WOMEN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE - 45 YEARS LATER

By Ruth A. Sheets

It's been 45 years since the Roe v. Wade decision came down from the Supreme Court.  Abortion still remains one of the most divisive issues in our nation.  I truly do not understand the "controversy."   Why are some people willing to harm others over whether a woman should be able to choose abortion?  Why is a president stroking his base by considering only candidates for the Supreme Court and other government positions who are against abortion? 

This nonsense regarding abortion has been going on for generations now.  Notice, I did not say millennia?  That's because the reason religious people stood against it a century and a half ago is that women, many women were dying in "back alley" abortions.  To convince women not to choose that deadly option, all kinds of religious tags were attached.  Today, abortion is safe and rarely problematic if conducted in a clean space by a well-trained professional.  In fact most abortions only involve taking pills. 

There just should not be a controversy about abortion.  It makes no sense that any man should have a say whatsoever in the decision of what a woman does related to her body, PERIOD, unless, that man is the woman's partner or doctor and she has chosen to include him in this decision.  Then, he is an OBSERVER/advisor, not a dictator. 

What is hard to understand is that in addition to men who believe they are in charge of women, a bunch of women have been convinced that somehow abortion is murder.  First of all, it isn't, so why do these women and so many men want to make it so?  You women who hate your sisters so much, what is wrong with you?  Just because you don't want to choose abortion should not mean  you can force others to make that same choice.  Life situations differ greatly.  You cannot know what a woman facing this decision needs to do.  Just as people have been telling you for years, if you do not want an abortion, DON'T HAVE ONE!!!.  It IS that simple. 

State legislatures and governors, majority white male, the Congress, majority white male, the president, white male, and the Supreme Court, majority white male should have no say in abortion.  If their body cannot bear a child, if they will never have to face carrying a pregnancy they do not want, cannot afford, or can handle, if their personal lives will not be impacted by carrying a pregnancy, they must just shut up and let women decide for themselves.

I understand it will be difficult for some pathetic men and women if abortion in certain states is declared illegal.  What will they scream, whine, and do to otherwise make life miserable for women, beware, they will find something because that is what powerful men do when they feel they are being challenged by intelligent, strong, decisive women.  Look out all of us!

Men, if you really care about the unborn as you claim, demand and pass legislation that will keep our environment clean, get people permanently out of poverty, ensure women's right to birth control, champion health care for all, INCREASE FUNDING FOR INFANT AND MOTHER PROGRAMS, PROMOTE PUBLIC EDUCATION, things that would really make a difference.  First, though, stop Mr. Trump's gag rule, you know, the one that tells medical personnel and fake medical personnel to lie to women about their reproductive needs. Legalizing lying is not acceptable. 

You say you can't do that?  Why?  Is the problem that attacking women's right to choose is easy, while making a real positive difference for women and the unborn is really hard, perhaps too hard for you!

Stop with your platitudes and lies.  And you Christians, Jesus knew about abortion and didn't condemn it.  He did condemn hate, treating people like garbage, lying, and a lot of other things.  Go with that.  Leave women alone to choose for themselves, then support them in their decision.  That is the truly loving, Christian thing to do. 

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE -- REALLY?

by Ruth A. Sheets

It's time the Senate wake up and notice the poor quality of people Mr. Trump is nominating to all really important positions in OUR government, remember it is the government of ALL of us, not just the rich, white, males.  The latest nominee is Brett Kavanaugh, a Yale trained lawyer and judge on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

There are problems already with this nominee.  It seems Mr. Kavanaugh does not think it matters if he tells the truth to the Senate, as exemplified in his previous hearing for a judicial position (which he got despite his lies).  The Senate did nothing about it back then and I predict Mr. Kavanaugh is sure they will ignore it again.  The Senate probably will, at least the Republicans will.

Mr. Kavanaugh served with Mr. Starr to indict Mr. Clinton for lying about stuff he should never have been asked.  Then, he writes about not ever indicting a sitting president because of the chaos it would cause.  Yep, he only worries about a presidential indictment after he tried to bring down a sitting Democratic president.  Mr. Trump is delighted because he knows Mr. Mueller's commission is looking into his activities that his handlers, at least, know are illegal and unethical.  Mr. Kavanaugh will save him. 

There is no evidence Mr. Kavanaugh cares about women's right to choose, in fact, there is plenty of evidence he is against it, despite the fact that a super majority of Americans want the right to choose. 

There is evidence this nominee does not respect the LGBTQ community or anyone who is not white for that matter.  He loves BIG BUSINESS and will give them everything they ask for, demand, or take without permission.  His prior record makes that clear. 

The environment, this is not anything Mr. Kavanaugh cares about unless he chooses to encourage drilling, pipelines , digging for coal, and more, none of which will benefit anyone but the company owners and shareholders.  This is obscene!  

Mr. Kavanaugh opposes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one of the few agencies to actually protect consumers from the harmful practices of BIG BANKS AND BIG BUSINESS.  What does that do for the people who are getting screwed by those companies?  Oh well, too bad guys.  We are so far above you, we just don't care, we conservatives, but we can pretend to care if you want us to.

In addition to all this, Mr. Kavanaugh tried to block an immigrant teenager in U.S. custody from accessing reproductive healthcare. His decisions for the 6th Circuit in Washington, D.C. show that He opposes affirmative action, promotes public funds being used for private school vouchers, and favors prayer in public schools (an issue decided more than 50 years ago).  How do these positions help ordinary Americans?  They don't, of course!!

Mr. Kavanaugh's prior rulings raise serious concerns for some about where he stands on issues like employees’ right to organize, workplace discrimination, voting rights, marriage equality, access to healthcare and corporate responsibility.  It is pretty clear to most of us where he stands.  What average Americans let alone special interest groups need is irrelevant to conservatives these days and Mr. Kavanaugh has a history of sticking to the conservative line and justifying it, no matter how crazy.

So, it's going to be hard to fight this one.  It's been 30 years since a Supreme Court nominee, Robert Bork, was rejected.  With 30 years of hindsight, we are hearing what a terrible thing it was to reject this "good man" as several Republicans and a few centrist Democrats have said, because now candidates will not answer any real questions about their positions.  But Bork was not that great.  He, too, had little respect for anyone who was not white, rich, straight, and male.  How would that have helped the majority of us?

We are so good at revisionist history that we have turned Ronald Raegan who allowed all kinds of illegal and questionable things to happen during his presidency into almost a saint.  He wasn't.  Mr. Bork was such a good man.  Not really!  Justice Kennedy  was such a centrist, our only hope.  This was true only when it suited him.

We still live with the consequences of Mr. Reagan's union busting, tax cutting, disregard for government operations, and the change of the American understanding that the government is for the common good.   We have already felt the devastation of Mr. Kennedy's vote on Citizens United declaring money as speech.  Really a stupid decision, but conservatives always have to side with the wealthy and business, no matter how ridiculous.  Voting rights was not Mr. Kennedy's big thing either. 

We don't know exactly what Mr. Kavanaugh would contribute to the harming  of the American system, but his influence would be considerable.  There is no evidence that Mr. Kavanaugh cares.  Perhaps, he will be like Mr. Trump who wants to cause as much chaos for as long as he can, raking in money and power with impunity. 

We have to find ways to reject Mr. Trump's crazy nominees for all government jobs, including Supreme Court justice.  Maybe if enough are rejected, he will start trying to find people who are actually qualified and who give a damn about the United States, its citizens, its allies, and our planet.

The next Supreme Court justice should be fair, independent and committed to safeguarding the rights and freedoms that protect everyone.  I suspect Mr. Kavanaugh cannot truthfully commit to this.  The current conservative justices claim fairness, independence, and the ability to commit to protecting the rights of all Americans.  They are none of these things.  How sad that conservatives have to harm everyone to keep their conservative bona fides.  I do not see Mr. Kavanaugh stepping up to be concerned for the rights of anyone but himself and those like him.  There is just no courage among Republicans or conservatives whether it is in Congress, on the Court, or as head of any of the executive branch departments.  That's too bad for all of us, since for now, they are in charge of everything.

A Look at Patriotism 2018

By Ruth A. Sheets

Patriotism clearly means different things to different people.  Traditionally, it meant love of one's country.  That sounds simple, but how does that manifest itself in the real world?

How can you tell if someone is patriotic?  That varies depending on the group or groups to which one has loyalty.  For some, one can only demonstrate love of country through military service, while for others, vocally supporting the nation’s military/wars is sufficient.  Some require patriots to display a flag on the lawn and wear a flag pin in public.  Some expect patriots to know and sing all the “patriotic” songs and stand with their hand over their heart when singing the “National Anthem” (don't take a knee!)  Some demand the saying of the “Pledge of Allegiance” at every possible occasion, (even though it is pledging to a flag, not a country).

The element missing from all but the first description of patriotism above is depth.  Mouthing support for a war, waving or wearing a flag, saying the “Pledge,” singing  “America the Beautiful” demand little or nothing of the practitioner.  These acts  are visible, but say little except that one has a handle on the trappings of patriotism.  Where is the substance?
 
The problem is that just having the trappings of patriotism allows practitioners to designate those who don’t participate in the superficiality as unpatriotic, therefore not as good, not a "real" American.

The most commonly cited factor of patriotism involves military service of some kind.  Serving in the military generally involves sacrifice of time, health, opportunities, even one's life, all of which are valuable to our nation.  People who make this choice deserve kudos, but we need to expand our understanding of sacrifice.  

Communities throughout the United States have people making patriotic sacrifices every day:  fire-fighters, people who work against violence, folks who care for frail seniors and the vulnerable youngsters among us.  Consider Scout leaders, youth directors, people who staff soup kitchens and community pantries, and non-profit workers, often volunteers.  These are all patriots as are local elected officials, mediators, school safeties, teachers, mental health workers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, farmers, environmentalists, innovators, police officers, and so many others, all patriots.

What all patriots have in common is that they care not just for the country, but for the people who live here too.  No matter what their political leanings, they see a need and try to meet it using the resources available to them.  These folks understand that America is a diverse place and that there is room for everyone here, no matter where they were born.  They believe in and understand that our nation was founded on the rule of law and justice for all, and that we are stronger together than separate.

Just in case that is too vague, I'll be more clear.  A patriot does not force his/her opinions and behaviors on others.  A patriot does not work to deny healthcare for people who can't afford it.  A patriot does not help to stack courts who will favor one group over the rights of other groups.  A patriot does not use their religious beliefs to justify their own prejudices.  A patriot does not try to restrict voting in a society that depends on voting for its success.  A patriot does not approve of cruelty done in America's name to defenseless children and adults, for any reason.  In short, Patriots care about more than their own comfort and the enforcement of their own beliefs.

So, celebrate this July 4th, but do it with your neighbors and friends.  Display a flag, but remember that it is the symbol of a people more than of a place.  We are a flawed people, but we are trying to get better. 

WHEN HATRED AND LIES BECOME THE NORM

By  Ruth A. Sheets

Lying is an integral part of Donald Trump's public behavior.  He lies whenever it occurs to him that a lie might work better than the truth, that is if he has any idea what is the truth.   

Yesterday, the Supreme Court's conservative majority confirmed as acceptable, Mr. Trump's hatred of Muslims.  They used as justification Mr. Trump's lie that travelers from a specific set of countries, mostly Muslim, puts the security of the United States at risk.  Alas, there is no evidence of this, but the Supreme Court majority says, that doesn't matter.  Mr. Trump says it is, so it is.  Wow!  That's a lot of power for someone who didn't win the popular vote and has little regard for the Constitution.

Everyone knows that throughout his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump told the nation of his intent to stop all Muslims from coming here.  That intention was never hidden.  Like everything else he says in hatred and most of his lies, it was loud and clear and harmful to many people, the kind of people Mr. Trump doesn't like.

Lying and some hatred (of women and abortion) was front and center in another Supreme Court ruling yesterday.  The conservative majority  basically said it is perfectly OK to lie to citizens, particularly women about their health care options. 

Fake health care centers have been set up all over the country to lie to women.  They have no medical help to offer, only lies about abortion, pregnancy, and a host of other issues facing women related to health care. 

California decided to order fake clinics to inform potential patients that other facilities could take care of their needs, while the fake clinics could not.  The Supreme Court has now said the state can't make the fake clinics tell the truth.  They can lie through their teeth, trapping mostly poor women into maintaining pregnancies they can't afford or physically handle.  Yep, lying is in the ascendency.  Free speech, you know.

These rulings  coincide with the cheating allowed in the June 25th decision permitting racial gerrymandering in Texas and probably other places too.  The justification is not very clear.  Are conservative justices OK with cheating and subverting the American voting system?  Or is it something more? 

One might have expected Mr. Thomas, the African-American justice to stand on the side of voting rights in this decision, but alas, no.  It is no surprise, however, that white conservative men are in favor of whatever will give white people the most power.  Racial gerrymandering, why not!  We'll find a reason to OK it.

These days, one cannot be shocked that Mr. Trump lies about immigrants, the activities of his staff, and just about everything else.  His followers love it.  They, themselves must lie regularly to be so positive concerning the lies so freely tossed off.  It's like a kinship. 

Conservatives want to have the Ten Commandments in every courthouse.  How is that possible.  One of the commandments is "Thou shalt not bear false witness."  False witness means lie.  Have they convinced themselves that the things Mr. Trump says are not lies?  Isn't that a kind of pretense?  Another word for pretense is lie.  So, perhaps they are lying to themselves too.  If you can't tell the truth to yourself, who can you tell it to?

Which other president has lied to the American people more than 3,000 times in just over 500 days?  No one, of course.  Even if one did not agree with the person in the White House, there was a sense that the person had some integrity.  That cannot be claimed for this White House occupant.  His hatreds and lying make him unique, and not in a good way. 

I get it that Mr. Trump often has no idea what is true and really doesn't care.  As long as everyone is bowing to and cheering for him, giving him everything he wants, like a spoiled child, he is happy and can gloat.  He does not want anyone challenging his hatreds and need for vengeance.  And, for the most part, people comply.  Republicans in Congress and in the states comply.  We learned yesterday that Even the Supreme Court complies.  

Hatred, lying, and cheating, the three pillars of Mr. Trump's presidency do not seem to be helping anyone but him.  He hopes Americans will ignore his lies because if he says something long enough and loud enough, he thinks we will all believe it.  What many of us believe is that we don't want lying, hatred, and cheating to be a norm for our society and will do what we can to see that these three are ultimately moved off the main American stage along with Mr. Trump.