I hold the Republican Congress in contempt for failure to do their jobs in service of the people who elected them, for their support of the attacks on those Trump considers enemies, for their silence and encouragement of the deportation of spouses of our military members and those undocumented people who help to keep our country running, for their lack of support for proven science both medical and ecological, for their utter disregard of both the laws and traditions of the land, for their persecution of Dr. Fauci, for their support of Donald J. Trump as he violates the Constitution, the law and reduces this once world-esteemed country to a laughing stock, no longer admired by our partners and allies.

Donald J. Trump is a danger to our country and to the world. His efforts must be deterred. I stand defiant.

I am a patriot who loves this country and is weary unto death about what is happening here. We the people must stand.

The Senate COVID hearing was yet another waste of taxpayer dollars and distraction from the important issues of the day. This attack on a man who saved so many lives, not just related to COVID, but also to HIV/AIDS is a disgusting show by Republicans who relish disgusting shows. Dr. Fauci is a hero who has served our nation above and beyond the call of duty, no matter if someone is butt-hurt about wearing a mask or not.

Yesterday, Defiance.org and The Institute for Primary Facts unveiled the Donald J. Trump Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Bookmobile which will be traveling to major cities with copies of all the released Epstein files for people to read. As the regime continues to evade releasing all the files, the mighty women who were abused stood up at the bookmobile reveal press conference in D.C. and continue to stand up for justice as do those of us who support the bookmobile effort. The files MUST be released and and those who are in them need to be investigated, no protected.

Todd “Carte” Blanche continues to evade putting in writing a declaration the scheme to pay off January 6ers and avoid Trump having to have the IRS review his taxes is officially off. Clearly the man, who slipped up during his hearing saying he is Trump’s lawyer, for this reason and others has no business being AG, and, in fact, is – in my opinion – ripe for disbarment.

While the government continues to roll the distraction reel, below the surface they are spending the American taxpayer’s money like it is their own. They are working to disembowel the First Amendment and take away rights enshrined in our Constitution. Trump continues his efforts to dilute the voice of Americans by attacking voting rights, claiming elections are stolen when the only election he really cared about was the one he lost in 2020. Sadly, his sycophants support him in this. The Iran War is a losing proposition that is spending billions that would be better spent for the benefit of the American people. They are endangering our health by removing those scientists who have worked to keep our food supply safe and protect our health. Trump is enacting tariffs that are impacting the consumer and, as we know, once prices go up they rarely go down. Taking over Venezuela, with considering a takeover of Cuba and Greenland still on his hit list is reprehensible. Our economy is struggling, gas is up, food costs are up, insurance is up, health care costs continue to rise. Millions of Americans can’t afford health care and, in fact, 35% of them do not have enough money to handle a $400.00 emergency. This list is incomplete.

Yet, Republican’s big talking point is Democrats are Communists who will destroy our country. Again and again, they play the fear card hoping to scare votes in their direction.

Meanwhile, in an underreported story, Trump has ordered 250 Cadillac Escalades for his staff and security team. To have these vehicles fitted with proper security protection, the vehicles will cost $300,000 each, a total over $7 million of our taxpayer dollars. You didn’t want a new car, did you?

The circus will never end as long as the Clown Car owner, the Orange Ringleader, sits in the driver’s seat.

50 years into the future wasn’t on the mind of friends or me, there was no crystal ball that showed the United States of America the way it is today: wildly divisive, torn by the actions of a power and money-hungry narcissistic man who should never been elected in the White House and those in Congress who blindly acquiesce to his every whim. Too many hold hate of others unlike them—of different colors, creeds, religions and sexual orientations—fed by those who shout America should be a white, Christian country wherein woman are subservient, baby-making machines.

How will history remember this decade, I wonder? Will we the people come together or will politics and hate continue to divide us? With this momentous birthday of our country’s founding, will our great American experiment continue or fail?

Many of us—hopefully most—will work toward a successful continuation of our union. As the Stars and Stripes wave over us, will we win this fight for our country’s life? We must, we cannot let the experiment end here.

I urge all, on this July 4th, to come together to save our democratic republic. We the people can raise our voices and make efforts to overcome the attacks on our freedoms, our way of life, and the promise of America. Join Defiance.org, support democracydefendersfund.org, raise your voice with nokings.org and indivisible.org, and follow the many people and groups that work toward the preservation of our union. Unite your voice and efforts with theirs.

The time is now. It has never been more urgent. Above all, celebrate our birthday.. Happy America 250.

Still inspired by Former President Obama’s speech of yesterday. While I’ll never get to Chicago, I do hope my “kids” will take their son to the Obama Presidential Center when he is old enough to appreciate the history that is contained within.

Obama still carries that “audacity of hope” he spoke of so often and through his words, yesterday, he encouraged us to hope, too. More than anything else, we need to stand for our country and its 250 year-old promise. The road to today has been a long, often bumpy, one—particularly now—but the glimmers of the promise that “all men are created equal” still stands.

We must find ways to come together. To remove the hate, and find the truth: that each of us, under our skin, religious beliefs or sexuality, are ONE human race. We all bleed red. Now it’s time to find the white and blue, to shine the light again on America’s promise.

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Mike Johnson called our country “the greatest nation in the history of the world,” and said we are “the most free, most successful, most powerful, most benevolent nation that’s ever been.”

Johnson continued: “Over 74 percent of federal spending is on autopilot. Mandatory spending. That’s your entitlement programs like, Medicare, Medicaid, and then things like Social Security. They have to be adjusted and fixed. We have a plan to do that, uh, next year, and it’s critical because we’re at 40 trillion, plus. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Benevolent? 13.7% of Americans have had to switch to cheaper groceries or purchase less food. More than one-third report skipping meals in the past year due to financial constraints. Food insecurity is significantly higher for Black and Latino households and over 14 MILLION children live in food insecure households. Southern states, which experience high food insecurities continue to elect these who will not serve them.

Between 26 and 38% of American adults sip or delay needed medical care due to costs. Even for those who are insured, rising out of pocket costs force over a third of Americans to forego medical treatment.

Entitlements? Our tax dollars pay for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaide. Meanwhile the government is giving taxes back, in the greatest amount, to those with the most money and spending it recklessly on the military, Homeland Security, ICE and most frustrating, vanity projects for Trump.

67% of seniors depend on those “entitlements,” with their Social Security payments for between 51 and 99% of their income. 9.3% of adults over 65 suffer food insecurity. They have to decide between healthcare and eating. Many take those retirement saving meant to help them through the ends of their lives just to eke by.

This government is not “benevolent,” it is, instead, self-serving with those in {leadership positions” working to accumulate more wealth and power while shunting aside those who vote for them.

Astoundingly, many continue to vote for those who promise what is never delivered. Wake up, America.

(Mike Johnson quotes from the Moon Griffon Show, Jun 9, 2026. Facts about medical care can be found via the Kaiser Family Foundation and data is compiled by USA Facts. Data on senior citizens comes from the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Assn. Information on food insecurity comes from Meals on Wheels America and the Economic Research Service, a government entity.)

My husband has been in the hospital since March 6. Due to a growth at the base of his tongue, part of a wall of a blood vessel was eroded away, causing him to repeatedly vomit blood, and this was fixed with a coil closure. Due to the growth being cancerous, a trachestomy was done for what will be upcoming radiation treatments and his upcoming inability to swallow with comfort. Additionally, a PEC line was run into his stomach for (liquid) eating.

Supplies he needs at home, ordered on Thursday, should have all been delivered by Friday or the latest yesterday, yet we are still missing part of the order, the part which will provide what he needs for his trach care.

Our Medicare Advantage plan, through #Humana, has been “processng” the order since Thursday, first claiming they didn’t have the trach part number so they could order the right parts - a lie, the trach name and part number are on the order form. Yesterday we were told it would take 24-48 hours to process, obviously that time frame has passed. A nurse I spoke with this morning said “maybe” he will be home tomorrow, or Tuesday. That there is no certainty is unfucking believable.

The doctors, case manager, nurses, and all who have provided care to my husband agree that he has been ready to come home since last Wednesday, when the items were ordered. Each and every person I have spoken to indicates #Humana is dragging their feet on this and that this is typical of this insurance company. I don’t fault the hospital, they have done an excellent job taking care of my beloved.

To say I am furious is an understatement. Tears come frequently. My husband needs to come home so we can get him the radiation oncology treatments he needs. He’s sitting in the hospital both irate and depressed that we will be stuck with additional hospital charges and that he can’t get treatment going.

So many have had similar problems, our for profit healthcare system and insurance companies have become - obviously - more about profit than patient care. I blame #Congress for refusing to do anything about healthcare and insurance costs. Our government is supposed to support we, the people. They are not - they are spending our taxpayer money on everything but US..

I have made dozens - probably more - calls to try to get this solved to no avail and I am at my wit’s end. If you need an advantage Medicare plan, I highly recommend you find other than #Humana.

At Trump’s Board of Peace meeting yesterday, he declared our country will contribute $10 billion dollars to the cause. Never mind that Congress has to approve this appropriation of funds, no doubt he will just "do it.” Who pays for it? We do.

We still don’t really know what this Board of so-called Peace will be doing other than, as he said, “looking over the U.N. and making sure it runs properly.” The U.S. currently owes $2.196 billion to the U.N.; that $10 billion donation to the Board of Peace could pay for nearly five more years of U.N membership.

In addition, Trump controls the funds given to the Board of Peace. He could, ostensibly, take the money and run and, given past behaviors, would that be surprising?

With the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO (World Health Organization), and Trump’s declaration that “we” will recreate the WHO, the cost will be roughly $2 billion a year, funded via the Department of Health and Human Services. We have been paying the WHO $689 million/year. Who will pay for this increase? We will.

There are many more dollars being given to various efforts per the Trump agenda, including, but not limited to:

• An additional $1.5 trillion to build a “dream military.”

• Focus on AI, including $90 billion in Pennsylvania.

• Another $37 billion for border wall construction.

Our military budget is ridiculously high with $997 allocated in 2024, 40% of the total global military budget for that year. AI is going to cost us more than the $90 billion in Pennsylvania and elsewhere when we factor in increases in infrastructure costs and electricity expenditures. As to the border wall, if “no one is coming in” as the Trump regime avers, why do we need to build more wall? Once again we have to ask: Who will pay? The answer, as usual: We will.

I’d like to see my tax dollars spent on improving our healthcare situation, both in terms of lower costs and making the system more efficient as well as creating insurance for all Americans. This could best be served IMO, by the creation of a universal healthcare system.

Too, I’d like to see monies spent on housing for the poor and homeless and on environmental issues. In other words, our tax dollars should be spent on what is good for the American people, not some pumped-up causes to make Trump look good.

Contrary to Trump’s campaign promises, federal spending in his first 100 days of this term was roughly $200 billion than during the same period in 2024.

What are your thoughts on Trump’s drunken sailor spending?

Cartoon credit: Kirk, 2018, The Toledo Blade.

In addition to referring to the entire human race, humanity also signifies the virtues of compassion, kindness and social intelligence that distinguish humans from other life forms. In a historical sense, it represents our advancement of human rights and the ethical care of others.

DEI represents fair treatment for all, particularly those who have been marginalized and/or underrepresented.

Thus, essentially, the removal of DEI-related guidance paints a lack of humanity in the current regime, we see it in its actions and words. It’s there in the taking of small children to use them as bait for ICE actions. We see it in the detention camps where in Texas people freeze in tents, in places where there is no medical care for the diabetic or otherwise ill. We see it in the comments on the official White House social media pages when they mock Don Lemon in an image that shows the chains of slavery.

Perhaps, most of all, we see it in the cruel commentary by the MAGA faithful who proudly proclaim “I voted for this!.”

I was 12 when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. Prior to that, I recall my parents not wanting to drive through parts of my hometown due to riots. It was an uprising of people who wanted to be treated the same as I was. Naively (perhaps acceptable for someone so young at the time), I thought we’d see a major turn around in the treatment of those who had been viewed as lesser than. The “coloreds only” signs went away, but the hate did not. Hate went underground – behind closed doors.

People of color were still being treated as second class citizens: unjustly when it came to law enforcement; unfairly when it came to blaming “the blacks” for virtually every crime under the sun; hatefully when mothers told their daughters to stay away from “those people,” poorly when it came to wages and opportunity.

With the election of Barack Obama, a shining light of progress to many of us, hate reared its ugly head more visibly. I remember, in around 2010 or so, a co-worker whom I‘d admired saying she felt white people were being treated unfairly. When countered with facts she held firm in that belief; she hated Obama. Those people who wanted to “take their country back” were white Americans who someone felt that they, now, were being marginalized due to affirmative action, to fairness, to equity.

So we have come to the second coming of the Trump regime. As ICE hauls off people whose only crime is the color of their skin in the majority of cases, some claim racism. Those same people think this unfair, that they certainly aren’t racist – yet they applaud seeing undocumented people taken away. They feel the undocumented are taking their jobs, those that same group wouldn’t reduce themselves to taking. Some claim the undocumented are taking their housing although the wages paid to them certainly aren’t enough to buy home, let along rent a nice apartment. They, once the “ruling” majority have become - in their minds - the victims.

What happened to our humanity? What happened to treating others as we would like to be treated? Where did kindness go, and what the hell happened to compassion?

I hope that we get past the hate and move toward a more equitable – for all – future. In the words of Captain Picard, it’s up to us to make it so.

Along with beyond inadequate training and the hiring of some of the worst of the worst people, we have yahoo types who think their job equates to violent video game play. We know that violent games can and have had negative reactions among young players. It seems in the case of some ICE team members there is a blurring between fantasy and reality.

The rush to deport, fed by the hurry to hire anyone who – seemingly – can do the job DHS wants has, as we know, eschewed adequate training. 47 days? The number of the current president? This is inanity at its worst. Too, the time period, to my mind, doesn’t provide a clear picture of the mindset of those hired if, indeed, any psychoanalysis is performed. I doubt it.

We know that among ICE members there are Proud Boys, Three Percenters, Neo-Nazis, and January 6th participants, all of whom follow Trump’s orders and hate who he hates. They hold a grudge that somehow those demonized by the right-wing ideologues have taken the best jobs, the best homes, are over paid and have risen too high up in America – a grudge fed by the rhetoric of the Trump regime and its sycophants.

It’s wake the fuck up time for all Democrats. They MUST block the bill currently under vote that adds additional funding to DHS. Clearly, we have a Republican-lead House that isn’t just worried about their jobs and mean tweets, they are supportive of Trump’s vision of America. Disgustingly, seven Democrats voted with Republicans to advance the funding bill. The Senate holds members of a similar mindset. Will enough of them come to their senses and help to block the funding? Will the murder of Renee Good, Alex Prettie, Geraldo Campos, and the deaths of Francisco Gaspar-Andres and Victoria Manuel Diaz, be enough to bring the senator’s humanity to the surface?

It is nighttime in America. The majority of us await the dawn, as the song being sung on Minneapolis streets, “Hold On” promises.

Can we trust that promise?

(Image: Erik McGregor/Pacific/Barcroft)

Misogyny, the deep-rooted hatred and/or contempt of women and girls, is a direct result of patriarchy, wherein men dominate. It can result in discrimination, belittling, control and even violence. These beliefs devalue women, resulting in the “keep them barefoot and pregnant” mentality.

Trump has a long history of sexist attacks against women. From his comment in 1991, (Esquire Magazine) “It doesn’t really matter what (the media) write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass,” to the well-known “grab ‘em by the pussy” comment in 2005, there have been many remarks of a similar nature.

And now, we’ve come to this: Right wing commentators who act as if women are a plaything who should stay home, make dinner, service them sexually and raise their children all without question.

Nick Fuentes wants to go back to the Middle Ages wherein women can’t go to school, vote, wear veils in church, aren’t in the workforce, and are burned at the stake for being witches. Most egregious, he said, “Your body, OUR CHOICE. That ceiling is made out of brick”.

Andrew Tate has characterized women as “intrinsically lazy” setting aside the idea that a woman can be independent. He promotes the idea that men should dominate relationships and that a woman is a man’s property, with her primary value domesticity and being a “loyal wife”.

Shall we be considered “childless cat ladies” as J.D. Vance said, the implication being that women without children have no stake in our country?

Women have long made valuable contributions to society far beyond that of being a baby generator. From Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Maya Angelou, Amelia Earhart, and Sally Ride, to Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris, the list goes on. The Christian right, who espouse Christianity as the “official religion” of the United States – if the mythos is to be believed – seem to have forgotten that without the Virgin Mary there would be no Jesus.

The time is coming when we shall have to struggle again. After the Trump era ends, and in the hope that a sane person will be installed in the White House, we will have to work to silence the bigots and haters and reclaim our place in the country. Remember, women are not the weaker sex, no man can give birth to babies without us.

My name is Brandon Siguenza, and I am a US citizen from Minneapolis. Yesterday, while doing legal observation, ICE stopped their cars to harass my friend and me. They sprayed pepper spray into the vent of our vehicle. We held our hands in the air and told them we were not obstructing, that the car was in park and they were free to drive forward and away. There was no active immigration raid. They returned to their cars, and drove forward a bit, then decided to stop again. They surrounded us, smashed the windows of our car, opened the doors (they were unlocked), ripped my friend and I out of the car and arrested us on charges of obstruction.

I was put in an unmarked SUV, separated from my friend. As I was put in the back seat an ICE agent tore the whistle off my neck and said “I’ll be taking this, I might need it later.” My phone was knocked out of my hand while being arrested. As we drove away I asked the driver and the passenger if they wouldn’t mind buckling my seatbelt, as they were driving erratically. I was ignored. I asked them if I could have the handcuffs loosened, as I was losing circulation, and was told no. At one point the passenger realized his own driver's license was in the backseat next to mine, and tried to surreptitiously grab it without me seeing it.

We were taken to the Whipple federal building, where I saw dozens of brown people being processed in an unheated garage. I was frisked, told of my charges, and saw buses and vans being prepped. I later learned that these were being filled with detainees a driven to the airport for deportation. As we were led in, I noticed that the building was very busy. I got the impression that one of the 2 agents bringing me around was being trained. At multiple points throughout my stay, government agents were unable to open doors, not sure where they were meant to be going, and overall confused and overwhelmed. They couldn’t figure out how to use the building phones, or complained about a lack of cell service preventing them from checking the internet or making calls.

The people in the cells were extremely scared. We heard people screaming "let me out!", crying, wailing and terrified screams. There were cells with as many as 8 people. I have no way of knowing how long they have been there, if they were allowed any contact with the outside world, or if they were being brought food or water. Most people were staring at the ground with almost no energy. I was not allowed to talk to anyone imprisoned. I distinctly remember seeing a desperate woman. She was staring at the ground with her head in her hands crying, hopeless, while her friend or family member sat on a bathroom seat observed by 3 men.

My friend and I were put in an area for "USCs," which we eventually learned meant US citizens, separated by gender. We were imprisoned for 8 hours, during which my friend was never allowed a phone call. I was allowed to call my wife and tell her where I was. During my interview with Special Agent William and Special Agent Garcia, they asked me to empty my pockets. When I pulled out gloves, Agent William said those were meant to be taken when I was processed, and complained about having to fill out the form again. He frisked me once more, where he found glass in my pocket from when our car window was shattered. He filled out the form listing my personal items again, but put the wrong date. I was read my rights, I pleaded the fifth and was led back to my cell.

Food, water, and bathroom breaks were extremely difficult to acquire. I would ask over the intercom provided in the cell for a bathroom break, be told someone was on their way, then ask again 20 minutes later, be told someone was on their way, wait another 20 minutes, etc. Eventually they either turned off the intercom or it stopped working, because no one would respond. I could get water and bathroom breaks by pounding on the glass when someone happened to walk by and beg them directly. Hours would go by without anyone checking on us. I am vegan and the only food they offered were turkey sandwiches, fruit snacks with gelatin, and granola bars with honey. I eventually ate a granola bar out of hunger.

I was in the cell alone for between 1 and 2 hours, then another man was put into my cell, whose shirt was ripped open from his arrest, and an injured toe, who was carried aggressively into an unmarked car during his arrest. After about 4-5 hours, another man was brought in who had a cut on his head from his arrest. He told me he was tackled by 4 or 5 agents during his arrest. At no point was he offered medical assistance.

Later I was told that a lawyer was here to see me, and I was able to speak with him in a visitation room. The special agent told me that the door could not be closed all the way, so it was cracked during my interaction with my lawyer. I got the impression that they were not used to having lawyers present, and were trying to follow procedure as best they could. I asked an agent if the other detainees were allowed lawyers and was not answered.

At one point, 3 men from the department of Homeland Security Investigations brought me into a cell. They insinuated that they could help me out. After inquiring several times what exactly they meant they finally told me that they could offer undocumented family members of mine legal protection if I have any (I don’t), or money, in exchange for giving them the names of protest organizers, or undocumented persons. I was shocked, and told them no.

Finally, after hours of detention, I was told to follow an agent. At no point was I told whether or not I was being charged, or where I was going, but I was led out of the building. I asked if I could use a phone to call my wife to pick me up, and was told I could not. After pleading for several minutes eventually Special Agent William let me use his phone to call my wife. As I was escorted off the property by government agents, I was told to turn right. I was escorted to the protest area, where 5 minutes later, tear gas was deployed and I was struck by a paint ball gun. I was not protesting, I was simply being released without charges after an 8 hour detention. I was on the other side of the street, as instructed by the agents that released me and the agents shouting orders over a bullhorn. A passerby who was tear gassed was panicking and having an asthma attack, so I helped her find a medic to get her an inhaler. I used a stranger's phone to co-ordinate pickup, and was picked up by my wife.

During my detention I knew that I was being released. I knew that as a citizen of the United States I have legal protection. The hundred or so other people being detained had no such protection. At this time I don’t need your help, it is the families that are being separated, abused, terrorized, harassed and killed that need your help. If this is happening to me, an American citizen born in the United States, then what is happening to the people in here that have no one calling lawyers on their behalf? That have no constitutional rights to due process? What is happening to the people that they will never be released to see their families, go to their jobs, or walk through their city ever again?

Please take care of yourselves, your family, and your community. I am safe and healthy, if you feel compelled to help, please offer your help to the Immigrant Defense Network at https://immigrantdefensenetwork.org/. If you know someone detained by ICE, call or text CAIR-MN at 612-206-3360 for 24/7 legal intake.

Between 200,000 and 500,000 demonstrators march down Constitution Avenue during the March on Washington, Aug. 28, 1963. HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

“Trump said in an interview that he believed civil rights-era protections resulted in white people being “very badly treated,” his strongest indication that the concept of “reverse discrimination” is driving his aggressive crusade against diversity policies.” (New York Times, January 12)

What lead us to this place in history is the evidence that Trump’s statement is provably false and serves no more than to placate the butt-hurt who think Black people have taken what they perceived as ‘theirs.’

Black people, and people of color, have suffered – and continue to suffer – from hate on the part of white Americans instilled at the beginning of our country’s formation; it continues today. This is evident in the ICE efforts to remove undocumented people by selective removal and the voices of white supremacists which became louder in the first Trump administration and have been further amplified in the past year.

The struggle for rights.

The elder members of society will remember learning about or experiencing the 1950s-1960s struggles for civil rights. Segregation, discrimination and disenfranchisement were rampant across the country. The struggles to attempt to end this were long and often a violent and blooded period in our history. Starting with 1954’s Brown vs. the Board of Education decision to end school segregation and including other such memorable efforts including the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Little Rock Nine’s integration of Central High in 1957, the first Civil Rights act was passed that year.

Sit-ins, freedom rides, and marches, notably the March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King orated his well-known “I Have a Dream” speech, were followed by 1964’s Civil Rights Act. The Selma to Montgomery March, called “Bloody Sunday” was followed by the Voting Rights Act and, finally, in 1968, the year Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, the Fair Housing Act passed.

For a time, it felt like some aspects of racial hate were lessening. However, as Black Americans well know, housing discrimination, policing and bias still were well in view while other racist efforts went virtually underground.

White supremacy is on the rise.

This past year, since the start of Trump 2, we have seen people like Charlie Kirk and Nick Fuentes brought to the fore. Many believe that Kirk’s quote, “Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more,” along with many others along the same line, are true. Fuentes, along with his anti-gay, misogynistic commentary, made this statement: “Enough with the Jim Crow stuff. Who cares? ‘Oh, I had to drink out of a different water fountain.’ Big f—ing deal...oh no, they had to go to a different school...And even if it was bad, who cares?...it was better for them, it’s better for us.”

In the early 1970s Trump, his father, and their company were subjected to a major federal housing discrimination lawsuit filed by the DOJ. Investigations showed that Blacks were often told no apartments were available, while whites obtained apartments in the same building. Applications were marked with a “C” code (for colored) or a “9” code to indicate applications were from Black prospective renters. As is the case in recent history, Trump essentially got off free on this case, not requiring a guilty admission but undergoing measures to ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act. Notably, this event marked the firs time Trump was mentioned in The New York Times.

Trump’s racist tendencies continue.

With attacks on various colleges, the Smithsonian and Trump’s effort to rewrite history on the museum’s displays, attacks on Somalis and nations of primary POC individuals, efforts to rewrite school books, and as is evidenced in his administration’s positions choices, the attempt to erase Black and other people of color is ongoing. Only one senior official, Scott Turner as Secretary of HUD, is Black. Among his first 100 administration picks, white people are over represented, making up 87% of his choices. Currently, white people are only about 58% of the country’s population.

A tipping point?

The American people are rising up against Trump but there is much work to be done. Various government social outlets indicate Trump and his sycophants want to return America to a pre-equality time as evidenced in part by the illustrations used in conjunction with the effort to “making America great again” which use images from the 40s and 50s to make a point. (With the attacks on people of color, can attacks on women and more attacks on LGBTQ+ people be far behind? Take as evidence here the rewriting of the murder of Renee Good that includes slurs against her gender and sexuality.)

Many Black Americans, tired of their ongoing racial struggles, hesitate to become involved in anti-Trump efforts, feeling they have fought enough. In many ways, I can’t blame them.

It is imperative that the mainstream media wakes from its slumber – if it can. Too many outlets are bowing to Trump, writing headlines that whitewash actions and failing to cover much of the anti-Trump sentiment in depth. Republicans are complicit, not surprisingly – can there be any question that many of them lean toward white supremacy?

Across Facebook, and, no doubt, other social venues, that portion of Americans who agree with Trump often comment more than do liberal voices on issues of the day. With social media such an important part of our lives, we need to encourage others to participate in the dialog and present facts to counter lies.

With three more yers of Trump enshitification ahead, our struggles have barely begun.

Let’s get to work.

I can’t remember, precisely, when I read 1984 but recall, clearly, how chilling Orwell’s seemingly prescient tale was at the time.

With yesterday’s revelation that ICE will be going door-to-door in Minneapolis hand in hand with NSPM 7 (National Security Presidential Memo 7) which states, in part: “The National Joint Terrorism Task Force and its local offices (collectively, “JTTFs”) shall coordinate and supervise a comprehensive national strategy to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt entities and individuals engaged in acts of political violence and intimidation designed to suppress lawful political activity or obstruct the rule of law.” indicates that every protest, every attempt to speak out will, most likely, be watched. (Read more on NSPM 7 here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/) Tt seems clear that Big Brother is overseeing us all.

ICE is relying on a combination of AI applications in their “investigative” efforts to determine the undocumented who, in the government’s opinion, must be removed from the country. These include AI’s facial-recognition tools, iris-scanning devices, and phone-hacking software, to assemble various data points in one location. Additionally, tools are being used to analyze driver’s license scans, collect information from seized phones, investigate location data, and link records from federal, state, and commercial databases. Included in these are tools that combine social media posts, travel records, tax data, and phone extractions into unified investigative files. In short, they will know, almost immediately, virtually everything about us.

It’s a short leap, I believe, to target both naturalized and America-born citizens in a similar way – to somehow silence people or, as Trump would like to do, revoke citizenship. ICE has, or has plans to, hired 30 contractors to monitor social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They will use the data gathered into enforcement leads for ICE. Oversight – what data is being used, what biases are inherent – becomes virtually impossible. Make no mistake, these efforts are clearly politically driven.

One additional purpose, of course, is to generate fear by putting those of us who love our country and exhibit it by writing letters, making phone calls, and protesting, in potential jeopardy. It is, in my opinion, important that we do not let fear paralyze us, we must stand for the America we love.

What can we do?

In any discussion about current events, this question arises. As we have been doing, letter-writing, protesting and using our power of the purse to refrain from spending money with those companies who have bent the knee can be effective. If. you haven’t already, join and participate in organizations committed to acting against Trump’s actions such as Definace.org (https://www.defiance.org) and RepresentUs (https://represent.us).

Contribute to the Democracy Defenders Fund (https://www.democracydefendersfund.org), and Mark Elias’ Democracy Docket (https://www.democracydocket.com), both of which are taking legal action against Trump’s activities.

Too, if you don’t belong to one of these organizations that organizes protests, now is the time to join: Indivisible (https://indivisible.org) and the 50501 Movement (https://www.fiftyfifty.one). Protesting and taking videos and photos of protests will show the government that we aren’t going to take it anymore.

For digital warriors, DemCast (https://demcast.com), via messaging, employs tens of thousands of social media users per month to relay pro-democracy and anti-disinformation messages across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter/X.

In Dune, Frank Herbert wrote: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” This quote keeps me connected to current events with a determination to do what I can to preserve our country. I hope. you will do so, too.

Since the inception of the latest version of ICE, and their violent dragging off of people to detention camps, we’ve known it would worsen and we saw the apex of the horror on January 7th. We’ve seen the video of Ms. Good’s murder and, almost worse, we’ve seen Trump’s claim that the ICE agent who shot her was hit by Ms. Good, is recovering in the hospital, and is lucky to be alive is utterly – and undeniably – false. This, from a man who has never been held accountable, is beyond his usual dishonesty. It reflects his complete lack of care of the American people as a whole.

I’ve seen the video of Trump’s goons and admirers dancing to Ice, Ice, Baby on New Year’s Eve with Noem dancing and mouthing the lyrics - it struck me as aa celebration of horror writ large.

ICE’s actions – the violence used to remove people – is not only reprehensible, it is inhuman. These people have savagery and hate in their hearts, fueled by Trump’s rhetoric. They are not selective about who they drag off – the 2025 numbers as of October from ProPublica indicate at least 170 American citizens were hauled away. The numbers also show that tens of thousands of detainers were issued for potential citizens.

If these numbers and actions don’t shock you, if they don’t turn you against ICE (if you weren’t already) then in my opinion there is something wrong with you. There is a cruel streak running through the minds of way too many Americans – it is on display across social venues, seen by myself (and no doubt many others) on Facebook and other social outlets – that has been fed by Trump. Above all, we must face this fact: The undocumented are human beings who came here as our forefathers did, looking for a better life.

Where is Congress on this? Do we pay these Congressional representatives to sit on their hands rather than vehemently speaking out against ICE and Trump? Are they really enamored with the authoritarian direction of our country? Is staying in their self-perceived power seats more important than the people who elected them? How many more actions against people will they support?

The real question, are our legislative representatives that inhumane?

This violence MUST end. If Congress – and the Supreme Court – won’t act, it falls on the shoulders of we, the people. Rise up in defiance. Raise your voices. Write and call your Congressional representatives. Support organizations that are working against the Trump agenda. Clearly, more protests are needed. The midterm elections are more important than ever, work to assure everyone you know will vote and help those who need help registering.

We are at a pivotable moment in our history.

We, the people, in the preamble to the Constitution, gives us the power. This is OUR country and it should be OUR determination that guides the legislators we pay. 250 years of our constitutional republic are on the line.

May the memory of Ms. Good serve to turn Americans toward the light.

Of the flood of confusion.

Of the misdirection.

Of the frivolous lawsuits.

Of the meaningless press gaggles.

Of the threats.

Of the false promises.

Of his voice.

Of his mockery.

Of his face.

This is no President. It’s a lousy actor with empty bravado hidden under the continual attempts to instill fear, all while thinking it makes him look like a big man. A pseudo writer whose “deals” are laughable and often end in failure. An empty shell disguised as a man who needs his ego stroked continuously, lest he collapse under the weight of his moral failure.

Donald Trump is a traitor. The Republicans in Congress who stand behind him have a broad yellow stripe running down their backs.

I want my country, with all its faults and its victories back.

One decision crafted by the Founders that I fully support is the First Amendment, particularly the admonishment that the “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

We have seen, from the Trump administration, a push of support for Christianity, with some insisting that the belief system should be our national religion. Apparently, the fact that some of the original settlers came here from England to escape religious persecution has either been erased from history or is simply ignored. To say many are uncomfortable with this religious push is probably an understatement. This country has existed for almost 250 years without a state religion, why would we need one now?

All this leads to the central reason for this post, the outrage that Zohran Mamdani swore his oath of office on the Quran (Qur’an, Koran). The outrage was amplified by all the usual right-wing commentators and channels with cries of “un American” and “dangerous!” I saw countless negative posts about this yesterday in comments about Mamdani’s swearing in on the swamp that is Facebook, no doubt the cries on X were even more vocal (I left X when Musk took over). Mamdani has the freedom to practice his religion just as much as any American does, part of that is the holy book of Islam. Representative Keith Ellison swore his oath on a Quran as well.

While true that oaths in our country are usually sworn on the Bible, there have been those who have not used either that book or any book to swear their oath; there is no requirement to swear it on any book. John Quincy Adams swore his oath on a law book while Theodore Roosevelt used no book. Interestingly, there seemed to be no brouhaha about Trump not putting his hand on the Bible when being sworn in during his second oath of office.

Why should the holy book of one’s religious faith be maligned? In fact, why should the faith anyone be central to an oath of office? To my mind, I’d prefer oaths in this country being sworn on the Constitution.

The hate for those of the Islamic faith is visceral, fed by 9/11 and the political outcries of the right about the religion of the attackers after that tragic day. Yet, it is not only whose who practice the Islamic faith who have committed horrible actions. Have those who ignored the First Amendment forgotten the actions of early Christians during the Crusades or other horrors that were enacted in “the name of God?” - murder rape, torture, abuse, persecution?

Why should the holy book of one’s religious faith be maligned? In fact, why should the faith and holy book of anyone be central to an oath of office? To my mind, I’d prefer oaths in this country being sworn on the Constitution.

In transparency, I left Christianity long ago, seeing that many who practice it fail to follow the teachings of Jesus. My spiritual path is one of love and is earth-centered; it includes some of Jesus’s central teachings. I’m supportive of everyone being able to choose their spiritual path and have no animosity toward them unless they try to foist their beliefs on me. Often I wish others would see their religion is not necessarily the guiding principle of their actions.

Freedom of religion. Let’s remember that everyone in this country has the same freedom.

A Willingness to Keep Showing Up

I step into this new year

gently, without resolutions,

with just a simple willingness,

to keep going,

to keep moving forward.

Not the bright, declarative kind of decision

that arrives with banners and promises,

but the quieter kind,

the one that asks for nothing grand.

No transformation.

Just an honest effort

to place one foot in front of the other,

without needing it to be a victory march.

To keep going isn’t strength.

It’s letting the days arrive as they are,

some heavy,

some hollow,

some unexpectedly kind.

It’s allowing grief, fatigue, memory, and love

to share the same room,

without insisting that any of them leave.

There is no list.

No reinvention.

No deadline for becoming someone new.

There is only the steady choice

to remain present,

to trust that willingness itself

is an act of grace.

So this year begins

not with resolve, but with intention:

the intention to stay present,

the intention to try again tomorrow,

the intention to simply keep showing up.

~ ‘A Willingness to Keep Showing Up’ by Spirit of a Hippie

Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Olya Haydamaka

Given how poorly the country is doing, and the opinion of world leaders, the disparity in opinion results among Republicans and Democrats reflects, clearly, that Trump has Republicans completely bamboozled. Really, 94% of Republicans see Trump as a strong leader? And, this is sadly laughable – 77% think he is honest and trustworthy! Are they paying attention or is it they are mesmerized by his every word whether it is true or false?

Too, opinions about others in leadership positions amaze me. 82% favorable for Kennedy? 79% for Hegseth? Are Republicans really enamored with the ICE action, the attacks on Venezuela, and the racist and misogynist statements that they support? Are they happy that Congress is siting back and collecting pay for doing nothing? Are Supreme Court decisions the right ones, in their minds? Is the alignment with Putin and authoritarians favorable to them?

These numbers tell one story – party is more important than country.

It’s clear that if Democrats want to move ahead, they have much work to do among the Republican electorate. While important to highlight Trump’s failings, IMO, it is paramount they tell the American people what they will do to effect positive, forward-thinking change, not on issues like sexuality, for example, but on kitchen table issues that have long-term impacts. The backward steps the country has taken have made us a global laughing stock and a force of deep concern and are an effort to set us back years.

But Lewis Richerson, the pastor of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, planned to take an opposite approach.

“I would not knowingly extend communion to an illegal immigrant who is visiting our church,” he said. “That person would be in sin by being in this country illegally, and Christians should obey the law of the land.” (NYTimes, Dec. 22, 2025, Immigration Crackdown Creates Fault Lines Among Baptists)

Yet another WTF moment! Clearly, “Pastor” Richerson, of the Southern Baptist Convention, fails to comprehend Jesus teachings. As best as I can recall, Jesus never taught hate but, rather, acceptance of all. Some Biblical quotes to support this:

“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right.” - Acts 10:34-35

“If God is for us, who can be against us? … Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” - Romans 8:31-34

Further on religion, at Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest conference yesterday, J.D. Vance said: “The only thing that has truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been, and by the grace of God we always will be, a Christian nation.”

Clearly this statement is contrary to the First Amendment, which guarantees that the government cannot establish a religion. President Thomas Jefferson called the First Amendment a wall of separation between church and state.

Christian Nationalists, who have taken over much of the Republican Party, are promoting the Christian views of its followers, in order to achieve prominence or dominance in political, cultural, and social life. The end goal, I believe, is to make Christianity the “official” religion of the United States. Vance and others in the Republican Party and administration are pushing a “heritage” American concept – in other words, a white Judeo-Christian viewpoint.

Now, for transparency, I am not Christian. The inability of many to follow the actual teachings of this belief system is one of the primary reasons why. However, I am a patriot – I love my country. Yes, there have been times when I have disagreed with policy and, no doubt, there will be more of those times; in particular, I am defiantly against how the Trump regime is destroying America. Sadly, this people in the administration supporting all of Trump’s destructive efforts also claim to be Christian. These people, too, fail to follow the religion’s teachings.

This is, indeed, a WTF moment in time for our country. It’s past time for true patriots to stand up, but not too late.

Morality is defined as: The principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.

For as long as I can remember, morals were the driving force behind behavior. We are told when children to be good and are punished for being bad. As we age and develop a clear understanding of language, we understand the importance of good behavior and see the benefits thereof. When we are good we advance in life; through our employment, in our relationships, and in our day to day encounters. The opposite, failure, is generally the result of negative behavior and actions.

So what happened?

Some blame it on the lack of religion in our lives as religion teaches moral behavior. While this can be true, there are many who do not practice a religion who are shining examples of upstanding morality. At the same time, there are those who proclaim a belief in religion loudly yet whose actions and statements are divorced from the moral precepts of a particular religion’s teachings.

The dearth of moral behavior is clearly seen in our political landscape, perhaps more now than ever before. While politicians have always lied or covered the truth - bending it to suit their political aims or in an attempt to present credibility in campaign promises and even national security - these falsehoods are generally self-serving or are an appeal to that political party’s base.

Perhaps one of the most well-known politically related lies is Nixon’s “I am not a crook,” uttered during the Watergate scandal. Too, there is Bill Clinton’s lie, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” Anthony Weiner claimed lewd photographs he sent over the internet were a hoax. Mark Foley denied wrongdoing after it was revealed he sent suggestive messages to young males working congressional pages.

With that said in an effort to reveal lies do come from both sides, the most egregious liar is, as we know, Donald Trump. The Washington Post tracked Trump’s lies and reported he uttered 30,573 during his first term in office. As is clear, the lies have continued - and perhaps increased? - during the second term.

Through all aspects of Trump’s political life and, indeed, through his entire career, we see immoral behavior. He is indifferent to, or shrugs off, traditional norms and the rule of law. His personal conduct is filled with demeaning language and insults to all walks of American life including political rivals, the disabled and even our military. His business practices reveal “Trump first” through bankruptcies and failures to pay vendors. And, of course, his conviction as a felon is, perhaps, the strongest argument that his character is devoid of morality.

It’s obvious that Trump’s hand-picked governmental choices - from Bondi to Patel to Kennedy to Rubio and more - were put into place because they support and echo his lies. They are as immoral as he is.

Where do we go from here?

The lies generated by the current administration will continue and, I suspect, will worsen as time goes on.

Thus, we must - as we move toward the 2026 and 2028 elections - add moral characteristics to our determinations on whom we should vote for. Let’s look for the truth tellers, the honest who stand for the Constitution and the correct interpretation thereof. Let’s find those who will admit things have gone awry across the board and who, through their former actions, appear best-suited to work toward the return of our country to the greatness we have always believed it held. In short, let’s urge the running for office by those who have a strong moral character, whose honesty and dedication to our country is clear.

Let’s take America back. Not to the 1950s or the 1920s, but to when we saw the country as closer to democratic norms of equality and fairness, to empathy, and to treating all Americans as human beings who are valued.