It's hard to say how much if anything, these videos have to do with May 1 or—May Day!
It's hard to say how much if anything, these videos have to do with May 1 or—May Day!
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These videos sorta go along with May Day—maybe!
It's hard to say how much if anything, these videos have to do with May 1 or—May Day!
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Two political parties—two political approaches—two political failures!
By SJ Otto
For many weeks now the news has been dominated by the Coronavirus. Suddenly it is front page news, almost every day. If World War 3 broke out, it would be back page news. We have a backward president who tries to take credit for anything he does, that works against this modern day plague.
Probably the main important news of the day would be the election that is coming up next November. So far I have seen very few ads on TV and in our own mail. This is a hard core Republican state, so we can’t expect a whole lot of pro-Democrat politicians running for seats in this area.
I haven’t been out much. For one thing I am 65 years old and I have diabetes. So I don’t have many reasons for leaving my tiny home. It is small, but Cam (my wife) and I own it outright. We only have to pay taxes on this place. So we pay no rent, house payments or anything other than taxes.
So when I hear these conservative people going to rallies in front of public buildings, carrying assault weapons and making statements to the press, I realize these people have no feelings for others. According to these conservatives and according to Vox:
Conservatives’ frustration over state stay-at-home orders continued to boil over into the streets with protests in Texas , Indiana , New Hampshire , Nevada , Maryland , Utah , and Wisconsin
The protests followed other similar events last week in Florida , North Carolina , Virginia , Michigan , Minnesota , Idaho , Kentucky , and California
“Keep America Free, wake up sheep,” read one Utah protester’s sign Saturday, while a New Hampshire woman’s poster read “Free people make their own risk assessments.” At a gathering in Austin, Texas, protesters cheered on Alex Jones, the founder of right-wing conspiracy theory website Infowars, as he drove by shouting, “Everybody knows we’ve been attacked by biological weapons” on a megaphone.
So for people as I, does my opinion matter to these people at all, or am I just a statistic—where by conservative people get to brush off my life as unimportant. Many of these people just don’t care if people as I live or die. That seems to be the conservative way. It is their way or no other way.
As I look at the mail I have received by those who are actively running a campaign, I have received an ad by Dr. Roger Marshall. He is openly running his campaign and he is running as a conservative who is running as “Trusted By (Donald) Trump. and Delivering for Kansas
I also received some ads for Joe Biden. It is very hard for a progressive, as me, to suggest that people actually give money to his campaign, work for his campaign, or do anything to support him. He and Trump agree on almost all the issues the two of them have had. One of the FEW differences between the two of them is health care. For example Biden has written in his ad:
“They deserve a president who understands that access to affordable, quality health care is a human right...who understands that we cannot rebuild the middle class without universal pre-K, paid sick leave for all Americans, better pay for teachers, and more....and a president who understands that we cannot fight a global crisis if the world no longer trust in American leadership.”
This sounds real good. This is what many of us really need. Health care is a real problem for many of us. But HOW is he going to fix this. He hasn’t said. As to how he will accomplish this:
For many weeks now the news has been dominated by the Coronavirus. Suddenly it is front page news, almost every day. If World War 3 broke out, it would be back page news. We have a backward president who tries to take credit for anything he does, that works against this modern day plague.
Probably the main important news of the day would be the election that is coming up next November. So far I have seen many ads on TV and in our own mail. This is a hard core Republican state, so we can’t expect a whole lot of pro-Democrat politicians running for seats in this area.
I haven’t been out much. For one thing I am 65 years old and I have diabetes. So I don’t have many reasons for leaving my tiny home. It is small, but Cam (my wife) and I own it outright. We only have to pay taxes on this place. So we pay no rent, house payments or anything other than taxes.
So when I hear these conservative people going to rallies in front of public buildings, carrying assault weapons and making statements to the press, I realize these people have no feelings for others. According to these conservatives and according to Vox:
Conservatives’ frustration over state stay-at-home orders continued to boil over into the streets with protests in Texas , Indiana , New Hampshire , Nevada , Maryland , Utah , and Wisconsin
The protests followed other similar events last week in Florida , North Carolina , Virginia , Michigan , Minnesota , Idaho , Kentucky , and California
“Keep America Free, wake up sheep,” read one Utah protester’s sign Saturday, while a New Hampshire woman’s poster read “Free people make their own risk assessments.” At a gathering in Austin, Texas, protesters cheered on Alex Jones, the founder of right-wing conspiracy theory website Infowars, as he drove by shouting, “Everybody knows we’ve been attacked by biological weapons” on a megaphone.
So for people as I, does my opinion matter to these people at all, or am I just a statistic—where by conservative people get to brush off my life as unimportant. Many of these people just don’t care if people as I live or die. That seems to be the conservative way. It is their way or no other way.
As I look at the mail I have received by those who are actively running a campaign, I have received an ad by Dr. Roger Marshall. He is openly running his campaign and he is running as a conservative who is running as “Trusted By Trump. and Delivering for Kansas
I also received some ads for Joe Biden. It is very hard for a progressive, as me, to suggest that people actually give money to his campaign, work for his campaign, or do anything to support him. He and Trump agree on almost all the issues the two of them have had. One of the FEW differences between the two of them is health care. For example Biden has written in his ad:
“They deserve a president who understands that access to affordable, quality health care is a human right...who understands that we cannot rebuild the middle class without universal pre-K, paid sick leave for all Americans, better pay for teachers, and more....and a president who understands that we cannot fight a global crisis if the world no longer trust in American leadership.”
This sounds real good. This is what many of us really need. Health care is a real problem for many of us. But HOW is he going to fix this. He hasn’t said. As to how he will accomplish this, in an article by Sahil Kapur:
"Single payer will not solve that at all," the Democratic presidential front-runner told MSNBC's Yasmin Vossoughian in a TV interview.
"We have a whole number of hospitals that are being stretched, including rural hospitals, that are going to need more financing. That doesn’t come from a single-payer system. That comes from the federal government stepping up and dealing with the concerns that they have," he said from his home in Wilmington , Delaware
The former vice president's remarks come as the issue remains a Democratic fault line in his battle with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the leader of the national movement for a single-payer system, who is pressing his presidential campaign even as his odds of winning the nomination shrink. The debate has been heightened as more Americans become infected with the virus and the nation's death toll threatened to surpass 3,000.
Sanders and an army of progressive allies say the pandemic elevates the need for a single-payer plan that covers everyone, as the Federal Reserve estimates that as many as 47 million Americans could lose their job due to the coronavirus.
So as this week comes to a close and we find ourselves with two villains who claim to have all the answers and neither have what it takes to solve the medical problems of theCoronavirus. This is just a break in the Coronavirus news week. As we go along, it will be time to look at all the possibilities in what will or can happen in the up coming Coronavirus week. A tiny sub-life form is commanding our politics for both Democrats and Republicans. The two parties at this time have failed us. Without major changes these parties have failed us and failed us miserably.
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Sarah Lopez offers us a progressive choice for Sedgwick County Commissioner
By SJ Otto
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While I have been very critical of Joe Biden (Sleepy Joe as Donald Trump called him) we have the time, money and energy to put into some local races where we might actually get something out of all our efforts.
One example of a local candidate we can support is Sarah Lopez who is running against Michael O'Donnell, a Sedgwick County Commissioner. I have been told that Lopez is a very progressive Democrat. If she is, it gives us a chance to try and topple a right-wing wanker with someone who might actually support or represent the people of Sedgwick County
Lopez is just beginning her campaign. This site will support her as long as she holds the promise of replacing a stupid conservative with a more progressive Democrat.
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A Mother's Day Message from Yoko Ono
By urging us to celebrate the maternal love we experienced as children,
or perhaps much later in life, MYMOMMY IS BEAUTIFUL engages our most personal memories.
or perhaps much later in life, MY
Let’s fill Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
with thousands of tributes to the love that nurtures us all. -Yoko Ono
with thousands of tributes to the love that nurtures us all. -Yoko Ono
Mommy, I’m sorry.How did I know
you were suffering silently?
you were suffering silently?
Your touch, your warm voice and your smile
Will always be with me.
Will always be with me.
This is a tribute to you and
all mothers of the world
from each of your children.
all mothers of the world
from each of your children.
We love you!
y.o. 2010
y.o. 2010
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And the idiot candidate ads begin
By SJ Otto
It is already happening. We are being subjected to political commercials by obnoxious and incredibly stupid people who automatically think we are all “pro-life” and “pro-Trump.”
Some of the yahoos running are already in office, such as Dr. Roger Marshall. When he first ran for office, he had to make sure he got that “Dr” title before his name so we would all know what kind of pompous ass he is. From his web page he has made it clear to us that he is pro-life:
“PRO-LIFE ISN'T JUST A SLOGAN. IT'S HIS LIFE'S WORK.
After 30 years of practicing medicine as an OB/GYN, Doctor Marshall, a lifetime member of the American College of Pro-Life OB /GYNs, is fighting harder than ever for the lives of the unborn.”
And he just assumes there are enough pointy headed pro Donald Trump Republicans that he can brag about supporting him:
“TRUSTED BY TRUMP
Doc came to Capitol Hill at the same time as President Trump. Since then, they've worked together on health care, as well as passing the 2018 Farm Bill. Doc has a 98% voting record with President Trump.”
Many of us consider Trump to be one of the worst people this country has ever produced as a president. He is not only politically ultra-conservative, he is an obnoxious person—a racist, a misogynistic despicable jerk. Roger bragged about supporting Trump on health care. That is another way of saying he doesn’t care of the working poor can afford health care. He and Trump DON’T CARE!
Many of us want to get rid of Trump. The last thing we want to hear is a candidate running for Senate who promises to support Trump.
We have another Trumpite running by the name of Bob Hamilton. He has 12 kids. So when does he have time to do anything political? He brags that he is a plumber and not a professional politician. By his logic, the next time I need a professional plumber I should call a politician instead. On his web site he wrote: “BUT IF YOU WANT TO DRAIN THE SWAMP, HIRE A PLUMBER”—Which doesn’t make sense since Trump has added to the swamp and drained nothing.
Also in his ad:
“A successful entrepreneur, a proud family man, and a strong, pro-Trump conservative,….
…..Bob hasn’t served a day in office. Instead, he built a thriving business that serves the Kansas City
And:
“Bob and Teresa are the proud parents of 12 children, and the Hamilton Family calls Miami County Kansas
Like our Idiot and Chief, Trump, he brags about his lack of experience. Being stupid and dumb works in a person's favor when they are trying to be a Republican.
I have had to endure almost four years of that idiot Trump, and at times I’ve had to hear from the brain dead idiots that support Trump. With election time coming I can be sure to have to endure many more commercials by “Christian-pro-life, pro-Trump” idiots trying to get our vote. The worst part of this is the brain dead idiots who will actually vote for these morons.
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Who are the Native American Indians on our coins, in the US and Mexico
By SJ Otto
There are a number of Native American Indian coins in both Mexico and the US Mexico Spain
In the US Buffalo
There have been several Indian headed coins in the US
There was a $10 gold piece (which was just a liberty head coin with an Indian bonnet) .
There was a $5 gold piece.
There was a $2 and a half gold piece.
There was the Buffalo
There was an Indian head penny, but as with many of these coins they were actual liberty heads with an Indian bonnet on it.
The point to this is that Native American Indians are actual people. They are not a thing. To really honour our Native American Indian heritage, we might do well to find an actual Indian to honour, as we did with Sacagawea.
She was a real person and played a real part in our history. That is the direction we should be going with our coins.
According to Wikipedia:
“According to Fraser, the animal that appears on the reverse is the American bison Black Diamond. In an interview published in the New York Herald on January 27, 1913, Fraser was quoted as saying that the animal, which he did not name, was a "typical and shaggy specimen" which he found at the Bronx Zoo.[52] Fraser later wrote that the model "was not a plains buffalo, but none other than Black Diamond, the contrariest animal in the Bronx Zoo…”
As to the Indians for the front:
“By 1931, Two Guns White Calf, son of the last Blackfoot tribal chief, was capitalizing off his claim to be the model for the coin. To try to put an end to the claim, Fraser wrote that he had used three Indians for the piece, including "Iron Tail, the best Indian head I can remember. The other one was Two Moons, the other I cannot recall."[49] In 1938, Fraser stated that the three Indians had been "Iron Tail, a Sioux, Big Tree, a Kiowa, and Two Moons, a Cheyenne
Nevertheless, John Big Tree, a Seneca, claimed to be a model for Fraser's coin, and made many public appearances as the "nickel Indian" until his 1967 death at the age of 90 (though he sometimes alleged he was over 100 years of age). Big Tree was identified as the model for the nickel in wire service reports about his death,[51] and he had appeared in that capacity at the Texas Numismatic Association convention in 1966.[49] After Big Tree's death, the Mint stated that he most likely was not one of the models for the nickel. There have been other claimants: in 1964, Montana Senator Mike Mansfield wrote to Mint Director Eva B. Adams, enquiring if Sam Resurrection, a Choctaw was a model for the nickel. Adams wrote in reply, "According to our records, the portrait is a composite. There have been many claimants for this honor, all of whom are undoubtedly sincere in the belief that theirs is the one that adorns the nickel."
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Are people smarter than cattle?
By SJ Otto
If we were living in a society where animals had to seriously compete with Humans for resources, then we should have figured that we will pretty much always win. We are supposedly smarter than animals. For centuries humans have put cattle and their off spring in cages were they sit around waiting for us to slaughter them at will.
If we were living in a society where animals had to seriously compete with Humans for resources, then we should have figured that we will pretty much always win. We are supposedly smarter than animals. For centuries humans have put cattle and their off spring in cages were they sit around waiting for us to slaughter them at will.
Cattle are supposed to be a lot less smart than humans. They are vegetarians. We eat meat. For many centuries they have had full control over our societies. They don’t east meat. They aren’t very aggressive and humans are.
At times it would appear that they are smart enough that humans can out smart them many times over.
So maybe we can win against people who put their religious faith in web sites that are run by animals and their children.
An example is Cross International.
Help 
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Facebook allows Ron Estes to lie about Trump and the Coronavirus
By SJ Otto
While Facebook has banned me from posting links to my political blogs, Congressman Ron Estesis free to publish blatant lies about President Donald Trump.
President Donald J. Trump and the administration continue to provide relief for Kansans. We’re working together on PPE, Economic Impact Payments, Paycheck Protection Program loans, testing, rural broadband, ag assistance, and more for the Sunflower State
He and the rest of the Republicans are doing a lousy job of protecting us from the Coronavirus. Trump has blundered continuously. He as underfund all the necessary efforts to stop the virus. He was late trying to put into effect the stay at home efforts it took to slow down the virus and he has applauded those right-wing people have told us that the economy is more important to them than “few lives” this country will lose.
The link on Estes’ Facebook page is full of out right lies.
Also: The Democrats are running Laura Lombard against Estes. She will have to overcome an electorate that only vote for Democrats and they prefer an undynamic fool, such as Estes, over an actual Democrat who can do that job.
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When dams fail, nature gets revenge!
By SJ Otto
I consider myself an environmentalist. I consider nature to be important. I’m not against people making a living, a home or other necessities. But we have to share this earth with other species of animals and plants. People like to change nature to suit their needs. But by suiting our needs, what about the natural theme of things? We damn streams and we expect that to work just fine. We get hydro electric dams to provide us with electricity. We have flood control. We have lakes that provide us with recreation. But we alter nature and take away the processes that nature relies on. Over the years there have been consequences to such dams. Just recently we have had the failure of two man made dams in Michigan
“Around 10,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in central Michigan
The Edenville and Sanford dams collapsed Tuesday night, threatening to drench the town of Midland, Michigan under nine feet of water, Reuters reported. The flooding comes as Michigan U.S.
"It's hard to believe that we're in the middle of a 100-year crisis, a global pandemic, and we're also dealing with a flooding event that looks to be the worst in 500 years," Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, as the New York Times reported.”What people need to realize is that this has happened before. According to Wikipedia:
“The Teton Dam was an earthen dam on the Teton River in Idaho, United States
The collapse of the dam resulted in the deaths of 11 people[4] and 13,000 cattle. The dam cost about $100 million to build and the federal government paid over $300 million in claims related to its failure. Total damage estimates have ranged up to $2 billion.[5] The dam has not been rebuilt.”
At the time, I made the case that humans had ignored nature to produce something they thought would contribute to the economy. It contributed to death and destruction. I remember as a young teenager watching it on TV and seeing pictures in Time Magazine. I saw those
According to Wikipedia people felt they needed the dam for a number of reasons. At the time, as an environmentalist, I felt that people were being greedy in their use of natural resources. Today, I believe I was right. This was a case of greedy people getting what they deserved.
The planned dam iwas to be an earthen structure 310 feet (94 m) high and 0.6 miles (1.0 km) long and create a reservoir 17 miles (27 km) in length. The impounded water would be used to generate hydroelectric power. An environmental impact statement was issued for the dam in 1971, but it did not raise the possibility of a collapse.[3] Lack of funding and of site prep work and questions surrounding the required environmental impact statement stalled the project. Barely 14 pages long, the statement quickly drew the ire of opponents of the project.[6]
When this dam went, I remember seeing pictures of the bulldozers trying in vain to plug up the leaks in this dam. Again in Wikipedia:
“Crews with bulldozers were sent to plug the leak, but were unsuccessful. Local media appeared at the site and at 11:15 officials told the county sheriff's office to evacuate downstream residents. Work crews were forced to flee on foot as the widening gap, now larger than a swimming pool, swallowed their equipment. The operators of two bulldozers caught in the eroding embankment were pulled to safety with ropes.”
The dam swallowed up these tractors and it is if nature was getting revenge for the obnoxious arrogance that humans show when they are trying to control nature. We live in a world where people do what brings them comfort and nature be damned. But in the case of these dams, I saw little people trying in vain to control the uncontrollable. I hate to see people lose their homes and/or lives. But there are consequences to trying to control nature. And I delight in seeing nature win at times.
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Trump: contempt for the working class and over all stupidity
By SJ Otto
When I lived under President “W” Bush, I thought we were living under the most moronic dumbass president of all times (at least in my lifetime). Now we have President Donald Trump. The ignorance and stupidity of this man just amazes me. How can he be so stupid. And how does such a stupid man get to be president. According to The Wichita Eagle“Trump opposes extending jobless benefits” for those who have been hit by the Coronavirus. According to an article in Today’s The Wichita Eagle, he wants to support small businesses instead. He is being true to the business candidate: everything for the business man and nothing for the working man.
Another cruel item for our feelingless prez.; “Trump Admin asks court to halt inmate releases.”
Make no mistake about if folks. If you get put in prison, our Prez. Does not care if you die from that virus. He simply doesn’t give a damn. Working people’s lives mean nothing to him. And let’s bet that there are plenty of working people who still support this idiot.
Trump is moronic and those who support him are even more moronic.
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US- Another look at Memorial Day- "Whom Will We Honor Memorial Day?"
From Zin Education Project:
By Howard Zinn
Published on June 2, 1976 in the Boston Globe and republished in The Zinn Reader with the brief introduction below.
Memorial Day will be celebrated … by the usual betrayal of the dead, by the hypocritical patriotism of the politicians and contractors preparing for more wars, more graves to receive more flowers on future Memorial Days. The memory of the dead deserves a different dedication. To peace, to defiance of governments.
In 1974, I was invited by Tom Winship, the editor of the Boston Globe, who had been bold enough in 1971 to print part of the top secret Pentagon Papers on the history of the Vietnam War, to write a bi-weekly column for the op-ed page of the newspaper. I did that for about a year and a half. The column below appeared June 2, 1976, in connection with that year’s Memorial Day. After it appeared, my column was cancelled.
* * * * *
Memorial Day will be celebrated as usual, by high-speed collisions of automobiles and bodies strewn on highways and the sound of ambulance sirens throughout the land.
It will also be celebrated by the display of flags, the sound of bugles and drums, by parades and speeches and unthinking applause.
It will be celebrated by giant corporations, which make guns, bombs, fighter planes, aircraft carriers and an endless assortment of military junk and which await the $100 billion in contracts to be approved soon by Congress and the President.
There was a young woman in New Hampshire who refused to allow her husband, killed in Vietnam, to be given a military burial. She rejected the hollow ceremony ordered by those who sent him and 50,000 others to their deaths. Her courage should be cherished on Memorial Day. There were the B52 pilots who refused to fly those last vicious raids of Nixon’s and Kissinger’s war. Have any of the great universities, so quick to give honorary degrees to God-knows-whom, thought to honor those men at this Commencement time, on this Memorial Day?
No politician who voted funds for war, no business contractor for the military, no general who ordered young men into battle, no FBI man who spied on anti-war activities, should be invited to public ceremonies on this sacred day. Let the dead of past wars be honored. Let those who live pledge themselves never to embark on mass slaughter again.
“The shell had his number on it. The blood ran into the ground…Where his chest ought to have been they pinned the Congressional Medal, the DSC, the Medaille Militaire, the Belgian Croix de Guerre, the Italian gold medal, The Vitutea Militara sent by Queen Marie of Rumania
For the rest click here.
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Another police murder—“I can’t breath”—said again
By SJ Otto
It is hard to believe that police around the country have not learned anything from all the cases of police brutality killing black people. George Floyd was chocked to death, as has been done to other black folks around the country. “I can’t breath” has been uttered by other black victims, such as Eric Garner. According to Wikipedia:
“On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner died in the New York City borough of Staten Island after Daniel Pantaleo, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, put him in a chokehold while arresting him.[2] Video footage of the incident generated widespread national attention and raised questions about the appropriate use of force by law enforcement.”
George Floyd death: Protesters take to the streets in Los Angeles
It is completely understandable that people are outraged over this police action. Destruction of property is understandable, but stealing and trying to profit off of this event by looting is not an OK form of protests. Rebellion is justifiable—theft is not. Protesters should try to demonstrate some discipline.
Black Lives DO MATTER!
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Progressive candidate from Michigan needs our support
Now that the presidential primary was hi-jacked by the conservative wing of the Democratic Party, we need to start focusing on progressives who are running campaigns on the local levels of government. Michigan
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George Floyd protests: Wichita Kansas
As with protests across the country, Wichita , Kansas Kansas
This sign got cut off. It read something to the effect that people should not just be comfortable with the deaths of black people.
From Yahoo News:
Protests across the U.S. resumed Saturday night in the aftermath of George Floyd dying in Minneapolis
Follow below for the latest updates:
For the actual updates click here.
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Once again we see the folly of an elected novice, lacking both experience and basic political knowledge—Trump on protesters for Floyd
By SJ Otto
The idea of electing a novice—one of those people who can brag that he “is not a politician,” we now see the foolishness of putting a man, President Donald Trump, in charge of the country that he is not able to really run.
The bottom line is that this is a man who now sees himself as “at war with protesters who are outraged at the death of George Floyd.” A person like Trump becomes dangerous, especially if he is able to carry out his lunatic ideas.
Today, in a Rose Garden speech shaded with anger, President Trump threatened to send the American military to states where governors could not bring the protests, over police brutality, under control. According to theStarTribune:
“Most of you are weak,” he said. “It’s like a war. And we will end it fast. Be tough.”
That is the ranting of a man who is easily set off by people who oppose his own views of the world. So far he has verbally lashed out at factions of the left that he has accused of being responsible for the violence across the county. He has refused to accuse right-wing groups of any violence. He is clearly supportive of far-right militant groups, related to Nazis and Ku Klux Klan. According to an audio recorded byThe New York Times:
“But I saw what happened in Dallas
He has specifically called out theAntifa,going as far as accusing them of being domesticated terrorists and calling for authorities to use various techniques, which in the past would be considered “dirty tricks,” such as “COINTELPRO,” used by the FBI for new left groups during the 1960s or 1970s. Antifa is an anarchist configuration. Its official a group known asanti-fascist political activists.According toWikipedia it comprises autonomous activist groups that aim to achieve their political objectives through the use of direct action rather than through policy reform.
To attack this group will enrage the many anarchist people and groups in this country. He will also end up with organizations, such as the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) and other similar groups.
On top of all these political factions, we have individuals, mostly black, who are legitimately enraged that George Floyd was killed needlessly by police. Trump’s actions are on the path of enraging people throughout this country, and not just leftists, but also people who want justice for Floyd. Trump is being warned by some of the Governors he has heckled. For example:
“Other governors pushed back, suggesting Mr. Trump’s presence in their states could provoke unrest. Gov. Janet Mills of Maine , a Democrat, told the president that his planned trip to a medical swab factory north of Bangor
After the president made extensive and uncorroborated claims about the protesters being part of an organized cabal, Ms. Mills, with evident skepticism, asked for proof. “I’d love to get the intelligence you appear to have access to,” she said.
Not all of the governors were uneasy with Mr. Trump’s language, particularly his fellow Republicans. After Ms. Mills sought to dissuade the president from going to Maine , Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia
And Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina
Of course the idea that protesters are being paid is ridiculous. Who would pay them and what would they gain for their money? This is purely ludicrous. Once again we need to remind people that this country is being lead by dogmatists of the right who are much more concerned that the far right stays in control of this country. Stopping police from casually killing black people is not in Trump’s interest or others like him.
While removing Trump from office may help the situation, what is WAY more important is the electing of progressives, on the state and local level, who can help us tilt this country away from far right ideology and move this country towards some kind of progressivism.
Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden is not very progressive. Removing Trump is not a bad idea, but replacing Congress people on both the national and state level is what is needed.
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Report from 21st and Arkansas—Wichita, KS
By SJ Otto
In the fist two days of this week, there was looting and vandalism at a site for protesting and rallying at 21st and Arkansas Street. On Wednesday, I attended a rally at that place and interviewed Sarahi Aguilera, of the Immigrant justice organization, a part of Sunflower Action. She insisted that change is needed and her fellow protesters and organizers need to be affective.
“Need to be corrective and affective,” she said.
“We can protest all we want, until we can get out and vote.”
She told me that she and here fellow people attending the rally were concerned about the oppression in this country. She told me this community lacks resources.
“It’s amazing to see groups come together in solidarity,” Aguilera said.
All across the country there have been protest in favor of the Black Lives Matter in response to the murder of George Floyd.
Many of these protests have been peaceful, others have been violent and the reaction from the cops, have at times, also been violent.
At right, Sarahi Aguilera. Below are people who came to rally at 21st and Arkansas.
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Comments on protests against police violence by Code Pink
From Code Pink:
After a week of inspiring protests against police brutality around the country, far-right Senator Tom Cotton is in a tizzy. “First it was ‘abolish ICE’. Now they want to defund the local police who keep us safe. What is next—disband the military?”
We say, hell yeah!
Defunding the Pentagon is something we’ve been working with our partners on for decades and, thanks to the Poor People’s Campaign, we have all of the details. Endorse the Poor People’s Campaign’s call to cut $350 billion from the Pentagon budget and invest that money in our local communities.
Take a look at the Poor People’s Campaign Moral Budget, which calls for deep cuts in annual military spending and add your name as an endorser. Once we get enough people to endorse, we can work with members of Congress—other than Sen. Cotton—to cut Pentagon spending and invest in the needs of the people.
Yesterday, Reverend Barber led a day of fasting to lift up the demands of the people in this moment of reckoning. “Our movement must push for political and economic transformation to end police violence and all violence against black, brown, and poor people,” he pleaded. Invoking the need to address the triple evils of racism, poverty, and militarism, he laid out specifics:
- Hold police who terrorize accountable through “apprehension, investigation, prosecution, conviction, and incarceration;”
- Establish real security—healthcare for all, housing, ensuring the right to vote, etc.;
- Demilitarize the police though defunding of police departments, ending the 1033 program, ending cash bail, and more;
- End mass incarceration and criminalization of the poor;
- End the endless wars—lift sanctions, DEFUND THE PENTAGON!
The Poor People’s Campaign budget is laid out in full detail: Cutting $350 billion from the Pentagon, which is about half its budget, would make the nation and the world more secure. In addition, $886 billion can be gathered annually from taxing corporations, Wall Street, and the one percent. These savings, as well as the money that will be saved from defunding police departments and ending mass incarceration, will then be used to address climate change, lift people out of poverty, provide education, and much more.
Check out the Poor People’s Campaign Moral Budget and add your name as an endorser. Once we get enough signatures, we will reach out to progressive champions in Congress to work with them on cutting the Pentagon and bringing a moral budget based on peace and justice to the people.
Speaking at Riverside Church in 2017, 50 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke there, Reverend Barber said: “The question today is are we going to be on the side of violence or nonviolence?” After the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmoud Arbery, and so many before them, the people of this nation have made it clear that we will no longer tolerate police violence. People in New York City , D.C. , Los Angeles , Atlanta , and all across the U.S.
Towards an end to racism, poverty, and militarism,
Ariel, Ann, Asia, Carley, Caty, Cody, Emily, Jodie, Kelsey, Leila, Leonardo, Makena, Mary, Medea, Michelle, Nancy
P.S. Join us this Sunday, June 14 at 5PM PT for a screening of “We Cried Power,” a documentary about the Poor People’s Campaign.
Did you see what far-right Senator Tom Cotton tweeted over the weekend? “What is next—disband the military?,” he wrote, incredulous about the momentum to defund the police. We say, hell yeah! Check out the Poor People’s Campaign Moral Budget, which details how we can cut $350 billion from the Pentagon and invest in our local communities.
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The right-wing thundering loonie playbook in case a black man is killed by the police
This is from guest writer John Mesh—From The Bench by John J. Mesh
The right-wing thundering loony playbook in case a black man is killed by the police:
• Blame the victim.
• Character assassination.
• Attack the family.
• Bring up black-on-black crime.
• Say the black man would be looking down and happy that black unemployment is at 20-25-30% and non-white joblessness has increased. But according to the Dept. of Labor's cooked books, white unemployment is down. So let's throw a news conference!
• Blame Colin Kaepernick.
• Say Trump isn't a racist.
• Put up a lot of fences and surround Trump with armed guards.
• Have Trump hide in a bunker.
• Have Melania tweet a lot.
• Have Trump post 200 tweets a day.
• Make sure Trump has a lame photo-op in front of a church after he sends the military police to bull rush protesters to get them out of the way.
• Have black commentators like Harris Faulkner and Candace Owens attack the black man so you don't look "racist." That didn't work.
• Call all protesters, young or old, black or white, "Antifa" -- I guess that makes the accusers "pro-fa."
• Blame Margaret Sanger, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, George Soros or Yoko Ono for everything.
• Character assassination.
• Attack the family.
• Bring up black-on-black crime.
• Say the black man would be looking down and happy that black unemployment is at 20-25-30% and non-white joblessness has increased. But according to the Dept. of Labor's cooked books, white unemployment is down. So let's throw a news conference!
• Blame Colin Kaepernick.
• Say Trump isn't a racist.
• Put up a lot of fences and surround Trump with armed guards.
• Have Trump hide in a bunker.
• Have Melania tweet a lot.
• Have Trump post 200 tweets a day.
• Make sure Trump has a lame photo-op in front of a church after he sends the military police to bull rush protesters to get them out of the way.
• Have black commentators like Harris Faulkner and Candace Owens attack the black man so you don't look "racist." That didn't work.
• Call all protesters, young or old, black or white, "Antifa" -- I guess that makes the accusers "pro-fa."
• Blame Margaret Sanger, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, George Soros or Yoko Ono for everything.
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On the Death of Jim Erickson, a local celebrity, AKA Ol' Flick
By SJ Otto
A good friend of mine died yesterday, Jim Erickson. He was something of a local celebrity. He used to do commercials, everything from used cars to potato chips. He used to introduce movies and TV shows. He was also an English language professor at Wichita State University (WSU). He also did movie reviews.
He was known to a lot of folks as “Old Flick.” At the KMUW radio station where he did movie reviews. I discussed movies with him many times. We did not always see eye to eye. For example on such movies AClockwork Orange,he didn’t like that movie and I did. I liked The Killing Fields. He did not. He said they used a lot of tricks they got from other movies to make the battle scenes in The Killing Fields. He was very picky.
We agreed more on politics. While I’m a Marxist/ Maoist, he was more of a liberal. We despised many of the same politicians, such as Ronald Reagan and both Bushes.[1] But we occasionally did not see things the same. I had a Maoist friend, Charles Blackmon,
who is dead now, who at one time told Erickson that he admired a group of Maoist guerrillas, in a Latin American country, who did the local women, in a town, a favor and executed some prostitutes. Erickson was horrified at the idea. I did agree with him that executing prostitutes was a terrible idea. But he never wanted to see my Maoist friend again. I was willing to overlook that issue and Chuck and I stayed friends until he died. Erickson said he never wanted to see him again.
As an English professor Erickson threw a lot of students off, because he was very hard on them. Many thought he would be a pushover since he seemed so lackadaisical on TV, as his various personalities. But he took his work as a professor very seriously.
We haven’t had a party at my house in many years, but when we did we often invited Erickson. He often came early or on time. We considered him eccentric. He was one of a kind. My wife, Cam Gentry, liked knowing him. She also joked about the shorts and other close he used to wear when he visited the WSU library.[2]
We also went to his parties. He used to have about four a year. Then after a while he only had one a year and that was his Halloween Party. I used to look forward to his Halloween Party because I had many friends I only met once a year at this party. Every year I came up with an elaborate costume.
A few years ago he stopped having all of his parties. He kept complaining that people stole things from him. He had some really good antiques and collectables of all kinds. He had all kinds of movie paraphernalia and souvenirs. So I can understand why he hated it when someone took off with his things.
Erickson liked drinking for many years. One year the press came to his house before one of his parties and he was so drunk they couldn’t use the interview. Shortly after that he quit drinking. He told me that he kept reading these pamphlets on how to tell if you drink too much. He decided he would just quit drinking and he no longer had that problem to worry about.
He told someone in a press interview that he avoided relationships with women because he didn’t like the pain of breaking up with someone. Erickson was a proud supporter of Women’s rights and he had a good relationship with the local National Organization for Women.He supported many liberal causes and he used to wear a lot of different buttons on those various issues.
Erickson was quite a few years older than me. But all people die sooner or later. I knew that some day we would have to see Erickson’s life come to an end. That happened Wednesday morning. I will miss him. Many of us will. We all enjoyed his company and we were always glad when he came to our parties. Any party we have now will be without him and we will miss him.
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Reducing the police budget in New York
-The amount is $6,000,000,000!
That’s the policing budget in New York City
In the last couple weeks, police have used these budgets to pepper-spray children in the face. Shoot journalists with rubber bullets. Fire tear gas at peaceful residents. Taser and arrest people who weren’t even protesting.
That’s why today, we need a massive, people-powered effort to push back. We’re directing 100% of funds on this page to support groups working to defund police, hold cops accountable, and end police violence – chip in right now.
So for contributions see here:
We’re in a crisis of state violence.
Taking on this kind of abuse of power often takes major risk. That’s what many groups are doing. We need to stand with them.
Thank you,
Team AOC
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