and openly hate on the gays and other minorities - the Constitution guarantees we all have the same rights. 
No matter how much gays are treated as second class or non-citizens by ignorant homophobes - the first line of the Declaration of Independence spells out quite clearly that: "All Men(People) Are Created Equal" - this, incidentally, is backed up by the Constitution.

So here's how it stands...  YOU did not do your homework before signing that ridiculous, bigoted HB2 into law so now you look like an idiot to the whole country not just the people of North Carolina. Suck it up little man and repeal HB2. Since it only took one day of a special session at a cost of approximately $42,000 to taxpayers to pass it I'm betting you could turn this around in a day as well. 

The people are counting on you to do the right thing and they are also counting the days until Election Day when you will be voted out.                                       #OneTermPat

Do You Hate?

I need to know... do you hate?

If your answer is... emphatically - "NO, of course not."

Then I must ask... 

Why do you support it thru complacency and tolerance of extremist views within your politics and/or religion?

You do realize that by not speaking out you are as complicit as those acting on their hatred.

You may not say the words but by not denouncing them you are endorsing them.

You may not perpetrate the violence but you might as well be doing the beating, lynching, raping and killing.

We are all the same, no matter how much we wish to deny it. 
"the genetic difference between individual humans today is minuscule – about 0.1%, on average" It is this infinitesimal amount that accounts for our differences: skin, hair and eye color, sexual orientation, gender, diseases, i.a. but make no mistake a human is a human is a human.

                    

Your Vote Counts

The only reason I will vote for Hillary in November is because she will be the Democratic standard-bearer. It will be important to rally our party if we want to retain our Rights and Freedoms that we have fought so long and hard for. To lose everything because we feel that to vote for Clinton undermines our values is ridiculous. What truly undermines Democratic, Progressive and Liberal values is by allowing the Republican nominee to gain the Presidency through pettiness and apathy on our part. This is the main difference between the DNC and the GOP - Conservatives will vote for whoever their nominee is to take the Presidency - no matter how abhorrent their choices are this year they will vote Red.

And then . . . they came for me . . .

I'm writing this for real... Splitting the ticket is a guarantee the Republican will win - as much as I want Bernie I want MY RIGHTS more and if Clinton is the nominee I will vote for her. As a gay, Atheist woman in the South I know there will be fall-out for me under either Trump or Cruz. Under Trump I might be screwed but under a Cruz theocracy I will be truly repressed. 

I'm reposting these two from another discussion I was in. People may think I'm being paranoid but let's be realistic this country has NEVER faced an election like this before. The GOP want to fundamentally change what this country stands for and they have fear-mongered a fearful, willfully-ignorant and hate-filled base into falling into line behind their diatribes against anyone who is not like them (white, Christian, conservative).
****

"I have to be honest, down here in NC (hell the South in general), I'm starting to get more than a little nervous as to what November may bring us, being as both on the state and national level crazy is in the air. McCrory may be down in the polls now but the loons in this state may stay home instead of voting him out because "there's no need to get out the vote if he's losing in the polls" and many won't vote for Clinton just because she's Clinton. As much as I want Bernie come November I want to retain my rights as a gay, Atheist woman more and will vote for Hillary if she is the nominee. I have to look at it as reasonably as I can and I know dividing the Democrats will give whoever the Republican nominee is the win. No matter if it is Cruz or Trump(or a 3rd party win at the Republican convention) the one thing the GOP has that the Liberals don't is unity in the face of adversity. The Left will undercut all our gains in Equality and Freedom because we're pouting over "our" candidate not being the "chosen one". We will throw away Planned Parenthood and a woman's right to control her own body, gay rights, voting rights, civil rights, public education, Separation of Church and State, the knowledge that America is not nor ever was a Christian nation and give corporations and the 1% more of an opportunity to denigrate the majority of US citizens. A write-in vote or no-vote is the same as a vote for the Republican because all the cynicism will add up to a land slide for the Christian-Conservative, Right-Wing Republican nominee - President Cruz or President Trump - YOU WILL HELP HIM WIN."

and this...

"And you think the Republicans are a better choice? 
Clinton's views are not mine but I don't see her turning this nation into a theocracy the way Cruz has verbalized(promised) or the xenophobic hate-fest that Trump has so openly called for. 

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew; And then . . . they came for me . . ."
Martin Niemöller

I don't want to have to worry about anyone speaking up for me, that's why I'm speaking out now."
****

I have been trying to not be so emotional in what I write but it is not just the idea of a possible future - it is the present I have seen in the 12 years since moving to NC that disturbs me. If it was feasible to move North I would because Jim Crow never died down here he was just waiting to make a come back. Trump, Cruz and the rest of the repressed right wing don't care about anyone except themselves and those who copy their propaganda of hate and religious oppression. 
A friend posted in a discussion: "3rd and lastly ... I am sick and tired of having to vote for the person I find least nauseating. If it means blowing things up for four years, so be it. We survived Bush we'll survive Trump and then maybe things will flip around on the other side." -- I also wish I did not have to pick the "least nauseating" but surviving Bush was very different from what these lunatics, yes lunatics, represent. We may survive a Trump or Cruz Presidency (although for some Americans it may be beyond oppressive)but the repercussions will reverberate for decades. 

Both Republicans are a true danger to the majority of the people in this country, one is a hate-mongering xenophobe and the other wants to instill a theocracy. 
I repeat from above: "We will throw away Planned Parenthood and a woman's right to control her own body, gay rights, voting rights, civil rights, public education, Separation of Church and State, the knowledge that America is not nor ever was a Christian nation and give corporations and the 1% more of an opportunity to denigrate the majority of US citizens." and the Supreme Court will be decimated for decades. I have this same discussion with friends, acquaintances and strangers who think we should just gut it out if Trump or Cruz wins. You may not have the same worries that many others do: being LGBT, a minority of race or religion, non-religious, a woman, middle-class or lower-middle class, poverty level, senior citizen, disabled, i.a. but realize that sometimes the end sometimes justifies the means.

Everyone has their faults but it's when you have to search for the positives and they still aren't there(Trump/Cruz), well then, you have to wonder about YOUR decisions. Clinton has some positives and that is what I have to focus on when I think of having to vote for her. Out of all the devils I know I prefer Hillary over the other two.

I believe if Bernie does not get the nomination he will acknowledge the greater good of the Democratic Party to be united and urge his followers to back Clinton. I believe Bernie Sanders believes in America and her people and he truly wants what is best for us - a "Government of [ALL] the people, by [ALL] the people, for [ALL] the people,..." and he knows Hillary will give us that way more than any Republican would ever even think of doing (or want to).

Am I Insane?

She is me and I am her and no one likes us. 

I try so hard to be likable, kind, good, compassionate and not angry. 
But. 
But the anger is always there. Bubbling away like an underground stream. A contaminated, vile underground stream. The level of hate is ridiculous - I have no patience for you. For your stupidity, your willful ignorance, your martyrdom, your self-pity, your insolence. I feel a level of violence well up inside me that frightens me. Normal people do not experience this. My heart clutches in my chest, I can barely breathe and all I want to do is strike out. You won't like me when the part of me that is fed up with you emerges.
I am not responsible for her. 
Not her emotions. Not her feelings. Not her insecurities. Not her.
It's about that time again. The hospital. 
I try to even out but it does not work anymore. 
The stress, the anxiety, the loathing - it never really leaves.
I'm sad but I don't need your pity or contempt.
I'm coming to terms with what must happen - the conclusion to the angst.

Smells That Taste

Plug-ins. Most everybody uses them - I do not. They smell. There are too many smells. Wait let me clarify - too many artificial smells around now. I had a neighbor who had a plug-in in every room of her house and two in the kitchen. Her house smelled. Artificial floral. Hanging in the air around you and on you. When you left you smelled like her house. I borrowed metal cake pans from her and could not use them. They smelled of floral plug-ins. The smell had permeated or attached itself to the metal. They smelled even after being washed several times. She made cookies at Christmas that tasted the way her house smelled. She did not notice the smell, the taste of the smell, because not only did she live with all the floral plug-ins but also with scented laundry detergent, scented fabric softener, scented dryer sheets(at least 2 of those at a time), scented shampoo, conditioner and body wash and, of course, perfume. I used to love the smell of clothes and sheets hung out on a clothesline but now the scent of everyone's dryer sheets hangs in the air. We have become a land of smells that no one can really smell so we add on more artificial smells in the hope that the next candle, bowl of potpourri, plug-in and now additional add-in scents for the washer and dryer(like the scented products we already have are not scented enough)
Here's the thing - all these smells are artificial, man-made. They are made up of chemicals. One more thing... they are bad for you.

Scent of Danger: Are There Toxic Ingredients in Perfumes and Colognes?

Five ‘Must-Knows’ on the Dangers of Synthetic Fragrance

Chemical Sensitivities » Why Go Fragrance Free?
**The term invisible disabilities refers to symptoms such as debilitating pain, fatigue, dizziness, cognitive dysfunctions, brain injuries, learning differences and mental health disorders, as well as hearing and vision impairments.  These are not always obvious to the onlooker, but can sometimes or always limit daily activities, range from mild challenges to severe limitations and vary from person to person.

"All Men Are Created Equal" (asterisk)

"All Men Are Created Equal" Do we take that, literally, at face value and accept that only men are equal? Do we exclude women - are we supposed to? If we are being Constitutional Literalists where does it end? Only Christians have rights? Ship all the Muslims back where they came from? Blacks back to the back of the bus? It doesn't say "white only" but at our country's inception that's what it was - do we return to that? Is it really a black and white issue(or should I say white?) Or do we stay with gray - include EVERYONE - make no distinction for race, skin color, religion(or none), sexual orientation, gender, disability or whatever other difference that makes us this great melting pot. If we go gray then we must admit that we ALL have the same "inalienable rights". That we cannot allow discrimination of one people by another. We have made special accommodation thru law during the years for specific groups but only to make them "equal under the law." Blacks, women and gays were not afforded the same opportunities as white men in these United States, that is a fact, for many years.

And now in 2016 we have this -

"A Kentucky Senate committee has passed a bill that would allow store owners and other providers of services to refuse to serve interracial couples, interracial families, or couples of different faiths. In addition, the bill would prevent the refused couples from seeking redress through the courts.

...

What is the point of this, the worst-written bill in the history of legislation? To allow persons to refuse service to anyone, at any time, as long as they can say that the persons requesting the services offend their religious beliefs.
...

Think we’re exaggerating? It took only ten minutes with The Google to find churches in Kentucky who oppose interracial marriage. Think their members would like to be able to refuse service to interracial couples?"

http://progressky.com/2016/03/senate-blocks-interracial-interfaith-marriages-sb-180/

"In a one-day specially convened session Wednesday, North Carolina’s legislature passed a sweeping law that reverses a Charlotte ordinance that had extended some rights to people who are gay or transgender. The law passed by the General Assembly and signed that same night by Gov. Pat McCrory goes further than a narrow elimination of Charlotte’s ordinance, which had generated the most controversy by a change that protected transgender people who use public restrooms based on their gender identity. The new law also nullified local ordinances around the state that would have expanded protections for the LGBT community."

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article68401147.html

"This week, Mississippi lawmakers approved a bill called the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act." Supporters describe it as a bill protecting religious freedom. Critics call it a sweeping bill giving state sanction to open discrimination against LGBT people. The legislation, now sitting on the governor's desk, allows state employees to refuse to issue same-sex-marriage licenses and protects private companies and religious groups from being punished for denying a range of services to LGBT people.
...
Here's Section 2, in its entirety: The sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions protected by this act are the belief or conviction that: (a) Marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman; (b) Sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage; and (c) Male (man) or female (woman) refer to an individual's immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth.
...
Some groups have also noted that because an opposition to extramarital sex is also a protected belief, the proposed Mississippi bill could also impact unmarried couples and single mothers.
...
"Freshman Sen. Jennifer Branning, a Republican from Philadelphia [Miss.], presented the bill. She said it only has one goal: 'This bill in no way allows for discrimination by one person against another. What it does is it prohibits your government from discriminating against you with regard to your religious beliefs. That's the bottom line.' "In all, debate lasted a little more than three hours, with many Democrats arguing the bill was discriminatory against the LGBT community in Mississippi. Many drew distinct parallels between this bill and Jim Crow laws. Sen. John Horne of Jackson says Mississippi's history does not need to repeat itself. ... 'We don't need to put another stain on Mississippi.' "
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/01/472669895/heres-why-mississippis-religious-freedom-bill-is-so-controversial

America is taking a step backwards due to the beliefs of a small but dangerous group of Christian extremists. These are people who believe they are persecuted and in turn are seeking to legislate their narrow religious beliefs to oppress those they do not like or agree with. In the majority of these states, trying and also succeeding to enact this discriminatory legislation, the General Assembly and the Governor are not acting at the behest of their constituents. In Georgia the Governor just vetoed similar legislation after an outcry from citizens and local businesses and also a threatened boycott and withdrawal of business from large outside corporations.

Raccoons and Voting

The following is in response to this letter that a friend forwarded to me.

http://100percentfedup.com/dear-rnc-an-everyday-american-writes-a-letter-to-explain-the-trump-phenomenon-to-the-washington-elite/


The funny thing about this letter is that it is full of the same lies Trump is spewing and his supporters really don’t seem to care about. YOU are an intelligent and critical thinker, your success in a very difficult program proves it, dig deeper and analyze the evidence; Google “countering Trump’s lies” (I know you are drowning in school but just as your degree will bring long term affects so too will this election).

  1. Illegal aliens have been allowed to invade our country.

Of the more than 41 million foreign-born people living in the United States in 2013, about 30 million were naturalized citizens, permanent residents and legal residents. Eleven million were unauthorized immigrants. Of those who did not have authorization to be here, about 40 percent entered the country legally and then let their visas expire.
http://www.tolerance.org/immigration-myths
***These are Europeans too. I was friends with many English nanny’s who came here that way and worked in Greenwich, Westport, Darien for cash.


 2. This country is weak, bankrupt.

“The country is weak”, if referring to our ‘war machine’, is way off base. 
“In fiscal year 2015, military spending is projected to account for 54 percent of all federal discretionary spending, a total of $598.5 billion. Military spending includes: all regular activities of the Department of Defense; war spending; nuclear weapons spending; international military assistance; and other Pentagon-related spending.”
“U.S. military expenditures are roughly the size of the next nine largest military budgets around the world, combined.”
The following has several links that relate to the issue.
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-states/

“If the U.S. Treasury went bankrupt, America would experience the largest depression in the history of the country.”
http://thelawdictionary.org/article/what-would-happen-if-the-us-treasury-goes-bankrupt/

“If there’s one article of faith in Washington (and elsewhere), it’s the idea that the United States might get into a debt crisis if it doesn’t get its fiscal house in order.
This is not true.
The reason why it’s not true is because we live in a fiat currency system, where the United States government can create an infinite number of dollars at no cost to meet its obligations. A Treasury bill is a promise that the government will give you US dollars–something that the United States government can produce infinitely and at no cost.
That’s the reason why interest rates on United States debt have only gone down even as the debt has ballooned.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/pascalemmanuelgobry/2012/10/19/no-the-united-states-will-not-go-into-a-debt-crisis-not-now-not-ever/#197c57f257ee

 3. We are becoming a nation of victims where every Tom, Ricardo and Hasid is part of a special group with special rights, to the point where we don’t even recognize the country we were born and raised in.

Actually we are the nation we were always meant to be. Various peoples from all over the world, an amalgamation of many colors, races, religions. The United States has a bumpy record of “Treating All Men Equally” but that is our mainstay and we do our best to abide by it. We must admit that we ALL have the same "inalienable rights" making no distinction for race, skin color, religion(or none), sexual orientation, gender, disability or whatever other difference that makes us this great melting pot.
At the base of the Statue of Liberty a plaque reads, in part, 
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" 

4. ...bringing tens of thousands of Muslim refugees to America, while leaving Christians behind to be persecuted.

“More than 43 million people worldwide are now forcibly displaced as a result of conflict and persecution, the highest number since the mid-1990s.
…
Major refugee populations include Palestinians (4.8 million), Afghans (2.9 million), Iraqis (1.8 million), Somalis (700,000), Congolese (456,000),  Myanmarese (407,000), Colombians (390,000), Sudanese (370,000).
…
Children constitute about 41 percent of the world’s refugees, and about half of all refugees are women.
About two-thirds of the world’s refugees have been in exile for more than five years, many of them with no end in sight.”
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/refugees/

“A total of 2,290 Syrian refugees have arrived in the United States since fiscal year 2011, which is when the Syrian civil war began, through Nov. 20, 2015, according to the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center. Of those, only 62 were identified in the center’s database as Christian. That’s 2.7 percent, even though the Christian population in Syria is about 10 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook.
…
It’s important to note that the Syrian refugees are referred to the U.S. by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
From 2013 though Nov. 17,2015,  the U.N. says it has referred 22,427 Syrian refugees to the U.S. for “resettlement consideration.” The U.N. could not tell us how many of the 22,427 U.N. referrals were Christian, and the State Department did not know how many Christian Syrians may have been rejected by the U.S. But we know the U.S. is drawing from a limited pool of applicants provided by the U.N. from a predominately Muslim country.
…
Chris Boian, a spokesman for the UNHCR, told us the refugees crossing into Europe are typically not registered with the U.N. and will not be referred to the U.S.
“It’s very important for people to know there’s a big, big difference between the relative chaotic scene we’ve seen played out in Europe and the resettlement process in the United States,” Boian said.
…
One last thing to consider: Not all 23,826(current #) refugees referred to the U.S. will be admitted to the U.S. The Congressional Research Service says in a February 2015 report that the U.S. typically “aims to consider for resettlement at least half of the refugees” referred by the U.N.”
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/11/facts-about-the-syrian-refugees/

"Each year the President, in consultation with Congress, determines the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, the proposed ceiling is 85,000.
 - Over one-third of all refugee arrivals (35.1 percent, or 24,579) in FY 2015 came from the Near East/South Asia—a region that includes Iraq, Iran, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.
 - Another third of all refugee arrivals (32.1 percent, or 22,472) in FY 2015 came from Africa.
 - Over a quarter of all refugee arrivals (26.4 percent, or 18,469) in FY 2015 came from East Asia — a region that includes China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

There are many conditions and variables to a refugee being admitted to the United States, for the full description go to the link below.
“If a person is accepted as a refugee for admission to the United States, it is conditioned upon the individual passing a medical examination and all security checks.
According to a Human Rights First report, the processing times of the U.S. refugee resettlement program “can be quite prolonged, leaving some refugees stranded in dangerous locations or in difficult circumstances.” According to the Department of State the entire process can take an average of 18-24 months to complete.”
 http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/refugees-fact-sheet

 5. Our enemies are making fun of us.

No. No, they are not. They are making fun of the Presidential race, specifically the Republican side. The “debates” are not debates they are embarrassing displays of who can yell the loudest and lie the most. Check with the fact check sites:
“Trump's statements were awarded PolitiFact's 2015 Lie of the Year.
He has a 61% FALSE and PANTS ON FIRE total rating and another 17% MOSTLY FALSE rating from Politifact (that's 78% lies).”
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/ 

Other countries are cautious of what a Trump presidency in the United States of America will mean in a broader sense to the world.
“Republican front-runner and avowed racist Donald Trump has recently stepped up his xenophobic rhetoric against Mexico and Hispanic immigrants as he draws closer to white supremacist groups, doubling down on his absurd proposal to "make Mexico pay for a border wall." In response, the legislators of Mexico City have unanimously passed a bill that bans Trump from entering the city.”
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/2016/03/03/payback-mexicans-officials-approve-proposal-to-ban-trump-from-their-country/
“Scottish freelance journalist and activist Suzanne Kelly launched a petition last month to block the former reality TV star from British shores, which led to the debate. The petition accuses the 69-year-old of "hate speech" for calling for a travel ban on Muslims entering the United States. It has received more than 574,000 signatures.
Any petition that gets more than 100,000 signatures is considered by Parliament's Petitions Committee, which weighs whether to send the petition for debate by lawmakers in Parliament.”
 http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/18/europe/uk-parliament-debates-trump-ban/
"America's Agitator: Donald Trump Is the World's Most Dangerous Man
Donald Trump is the leader of a new, hate-filled authoritarian movement. Nothing would be more harmful to the idea of the West and world peace than if he were to be elected president. George W. Bush's America would seem like a place of logic and reason in comparison." - English translation of German magazine De Spiegel
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/donald-trump-is-the-most-dangerous-man-in-the-world-a-1075060.html

 6.  There is this one guy however, who guarantees you he will get rid of them, so you hire him. You don’t care if the guy smells, you don’t care if the guy swears, you don’t care how many times he’s been married, you don’t care if he was friends with liberals, you don’t care if he has plumber’s crack…you simply want those raccoons gone! You want your problem fixed!”

"Donald Trump may not be as brilliant as he claims he is, but he's not stupid. He understands who he is attracting." - Joy Ann Reid”
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-dog-whistles-heard-clearly-by-racists-635481667632?cid=sm_fb_maddow

"The New York Times described Trump University as "not a real university at all, but a series of seminars held in hotels across the country." The now-defunct Trump University is currently facing multiple pending lawsuits brought by former students and by the state of New York, alleging misrepresentation."
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/03/04/fact-checkers-slam-trumps-latest-false-and-lite/209041 

"Trump’s bad bet: How too much debt drove his biggest casino aground
Trump received the approvals he needed for the Taj, but the prime-rate loans never materialized. Determined to move forward, he turned to the very junk bonds he had derided in the hearing. He agreed to pay the bond lenders 14 percent interest, roughly 50 percent more than he had projected, to raise $675 million. It was the biggest gamble of his career.
In April 1990, the Taj opened as the world’s largest casino-hotel complex, joining Trump’s other holdings already operating in Atlantic City, the Trump Plaza and Trump’s Castle. But Trump could not keep pace with his debts on the three casinos. Six months later, the Taj defaulted on interest payments to bondholders as his finances went into a tailspin. In July 1991, Trump’s Taj Mahal filed for bankruptcy, the first and most significant of the four that his companies have experienced."
In this interview with the Washington Post "Trump vehemently denied that the deal represented a personal failing or affected his personal wealth.
“This was not personal. This was a corporate deal,” he said. “If you write this one, I’m suing you.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/trumps-bad-bet-how-too-much-debt-drove-his-biggest-casino-aground/2016/01/18/f67cedc2-9ac8-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html

“What also doesn't help is when you have a Presidential candidate spewing bigotry and racism among people that are already twisted with fear and hate. He allows them to think that it is ok to release their repressed hostility because he, a "respectable" businessman and Presidential front-runner, not only speaks to their fears of the "others" but encourages their brutality as well. Mr Trump puts forth statements, conjecture, assumed to be true by his supporters and the persons that are the focus of his diatribes are demonized and sometimes physically attacked. The color-bar seen at his rallies is a darker mindset that is giving a new face to Jim Crow. It is a Jim Crow that does not just disparage blacks, this Jim Crow diminishes all people of color, gays, women, Muslims - anyone who is not fitting into the image of ‘real’ Americans. Or as former Grand Wizard David Duke said “Voting against Trump is 'treason to your heritage'” - JMG

  7. “You’ve been on vacation for two weeks, you come home, and your basement is infested with raccoons. Hundreds of rabid, messy, mean raccoons have overtaken your basement. You want them gone immediately.” 

As to this analogy I do agree but with one caveat. The American people who are so upset about this situation have forgotten one thing - they never secured their house and they let the raccoons in. By not voting and voting against their interests they allowed the corporations to decimate the American workforce and workplace, the lobbyists to get their way, the unchecked politicians to not represent their constituents and also those who allowed racism to undermine the leadership of the President of the United States.
A vote for Trump may be a vote against “the establishment” but it is also a vote against what the people say they really want - accountability and a decent future. 
Donald Trump is accountable to no one but himself, he never has been because he is a businessman first and foremost(go back to his bankruptcies). He is most definitely not going to be accountable to the people of this country. He is climbing on the backs of voters to get what he wants - power. He has said over and over that the military, Congress and other countries WILL DO WHAT HE WANTS. That is not how a real leader leads, diplomacy is the way it is done, think of other leaders who have eschewed diplomacy…
To go to an example from a psychological viewpoint who is the better parent: the one who beats and berates or the one who loves and nurtures?
I put forth this essay in the hopes you will consider even a fraction of what I’ve written and think of what your hopes, wants and desires are for your future. People often do what they feel is best for themselves without thinking of permanent ramifications, realize that by settling for the fast talker now you sell yourself short in the long-term.

Values In Politics Survey

I just created a survey (10 quick, easy questions) on SurveyMonkey because I'm curious as to what is influencing people as to "Values in Politics" 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W297956

Anyone can participate in survey, feel free to forward the link too.

- you can change your answers on any survey page until you complete the survey

- your responses will be anonymous - no one, not even me, will know who took this or their answers

- SSL to encrypt data sent to and from SurveyMonkey

- cutoff date and time when this collector will close and stop accepting responses.

     Date: 3/31/2016    Time: 08:15 PM

I will post results the 1st week in June.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W297956

The Bitch & The Lunatic

I read on Facebook people not liking Hillary Clinton because she is a bitch. Is she a bitch because she is a capable woman? She was a successful Senator and Secretary of State. She did her best at her jobs - better than some men have done. She was tough and took no crap - that's a bitch? However, a man with the same attitude is considered powerful, a leader. I will be the first to admit her corporate ties bother me but her ties are less than Trumps - he IS corporate America. Supporters of Trump speak to the fact that he is beholden to no one, this is true, he is not even bound to his supporters. He is beholden to only himself and that is a dangerous thing. According to Politifact "The vast majority of Trump’s contributions to his own campaign — about $12.6 million — are loans rather than donations. This means he could expect to eventually recoup these funds.
Further, of the approximately $12 million Trump’s campaign spent in 2015, about $2.7 million went toward reimbursing Trump-affiliated companies for services provided to the campaign, such as traveling in his own plane and helicopter, according to a New York Times analysis." - http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/10/donald-trump/donald-trump-self-funding-his-campaign-sort/
Does America want someone who has no experience in dealing diplomatically with others? Someone who is divisive, racist, classist, misogynistic, xenophobic - who is basically a jack-booted thug? Someone who proves he does not understand American greatness. America's greatness is compiled of many things, not the least is our diversity. We are a melting pot of many races, religions and life experiences. We reach out and help those in need, whether our own citizens or those of the world. We want the best for future generations and I do not believe we will find that in selling our souls for slogans that make us feel good and included in the moment. Trump is selling an illusion of prosperity and greatness that comes at a steep price, the rights and safety of our friends and and neighbors - the ones he tags as "the others" and "them". He promotes violence at his rally's as if it is the norm and he is not willing to disavow the white supremacy that has latched onto his unspoken message.
I would rather have Hillary "the bitch" knowing that she is a capable leader, that she will never be an embarrassment to our country and will not segregate our population into "us" and "them". Mr Trump needs to understand it is "We the People" and this is a world community where ranting like a lunatic does not gain you respect.


This was originally posted to Facebook and below is my follow-up to a comment.
It holds true here as well - if you read this please comment.

"So what are your reasons for disliking her? I am curious. No one is willing to state their cases for liking/disliking the above. I am just curious - not looking to debate - I spell out clearly above (and elsewhere) the pros & cons for myself.
I WANT to understand what is the attraction and repulsion. What makes racism and no policies avail over diplomacy and experience?
I REALLY WANT TO KNOW."

Entitled to be Human

In response to a comment to this article:

"She made poor decisions and now wants taxpayers to pay for it?  Arrogant  person..."
http://projects.aljazeera.com/2016/02/section8-mobility/

This woman made decisions that society encouraged and then demonized. In her senior year with scholarships to FOUR colleges she became pregnant. Instead of an abortion she chose to give birth, something the right to life groups encourage, however, once she chose to raise the baby the demonization started. Originally it was a two parent home but after her boyfriend left not only was she a single parent working hard and paying her "fair share" - federal and state taxes but she was doing it without government safety nets. She then applied for Section 8 (with years on the waiting list), to help make life easier - to try and get a boost up. She wants what any parent wants - a clean, safe home, good schools, a safe neighborhood and a chance at upward mobility for herself and her children. Are these wrong for an American, a human, to want and strive for? 
What exactly do we promote within our society - empathy, love and humanity or indifference, cruelty and hatred toward our fellow man? Does dropping a donation in the church basket or writing a cheque to a charity absolve us of compassion to the poor, the homeless, the hungry? Why does the color of a persons skin, where they live, if they are impoverished or if they speak with an accent matter? If they are good people who just want a better life, the same life you strive for, it should not. I hear people speak to the fact that they are not biased against the poor/lower-middle class yet they begrudge those who access the safety nets that were put in place to help exactly these people. When did Americans become so resentful of the people we once were? The immigrants, the working poor, the disabled, the elderly, the generations that were our grandparents and great-grandparents, they still exist, struggling to survive. I believe Lady Liberty speaks these words not just to arriving immigrants but to America's residents as well: 

"Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

I see people who want a better life held back only because on some level society has deemed them unworthy of success because they need a helping hand. People need a helping hand sometimes and not everyone has a family, a church or religious/secular group to help, or the ability to work more than one job and at the same time attempt to further their education. Sometimes the 'Government' does need to help that is why these safety nets were created and that is why they DO work. The Social Safety Net of the United States is made up of 13 categories of Federal Welfare Programs to protect low-income Americans from poverty and hardship. Eligibility for welfare benefits depends on a variety of factors, including gross and net income, family size, pregnancy, homelessness, unemployment, and serious medical conditions like blindness, kidney failure or AIDS. The programs are meant to be a safety net to catch Americans if they fall on hard times. They are: Negative Income Tax, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Housing Assistance, SSI (Supplemental Security Income), Pell Grants, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Child Nutrition, Head Start, Job Training Programs, WIC (Women, Infants and Children), Child Care, LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), Lifeline (Obama Phone). Whether you despise the idea of "entitlements" and deem them unfair you must admit that children, who are the majority of the recipients, deserve food, shelter and a stable living environment. We are ALL human, are we not? 

Apropos

 She hasn't spoken to me in over a year and it was pretty sporadic before that. I love her - I always will. I don't know if she loves me, likes me, hates me or is indifferent to me. I won't ever know unless she decides to reach out in some way. I feel bad for her because I really can't think of what I could have done to cause this rift. Except. Well, there is one thing. Our Dad died in 2009 and I called her that weekend and told her he had taken a turn for the worse and was not expected to make it. She said she didn't have the money to fly out and I told her I would pay for the ticket. When she stopped contact in 2015 she still owed me about $300. She had paid $25 here and there but when I would ask if she was sending a cheque she would lie or plead poor. If she had just said she had no intention of paying me back it would have been easier all around. I had expenses of my own and it was a hardship for me to pay for her ticket but she is my sister and that was our father dying. I wonder if roles had been reversed...

I'm making excuses for someone who is selfish.  About 1 month before my dad passed he had a conversation with me about my sister. He looked me in the eye and told me to stop buying my sister gifts(I had a habit of buying her things I thought she would like but not purchase for herself). He said she was selfish and cared for no one but herself and all the presents in the world would not buy her love or her friendship. He acknowledged that while she was his daughter and he loved her - he and my mother had not raised her that way and he could not understand why she was the way she was and it bothered him. The situation with the plane ticket should not have been a surprise but it is fascinating that it was related to my father and what he said. My sister did not disappoint.

I have an uncle who always treated me well to my face but privately told his children to keep their distance because I was "crazy" - I'm bipolar. Here's the best part his daughter was diagnosed as bipolar in college - she told me herself. I guess it rubbed off after all. He and my dad were estranged  in later years and my dad never knew why. The day before my dad died I called his brother to let him know the doctor's didn't think dad would last thru the next day and his response, his only response was... "that's too bad". What a dick. That was always the way my dad's family was - he was the black sheep - he was the kind one.
My uncle's wife is not much better. It's been 6 yrs and she sends me a friend request on Facebook - I said yes.  I would send her funny memes and comment on her posts but she never responded. She would respond to similar things posted by her other friends who happen to include my sister (who has me blocked due to the plane ticket fiasco) but not me so the other day I un-friended her and she proceeded to ask me what was up in a PM. I told her I didn't know what she wanted and it seemed we were already not friends - she wrote back saying it was my decision and she hoped I would be happy. After 24 hrs I put out a friend request to her because I thought maybe I had been rash. As I was clicking I noticed this on her board:

So I figured this was supposed to be about me. It was - she gave me a few more hours before she blocked me. Passive-aggressive anyone? I'm not sure how I'm deemed angry and looking for conflict - all I wanted to know was why after 6 yrs of no contact did she reach out on FB but never talk to me (she did stalk though - that I know for certain) Her meme is apropos  because it actually has more to do with her and my sister - who made this comment on it:

My sister who hasn't spoken with me or our mother in over a year because she had to make us the bad ones over a plane ticket to her father's funeral. My sister is a recovering alcoholic, anorexic and bulimic who blamed everyone else for her problems. 

My sister is the source of her conflict.

She is the angry one.

My aunt and my uncle they are the source of their conflict. 

They are the angry ones. 

I'm not the healthiest but I'm not crazy and I'm in therapy working thru my issues. I can't speak for them but the last time I had talked to my sister "she did not have time for therapy." My sister is an RN - she's not dumb nor is she poor but as my dad said she is selfish.

I pity her and my extended family - it is their loss.

The Return of Jim Crow

I watched ‘Selma’ the other night. I found myself cheering and clapping and crying along with the heroes of Voting Rights history. That was 1965 and racism was out in the open. As horrible a time as it was at least they were honest. Now it’s 2016 and racism is here but it is a festering underbelly. The children and grandchildren of those who fought against Equal Rights and the Voting Act see their elders actions as a different kind of “Patriotism”; just as the Confederate flag is still argued to be a symbol of historic pride. During the film they show actual footage of the Selma march. Southerners line the roads, taunting the marchers, spitting on them and giving them the finger all while waving the Confederate flag - yes that really shows the truth behind such an iconic piece of Southern history. A Southern woman, a few years younger than me, has told me with pride that her parents were activists against desegregation and equal rights. Another tells how she could be friendly with black girls at school but they were not to be brought home, this 15+ years after Jim Crow was officially over.

I’ve been told that if people went and got better-paying jobs there would be no need to make the minimum wage a living wage. There is a disconnection between a white person with higher education and poor people, who are mainly black and don’t have the same educational opportunities. The idea that anyone who is a head of household and is working two jobs because one job won’t afford full-time hours and even then that two jobs don't pay a living wage and is still be below the poverty level is foreign to many Americans.


Private and/or religious schools popped up everywhere in the South during desegregation, due to white's not wanting their children to go to school with black children. The quality of education plummeted for poor whites who could not afford the better private schools. We see that still in the South but with a slight shift. Poor and lower-middle class whites and blacks are held at arms length by upper-middle and upper-class whites that are able to extricate themselves from the public school system and put their children into private and/or religious schools. While public schools struggle to maintain federal standards of education private religious schools teach biblically centered subjects that leave a whole new generation ignorant and private preparatory schools to cater to those with the cash. School vouchers are just exacerbating the problem by keeping sub-par private religious schools afloat by injecting much-needed cash into their reserves.


Voting Rights are being restricted through uncompromising voter ID laws. A total of 36 states have passed laws requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls. 33 of these voter identification laws are in force in 2016. A photo ID can be a significant burden and such laws intrinsically discriminate against minorities, students and the elderly. North Carolina now mandates government-issued photo IDs at the polls, the bill does provide for a "free ID" to be offered at DMVs but it is difficult for those without transportation or the appropriate paperwork to get one. The state's early voting period was reduced from 17 to 10 days. "First of all, we didn't shorten early voting, we compacted the calendar," said Governor McCrory. The law also ended same-day registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-old voters who will be 18 on Election Day.


What also doesn't help is when you have a Presidential candidate spewing bigotry and racism among people that are already twisted with fear and hate. He allows them to think that it is ok to release their repressed hostility because he, a "respectable" businessman and Presidential front-runner, not only speaks to their fears of the "others" but encourages their brutality as well. Mr Trump puts forth statements, conjecture, assumed to be true by his supporters and the persons that are the focus of his diatribes are demonized and sometimes physically attacked. The color-bar seen at his rallys is a darker mindset that is giving a new face to Jim Crow.


These and other issues are what America needs to address in order to deal with the vehement hatred that is permeating our country. Jim Crow is alive and well and is coming out of the closet again after 50 years to see what mayhem he can accomplish.