An Action We Can Take

 

Last night when I watched this video, I was appalled of the blatant order Trump was giving our incoming Senators, especially the Republican Sentors. This is a flagrant disregard of our democracy. Trump is wielding his power and consolidating it in a way that will harm Americans and our way of life. The only way he will get away with this is if we do NOTHING. That's right nothing. 

Sure, we can do that but what will it get us? Part of the problem is that not enough of us acted when we needed to and that’s on us. Now, we’ve got to fight to keep what we have and consolidate our power, the power of We The People.

Part of my stance from now on will be the fact that it’s not just me being the resistance but we being the resistance. So, I will be using the hashtags #IamtheResistance and #WearetheResistance to to indicate all of us. I am also letting everyone know by using the ‘I’ on that I personally am not going to let this Republic die without a fight.

In this situation, here is what I plan to do and I hope you all do something similar. First, I’m going to do both letters and postcards to the incoming Republican Senators. I will be using something like this in each of them:

Dear Senator ? (The ? is whatever person you’re sending your letter/postcard to.),

Let me congratulate you on your new position. I hope it is with great honor, integrity and defense that you represent our democracy. You have taken or will take a sacred oath to make sure our Republic does not fall but lasts even longer than its current 248 years.

However, it has come to my attention that a looming threat to our lives is being planned and that you are asked to participate in after January 3^rd, 2025. President-elect Trump has asked you to recess the Senate so that he can make recess appointments without your input or approval.

This is to consolidate his power, not yours, and therefore begin the creation of an autocracy, where in the future you will probably have little say in what happens. This is a direct threat to our democracy and I implore you NOT to participate. In order for our Republic to continue to stand, it MUST have all three branches of government to create and maintain our Union.

However, in doing his bidding you will undermining all the American people hold dear. Our lives, our freedom and our democracy will be in jeopardy if you do this because if you defer to this man, and yes – he is just a man, you will have given him license to take more and more from the American people. Those are the people who elected you in case you have forgotten.

Sincerely,

(Here you sign your name or you can sign #IamtheResistance/#WearetheResistance or however you want.)

Direct others here to get ideas on how they can resist. Another item I plan to do is to take inexpensive ads in small town newspapers around the USA, specifically in red states, asking them to check out groups like Indivisible or directing them to websites, blogs and more where they can get more information on what’s really happening to our democracy. I know most of you can’t afford that at all but for me getting people aware of their options is one of my top priorities.

In a future blog post, I will be going over those priorities so that hopefully others may learn and benefit from my input. But I can’t do this alone and would appreciate any help I could get at this point. Please realize, I don’t do this for me as this path may bring me nothing but heartache and this I know. I do this for all of us now and those who come after us. That means our children and grandchildren because I can’t and won’t leave them all alone to clean up the mess left to them by my generation or those generations before me.

Till next time,

#IamtheResistance

You Sold It All for a Dozen of Cheap Eggs

The disbelief and regret are getting deep even though it’s only been a week. 

You get what you paid for, and the red side sold their wives, daughters, grandmothers, sisters and any woman they are associated with down the river. They also sold their rights and freedoms and their social programs. 

The Republicans in charge will add taxes and tariffs, therefore taking away your jobs because of those taxes and tariffs, your healthcare because the Affordable Care Act is Obamacare, your retirement meaning your social security and so many more benefits that you obviously didn’t realize you had. 

This includes mass deportations on family and friends, maybe your grandparents or your parents. The shunning of all your family and friends because of what you’ve done to us all. 

And for what? A dozen of eggs that will only go up in price? An economy that will be tanked in 4 years? 

Though it’s only been a few days since the election, I’m honestly not mad any more. I get solace in the fact that though we all are going to pay for this, that maybe, just maybe, you will see the flaw in your decision. That you will see what I see: that this man, this Pumpkinfuhrer lied to you from day 1. 

The other thing is that rich Republicans don’t see you as someone they can help. No, that’s the perview of the Democrats, who start foundations, who try to help where they can. Republicans may spit in your face if you don’t think like them, act like them, have the same skin color and more. What’s even sadder, they can’t take it with them and they will make it generational wealth, passing it all down to their kids, family and friends. Maybe some of them might share but don’t bet on it. 

I’ve always shared when I could and as for me, I’m trying to figure out how to fund a charity where people can come to apply for money for those emergencies like food, medication and hospital bills. Right now, I’m not sure just how I’m even going to fund it because you all closed off a lot of avenues for me to do that. 

And all this is, or will be, happening because you thought we were only talking about trans people, which we weren't. And that's not discounting the fact you thought we weren't listening but then again, you weren't even speaking to us. Communication is the real key to this struggle.

Here's the real scoop folks: in all my travels in the world, I have found that people are basically the same everywhere and they all want the same...to provide for their family, make sure they have great housing, make sure they are adequately fed through well priced food, and to send their kids to college or a trade school so that their children have a chance at a better life. 

Did I miss anything for the people of America? For the families?

So, you've done some assuming where you shouldn't have. You should have done your research, your homework. You shouldn't have assumed anything as it made an ass out of you and me. You never even tried to know me or why I think the way I do or see the world the way I do.

Again, I have to remember, this is your lesson to learn, not mine. 

The sad part is I have no choice but be along for the ride...you can check out the regrets and fears of others...just watch this video:

And this one:

Until next time, I am the resistance.

Answers to Tough Questions #IamtheResistance #Pumpkinfuhrer #StrongerTogether

Yes, it's been a while since I've posted but I'll be posting a lot more in the coming days, weeks, and months. Here's an example of what I'll be doing. This was an answer I gave to a friend's post/meme on Facebook. Expect more of the same in the future.

There are issues on both sides here: First, I hate the party system because that is part of the problem but here goes...many Democrats don't really understand that there are people who truly can't buy food but the Republicans use that to forward their agenda without truly pushing the needs of the people to the front. It should never be us versus them. It should be WE THE PEOPLE. Those on the other side feel so disenfranchised because of that lack of understanding that it's flipped a switch in them which some can't turn off. Part of why they feel that way is the fact most politicians never come and talk to them. The group of younger people who run the YouTube Channel More Perfect Union (https://www.youtube.com/@moreperfectunion/videos) has done a much better job of seeing what's real than any group I've seen.

Second, it scares the hell out of me to hear you all talking this way. That attitude of ignoring this and not doing anything about this is EXACTLY what happened in the 1930s in Germany. People were tired of not having anything because of the war reparations. They were tired of not being heard. Hitler played into that and look what happened. And if you don't believe me, look it up. Look long and hard and what do you see? Many will see a reflection of themselves and that can go both ways. I know young teenage women who have been crying since the day the man, whom I will call Pumpkinfuhrer from this point on, was elected. I may be old, but I'm not hardened, and I know there are things I can do to ease their pain. I didn't before now, and I will never back down when I see wrong being done. Bad things happen when good people turn their back, no matter what their reasons are.

Yes, you are tired, and I get that. Yes, there seems to be too few of us, and I get that too. But until we can ignite those who want to remain silent, until we can get all of us on the same page, we must lead the pack by being the good ones who stood up while everyone around us stood still. And I'm only asking each of you to do what you can. If all you can do is to read or listen to an article or a person's podcast/YouTube video, then do that. Sign petitions. Like those videos, articles, and all you agree with. Call the police when you see something wrong. Don't let it go unnoticed because if you do, you have given them a license to do whatever they want over and over again. Not everyone can be in the resistance, I get that, but to ignore it all as if it's not happening is the reason we got here in the first place.

Third, I feel I have a moral obligation to protect my generation’s descendants. All of them. For me this is two-fold: one, my husband is a direct descendant of James Madison. When I heard that from my husband and his mother, I was just so excited to be related to Dolly Madison, I was beside myself. As the years have rolled on, I realize there is more to that relationship than I thought. It isn't enough to be part of that line, it's almost as if you can feel the Bill of Rights and Constitution rattle your soul. It's as if you get why those handful of men did what they did to get us where we are today. If we don't honor democracy as they did, who are we really and why are we here today?

I know that we're here today because of the inactions of my generation and the generations before. We wanted to live and let live. Let people have the full measure of living free. We wanted, but didn't fulfill the need, to give the American Dream to everyone. But we left a lot behind, we didn't fill the gaps. When we saw things that weren't directly related to us, even though they could have been bad, we did nothing. We didn't say anything to let those know involved that their actions weren't acceptable.

So honestly, this is a problem for all of us. We each of to take responsibility and only together can we solve this.

And yes, I am doing what I can. I am revamping sites I started the first time Pumpkinfuhrer was elected. Please be kind as I am revamping all of them. See, the first time around, I gave up too, and that was definitely the wrong thing to do.

You can find them here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IamtheResistanceUSA/
Blog: https://1politicalmama.blogspot.com/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/1politicalmama

Dominion Over All ~ #ChasingCoral #HowClimateChangeEffectsLives #HowClimateChangeEffectsMe

As a kid growing up in Ohio, I went to church every Sunday. Many times the lessons revolved around how humans, mankind, was given dominion over all. This was drilled into many a Christian head and I think that it has come back to bite us. Heresy, you say…I think not…because no where does God say we have a right to end any of the species on the earth. Too many have taken that version to the point we’re going to end up killing ourselves.

Yes, God gives us his word in Genesis 1:26 that states: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Do any of you read somewhere in there that we’re allowed to cause the death of anything we have dominion over? Didn’t think so.

This is one of the big reasons I stopped going to church. Notice I said church because I didn’t disbelieve in God but I started to not believe in the religious order of any faction. Why you may ask…my God wouldn’t want me to think I’m above the law…especially his law. One of the ten commandments says though shall not kill. In my opinion, it should have said though shall not kill or be killed any person or the creatures that I gave you dominion over all.

Personally, I chose to think that God is rather displeased with the way we are running things. See, we’re killing the planet and frankly, most of the world’s population don’t care. Will you care when we’ve killed the last elephant? Destroyed the last coral reef? Or breathe our last breath of fresh air? Drink our last drop of fresh water?

I’m sure you’re wondering where all this came from and where it’s leading too. Today, I watched a documentary. It was called Chasing Coral (www.chasingcoral.com) and somewhere in the middle, I found myself crying like a baby because of the truth on the screen. A picture can say a thousand words and when you see great portions of the worlds corals dying because of the change in ocean temperature, it’s a sobering thing. A thing that makes me cry because everything is so connected.

And for those naysayers, it’s happening world wide, not just the Great Barrier Reef or in the Carribean or Hawaii but everywhere. EVERYWHERE one of the man producers of oxygen is dying. What? You didn’t know that these reefs produce the very air you breath. It’s done so since the beginning of time, since the moment they came into existence. No matter you believe that is the truth.

Healthy Reef

Dying Reef via Bleaching Event in Thailand

I don’t care who you listen to but the facts are this: rainforests only produce 28% of the air you breath and 70% is produced by marine plants. That only leaves a mere 2% coming from other sources like all the other plants in the world and chemical reactions. No oceans, no people.

We were given guardianship over this earth and we’re screwing it up, people. Frankly, I wanted to use harsher language but I’m hoping that you’ll share this with everyone you can. We need to realize we are killing our own future if we don’t take this climate change bull by the horns and bend it to our will. We MUST change otherwise we will kill our own species along with everything else that is beautiful and wonderful about this place we call home.

The current administration is bad for us because of this one point. They only care for the here and now while we really need to be caring for the future and then. Our kids and grandkids will have a horrible, horrible world if we don’t do what we can when we can. If we don’t fix it NOW, we may never have another chance. In the movie Chasing Coral, it was noted that the world experts estimate we only have about 25 years before the coral is dead. Since coral is the rainforest of the ocean, it’s imperative we slow down global change as much as we can today.

Someone said, it takes a village…now…we all know who that someone was and the fact is that she was correct. These conclusions weren’t done just by people in the most educated areas of the world but worldwide. Volunteers from 30 countries gave information to help make this film.

Watch it and draw your own conclusions. We, the human race, have dominion over it all. Are we strong enough to save it?

How Much Longer - #Pumpkinfuhrer #IamtheResistance #WereNotGonnaTakeIt

Wow...just wow...this president is such a baby.

His popularity has dropped to the new low of 34%.

Add to that the fact he's guilty of trying to obstruct justice and you have a recipe for disaster.

How much longer are the American people going to take this? We didn't give Nixon this much rope to hang himself. #Pumpkinfuhrer needs to grow up and realize he's not the man for this country.

Never was. #IamtheResistance

Why Medicine Should Never Be Capitalistic - #IamtheResistance #NoMoreBigMedicine #Patients1st

One of the areas I’m passionate about is the fact that medical care should be available to all. This is the only area I see socialism working to the total benefit of the people. I think it’s obvious from what gets posted here and on the Facebook Page that I’m a Democrat who believes in an America for all. A place where the American Dream still exists and where people don’t have to die because of lack of medical insurance or medical care. It should be a right for everyone.

But let’s sidestep that issue for a moment here because let’s face it, the bottom line in this country is money in the form of profit and loss. The medical establishment has stepped away from their oath and made it all about making it big on some new drug or piece of medical equipment. This essay is about one specific piece of equipment and the greed of the company who made it.

First, let’s step back a bit and look at something that has been around since Greek times. It’s called the Hippocratic Oath, and every doctor is required to abide by that covenant as he joins the medical establishment. Here’s the modern version that is employed by many medical schools:

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can but I will always look for a path to a cure for all diseases.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

In that oath, there is not a mention of compensation at all. When treating a person, it states that you treat their whole life, including the financial burden it may propose on a person’s family. To me, this speaks directly to the Affordable Care Act, and the fact medicine should be everyone’s right. But that argument is for a different day.

The part I’m particularly interested in is the scientific gains of physicians and what happens when the medical establishment isn’t honest with their patients. This is what happened to Dr. Amy Reed when she went into the hospital for a hysterectomy. Had all the information been given to her, she might be alive today, but sadly, she isn’t. Here’s an article that pretty well sums it up: https://cancerletter.com/articles/20170526_1/

Now, I don’t know Amy personally, but I feel that I do because when her petition came around on Change.org, I signed it. And every other petition she sent me. Why? Because it was the right thing to do. Each of the items coming across my desk told of how the FDA wasn’t regulating things like they should. How the company who made the power morcellator had known since 2006 the actions done by their equipment and that it could spread undiagnosed cancer throughout a woman’s body. Doctors kept touting the facts of how wonderful less invasive surgery was. They all forgot one thing in this equation: the patient and the negative effect of the equipment.

Too many hospitals and physicians had taken the company at their word that the risk was no greater than 1 in 10,000. Actually, the risk was more like 1 in 273 women who were at serious risk of cancer. The medical establishment tried to gloss it over and blame Amy along with her husband when they should have been doing the right thing by starting a fact-finding mission to seek the truth.

But profit and greed won the day, but Amy wouldn’t give up. The FDA was shocked to find that this particular piece of equipment was causing any trouble. Dr. Reed filed her own FDA report concerning the equipment. After her report, they did some research on their own, and their numbers were at least 1 in 300 women had cancer spread throughout their bodies because of this machine. Eventually, the FDA restricted the use of this piece of equipment. Once that happened, the use of the power morcellator went down 80% and under restrictive conditions.

Until that time, Dr. Reed and her husband, also a doctor, were called names and treated like pariahs. Yet, they took their oath seriously and knew they had an obligation to the women of the world. Since then, study after study has come out saying how dangerous the use of this equipment can be to a woman.

Read the article yourself, do the research and I think that you’ll come to the same conclusion I have: this issue was driven by greed. After all, the more doctors who used a power morcellator, the more money the company made. I’m sure that each time it was used, a fee had to be paid to the company. Only one person came to see the issue for what it really was, and that person was Dr. Amy Reed.

All she wanted was to be a doctor and help people. She has helped point out a serious problem that is not uncommon in the medical field. If a piece of equipment or a drug or anything medical is killing people, it needs to be stopped being used. It costs each and every one of us something when bad things happen because of big medicine as we all pay for it in different areas such as insurance, increased doctors’ fees and on and on.

For Amy, it cost her life, yet even as her condition deteriorated, she did the right thing.

Rest in peace, Amy, I for one will never forget you.

We Lost Our Country ~ #IamtheResistance #LoveTrumpsHate #StrongerTogether

I haven’t been around because I felt I lost my country on election night. Things had gone so wrong but in retrospect, there were reasons we lost. None of them are more rational than the fact we had missed a large segment of the US population. We didn’t understand them. In retrospect, we needed to ignore the larger states even though they actually decide the largest share of the vote for the electoral college.

We needed to go straight for the little guy. Straight for the one who can’t pay for their healthcare, straight for the ones who can’t send their kids to college and straight for those who are barely surviving.

With Donald Trump, they thought they would be getting a champion but they were wrong, so very wrong. This man is a disaster waiting to happen. Nothing has said it more eloquently than this post and video.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/13/1620267/-You-Are-Not-Alone-New-Poll-Reveals-America-s-Deep-Disapproval-Of-Donald-Trump  

We are not alone. And this more than anything, is more heartening than anything I’ve heard in a long, long time.

Many of you don’t agree with the incoming President-elect. There are even less of you supporting him than on election day. And that gives me and other people who will always resist hope.

Please take some time to familiarize yourself with what this one says. Knowledge is power and that power can turn the tide on how government looks at the American people. That government needs to know that every American counts. Not the rich, not the few but the many.

As always, #IamtheResistance. Please visit our new Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/IamtheResistanceUSA and we hope to see you there.