[Honouring] Dr. Martin Luther King … — Filosofa’s Word

If you look inside my personal dictionary, you would see “A life worth celebrating” as the definition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He will always be one of my influencers, and I do idolize him. Even though James Earl Ray took him from the world far too soon, his voice lives in the souls of those that loved and respected him. His voice sings into the ears of the people who are just now learning his name, and his memory sits with the fallen heroes that fell in the fight for social justice.

Thank you, Dr. King for making me a better person.

Please take some time to read what Jill has shared below. Click the link to read the entire article.

Today is Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday in the United States to honour one of the greatest men who ever lived in this country.  I first wrote this tribute to Dr. King in 2017, and each year I reprise it, with slight changes or minor additions, for I find that it still says […]

Honouring Dr. Martin Luther King … — Filosofa’s Word

Not A Nice Man — Filosofa’s Word

The following is from an email by evangelical Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, an ultra-conservative ‘Christian’ hate group … Earlier this week, President Biden signed the so-called Respect for Marriage Act, which not only codifies same-sex marriage into federal law but also opens wide the door to endless litigation and persecution of […]

Not A Nice Man — Filosofa’s Word

My CNN 5 Things ~ 7/26/2022

I recently signed up to receive CNN’s 5 Things, which is a newsletter that comes to your email with the top 5 things happening around the world.

This was the collection today:

1: January 6

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to return to Washington, DC, today for the first time since leaving office. He is set to make a speech at a policy summit for former aides and officials from his administration. Trump’s appearance comes in the wake of fresh evidence from the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot and new testimony released by the committee that revealed the then-President crossed out lines in a speech condemning lawbreakers. President Joe Biden also fired off his harshest criticism yet of his predecessor, saying law enforcement officers on January 6 were subject to a “medieval hell” for three hours while Trump watched the violence unfold. 

2: Abortion

Indiana lawmakers reconvened on Monday to consider more restrictions on abortion, the first state to hold a special session with the goal of potentially curtailing abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Indiana’s Senate Republicans, who have control of the state’s legislature, said they hope to have a final vote on the abortion ban by Friday. If passed, the bill would go into effect on September 1. Although many states nationwide are examining their laws after Roe v. Wade’s reversal, particular attention has been paid to Indiana after a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio crossed state lines to get an abortion. Separately, medical students at the University of Michigan are receiving attention on social media for walking out of their induction ceremony to protest a keynote speaker with anti-abortion views.

3: Covid-19

Since testing positive for Covid-19 last week, President Joe Biden said he is “feeling great” as his symptoms begin to wane. On Monday, Biden’s physician said his symptoms had “almost completely resolved” after five days with the illness. “So far, everything’s good,” Biden said, adding that he’s been participating in various tests every evening, checking “everything, from the temperature to the oxygen in my blood, to my pulse.” The White House has sought to underscore that Biden’s symptoms have been mild because he is vaccinated and boosted, and he began a course of the antiviral Paxlovid as soon as he tested positive. Separately, two key moderate senators — Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — said they have tested positive for Covid-19.

4: Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is waging an “overt gas war” against Europe, after announcing it would further reduce gas flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline — a vital artery linking Russia’s vast gas reserves to Europe. European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson called the move a “politically motivated step” with “no technical reason” behind it. On the ground, Russian forces have made small advances in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine amid intense shelling along the front line. And in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner made a brief court appearance in Moscow today as her defense team presented evidence. Griner, who was arrested at a Russian airport in February for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage, will be cross-examined as part of her drug trial on Wednesday, her lawyers said.

5: Marriage equality

Democrats are reacting with immense scrutiny to Republicans’ opposition to codifying same-sex marriage, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg becoming the latest Democrat to chime in on the hot button issue. Buttigieg, who is gay, recently reacted to comments from Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who said it’s a “stupid waste of time” to vote on a bill that protects same-sex marriage. “If [Rubio’s] got time to fight against Disney, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have time to help safeguard marriages like mine.” While the Democrat-led House of Representatives last Tuesday voted to pass a bill that would enshrine protections for same-sex marriage into federal law, it still remains unclear whether the bill can pass the Senate. And in an interesting turn of events, Republican congressman Glenn Thompson attended his gay son’s wedding last week, three days after opposing the bill in the US House that would protect same-sex marriage. 

CNN, Alexandra Meeks

That’s a lot of news to take in, but Alexandra Meeks did a great job of collecting the news to start my day and reflect upon. The first Thing she shares about Trump (Orange #45) made me nauseated. He does not belong anywhere in or near D.C. unless it is to be arrested by federal agents.

Did you ever think that the main news topics in 2022 would be about marriage equality, abortion for a 10-year-old, a madman inciting violence, a pandemic that is political, and a war overseas with another madman?

There are just so many biased decisions being made by the people we elect, and I feel a sense of urgency when I read these stories, as we all should feel this way. Our country is one that is unrecognizable, and I fear for my grandchild and my children who have to become adults into this detriment. We somehow managed to break the world back to the 1800s.

In Community,

Amy

Next on the Chopping Block is:

Image Credit: Innocence Project

In one of my earlier posts, I told you all about Moore v. Harper coming up on the SCOTUS docket, and earlier I learned of another case to watch, which is Merrill v. Milligan.

This post will outline the cases and tell who granted stays and who dissented on both cases. One attacks our ability to fight in disputes over federal elections and state redistricting (Moore), and the other attacks the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Merrill).

I want to make a very important note on case law. It is about the cases and the final rulings that you are supposed to be weary of, but it is also about which amendments to the Constitution that rest within the language of the decisions and opinions of the court.

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In the Moore v. Harper case, they submitted their writ of certiorari in March. The topics that are being argued in this case are partisan gerrymandering, congressional redistricting, and the Elections Clause. There is also language of the Equal Protection Clause, Freedom of Speech, and Assembly Clauses coming in this case from the North Carolina Supreme Court case in which the petitioner appealed. (Remember above that I said it’s important to look at the Amendments encompassed inside of these documents.)

Certiorari from SCOTUS was granted in this case on June 30, 2022 with Justices Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Thomas, and Alito. This will be a scary case of voter subversion through state gerrymandering, so it is important that we watch this case closely and watch the wording that comes through on opinions of the justices.

All of the documents relating to this case can be found here: Moore v. Harper – The American Redistricting Project(opens in a new tab)

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Now, onto Merrill v. Milligan, we see another case that has many precursors of suppression of liberty. John Merrill is the Secretary of State in Alabama, and there are actually two other parties, Evan Milligan and Marcus Caster. This case is coming from a district court in Alabama, which I found odd. It seems this case has bumped up the ladder rather quickly, and it is taking hits at Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the opinion of the lower court dilutes the black vote on a 1994 verbiage from Justice Thomas that redistricting, which he argued “…that interpreting the law to require some level of racial discrimination in how congressional lines are drawn did not comport with the statute and subverted the principle of a color-blind Constitution” (Alabama Center for Law & Liberty, 2022).

Thomas is no stranger to going after this section of the legislation, and this is why I say this branch of government has way too much power. The legislative branch was designed by the Framers to be the strongest, but this Supreme Court is pretty damn powerful.

The Justices supporting the stay and granting certiorari are Justices Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett. Justices Roberts, Kagan, Sotomayor, and Breyer dissented with Roberts and Breyer filing the dissents.

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So, this was just a quick look at the cases coming up that have been put on the SCOTUS docket. These 5-4 decisions are going to be coming more and more. I am going to be curious to see how Justice Jackson will begin voting, which I assume it will be better than Breyer’s voting. There are many cases entwined in these two cases too. All of them about voting rights and gerrymandering. Stay tuned…

References:

Alabama Center for Law & Liberty, (2022). “Merrill v. Milligan”. Retrieved from http://alabamalawandliberty.org/merrill-v-milligan/.

The Past is Today and Tomorrow

As this country becomes more and more recognizable to me, I wanted to drop in and write about a few things that I will be watching.

Image Credit: Pinterest

1. We had SCOTUS nominees commit perjury in their job interviews. If you or I did this in a job interview, and the employer found out, guess what would happen? We sure the hell wouldn’t keep our seat warm with that company, and a bad job reference to the next employer would follow.
   
   Lying under oath in a court of law is perjury, and if we do that, we get held in contempt of court. We go to jail. No one is supposed to be above the law, and I want to see some Articles of Impeachment on the congressional table along with a list of President Biden’s potential nominees to replace them. This country belongs to the people, and he works for us. Let’s get it done!
   
2. The Uvalde police chief needs to surrender more than his council position. This is self-explanatory…he’s incompetent and got those babies killed.
   
3. Jayland Walker was executed and maimed by nearly 90 bullets fired by the Blue. If you haven’t heard of this story, it’s atrocious and overkill. Click HERE to read the story.
   
4. Moore v. Harper is a case to watch on the SCOTUS docket.
   
5. House visits to justices have brought me happy tears. My favorite sign was “Keep Your Rosaries Off My Ovaries” at Amy Coney Barrett’s house protest. It’s all over twitter if you want to hear the marches by her house.
   
6. Most important! The 10th Amendment! The 10th Amendment has a very meaningful definition if you pay attention to it. (I will follow this up with a picture from my ConLaw book.)
   
   The definition from my book for the 10th Amendment says, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, respectively, or to the people” (Hall, 2021). If you are new to ConLaw, your eyes are probably crossing, but I will spell it out a bit further.
   
   If a regulation infringes on Constitutional rights, the power of what happens to that regulation is in the hands of the people under this amendment. It’s not just supremacy and necessary and proper in the aspect of what people can do. Read that again. The people are the main aspect of the Constitution that SCOTUS and Congress forgets about. Let me show you:

This is a great guide from my textbook of the powers in the 10th Amendment. Citation below.

That first question and answer…is us! It’s our power if something encroaches on our liberties and rights. Why? I am so glad you asked! It’s because every person sitting in Congress and POTUS are voted into office by the PEOPLE. So, each and every one of them work for us.

This means that it is also up to us to put on the pressure to get results. That is how Roe got overturned. The radical asshats were louder and more pushy than we were causing them to be heard over us. They pushed harder than the pro-choice people.

Do you want to know how to fix it all?

…drum roll…

Vote!

…drum roll…

Use Amendment X to our advantage by putting pressure on Congress to do our bidding.

To reiterate what the picture above asks and points out:

Does the regulation encroach upon civil liberties or rights of the people? If the answer is “Yes”, neither level of government can regulate the regulation (state or federal).

Let’s imagine a scenario for a moment where everyone who feels their civil liberties and/or rights have been trampled on by a piece of legislation or decision takes their case to court, writes to their congressmen and women, visits their state capitals, etc. The courts and the governmental officials are going to get really sick of hearing from us and from us making their dockets fill up with 10th Amendment afflictions.

Here is my olive branch. If you want to join me in finding folks that have been impacted by an encroachment of civil liberties and civil rights, contact me. Let’s see what we can get done together.

In community,

Amy

References:

Hall, D. E., Feldmeier, J. (20210104). Constitutional Law: Govermental Powers and Individual Freedoms, 4th Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9780135772621.

January 6th Hearings And A Snippet — Filosofa’s Word

I was going to write up my own summation of the Prime Time special about the January 6th insurrection, but my friend and sister, Jill Dennison, has written it the best I have seen yet.

I want to add that Bennie and Liz did a great job in their opening statements, and it shows that bipartisanship is possible. I think we will read those speeches in our history books, as they were honest addresses to the nation.

I am very curious what all is going to happen with these special event hearings and which Republicans were “asking for Presidential pardons” because I feel the convolution of psychotic ideas is going to go very deep into our democracy.

I also think that those telling the truth to the committee are very brave for standing up against a bully and terrorist to make sure someone is held accountable.

Please read Jill’s post and really take in her words. This is a conversation that needs to be had and made between constituents of our government’s political process. Voices always need to be heard. Hear Jill’s voice in her words.

In Community,

Amy

I mostly want to talk a bit about last night’s televised hearings, but also have another snippet … or maybe two … who knows?  🤷 January 6th Committee hearings I watched the televised hearings of the January 6th committee tonight, and I have to tell you, by the time they took a 10-minute recess after […]

January 6th Hearings And A Snippet — Filosofa’s Word

Voting 101 ~ California

Image Credit: ACLU NorCal

I know that we are all in different places, but I wanted to share this as an education the process to vote. This one is for ACLU NorCal, but please check your local ACLU for voting rights information in your area.

Click here to read the information from my local ACLU. I thought this could serve as a model to look for in your state.

If you need help finding your voting rights in your county and state, please do not hesitate to reach out for help. It’s your right to vote, and it’s all of our responsibilities to get out and cast our votes, especially in the primary.

This page will be under construction, since I want to add more voting resources.

Town Hall with GLP ~ #TheFight

Image Credit: Grassroots Law Project

If you have never heard of the Grassroots Law Project, I want to invite you to learn more about them, and I also would ask that you share this email with your followers as well. I welcome reblogs and good conversations about the current events and political unrest in our countries, mainly in the U.S.

GLP was founded by Shaun King, a political ally for minority folks, organizer, and activist with on-the-ground training in fighting the divide of the United States. You can read more about the project, HERE.

Grassroots is a great organization that helps so many people, and the town hall we had last night was talking about some of the neglects that we have been suffering from the White House not fulfilling promises.

Just a bit ago I got an email shared with me that President Biden would be issuing a policing order on George Floyd’s murder anniversary. Why did it take so long to get this kind of action on the table? It has been two years since he was murdered by Derek Chauvin, and other acts/legislation have not been taken seriously. Don’t get me wrong, okay. I am glad Biden is doing this policing order that will change use of force policies with law enforcement, but it’s taken half his administration time to get it done.

I made a promise to the team of GLP last night to commit to three years of action. I intend to keep that promise, so here I am talking to you all.

1. I need at least five people, between my followers and your followers, to go and fill out this form: The Greatest Threat
   
2. If you are able to, please donate to the project. GLP is transparent on how their donations are used and implemented to create change in the world, and you will also have a voice in how funds are used when you are involved with the project team. If you are unable to commit to a monthly donation, it’s okay. I know some folks are better off financially than other, and that will never be held against you or judged. I will never know if you donate or not, unless you decide to tell me.
   
3. Step 3 comes after a donation, but it can be any monthly amount. I chose to donate $1 monthly for now (I plan to go to $10 when I get paid this month).This action will get you invited to a private team to work on issues in the sophisticated plan that Grassroots Law has drawn up.

If this feels like a solicitation, it kind of is, but it’s an actionable solicitation that is important and dire in a world that embraces oppression and violence.

Join me in fighting the good fight with 3 years of action dedicated to fighting for change and developing an energized team with outstanding organization that will gain influence in our government. Someone has to say something or organize to compete with opposing views, so we need to be the voice of the majority of the American people who want to see white supremacy squashed.

In solidarity,

Amy

A Very Important #FPQ from E.M. — The Ramblings of E.M. Kingston

I wanted to share my post from my creative writing blog to elaborate further on my sharing of Jill’s Great Replacement post.

In Community,

Amy

Photo by Life Matters on Pexels.com I was going through my emails, and I saw the most important question that I have seen for a while. The post included great information and education on real things that are going on in the world. If you know anything about me, you know that I use my […]

A Very Important #FPQ from E.M. — The Ramblings of E.M. Kingston

The Real “Great Replacement” Already Happened — Filosofa’s Word

I recently wrote a post on my creative writing site about racism in the United States, and I had to be honest when I wrote it that I had not heard of “The Great Replacement”…which is terrible that I did not know. I try to keep myself updated on new issues, and this one is so disturbing. My friend, Jill Dennison, wrote this very informative and educational post. Please go to her page and continue the discussion. It’s dire times we live in, so we need to discuss and work together on issues such as this.

In Community,

Amy

I’ve got a sad story to tell those people who have tied themselves to the lie known as the “Great Replacement theory” … the replacement has already happened.  Oh no, not in the way you think … white people are still a relevant portion of the population in the United States, and unfortunately, they still […]

The Real “Great Replacement” Already Happened — Filosofa’s Word

1900s v. 2020 and Beyond

This image is of a civil rights demonstration in front of the White House in March of 1965.
Image Credit: Britannica

This photo was in Newport Beach, CA in 2020.

History just continues to repeat itself, which is not a good thing. Shall I continue?

Women protesting for their rights in 1916.
Photo by Burke and Atwell/LOC/Creative Commons

Abortion and women’s right activists in 2022 after the SCOTUS leak about Roe v. Wade.
Image Credit: Independent

Make it make sense…

In Community and Solidarity,

Amy

To Tell the Truth

Photo by Mathias Reding on Pexels.com

The world is moving so fast that people have forgotten what we began with when it came to core values, morals, and ethics. I have always found it hard to find people who will not lie and whose goal is not to be deceptive. That sounds terrible, right? Well, I will add to that. Intentions. Intentions can be deceptive and real (truthful).

When I meet someone, I try to always figure out their intent of approaching me, talking to me, and trying to be in my life. I feel that if you look at a person’s intention that it is easier to tell what their end-game will be.

Let’s apply this theory to non-personal situations (that is, situations that happen in everyday life for everyone, not just yourself).

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Photo by mali maeder on Pexels.com

The Scenario

You are in the market to buy another vehicle because yours is on the fritz. You cannot afford a new one, but there are some used cars that you have been scoping out in newspaper advertisements and by “window-shopping” the classifieds online. You find the dream car, you hope, and you make an appointment to test drive the vehicle. Upon arrival, the dealer that is selling the car power washes the engine and does many other things that would look like the car was being beautified.

What do you think the intention of the used car dealer is?

This is a real scenario for me, and I had this happen to me when I got my Dodge Charger. It could happen to anyone, but I think that the dealer was trying to cover up an oil leak and in doing so caused electrical problems with my car.

Do you think the dealer’s intent was to hide a mechanical problem, or do you think that the dealer was trying to actually make the car look pretty for my arrival?

If washing the engine was to hide the mechanical problem, it was deceitful and a lie.

If I have a mechanical problem after the purchase because of the engine being washed, it’s a mistake.

If the dealer had no idea if the mechanical problem existed and washed the engine, it was not bad intent, and if the dealer had no idea the washing of the engine would cause issues, the intent was not in bad favor either.

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The reason I am writing this post is because truthfulness is hidden in this world. You never know when someone is lying or telling the truth. I think that we live in a world of deceptiveness and dishonesty. There is no honor, loyalty, honesty, and patience in this fucked up world. It’s just lies, oppression, dishonesty, upheaval, unrest, and all the other words you could apply to a world with a failing democracy and failing morals and ethics.

People that are supposed to be transparent are too busy covering up their lies and deceit. Radical measures to control people is the number one goal of our government. If you speak the truth in this era, it will get a target put on your back. There are too many gray hazy areas. There are too many hidden intentions. There are too many people searching for power and control.

All I can ask is, “Why?” Why are we like this? Do we have core values anymore, or has deceit become the national standard of life in this country? Is oppression worth more than peace?

Sadly, I do not know anyone who can answer these questions. I live in a world of distrust.

We have to do better to be better, folks.

In Community,

Amy

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Religious Fanatics in Red Caps and Black Robes — LUNA

Please be sure to read this post shared by The Poetry Bar by the author Geoffrey Reilly. His site is called Bending The Needle – Truth Hurts.

It is now becoming a common consensus (since the leaked draft) that we are approaching what The Handmaid’s Tale was edging toward in theory. We have turned into a country that has no voice unless you are the societal norm of a radical white conservative male.

This poem emphasizes that (and more) very thoroughly.

Religious fanatics in red caps and black robesChoice Appomattox and transvaginal probesBeaten and raped, then told what to doStripped of your voice, no autonomous you Back-alley midwives with buckets and hangersForced into action, like fierce Margret SangersMatt K and Sam A, don’t care what you thinkJudge Thomas and Barrett drown Roe in the sink Ejaculate…

Religious Fanatics in Red Caps and Black Robes — LUNA

I Thought We Were Better … — Filosofa’s Word

My good friend, Jill, always has a way to express the things I am thinking about. As American people, we should fear that super-precedents are being put on a chopping block, and we should also fear that we do not accept difference is people, views, religious preference, and anything else that is away from radical conservative norms. We have had so much change for the worse in this country. The oppression will continue because only certain voices are heard.

In Community,

Amy

P.S. Please be sure to read the full article on Jill’s site.

In countries like Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and many others, one man or group of men (it’s always men, never women) control the people, their actions & behaviours.  But in a democracy, a true democracy, it is the voice of the majority that determines the laws of the land.  The United States was founded as […]

I Thought We Were Better … — Filosofa’s Word