The Rape Case of the Ten-Year-Old in Ohio Proves How Untenable the Republican Abortion Laws Are

 --P.S. White

The rape of a ten-year-old girl in Ohio resulting in pregnancy (which the Republicans have finally accepted a true), proves just how untenable the draconian abortion laws are being pushed through many states.  To force a victim of rape to follow through with any pregnancy that results is unconscionable, especially considering that the Republicans have done next to nothing to put in place social programs to help these women.  To insist that a ten-year-old is wrong to get an abortion highlights this and emphasizes the extreme stance of the GOP and the fact that this is about pushing a narrow, regressive, religious agenda and not about protecting lives.

For a young girl to be in this position to begin with is horrendous, but unlike Governor Abbot of Texas claimed, there is no realistic way to eliminate rape (and to my knowledge he has done nothing to follow up on his dubious promise).  There are plenty of ways to deal with the aftermath of this crime, though, and allowing for abortion should definitely be an option open to the woman.  But many of the Republican abortion laws being passed in GOP-led states take this off the table.  

I have already discussed how these laws are about pushing a narrow and unpopular right wing agenda on the nation with little concern for the health and safety of the child (or the mother it would appear).  This case shows just how dangerous it is to allow these extremist views to be codified by laws that are sexist, discriminatory, and harmful.  

And more repercussions are on the way.  Texas hospitals are refusing to see women with pregnancy complications because of fears of violating the laws put in place in that state. This will become more common in other states passing these laws which subverts the original idea of protecting the child's life.

Republicans continue to ignore this and as they make the laws harsher and harsher while at the same time failing to put in place any sort of legislation to help the mothers get through childbirth and support the child afterward.

And expect them to pivot on the Ohio case and redirect attention to the child's alleged rapist who is an illegal immigrant.  They will use this to turn attention away from the draconian abortion laws and to justify Donald Trump's racist lie that illegal immigrants are coming across the border to rape American citizens.  

But the sad fact is that more cases like the one in Ohio will occur, making women not just the victim of crime but also the regressive, puritanical laws that strip them of the choices they should have.  The Republicans do not represent the majority of this country, and their extreme right wing views are both destructive and devise and should not be allowed to control this country.  We must stand against them in protest, in the polls, and in our daily words and actions.  If we unite against this threat, we can peacefully cast it away by organizing and making others aware of the dangers it presents to our democracy and by voting for more acceptable candidates that better represent this country.  But we must remain vigilant and active lest this extremism will overtake our country.

Overturning Roe v. Wade Is Not About Protecting Children, It Is About Forcing an Unpopular, Ultra-Right-Wing Agenda on the Country

 --P.S. White

Leading up to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the general push from the conservative side was that this was needed to protect the rights of unborn babies.  For those who can see through the rhetoric and blatant lies, though, it has been clear for some time that concern for the children has never been the true issue at stake.  This has always been about pushing an ultra-right-wing agenda, and the immediate aftermath from that ruling offers all the proof needed.

It there really was wide concern among the conservatives for the well-being of the mothers and their unborn children, then the states that passed the restrictive abortion laws would have immediately put plans in place to assure that the childbirth would be as safe as possible and that financial assistance would be in place if needed.  And while a few Republicans have given lip-service to such programs, no substantial legislation is currently in place to assist the mothers or the children.  And the fact is that the Republican Party has historically shown much resistance to supporting social programs of this nature.

Instead of expressing any sort of empathy or support for the mothers who are being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term or the children that could be born into a dire situation, this ruling seemed to embolden the right-wing, and they immediately started to champion next steps for forcing their agenda on the country.

Justice Clarence Thomas in his ruling targeted two cases that could be the next to fall: Lawrence v. Texas and Obergefell v. Hodges and Griswold v. Connecticut.  The former protects the right to same-sex intimacy and marriage and furthers the anti-gay movement among the right-wing driven by extreme homophobia and a very narrow reading of the Bible.  The latter protects the right to obtain contraceptives, and to overturn that would be unconscionable by the same people trying to make abortion illegal throughout the country.  This is again driven by a narrow reading of the Bible and an attempt to enforce puritanical, religious views on a secular county.

Texas Senator John Corwyn then suggested on Twitter that the Supreme Court go after Plessy vs Ferguson and Brown vs Board of Education, the cases that struck down the Segration policy of "Separate but Equal" and allowed for the integration of schools.  Indiana Senator Mike Braun suggested that protections for interracial marriage are in question. And Illinois Representative Mary Miller called the Roe v. Wade ruling a "historic victory for white life".  Apparently the Republicans are wearing their racisim on their sleeves now as they advocate for a return to a time when women and minorities had less rights than white males. 

And to highlight just how inhumane, inflexable, and uncaring the right-wing is on their anti-abortion stance, a ten-year-old victim of rape was forced to cross state lines from Ohio to Indiana to get an abortion.  Republican Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota--which also has restrictive abortion laws--suggested that the TEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL should have carried the pregnancy to term.

If the conservatives who are opposed to abortion really cared about the mother and the child, they would have followed a different path once the unpopular ruling was made by the Supreme Court.  But instead, they championed to push their far-right-wing agenda even further, clearly displaying the bigotry and repressive religious beliefs that drive them.  The people of this country must stand against this extremism and continue to demand that our leaders protect our freedoms and our democracy against the very real threat posed by the ultra-right-wing.  A toxic, destructive agenda that is unpopular and counter to our democratic ideals should not be tolerated in this country and we must be diligent in our efforts to oppose it.

Every Vote Counts in the Battle to Win Back Our Country

 By P.S. White

I have been mostly silent the past few months because the general attitude has finally been moving in the right direction against Donald Trump.  The media and many others are finally openly acknowledging Trump's authoritarian power grabs and the imminent threat he poses to our Democracy.  While the polls have shown that the people of this country grow weary of his failed presidency.  And while Joe Biden is yet another compromise candidate, voters appear to have more confidence in him than they previously did in Hillary Clinton.  Quite a number of Republicans have even endorsed Biden or at least urged people not to vote for Trump.  But even though Biden currently has a lead in the national polls of around ten percent, that is no guarantee of a victory, and every last vote will be needed to defeat Trump.

 Hillary was leading in the polls at this point in 2016, though not by as high of a margin.  The assumption was that she would take the election, but Trump ended up pulling the surprise victory which set our country on course for four years of disastrous leadership.  The polls were not wrong, though, it's just that the margin of error worked in Trump's favor.

Polls are simply an estimate of who people will vote by questioning a sampling of prior voters on how they will cast their ballot in the upcoming election.  They offer no guarantee of results and the numbers tend to fluctuate as we get closer to the end of the race.  And the polls have a margin of error anywhere from two to four percent.  So Hillary could have been leading by as much as three to four percent in the polls in any given state and still lost, but the polling would still be accurate within the margin of error.  It's simple statistics.

And in fact, Trump won the 2016 race by a razor-thin margin.  He flipped the states Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin which gave him the victory, but he did it by the narrowest of margins.  Each state he won by a fraction of a percent (in Michigan by only two-tenths of one percent), and across all three states it was a mere 80K votes that turned the election in his favor.  That is 0.6% of the total votes cast across the three states (what amounts to a statistical coin flip) and 0.06% (six one-hundredths of a percent) of the total votes cast across the country.

Currently, Biden is polling well above the margin of error in all three of those states, which would be enough to give him the victory in the coming election.  In addition, he is polling on the upper end of the margin of error in Arizona and North Carolina, both of which went to Trump last election. And he is very competitive in former Republican strongholds such as George and Texas.  But it is far too early to call the victory in his favor.

Trump and his supporters have made claims to a silent majority that is not captured by the polls, a claim that has not been substantiated.  But there is an indication that some voters may be missed in the polls.  Trump tends to energize non-college-educated white males, a segment of the population that has typically not voted in the past, and that has been missed by polls.  Some of the pollsters have adjusted for this, but it is difficult to ascertain if they have been fully accounted for at this point.

So that makes it all the more important that everybody get out and cast their vote to assure that Trump's brand of tyranny does not continue into a second four-year term (and possibly beyond).  The fact that Biden currently has a lead in the polls does not assure a victory on election night.  There could still be pockets of voters out there unaccounted for, and we already saw from the prior election that a small percentage of voters can swing the results.   If Trump remains in office, our Democracy may not survive, so now is the time to make the stand at the polls and vote for a better America. 

Donald Trump Is Putting the Children of this Country in Harm’s Way for His Own Political Ends

By P.S. White

Donald Trump announced on Twitter this week that he wants schools to re-open in Fall and he even issued a threat that he would cut off federal funding if they failed to do so.

In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020

As a parent, I want my son to be back in class in the new school year to be with other kids and to get the full advantages of our public education system.  But if our children are to return to school in Fall, it needs to be for the right reasons and with the proper precautions taken, not for someone else's political gain.  Trump is pushing for the kids to go back because he wants to claim that the country has returned to normal in the hopes that his poll numbers improve.  But that is not a reason to rush the kids back to the campus, especially when the virus continues to surge in the country (this week saw an all-time high number of new cases reports).  To make matters worse, Trump is balking at the CDC guidelines for assuring that the schools are safe, quibbling over the money.  His push for the schools to reopen is driven primarily by self-interest and he shows a disturbing lack of concern for the safety of the children.

If Trump really wants the schools open in Fall, then he needs to pony up the dough to make sure the schools are fully prepared with all safety precautions considered.  And while the kids are less susceptible to COVID-19, there are teachers and staff at the schools that are 40, 50, maybe 60 years old, many of whom are getting paid a barely livable wage.  What exactly is Trump offering to assure the safety and well-being of those working at the schools as well as our children?  And how many people with little or no insurance will suffer financially from this as well?

The political atmosphere in our country has been particularly ugly for quite some time, and now our children are being placed in harm's way.  This is is reprehensible behavior by the president and should be called out by every citizen of this nation.  There are justifications for the kids to go back to school and there are justifications for them to stay home.  We must weigh the pros and cons and make the right decisions for the right reasons and also make sure we proceed with caution.   And we must guarantee the safety of our children and those who give of themselves to assure their education.  The safety of the kids, the educators, and the staff that maintain the school must be the driving force, not the political gains of one or more people.

Trump has crossed a line that has forced the parents in this country in a place where they must face some very difficult decisions.  And he brings nothing to the table but threats and his typical bullying behavior.   It may be the right decision for the kids to return to school, but Trump is not the right person to make that call.  The parents, the school districts, and the local governments need to weigh the options and make the best decisions with the safety of the children and the educators as the top priority.  And they need to be ready to pull back quickly if the virus starts to spread in the schools.

The parents of this country must insist that the re-opening of schools is well guided and governed by those closely involved, and not by politicians serving their own interest.  Otherwise, the price we pay will be far too high.

Declaration

By Fat White Noise

When in the course of human events
It becomes necessary to call out our leaders
Who have gone astray from Common Sense
Because they’ve lost sight of the needs of the people

When in the course of human events
Our cries of justice are met with intolerance and injury
From a leader who sets himself above and demands to be called Prince
As he sits upon his throne raging at our country

When in the course of human events
The people decide to dissolve their ties
From rulers whose loyalty to justice is spent
They will demand redress with their voices amplified

We hold these truths to be self-evident
That we will make our leaders accountable
When our government becomes destructive to these ends
We’ll go back to the source and demand the Rights of the People

We hold these truths to be self-evident
That We the People in this country hold the power
Though our leaders have forgotten that covenant
We will assert our authority at the proper hour

We hold these truths to be self-evident
That our leaders are but public servants
Deriving their powers from the people’s consent
And if they fail us they lose their voted grant

We hold these truths to be self-evident
That we are all created equal
That we must protect our lives
That we must protect our Liberty
That we have a right to safety and happiness
Lest we find ourselves again in captivity

These Rights unalienable we receive from God above
To make us one nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all

When in the course of human events
Our leaders have lost their way and gone astray
The people will come together to tally their assent
And vote in those who will listen, respects our rights, and lead the way

Donald Trump Claims the Destruction of Statues Is Rewriting History as He Attempts to Erase History Right Before Our Eyes

By P.S. White

Donald Trump has taken a very strong stance against the destruction/removal of statues that people find offensive--particularly those venerating confederate officers--as well as the renaming of military bases.  Trump and others claim that these actions are an attempt by the radical left to rewrite history.  Meanwhile, he tries to erase present history right before our eyes by denying that the Coronavirus pandemic is on an upswing, claiming there is no truth to the reports that Russians paid bounties to the Taliban to kill American soldiers, and ignoring the message that the Black Lives Matters protestors are trying to convey as he labels BLM a “symbol of hate”.

The removal of statues of confederate and/or racist leaders, as well as the renaming of institutions, has nothing to do with erasing history and everything to do with taking those people off of the pedestal where they have stood for so long.  The confederate leaders fought against the country and for the continuation of slavery while other figures in question promoted a racist agenda in the years that followed the Civil War. There are no credible claims to rewrite the history books associated with these actions, only attempts to remove controversial figures from a place of veneration.  Perhaps in some cases this is being taken too far with wonton destruction of statues as well as the removal of less controversial historical figures who are just not in line with the current socio-political environment.  These passions will die down and more level heads will rule the day at some point.  But the purge of monuments that celebrate rebel and racist figures is not such a high price to pay.

As Trump puts a considerable amount of energy into saving statues of questionable historical figures, this country faces much greater challenges that the president is not just turning a blind eye to, but is actively trying to erase from the public eye.

Back in February when the first Coronavirus cases hit in the United States, Trump said that the virus would disappear like a “miracle” within a relatively short time.  Since then, reported cases have surpassed 2.8 million and deaths have risen above 130K, the highest of any nation in the world.  And the virus is surging again now that states are reopening.  However, Trump said on Thursday in an interview with Fox Business Network:

I think we’re going to be very good with the coronavirus.  I think that at some point that’s going sort of disappear, I hope.

He has also actively called for the slowdown of testing so that the number of reported cases would go down.  And when the White House tried to play that off as a jest, Trump responded “I don’t kid”.  So as the virus rages in our country, the president tells us to just stop recording the spreading cases and move on.

Another controversy that has just reared its head is the allegation that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.  Under any other president, this would be a major international crisis demanding immediate attention.  But Trump once again comes to the defense of Russia as he has variously tried to play it off as a non-issue, something he was not briefed on, and ultimately as a hoax.  Strong evidence points to Russia targeting United States military personnel in Afghanistan, and the president does not even want to address the issue or recognize it as a real threat.  To whom do his loyalties lie?

Amidst all of this, the Black Lives Matter protests continue and Trump has failed to demonstrate an understanding of what this movement is trying to accomplish.  He focuses on the protests that have gotten out of control (which represent only a small portion of the overall movement) and the destruction of property but ignores the calls for justice in a country that has systematically persecuted blacks and other minorities.  He has tried to dismiss BLM as the radical left and has called the painting of the “Black Lives Matter” slogan on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower a “Symbol of Hate” (while refusing to apply the same label to confederate monuments and emblems). 

Trump’s attention is in the wrong direction and he is not aligned with the needs, attitudes, and security of the country.  His denying that the Coronavirus remains a concern for this country and further inaction will lead to a continued rise in deaths.  His failure to address the Russia situation or even acknowledge the threat leaves members of our armed services in harm’s way and allows a foreign country to get away with murder.  And the blind eye that he turns to the Black Lives Matter movement will not make it go away but could intensify the protests and/or turn it into an anti-Trump movement (which would not be a bad thing).

Removing confederate monuments will not erase history, it will just take them off a pedestal that they do not deserve.  But trying to ignore, and actually coverup very real issues that face the country right now and that are leading to the deaths of American people is not only inexcusable and unacceptable but borderline treasonous.  Trump must be held accountable, and We the People must do that at the polls in November.

John Bolton Has Drawn a Line in the Sand for Republicans and Conservatives

By P.S. White

Revelations from John Bolton’s book (just released today) about his time in the Trump administration have been coming out fast and furious this past week, and he has become a fixture on television the last few days.  Among the information divulged by the former National Security Advisor is Trump’s obsession with getting reelected and that he tried to solicit the help of the leader of China in this cause, that he did in fact link aid to Ukraine directly to the investigation of the Bidens,  that he supported China in its plans to build concentration camps, that he suggested to the president of Turkey that he would intervene in investigations of a state-owned Turkish bank, and more.  Most importantly, Bolton firmly asserts that Trump does not represent conservative values and he is unfit to serve as president.

Personally, I am no fan of John Bolton’s and I find his hawkish, arch-conservative politics distasteful.  But you have to acknowledge one thing about him: he is a Republican and conservative through and through.  He previously served in the administrations of both the Bushes as well as Ronald Reagan.  He was also a commentator on FOX News and he surely bleeds Republican red.  So that means that those who also consider themselves Republicans and conservatives should be listening to the warnings that Bolton is currently issuing in the lead up to the election.

He made strong arguments in an otherwise poorly hashed together interview with ABC on Sunday, and he definitely provided a professional, well-spoken counterpoint to the ranting, bullying, and nasty temperament we typically see from Trump.  Bolton has also basically drawn a line in the sand, separating the president from true conservative values.  Those who consider themselves red voters and stand with the former NAS, stand with the Republican party of old.  Those who do not are part of the Trump wave that is reforming the GOP into a dangerous, authoritarian, cult-like entity.

Bolton makes a very good case that Trump is not a conservative and that if he is reelected, the Republican party, and the country in general, will suffer greatly.  And this needs to be a wake-up call to conservatives across the country.  One of your own, a person well-respected by the Republican establishment, is taking a stand against Trump.  Will other conservatives follow and vote against Trump?  Or will you find yourself constantly apologizing and making excuses for his self-serving, toxic politics as he veers further away from conservative values while continuing to attack and erode the Democratic principles upon which this county was built? 

Cry for the Unheard

By Fat White Noise

I was taught to pledge to the flag
I was taught to sing the Star-Spangled Banner
But don’t they promise justice and liberty for all
A land of the free, not the hammer?

My brother George was murdered
My brother Ahmaud was lynched
My sister Breonna shot at home
While the world barely flinched.

Cry for the Unheard!
Cry for the Unheard!
Jesus say the meek will inherit the Earth.
But they gasp for breath
As we fail to see their worth.

Now my brothers and sisters
who still can breathe
are taking to the streets
with their anger unsheathed.

But a regime that has assailed its own
And ignored the people’s plight
Now threatens to answer cries for justice
With military might.

Cry for the Unheard!
Cry for the Unheard!
Jesus say blessed are those that mourn.
But their tears flow without end
For the brothers and sisters from whom they’re torn.

And where are those leaders right now
As the raging goes on nonstop
Busy gassing the people they serve
For a good photo-op.

Do they hear us right now
As we scream we can’t breathe?
Or are they lost in their parties
Elephants, donkeys, the unaffected elite?

Cry for the Unheard!
Cry for the Unheard!
Jesus say blessed are the persecuted.
But how many more will die
As the contempt of the proud remains unrefuted.

There’s no call to burn our town
We’ve got to make some peace
But if our leaders keep their knees to our throats
We’ll have to take it back to the streets.

If you take our breath away
If you squash our rights and our life
Our anger only grows
As you turn a blind eye to our strife.

Cry for the Unheard!
Cry for the Unheard!
Jesus say blessed are the merciful.
Let us all stand together
As our pleas for peace are heard by all.

We don’t want to hate
We don’t want to fight
Cause Jesus taught us that
Love and grace is our might.

We’re all one country,
They taught us that as children.
We’re all one people,
We must find that truth within.

Cry for the Unheard!
Cry for the Unheard!
Jesus say blessed are the peacemakers.
We must show the way
Become the strong and the hate breakers.

As we take the path ahead
We must stay together.
If we faulter to hate and disunion,
We’ll be lost forever.

The King says about the riots
Those are the cries of the unheard
So let us join our hands together
Listen and hear their desperate words.

If we learn the lessons of love and justice,
The language of Jesus and our founders,
We can bring this country back together
As our hearts return to center.

The way forward is certainly clear.
Justice for all,
Freedom for all,
Equality for all,
Prosperity for all,
And peace will surely follow.

The King say that when the unheard and forlorn
Are finally loved and given justice
The anger will fade away
And they resort no longer to blood and fists.