ravan

Let Me Be Frank

2021-01-07T01:30:50Z

To my US readers:

Today we witnessed an attempted coup by Trump supporters, instigated by Trump himself, supported inside Congress by Hawley, Cruz, and others. At the very least they are white supremacist terrorists.

This should not get swept under the rug like so much of Trump's other misdeeds and corruption.

This needs to be prosecuted as the sedition and insurrection it is. It is just as treasonous as the secessionists of the old confederate states. It needs to be squashed, and squashed hard.

I'm a nobody. I don't hold any office, I don't have lots of money.

But I am a US citizen, and I demand that Congress, the FBI, and the Secret Service do whatever they need to to bring these traitors to justice.

What can we do?

Start with demanding that Fox News be removed from your cable service for "material support of terrorism".
Do Not vote for any of the treasonous GOP for any office, not even dog catcher. As long as the GOP embraces Trumpism, even if not in name, reject them utterly.
Do not patronize MAGA businesses. Starve the beast.
Cut ties with your MAGA relatives. I know it's hard, but this shit has to have consequences, even for the footsoldiers.
Demand that your elected representatives denounce this, and if necessary, resign from the GOP..
For the duration of the pandemic, observe all public health directives and CDC guidelines. Starve Covid of victims.
If you can afford it, give to progressive/reformist causes, including the ACLU.
Stay aware of both local and national politics. Be aware of the shenanigans being pulled in your name.

It's not a lot, but every little bit counts.

We need to pull together, or they'll try to pick us off one by one.

Even if they defeat this now, unless it has heavy consequences we won't be rid of MAGAt "Y'all Queda" terror until they have no support and no place to hide.

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Thoughts on Homelessness

2014-02-17T09:08:19Z

Several years ago, in my early twenties, I was literally within weeks of being homeless. My car was dead, I was unemployed and almost out of benefits, had been eating rice and ramen for almost 6 months, and I was being evicted from my apartment because they were raising the rent by over $100 a month (30% more). I was literally less than a month from losing everything I had. The "public assistance" stuff at that time was only available to women with kids, not able-bodied students.

I got lucky - I found a (temp) job I could get to by transit, and another apartment that I could (just barely) afford. I moved on the last weekend before the end of my notice. All during this time I had no medical insurance, of course, so even when I trashed my ankle a few months later, I just ace bandaged it, stayed home from work for two days (unpaid) and took lots of ibuprofen.

But I will never forget, staring into a dingy bathroom mirror on a soon to be overpriced slum apartment (complete with roaches), telling myself I would never let myself get that desperate again. I already had too many men catcalling me on the streets, following me home from the bus, etc - how the fuck would I survive without even a car to lock myself into? How would I cook, what could I eat or drink?

Ever since then, I've always had a few months of food "in case". I've always tried to keep a car that I could sleep in, if I had to. I always had "camping gear" available, ready to hand. I've always had a plan B, plan C, and plan D, and fret if I don't.

I always will.

I wasn't raised a few weeks away from homelessness. I was middle class, professional parents, etc.

But that was before Ronald Reagan was president, and the shredding of the safety net.

So every time someone shits on the homeless, I take it personally. That could have been me, but for a lucky call from a temp agency. The only difference, in a lot of cases, is that they never got that lucky call.

Two of my roommates were homeless before they moved in with me. Both veterans.

I don't go on marches and all of that. But my friends know that if they're a bit short on food, if I've got something they can use to eat, it's theirs for the asking. If someone needs a couple months crash, if I've got room, they can have a roof for a while, but not necessarily forever.

I will not vote for a Republican who is heir to anything resembling Reagan's "legacy".

No matter how much I make, no matter how high I rise, a part of me will always be a terrified twenty-something looking at living on the street with nothing.

Always.

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Surprised? No!

2011-07-24T06:44:47Z

So a Christian Fundamentalist committed a major act of terrorism in Norway, and people are acting all shocked, like they can't believe it. Guess what, folks? Right Wing Christian Fundamentalists, especially Dominionists, are just as terroristic in nature as Al Queda and their ilk. It's perfectly acceptable in their world view to "Kill a 'Commie' for Christ" or a gay, Muslim, woman, liberal, jew, black, etc. Who the hell do you think started the Crusades, anyway? It wasn't the Muslims, folks! Who did the Inquisition?

Right wing Christian fundamentalist extremism has been glossed over, passed off as the work of "lone wolves", or "fringe groups" that "aren't really Christian". Guess what? They go to "Christian" churches, wear crosses, read bibles, pray to Jesus, etc. They are just as "Christian" as the Muslim terrorists are Muslim. You don't get to say they "aren't really" members of the dominant religion in the Western world.

You say that if the Muslims don't stop the Muslim terrorists, then they are complicit. Well, guess what, folks, that sword cuts both ways: If average peaceful Christians don't stop Christian terrorists, they are just as complicit as average peaceful Muslims are in Muslim terror.

If you think it's not a problem, do a few google searches on words like "steeplejacking" and "dominionism". Check out SPLC and their right wing watch. White Militant Right Wing Christian groups are very, very popular. A lot of them are behind the Tea Party, and call them selves "Libertarian", too.

I feel sorry for the people in Norway, with their peace shattered by something within their own society. Let's hope they're smarter about how they deal with it than we were.

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Another Right Wing Nut Terrorist Shooting

2009-06-10T20:55:23Z

A racist conspiracy theorist answered the dog whistle again: Security Guard Is Killed in Shooting at Holocaust Museum in D.C. The lunatic fringe of the American Taliban is out in force this year.

See Another Right Wing Nut Terrorist Shooting

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The American Taliban Strikes Again

2009-06-01T06:35:16Z

Dr George Tiller was gunned down in the lobby of his church by an anti-abortion terrorist today.

Yes, we have domestic terrorism. Operation Rescue, and their lunatic fringe followers, are exactly that. Same as the radical anti-gay bigots, the white supremacists, or the anti-government nutjobs. I really wish that the government would take them as seriously as they do Muslim Jihadists. The Christian Taliban deserves to be watched and arrested for their plots as much, if not more so, than the few Muslim extremists in this country.

I recommend that people who want to "do something" donate to either Planned Parenthood (protecting doctors and clinics is expensive) or the ACLU in memory of Dr. Tiller.

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