Tag: Election

Why Won’t People Learn from History?

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, History

June 11, 2024

   Why won’t people learn from history? I’d truly like to know because time and time again, humanity continues to make the same mistakes over and over and over again. Disturbingly, we can see it blatantly happening once more before our own eyes.
   Why?
   Perhaps some of you are wondering what I’m talking about. Well, let me tell you. History is full of dictators who manipulated, lied, and generally did whatever they thought necessary to get masses of people to support them in their quest for power and dominance. And once in power, they would do everything they could to keep it. Want an example? Here you go.
   Adolf Hitler is one. We look back on him now with obvious disgust at how horrible he was, but many people seem to overlook the fact that he got elected to power in the 1930s. He took advantage of people’s prejudices in addition to German dissatisfaction with things like the reparations required by the Allies after World War I and the economic hardships brought on by the Great Depression to gain support from the masses who then elected him and the Nazi party to power. And what’s even more disturbing is that if you pay attention to what he said in the 1920s and ‘30s, huge alarm bells should have been going off in people’s minds as his hatred of all things Jewish as well as his megalomania were plain for all to see. Yet, millions of Germans happily supported him electing him into power. And despite all the horrible things he did and the ruin he brought to Germany, as late as 1945 when Allied forces were crushing German resistance and overrunning the country from multiple directions, there were still many who thought that Hitler must have some secret weapon or strategy that would turn the tide of the war.
   Now, let’s take a look at what’s been going on in the 21st century here in the United States. Donald Trump is not Adolf Hitler, but there are some very disturbing similarities. He uses authoritarian tactics to try to get what he wants, even when they are clearly undemocratic in nature. We know for a fact the severe degree that Trump lies in order to gain support from people, and we’ve also seen how millions of Americans continue to blindly follow him no matter what he says or does. In some ways, it’s like we’re watching history repeat itself yet again in tragic ways.  Many around this country are promoting book bans, a dangerous trend that was promoted by the Nazis. A lot of Trump’s Republicans are trying to take rights away from LGBTQ people, another example that is reminiscent of the type of things the Nazis would do. The United States has already been through four years of a Trump Administration. We’ve seen how much he deceives, exaggerates, and flat out lies to people for his own personal quest for power, dominance, and adoration. Look at the 2020 election, one that he clearly lost. Yet he continues to this day to spread outrageous lies claiming that he somehow won even though he absolutely lost. And he has tens of millions of Americans believing these lies and actively supporting him no matter what he does. We all saw on national television how Trump instigated the riotous assault on the United States Capitol Building, yet millions of Americans continue to back him. Trump is saying very clearly how he will take revenge on his political opponents if he gets back in office. Another tactic dictators have used for thousands of years. He’s also describing how he plans to get rid of many Federal  Government career civil servants, who have faithfully served under multiple administrations of both parties, in order to replace them with his cronies. Ukraine is a democratic nation fighting for its life against Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of conquest, yet Trump wants to obstruct vital American aid to Ukraine. On top of that, he has repeatedly undermined NATO, an alliance which is vital to keeping authoritarian thugs like Putin in check. Frankly, we’ve seen repeatedly how Trump likes authoritarian leaders. We saw on national television how as President, he believed Putin over US Intelligence. And despite all this, the Republican Party is overwhelmingly supporting Trump’s quest to become president again.
   So yes, history is in the process of repeating itself.
   Why won’t people learn from the past? Why won’t they strive not to repeat the mistakes societies have made throughout history?
   Why?
   I wish I had an answer. The one thing I can say is that for those of us who see the disaster unfolding before us, we must speak up, speak out, make our voices heard, and vote! We must fight for our democratic values and freedoms like we never have before because they are truly in jeopardy now. It’s not too late to defend democracy. But people must take action speaking out and voting in order for this nation to stay free.

How Will Trump’s Felony Convictions Affect Voters?

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Current Events, Social Issues

5-31-24
   Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies. He is a criminal by any definition. In addition, we also know that he is an habitual liar, has authoritarian tendencies, and is more than willing to undermine America’s democratic values for his own personal benefit and quest for power. Millions and millions of Republicans have continued to blindly follow Trump despite the clear evidence of how dangerous and unqualified he truly is. Now, the question is how will his felony convictions affect voters’ decisions.
   One thing that is extremely obvious is that if Trump was a Democrat, Democratic voters would have rejected him a long time ago. Don’t believe me? Consider Al Franken, the popular comedian who became a Democratic Senator. When photos emerged that had been taken years before showing him on a USO tour pretending to touch a sleeping female colleague’s breasts, Democrats turned on him very quickly which resulted in his resignation. What he did in the photos was clearly inappropriate, but it does not appear that he actually touched the woman. He was pretending to as a joke. While in particularly poor taste, it pales in comparison to things Trump has said, done, been accused of, and now convicted of, yet Republicans continue to blindly follow Trump. Here’s another example of what I’m talking about. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York was a very popular Democrat that many Americans turned to for leadership during the COVID Pandemic. It seemed that his political future was quite promising. But after allegations of sexual misconduct came to light, Democrats rejected him very quickly. High ranking Democratic leaders even recommended an investigation of him. His political career was over.
   Most Republicans have continued to blindly follow Trump despite everything he has said and done. The truth is, most Republicans have shown themselves as much more likely to be blind followers as compared to Democrats. The way millions and millions of Republicans continue to blindly follow Donald Trump is overwhelming proof of this. So it leaves the question: how will the fact that Donald Trump is now a convicted felon affect how people vote in the November election? The scary and extremely dangerous fact is that the vast majority of his core followers are going to believe Trump’s lies and vote for him in overwhelming numbers. Even though Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies by a jury of 12 ordinary Americans (who had been agreed upon by both the Prosecutor and the Defense), MAGA supporters will devotedly believe Trump’s lies making ridiculous, outrageous conspiracy claims and other nonsense.
   The big question will be if and how Trump’s convictions affect Independents and other swing voters. How many of them will think twice about voting for Trump? How many of those who were leaning towards voting for Trump will now reconsider that possibility? At this point, nobody knows. The United States is in uncharted waters. An American President, or former President, has never been convicted of a felony before. Plus, we are dealing with a severely divided nation politically and an authoritarian style leader whose mass of hard core supporters have proven themselves to be blind followers.
   Troubling and scary times indeed.
   It’s that much more reason why those of us who see how dangerous Trump is need to get out and vote against him in overwhelming numbers. We also need to be smart about our vote because like it or not, the next president will be Trump or Biden. That is reality. It’s also why we must get out and vote for Joe Biden in overwhelming numbers, even those of us who have legitimate concerns about Biden, because voting for a third party candidate, who has zero chance of winning, or not voting at all is helping Donald Trump. That is cold, hard reality. And this country cannot afford another 4 years of Donald Trump in the White House, especially now that he’s a bitter, convicted felon.

Why is Intolerance Permeating Society so Badly?

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

3-19-24
   Why is there so much intolerance, prejudice, and hate these days? Why? In terms of open-mindedness, tolerance, acceptance, and decency, unfortunately, it seems like society has gone backwards of late, and in addition to that being sad, it’s hurtful, dangerous, and can cause lives to be lost needlessly and tragically through attacks and suicides.
   People often fear what they don’t understand which in turn can feed intolerance, prejudice, and hate. Instead of learning about the subject of their fear and opening their minds, many people gravitate towards automatic assumptions, distrust, outdated views, false information, and narrow-mindedness. Making matters worse is how much of the population these days only seeks out information from places, sites, or people who share their ideas instead of utilizing a variety of different sources and viewpoints. They nestle themselves into an isolated, close-minded environment that will reinforce what they want to hear.
   Added to this cauldron of toxicity is how numerous political leaders (such as Donald Trump), organizations (such as some churches or news outlets), and others are exploiting, and at times even encouraging, people’s fears and intolerances in order to gain support in their quest for ever more power. When people who already have prejudiced views hear political leaders, ministers, or other organizations they respect spewing off hate, it emboldens these individuals to be more open about their own bigotry and even worsen it. And the greater the power these leaders or organizations have, the stronger their negative influences become.
   Want an example? Think about how Republican politicians are pushing anti-LGBTQ legislation around the country. It’s not a coincidence that upticks in violence aimed at LGBTQ people are also being seen, especially in states where such legislation has become law. Since Republican leaders are showing their prejudices against the LGBTQ Community with their rhetoric and actions, everyday people feel more emboldened to do so as well.
   These are scary times indeed. So what do we do about it?
   Living by example is one thing we can do, exhibiting kindness, decency, open-mindedness, and tolerance in our everyday lives. Speaking out and making our voices heard is also extremely important these days. We can do this in day to day interactions with people as well as by utilizing social media and websites. We need to stand against intolerance and bigotry while promoting open-mindedness, tolerance, and decency instead. We should educate others on issues they don’t understand and encourage them to seek out a variety of different sources for information as opposed to only listening to those that tell them what they want to hear. For news, they should should check out sources such as CNN, USA Today, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, the New York Times, NPR, the BBC, and others. Not just watch Fox News. We must vote against politicians who are promoting hate and elect in leaders who stand for decency and open-mindedness instead. We can also avoid organizations and businesses that push intolerance and patronize the ones promoting kindness instead. This can also hit them where it hurts: their pocketbooks!
   I’m not saying it will be easy, but we can battle against the wave of intolerance, prejudice, and hate infecting society today. It’s up to us.

We Need to Fight Against Republican Extremism

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

7-6-23
   These are scary times for many of us. Much of the Republican Party has become steeped in extremism, intolerance, prejudice, authoritarianism, and frankly ignorance. In states throughout the country, Republicans are attacking LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights, diversity programs, environmental initiatives, and more. Millions of us are feeling swirling mixtures of uncertainty, anxiety, fear, anger, fury, and a desire to fight back. To defend our rights and retake them in places where rights have been lost.
   But that leaves the question: What is the best way to do this?
   Here are some of my thoughts on that subject. Now I recognize there is no one single way to do this. Multiple factors come into play with regards to how fight back, and remember to keep it peaceful. Violence is not the answer.
   Speaking up and speaking out is so important in fighting for our rights because it educates people which in turn can lead to gaining badly needed allies. It may also encourage others who feel similarly to speak up themselves. Now I realize there are some people for whom speaking up is not an option for a variety of reasons, and that’s okay. But for those who are able and willing, it really can make a difference. There are numerous ways to speak up which include talking to people you know, posting on social media platforms, and even joining peaceful protests. One thing which is extremely important (and unfortunately gets overlooked by many people) is that it is vital to be accurate in what you say. Be able to back up your positions with good evidence that you’ve obtained from reliable, independent sources. Don’t just automatically repeat something that you hear and like without double-checking it’s accuracy because there is a lot of bad information out there. Just because something sounds good and you want it to be true, doesn’t mean that it actually is true. It may be grossly exaggerated or downright false. And spreading information that turns out to be inaccurate ends up hurting the cause because people become less likely to listen in the future even when you are correct and on point. So double check the information using reliable, independent sources.
   Another tactic is picking and choosing how and where you spend your money. For example, when able, you can avoid businesses that are particularly anti-LGBTQ while striving to support businesses that are pro-LGBTQ. This is why I refuse to go to Chick-fil-A. I don’t want that organization to get a penny of my money. In addition to that, you can tell people what you are doing and why. Maybe it will encourage them to do the same thing. Another idea money-wise is if you donate to charities, support well run organizations who are fighting for what you believe in.
   And here’s one more thing you can do, an extremely vitally important thing you can do: VOTE! Vote as many of these conservative Republicans out of office as possible and vote for individuals who will fight for the rights of LGBTQ people, women’s reproductive rights, diversity, etc. And be careful in how you use your vote. I’d recommend against voting for some third-party candidate who has zero chance of winning because often that ends up helping the Republican candidate by splitting the anti-Republican vote. Try voting for someone who will fight for our rights and also has a chance of winning their election.
   So while these are scary times, there are things we can do to fight for our rights and work to make this a better place for everyone.
   So let’s do it! The future is depending on us.

Much Of The Republican Party Is Going Down A Dark, Undemocratic Path

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Current Events

   Liz Cheney’s defeat in the Wyoming Republican primary is yet another example of the dark, undemocratic path much of the Republican Party is going down. And what’s worse is that this trend is threatening American democracy itself.
   In terms of policy and how she voted in Congress, Liz Cheney and I would disagree on a great many things, but I admire the fact she put defending American democracy and the United States Constitution above her political career or loyalty to a political party. She is one of the few Republicans willing to stand up to Trump and fight back against his lies and threats to our democratic values. She realizes the importance of democracy and the Constitution. So the fact that Republicans in Wyoming would vote so strongly against her reveals yet again how dark and twisted much of the Republican Party has become.
   In many ways, the Republican Party is now the party of Trump, a party that is willingly following a narcissistic, lying authoritarian figure. Despite the fact that overwhelming evidence shows the 2020 election was fair and that Joe Biden legitimately won, the majority of Republicans believe Trump’s lies instead. And a significant percentage are actively promoting those lies. Many Republicans have gone so far as to push for laws and policies that are clearly undemocratic. Want some examples? Here you go: In several states, Republicans have proposed bills that would allow state legislatures to overturn election results and allot electoral votes themselves, literally ignoring the will of the voters. There are also proposals by Republicans that would make it very difficult for election officials to deal with partisan poll watchers who are intimidating and interfering with voters and election workers. Republicans in numerous states are also trying to get Trump following election deniers into positions (like secretary of state) where they would oversee future elections, thus increasing their ability to interfere with (and possibly overturn) legitimate election results they don’t like. These are not exaggerations. Mail in voting is another target Republicans are aiming at despite the fact that it has been shown to be very secure and effective. The blunt reality is that Republicans are going after it because Democrats were the main ones who used mail in voting in the 2020 election. Again, I’m not exaggerating here. I wish I was, but I’m not. This is really happening.
   Much of the Republican Party is actively threatening American democracy, and this is a big reason why we can’t afford Republican control over governments (at any level) these days.
   Whatever your political beliefs or party affiliation, people need to speak out against the lies spread by Trump and others. It’s time to stand up for democracy and the United States Constitution and vote in elected officials who do the same because if people don’t, future historians may look back on this time as the beginning of the end of American democracy.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/19/voter-subversion-trump-republicans-push-laws-change-elections/9824186002/

Scary Times For American Democracy

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Current Events

Jan 6, 2022
   1 year ago, an angry mob stormed the United States Capitol Building in an effort to stop Congress from performing it’s Constitutional duty of certifying the 2020 election. This was the first time such a terrible event has occurred in the United States history. And what is even more disturbing is how so many people, many of whom are Republicans, are trying to downplay the seriousness of the assault.
   Let’s make one thing perfectly clear: the 2020 presidential election was free and fair. Every single state, including those run by Republicans, certified the election because they found no evidence of widespread fraud. There were Republican, Democrat, and Independent observers in all the ballot counting rooms in all the states during the counting process. There were also international observers from multiple countries monitoring the election. And again, no evidence of widespread fraud was found. There have been numerous recounts and investigations into the election. For example, in Georgia, the official overseeing the election in that state was a Republican. After the Trump campaign made its claims of fraud, Georgia instituted serious investigations which included the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as well as the FBI, and no evidence of widespread fraud was found. The Trump campaign lost over 60 court cases where it was trying to push its claims of fraud, and many of the judges who ruled against Trump were conservatives themselves. The reason they ruled against Trump is because the Trump campaign had no legitimate evidence that would hold up in a court of law.
   Yet despite all this, Trump and many of his associates and followers continue to spread lies about the election claiming widespread fraud which in fact did not exist. There is strong evidence that it was these false claims that instigated the mob of Trump followers to riot and attack the US Capitol Building. And it is beyond disturbing and frankly dangerous the way Trump and many others continue to spread false claims of fraud when no widespread fraud actually occurred. It is undermining American democracy, and that is no exaggeration. Many people are losing faith in the electoral process due to these false claims still being spread. A growing number of Americans are saying they think violence against the government is acceptable. There are also Republicans in numerous states trying to pass laws that would make voting more difficult for millions of Americans, and they seem to be doing this in large part because of the false claims being spread by Trump and their willingness to bow to Trump’s demands. It is also deeply disturbing how many Republicans in Congress are trying to downplay the seriousness of the January 6th events these days. Some are even trying to rewrite what happened.
   This is why it is so vitally important to learn about the details, causes, and ramifications of the Jan 6th Capitol Building attack. We especially need to understand the causes since those are still simmering and festering in society today. Democracy is an amazing thing, but it is also a fragile thing. History has proven this many times.
   So we need to stay vigilant. We must stand for truth (whatever it may be) and democracy.

More People Need To Get Information From Varied, Independent, Reputable Sources

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Current Events, Social Issues

10-9-21
   What happened to people’s ability to think for themselves clearly, fairly, rationally, and accurately?
   I’d really like to know.
   The thing that makes it so ironic is that we live in an age where people have more access to incredible amounts of information than ever before in human history. Think about it. With just our smartphones, devices which literally fit in our pockets, we can access vast amounts of information. News sites, online encyclopedias, a vast array of other websites, and multiple television news channels are all literally at our fingertips. Never in human history has so much information been so readily available to an everyday individual. It’s quite amazing when you think about it.
   As a result, it’s easier than ever to obtain information from a variety of different sources and get different points of view in order to be as accurate as possible. The problem is that millions and millions of people don’t do this. Instead, they focus on sites and people that only tell them what they want to hear. They connect with others online who agree with them and shun those who don’t. Many only get their news from extremely biased, one sided sources that frequently twist information around, exaggerate, and sometimes flat out lie. And when reputable news sites tell them accurate information that they don’t want to hear, they often call it “fake.” They seem to prefer deluding themselves over facing the truth.
   There are plenty of examples of this these days. With all due respect, Donald Trump lost the 2020 election fair and square. There is overwhelming evidence proving this. Every single state certified the election. There were Republican, Democrat, and Independent officials in all the ballot counting rooms in all the states overseeing the vote tallying process. There were even international observers from multiple countries monitoring the election. When the Trump campaign tried to spread their false claims of fraud in the courts, they lost over 60 times. And many of the judges who ruled against them were conservatives themselves. Yet tens of millions of Americans continue to believe the false claims of fraud as they only listen to Trump, other select Republican figures, and conservative websites about the election. They’re ignoring the vast amount of evidence showing that there was no widespread fraud and that Trump legitimately lost.
   Another example is how millions of people are ignoring the scientific evidence regarding the COVID pandemic in terms of the need for getting vaccinated, mask wearing inside public places, and social distancing. Instead of listening to the scientists on reputable sites, they ignore them and follow misinformation which is resulting in too many people not getting vaccinated and refusing to wear masks/social distance in situations where they should. This in turn is making the pandemic much worse and is undoubtedly costing lives to be lost tragically and unnecessarily.
   People need to open their minds and get information from varied, independent, reputable sources. They should strive to learn different points of view, try to verify information, be as objective as possible, and avoid only listening to those that tell them just what they want to hear. Doing these things would help more people get closer to understanding the real truth than has been happening thus far, and this in turn would help make the world a better place in the long run.

Donald Trump And Those Blindly Following Him Are Endangering American Democracy

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Current Events

5-10-21
   I’m deeply disturbed by how Republicans these days have become so extreme in the way so many are following Donald Trump with an almost cult-like zeal. It’s to the point where our democracy is being seriously threatened in the near and long-term future, particularly if this trend continues.
   Donald Trump lied more than any other modern American president, and his outrageous false claims and lies about the election incited the January 6th riot and insurrection at the US Capitol Building. These facts are clear. Donald Trump lost the election fair and square, yet he continues to make outrageously false allegations and claims trying to say he won. He lost. There were international observers overseeing the election. Every single state, including those run by Republicans, certified the election. Ballot counting rooms had Republican, Democrat, and Independent observers overseeing the process and present to deal with issues. In addition to all this, Trump and his people went to court making their false claims about the election and lost over 60 times. And many of the judges who ruled against them were Republicans themselves.
   And here we are with Trump out of office yet still controlling the Republican Party. It is clear that he is expecting and demanding Republicans, especially those in elected offices, to bow to his will and obey his instructions. If an elected official doesn’t do this, then Trump will lash out at them and turn his followers against them. He appears to be demanding that Republicans go along with his outrageous lies about the election and that if elected Republicans want to get anywhere politically in the party, they have to espouse these lies as well. We’re seeing this with the way Republicans are turning on Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney. These two have stood up to Trump with regards to his false claims about the election, and they’re being torn viciously apart by the Republican Party as a result.
   The cult like control Trump is holding over the Republican Party is beyond disturbing and is truly endangering our democracy. Having one person who is no longer in an elected position holding such authoritarian style control over a major political party goes against what democracy is supposed to be about. In addition to this, Trump is convincing many Republicans not to trust United States elections if the person they voted for doesn’t win.
   This situation is extremely dangerous to the future of our democracy. More people in the Republican Party need to speak out against Trump’s horrible, dangerous lies and stand up for the United States Constitution and the American people instead. Will this happen? Right now, the verdict is still out on that which is scary.

Republicans Are Pushing For New Laws That Would Make Voting More Difficult For Many Americans

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Current Events

4-5-21
   Republicans around the country are pushing for new laws that would make it significantly more difficult for many Americans to vote. They’re particularly targeting mail in voting and ballot drop boxes, both of which were used heavily by people who voted for Democrats in the last election.
   This is no coincidence. It’s very clear that the Republicans are trying to make it more difficult for people to vote, especially those they fear will vote for Democrats. Historically, Republicans have often feared large voter turnouts in elections because they worry that it may favor the Democrats if more people come out and vote.
   This is clear voter suppression. Republicans are trying to increase the odds that they might win future elections by making it more difficult for those who may vote for Democrats to cast their ballot. This is sick, disgusting, and goes against what democracy is supposed to be about. Frankly, it starts getting dangerously close to authoritarianism and clearly goes against what this country should stand for.
   Everyone who cares about our freedoms and democracy should be furious and speak out against these horrendous laws that Republicans are pushing all around the country. Mail in voting has been shown over and over to be very effective and quite secure. The military has been using it for years. We should be encouraging people to exercise their constitutional right to vote and have a voice in American democracy.
   People need to speak up and speak out against these outrageous new laws.
   Let’s stand for democracy and the United States Constitution.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/30/politics/voting-rights-republicans-restrictions-key-states/index.html