I have lived much of my adult life in Oakland, CA. I've been the only white dude in my area for a handful of years. My time spent there was most enjoyable with great neighbors that looked out for each other and I have found a realness to life when I lived there more than anywhere else.
I had a business with which I ended up hiring the kid from across the street. His parents asked if I would give him a shot and mentor him since he was having difficulty finding work. I always thought that he was a great kid, quick and intelligent. Top of his class. So, I hired him. There was one day that he went to his grandmother's house for lunch break. She was about three blocks away. After the 1 o'clock hour turned he was still not back. It got to be about 2:30pm when he walked back in the door. I smiled and said thanks for coming back. He apologized and went on to tell me that he had been talking with his grandma and lost track of the time when he had 5 minutes left to his lunch hour, so he left and began running back to my shop. He didn't even get a block when the local police stopped him and put him down and cuffed him. He tried to explain that he was late for work and he had just had lunch with his grandma. They could believe this to be true. A black man running to get back to work?
I was livid. My activist nature began to turn on. I asked him for what cause did they cuff him? He said, for running while black. I told him I was sorry for what had happened to him. He was visibly shaken and bothered. Although, it was not his first time. It opened my eyes a bit more to the plight of the community that I enjoyed living in while I never had a thought of that. I mean, I could run while being white.
It just sickens me. The uneducated idiocy of racists just pisses me off.
As a former teacher living in Texas, I am simply disgusted about the response to the shootings and the lack of leadership to stop this. Living in the country with the most mass shootings (by far), and in the state that has the most vocal leaders for the 2nd Amendment is horror enough. But when a mass shooting at an elementary school, perpetrated by an 18 year-old with 2 automatic rifles, is not enough to stop the NRA rally from occurring that weekend, I throw in the towel. No one is willing to admit that people don't need assault weapons, and I'm tired of hearing about how the mental health system needs to be looked at. Nothing happens, and more people die. In Japan, it takes almost a year to take necessary classes, pass a test, then have police interview family/friends before one is issued a gun. No handguns allowed. Only rifles, limit 3.
And we can't even agree on red-flag laws. Other countries have to be looking at the US, wondering why nothing is changing. Just ask a senator or congressman. No, better not, probably won't like the blank stare you'll get.
I hear your pain and frustration. I urge you to not throw in the towel. As an activist I urge you to head into the fire and confront the local politicians and through logic and reason get them up against the wall with their blank stares until they have no more response but to act appropriately. It takes much time and patience. Pick one battle and fight for it. Whatever that is. We can't take it all on so we must choose the battles to fight.
I fight judicial corruption and foreclosure fraud. My work is done with writing and educating politicians as my vehicle. I am sure you have a personal cause that is close to you that you might focus on.
Our news cycle is designed to placate and paralyze us through the amount of negativity that permeates our society. When we are in this place the system knows how to handle us. When we bring education, logic and critical thinking to the table and call the idiot legislators to task we can move mountains.
When we get people to realize that there is no such thing as critical race theory, but only true black history in America we are making strides forward. When we get people to realize that it is 99% old, rich, white men that are making laws against women we pull the curtains of logic back for all to see.
"watch the unedited live inquiry and testimony of the hearings."
Wow. On the eve of the live hearings, we learn that there is a bunch of video from a professional documentary maker who is a Liberal. Just a few days ago, we learn that an executive producer from a Liberal news network has been hired to present the live hearings.
So, this seems like raw, real, unedited Justice being carried out?
McCarthy submitted I think 5 Republican Reps. Pelosi rejected a couple, due to their political views (?) so McCarthy gave up trying to submit any Republicans for the Jan 6 committee. So, Pelosi - with no political bones in her body - got to pick the entire committee.
There are thousands of hours of footage of the Jan 6 events. Why not upload it all to some website and let us all have access?
It is a legit concern to wonder about the injustice going on. All of this is political theater.
If someone somewhere had Trump behaviors that fit "insurrection," we would have heard of it.
Instead, we keep hearing breathless news reporters claim that someone may have finally found something. Trump-haters follow along. Why wold Trump have been trying to boost up Capitol Police and National Guard for this event?
And why did Pelosi fail to honor this request?
Over the decades, I had done tons of "grass roots" politics with the Democrat Party. Now, I, and many others, see pure politics and power grab as their goal, not the values we hold.
James Carvel was just on TV recently talking about how Democrats are playing the wrong cards.
Once I opened my mind to seeing the Dem Party, at the national level, as all about power, I do see the "edge of chaos" better.
I remember watching the Watergate Hearings. we are not about to see something of a repeat of that. Not at all. We are seeing a Hollywood production. In the end, there will be no "smoking gun" that Trump was going for insurrection. we already have enough info to figure this out.
what might we learn if we explore more? That just like the Whitmer "kidnapping," with 6 recruited people and 12 FBI agents, the riotous behavior was fomented and directed by agents of the federal government.
We Democrats used to be against this stuff. We talked disparagingly about abuse of power by the FBI, such as them investigating MLK, and CIA - especially the CIA and their secret ways, playing politics in Central America and the Middle East, overthrowing actual democracy in those places.
Yes. Edge of Chaos. Totalitarian regimes evolve by common paths. A one-party state, arresting political opposition, making arms illegal, controlling the media, etc.
Sad to say. i talk with a few other life-long dems, and little by little the illusion fades away as we face cold hard facts.
Boggs - We had the Housing Crisis. Who did the Dem Party fight for? The Little Guy, who needed helps with his mortgage? Or the Too Big to Fail Banks. Be open minded as you watch this delicately and tightly scripted witch hunt. Which like the Mueller Report will conclude:
CONCLUSION
Because we determined not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment, we did not draw ultimate conclusions about the President’s conduct. The evidence we obtained about the President’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that would need to be resolved if we were making a traditional prosecutorial judgment. At the same time, if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.
I have always said our system is a two headed snake. Always. You must have misinterpreted my point, to which you are commenting on a different post feed, but nonetheless I appreciate your taking the time to comment.
McCarthy gave up trying because he is a Trump bitch. He will give contradictory statements within minutes of each other.
Why not upload it? That just ain’t how things work, you know that. Perhaps your comment is pure bait or maybe simply rhetorical because I can tell you are more informed than that.
Your quip about breathless news reporters exemplifies my post, to which you are commenting on in a different place.
We had a housing crisis? I guess you have not read my book.
"R.L., I've been arrested plenty a times just for being black and nearby." Samuel L. Jackson, as Lazarus Redd, in the 2006 film "Black Snake Moan."
Yeah, the African American community knows.
I have lived much of my adult life in Oakland, CA. I've been the only white dude in my area for a handful of years. My time spent there was most enjoyable with great neighbors that looked out for each other and I have found a realness to life when I lived there more than anywhere else.
I had a business with which I ended up hiring the kid from across the street. His parents asked if I would give him a shot and mentor him since he was having difficulty finding work. I always thought that he was a great kid, quick and intelligent. Top of his class. So, I hired him. There was one day that he went to his grandmother's house for lunch break. She was about three blocks away. After the 1 o'clock hour turned he was still not back. It got to be about 2:30pm when he walked back in the door. I smiled and said thanks for coming back. He apologized and went on to tell me that he had been talking with his grandma and lost track of the time when he had 5 minutes left to his lunch hour, so he left and began running back to my shop. He didn't even get a block when the local police stopped him and put him down and cuffed him. He tried to explain that he was late for work and he had just had lunch with his grandma. They could believe this to be true. A black man running to get back to work?
I was livid. My activist nature began to turn on. I asked him for what cause did they cuff him? He said, for running while black. I told him I was sorry for what had happened to him. He was visibly shaken and bothered. Although, it was not his first time. It opened my eyes a bit more to the plight of the community that I enjoyed living in while I never had a thought of that. I mean, I could run while being white.
It just sickens me. The uneducated idiocy of racists just pisses me off.
As a former teacher living in Texas, I am simply disgusted about the response to the shootings and the lack of leadership to stop this. Living in the country with the most mass shootings (by far), and in the state that has the most vocal leaders for the 2nd Amendment is horror enough. But when a mass shooting at an elementary school, perpetrated by an 18 year-old with 2 automatic rifles, is not enough to stop the NRA rally from occurring that weekend, I throw in the towel. No one is willing to admit that people don't need assault weapons, and I'm tired of hearing about how the mental health system needs to be looked at. Nothing happens, and more people die. In Japan, it takes almost a year to take necessary classes, pass a test, then have police interview family/friends before one is issued a gun. No handguns allowed. Only rifles, limit 3.
And we can't even agree on red-flag laws. Other countries have to be looking at the US, wondering why nothing is changing. Just ask a senator or congressman. No, better not, probably won't like the blank stare you'll get.
I hear your pain and frustration. I urge you to not throw in the towel. As an activist I urge you to head into the fire and confront the local politicians and through logic and reason get them up against the wall with their blank stares until they have no more response but to act appropriately. It takes much time and patience. Pick one battle and fight for it. Whatever that is. We can't take it all on so we must choose the battles to fight.
I fight judicial corruption and foreclosure fraud. My work is done with writing and educating politicians as my vehicle. I am sure you have a personal cause that is close to you that you might focus on.
Our news cycle is designed to placate and paralyze us through the amount of negativity that permeates our society. When we are in this place the system knows how to handle us. When we bring education, logic and critical thinking to the table and call the idiot legislators to task we can move mountains.
When we get people to realize that there is no such thing as critical race theory, but only true black history in America we are making strides forward. When we get people to realize that it is 99% old, rich, white men that are making laws against women we pull the curtains of logic back for all to see.
Baby steps, but steps forward nonetheless.
"watch the unedited live inquiry and testimony of the hearings."
Wow. On the eve of the live hearings, we learn that there is a bunch of video from a professional documentary maker who is a Liberal. Just a few days ago, we learn that an executive producer from a Liberal news network has been hired to present the live hearings.
So, this seems like raw, real, unedited Justice being carried out?
McCarthy submitted I think 5 Republican Reps. Pelosi rejected a couple, due to their political views (?) so McCarthy gave up trying to submit any Republicans for the Jan 6 committee. So, Pelosi - with no political bones in her body - got to pick the entire committee.
There are thousands of hours of footage of the Jan 6 events. Why not upload it all to some website and let us all have access?
It is a legit concern to wonder about the injustice going on. All of this is political theater.
If someone somewhere had Trump behaviors that fit "insurrection," we would have heard of it.
Instead, we keep hearing breathless news reporters claim that someone may have finally found something. Trump-haters follow along. Why wold Trump have been trying to boost up Capitol Police and National Guard for this event?
And why did Pelosi fail to honor this request?
Over the decades, I had done tons of "grass roots" politics with the Democrat Party. Now, I, and many others, see pure politics and power grab as their goal, not the values we hold.
James Carvel was just on TV recently talking about how Democrats are playing the wrong cards.
Once I opened my mind to seeing the Dem Party, at the national level, as all about power, I do see the "edge of chaos" better.
I remember watching the Watergate Hearings. we are not about to see something of a repeat of that. Not at all. We are seeing a Hollywood production. In the end, there will be no "smoking gun" that Trump was going for insurrection. we already have enough info to figure this out.
what might we learn if we explore more? That just like the Whitmer "kidnapping," with 6 recruited people and 12 FBI agents, the riotous behavior was fomented and directed by agents of the federal government.
We Democrats used to be against this stuff. We talked disparagingly about abuse of power by the FBI, such as them investigating MLK, and CIA - especially the CIA and their secret ways, playing politics in Central America and the Middle East, overthrowing actual democracy in those places.
Yes. Edge of Chaos. Totalitarian regimes evolve by common paths. A one-party state, arresting political opposition, making arms illegal, controlling the media, etc.
Sad to say. i talk with a few other life-long dems, and little by little the illusion fades away as we face cold hard facts.
Boggs - We had the Housing Crisis. Who did the Dem Party fight for? The Little Guy, who needed helps with his mortgage? Or the Too Big to Fail Banks. Be open minded as you watch this delicately and tightly scripted witch hunt. Which like the Mueller Report will conclude:
CONCLUSION
Because we determined not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment, we did not draw ultimate conclusions about the President’s conduct. The evidence we obtained about the President’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that would need to be resolved if we were making a traditional prosecutorial judgment. At the same time, if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.
Now, we have swung 180 degrees.
I have always said our system is a two headed snake. Always. You must have misinterpreted my point, to which you are commenting on a different post feed, but nonetheless I appreciate your taking the time to comment.
McCarthy gave up trying because he is a Trump bitch. He will give contradictory statements within minutes of each other.
Why not upload it? That just ain’t how things work, you know that. Perhaps your comment is pure bait or maybe simply rhetorical because I can tell you are more informed than that.
Your quip about breathless news reporters exemplifies my post, to which you are commenting on in a different place.
We had a housing crisis? I guess you have not read my book.
180 degrees, no, a two headed snake.