Two Weeks Since Inauguration Day (Feels So Much Longer)

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(Written 2/3 but published late)

Wow, can you believe it has only been 14 days since Inauguration Day?! It feels as though these two weeks have taken months. So much has happened every single day that it has made it hard to catch one’s breath and take stock of anything.
There were so many moments in the news this week that I can’t comment on them all, but here were a few that caught my eye:

The Travel Ban

I think we have to start here. One week ago, President Trump issued an executive order that barred entry of refugees for 120 days (4 months) and immigrants attempting to enter the United States from seven key countries – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia – for 90 days. The country rose up very quickly to denounce what many called a “Muslim ban”, particularly as it related to seven countries on the list from which immigrants would not be accepted. Questions arose as to whether Trump had left those countries out because of business ties.

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Protesters rallied at airports, politicians spoke out against the ban, a federal court ordered a temporary stay, and the Acting Attorney General Sallie Yates refused to enforce the order, stating “At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful“. Very shortly after that, she was fired. Protests have continued and are still ongoing.

 

 

Bannon Given a Seat on the National Security Council

Really, this one is exhausting to think about so just read more here: Bannon is Given a Security Role Usually Held for Generals.

 

Neil M. Gorsuch Chosen to be Next Supreme Court Justice

Weirdest thing about this was Trump’s Bachelor-style announcement where he wanted to have both finalists in Washington to make the announcement that much more interesting. It seemed too much like a play for ratings. I did not watch the live-stream on Facebook but I kept up with the announcement in real-time on Twitter. Gorsuch is known to be a very conservative Justice with rulings in favor of corporations having similar rights to people (the Hobby Lobby decision) and is likely not a friend to the Roe Vs. Wade crowd, although his exact position on abortion is not perfectly clear.

 

Democrats Slow Down Confirmation Hearings

Every little bit of resistance helps. In most cases, the Republicans suspended committee rules and moved candidates ahead. However, it showed the clear displeasure Dems feel toward some of the nominees, most whom they think would be detrimental if appointed to their chosen offices. (You all know how I feel about Betsy DeVos, and that’s been the focus on my activism and many of my tweets this week. More on that, most likely, in a separate post).

 

Trump Has Less-than-Perfect Phone Calls with Australia and Mexico

My favorite response to this bit of news was this, as it expresses what most of us felt:

fhcfa

 

More could be said on all fronts, including updates on the environmental protections Trump wants to get rid of, the latest with plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (with no clear replacement plan), the quiet activities to suppress voter rights across the country, etc., etc., but if all this hasn’t left you needing a glass of wine and a Friday night of unplugging, I don’t know what will.

Keep on keepin’ on! Keep on resisting! Keep writing and calling your Senators! (The DeVos vote will likely happen on Monday, so there’s still time to make your voice heard!) #VoteNoDevos #resist #persist

 Update 2/6: Democratic Senators took to the floor to speak against DeVos. We will see if another Republican Senator does the right thing. If not, Pence will break tie with his vote, and we’ll be stuck with her. 

 

 

 

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Feb 3 Voting Rights Roundup via DailyKos

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Going to try to keep track of these, as it’s a lot of good information on voter rights and voter suppression efforts all in one place.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/02/03/1628676/-Voting-Rights-Roundup-South-Dakota-GOP-invokes-state-of-emergency-to-undo-voter-backed-ethics-law

CNN’s “The Sixties”, Connections to Present Day

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Just finished watching The Sixties “The Times They Are A-Changing” episode. Anyone with Netflix should take some time to watch this series. It’s an amazing history lesson, but the similarities between activities going on then – civil rights marches, women’s rights marches and movements, LGBT movements, Latino movements, environmental protection and climate change discussion – and now are powerful to reflect on.

Rachel Maddow touched upon the similarities of “then vs. now” politically when she discussed Barry Goldwater running for President on a platform that pushed for a more conservative agenda for Republicans, one that said there was a need for less government involvement in society. Goldwater’s famous (or infamous) quote says “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” This lead to extremist groups like the KKK endorsing Goldwater’s presidential bid, which in turn forced him to voice his disapproval of the group and rejection of their endorsement. (If this sounds like things we witnessed in 2016, congratulations, you’ve been paying attention).

Beyond the political similarities (like Nixon calling for a stronger “rule of law” during the turbulent year of 1968 – another great episode in the series The Sixties), the social activism during that period is something I had studied as part of my history lessons but I had not realized how many social movements were happening during that time. The women’s liberation movement discussed in “The Times They Are A-Changing” was fascinating to me. There they are in the ’60s discussing equal pay, the right for women to take charge of their reproductive health via family planning and birth control, and the long list of things women were not allowed to do before the movement (such as go to an Ivy League school, get a credit card or a bank account in her own name, or even serve on a jury). While we’ve overcome some of these hurdles, it’s astonishing we’re still arguing over reproductive rights and access as well as equal pay for equal work in 2016!

These are just some of my take-aways from watching this show. It’s worth viewing, both to remind ourselves that the United States has faced some of these present-day challenges before and also to remind us that some of these struggles have been going on for FAR too long.

We’ve come a long way since those days and yet clearly, as exemplified by recent days, have so much further to go.

Link

“Under the Collins-Cassidy bill, states could enroll people who would otherwise be uninsured in health plans providing basic coverage. These high-deductible health plans are intended to protect consumers against catastrophic medical expenses. They would cover generic versions of prescription drugs, and they would also have to cover recommended childhood immunizations without co-payments. States would contract with one or more insurers to offer this coverage.”

Their plan moves the decision to the states. It appears the available care would still push HSA-s. Mind you, you have to have money to put away in an HSA in the first place, something many can not afford to do. While this looks like it would cover people should a really bad medical situation arise, it doesn’t look like it provides much in the way of coverage for the day-to-day, year-to-year doctor’s visits that are so critical. I can’t tell how it would continue to support preventative treatment. I can’t see how costs would go down with this plan, either… if they auto-enroll individuals that may prevent healthy people from immediately leaving the pool but I would assume they’d drop out in time with no requirement to stay which would likely mean costs would increase.

Will be interesting to see if some version of a plan like this advances or if ACA is repealed outright with no clear plan for replacement.

Seen Shared on FB: Action Checklist

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action-checklist_week-of-jan-22-2017

A friend of mine on Facebook shared a link to this action list, and I wanted to share it with anyone who was looking for various types of action you can take.

Not everyone will want to get this involved or will even agree with all the content but for those who are interested, I wanted to share.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FKXcRFOg5VS-UjCyH2jmgRTm-sQY_PB65Gxo-rwMT6A/preview

 

Rachel Maddow: Texas Voting Rights Law

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Keeping an eye on voter rights, this was Rachel Maddow on Friday, January 20th. Disconcerting that this is how things are starting.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-justice-department-moves-to-delay-texas-voting-rights-case-859610691557

My Causes

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issues-important-to-me

Following my observation of all the activity during the Women’s March yesterday, I sat down and listed the causes or issues about which I am passionate. I decided to keep the list under 10 items, knowing that while I care about many topics there are only so many you can really engage in without overwhelming yourself.

After much deliberation, I came up with the following list (not in any particular order):

  • Voting Rights
    • I believe firmly that everyone should have the right to vote. I believe everyone should have easy access to voting. I believe tools such as opt-out voter registration and early voting should be put in place to encourage voter turnout. Area for further research: Voter redistricting
  • Health Care Access (and Affordability)
    • I believe that everyone should have access to affordable healthcare, though I understand that finding a middle ground on this issue is complicated. What I do not endorse is the removal of anyone’s health insurance without a clear replacement plan. I believe we must protect that most vulnerable. Affordable health care is an area we should all remind ourselves to “do unto others” before we make sweeping decisions. We should all attempt to “do no harm”. Area for continued research and inquiry: ACA repeal efforts, compromises required to achieve affordable healthcare for the greatest number of people, how to bring down health care costs.
  • Education
    • This is my industry of work, so it is critically important to me that access to quality education be made available to all. It is absolutely necessary for individual and national success. I believe that there is an important role for public education. I believe there is great value in exploring ways to shake up the status quo in academia. I believe that public dollars should not fund private, religious schools. I believe educational quality is paramount. I believe the hype about current forms of standardized tests is nonsense. (That last one is me being reactionary to all the awful tests I had to take. I recognize some will argue the benefits of these tests, but I am not a fan and haven’t yet run across data that makes me believe our current tests benefit students). Area for continued inquiry (short-term): Betsy DeVos confirmation and her desire to funnel public dollars away from public education, Betsy DeVos’ plans for higher education. (Long-term inquiry areas too numerous to list here, but will likely surface in this blog over time).
  • Investigative Journalism
    • In a time where President Trump’s administration feels comfortable using terms such as “alternative facts” (see today’s Meet the Press conversation), I believe we need investigative journalism more than ever. I believe that Dan Rather’s FB posts (see latest on the importance of truth and facts) and his organization News and Guts and so many individual journalists out there do a great service by engaging in fact-checking and calling out those who seek to obfuscate the truth. Area for action: Donate to investigative journalism organizations + subscribe to newspapers.
  • Immigrant Issues
    • As a first-generation American, I believe immigration issues require thoughtful consideration prior to action. I believe that we must consider the human sentiments of those affected by immigration activities. I believe we should have clear immigration policies but also plans for those who may have been brought to this country illegally but now wish to find pathways to citizenship. I believe this is a complicated issue but not one that can be resolved by ripping families apart. I believe building a wall will not solve anything. Areas for further research and inquiry: Plans for DACA and what impacts will be, keeping an eye on the Dream Act or future variations, watch for signs of mass deportation of non-criminals, voice loud opposition to any attempts for a registry by religious affiliation, support for easier immigration processes for those married to US Citizen, those with family in US, or wishing to study in US.
  • LGBT Issues
    • A friend of mine wrote a public post on Facebook that really resonated with me:

      Find an organization that protects and supports something that doesn’t directly make your life better. If you’re straight, pick an LGBT organization. If you’re white, pick a minority protection group. If you’re an atheist, find a local church soup kitchen. If you’re religious, pick a religious freedom protection organization. Pledge a $5 recurring monthly donation. Have it automatically withdrawn from your bank or credit card. That way, three years from now, when I have forgotten what I’ve felt for the last 6 months, I’m still “doing something”. The important parts of this are 1) the organization has to be something that doesn’t benefit you directly, 2) it is small enough for you not to consider cancelling it and 3) it is recurring…with no end date. – David Lamb

    • As a straight woman who considers herself an ally, his point in his post was one I took notice of. LGBT rights area something I am only indirectly familiar with. It’s a struggle that does not touch me directly but affects many people I love and care about. To that end, I want to continue to research and understand the concerns of the LGBT community and stand up to any who propose to deny them rights. This is an area I will constantly be looking for insight on so that I can know how to be a better ally. I will also be looking for suggestions on the best organizations to donate to, so please comment if you have thoughts on this!
  • Clean water / Protecting the Great Lakes
    • I believe that clean water is something to which all U.S. citizens should have access. The continued crisis in Flint, MI, my home state, is appalling. I would never have thought such a thing could occur in a state I still love and care about passionately. It is also the reason I believe we must voice opposition to any action that affects clean water (#NoDAPL). Also, having grown up just miles from the shores of Lake Michigan and having traveled around the Great Lakes throughout my childhood and into my adult years, I cannot stress enough how important the conservation and preservation of the Great Lakes is to me. Areas for further research and action: Remain vigilant of any efforts or actions that endanger clean water, research organizations focused on preserving the Great Lakes, continue pushing for solutions for Flint, watch environmental protection activities generally and any efforts to do away with said protections.

These are my personal feelings and my personal causes to which I’ve decided to pay more attention.

My goal is to donate to organizations supporting these causes (current plan is $50/mth split between 2 to 3 cause-related orgs a month) as well as choose as issue or two to become more active on. I am saving this here as a way to keep track of my plans and, as time goes on, my progress. I know, not being independently wealthy, that my donations will be small and that my ability to be active may be limited by a busy life schedule, but this is a start. Just getting my thoughts out of my head and into a blog post is one small step toward doing something more than just thinking and fretting.

Finally, I will reiterate that these are not all the causes that are important to me. These are just the ones on which I will actively focus. I look forward to working with all my friends who are working on so many important causes and will share those stories on here from time to time as well!

talkischeap

Reflections on the Women’s March

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One day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, hundreds of thousands of women met in Washington, D.C., to march for the rights of women. It was a reminder of the power of women but also of all people to come together to take a stand for the issues that matter most to them.

While I was not present at the march, I followed it on social media for much of the late morning and early afternoon, both on Twitter and Facebook. I saw much of the Women’s March presentations on Facebook Livestream. I saw women speak and sing and display signs about the importance of women’s rights (rights to be treated as equals, to be safe from domestic abuse, to receive equal pay for equal work, to not be assaulted [“grabbed by the p__y”], to be able to make their own choices about their bodies) but also signs for many other causes: black lives matter and empowerment of all minorities, immigrant issues, clean water (from indigenous populations to folks in Flint, MI), protections for all groups (from those who want to be sure there is never a Muslim registry to the elderly lady who had been confined in Japanese internment camps during WWII), environmental protections, preserving public education, and so many other topics.

It was amazing to see how many of my friends were actively involved in the marches that took place worldwide. (News articles estimate that more than 1 million people participated in the marches, and the numbers would be even greater than that, though counting crowds is notoriously difficult to do accurately.) At the same time, there were those asking why people were marching and what would it accomplish?

I believe many felt more hopeful and empowered after the marches. I believe that many, like myself, were inspired to further action. I believe that seeing so many come together in solidarity helped those of us who were feeling as if we were alone in our concerns to know that we are not.

Did everyone feel they could be a part of this march. No. There were voices to be heard that felt like the march left out certain viewpoints (pro-life women, conservatives who felt left out of what some labeled as a “liberal march”, Black Lives Matter supporters who wonder if the white marchers would be there for them in days to come as the racial struggle in this country continues). But I believe those who listened heard the concerns of people marching. I hope the marchers in turn will continue to be active on their topics of concern while also taking the time to hear the concerns of some of those who did not feel included or fully represented. I firmly believe this activity can spark increased dialogue if we’re open to it.

Below are some of the tweets about the march: Continue reading →