Reading Time: 2 minutes The president of the United States gave an interview to CNBC and he sounded like a man who doesn’t know what the hell is going on. But what was even more concerning is instead of his usual word-salad, this was more like a word Chipotle bowl that was dropped on the floor and then kicked around.
politics
- Informed
Nancy Pelosi: What if the greatest democracy in history failed in the dark?
by Confluenceby ConfluenceReading Time: 4 minutes Nancy Pelosi will make her place in history which hangs on one decision. She will either be the hero of a clap-back meme or the woman who made the decision to allow what belongs to the public into the light. That truth belongs to each and every one of us and it’s past time we had it.
Pelosi is one of the most powerful women on earth. Will she lead or will she continue to stonewall?
This is about transparency and Pelosi knows it. If she fails to proceed, she’s no less guilty of choking our democracy with lack of transparency than a President who’s guilty of Obstruction of Justice.
Reading Time: 5 minutes I am not delusional. I know the Republicans control the Senate. It’s highly unlikely Trump will be removed from office. I also know that starting impeachment proceedings will disrupt the legislative process. However, there is nothing more important on our agenda than holding our elected officials, especially if that official is the President, accountable, making it clear that there are lines you cannot cross and continue to serve unchecked.
History must reflect that we did something in the face of the most corrupt, disruptive, and criminal administration in the history of our nation. It’s up to Congress to put that in the record books. Trying to impeach might have to be enough, and even if it fails, we cannot look ourselves in the mirror and not try.
- EngageUncategorized
Sen. Cory Booker Answers Teen’s Questions on Facing the Addiction Crisis
by Confluenceby ConfluenceReading Time: < 1 minute The teen didn’t shy away from asking 2020 presidential candidate Cory Booker about his plan of action for the opioid crisis – — and he chose to listen to her solutions before speaking himself.
Reading Time: 5 minutes You can decide your own opinion, but you can’t decide your own facts. And the fact is that there is a definition for abuse, just like there is a definition for fascism, for authoritarianism, for dictatorship, for tyranny. It’s shocking to me how many parallels there are between our current political climate and living in an abusive relationship – from the gaslighting to the total lack of respect – respect for norms, for human dignity, for women, for the truth, for the rule of law.
- EditorInformed
I Am Not Going to be Celebrating the 4th of July and Here’s Why
by Confluenceby ConfluenceReading Time: 5 minutes I don’t think it’s appropriate to celebrate a holiday based on a history that has separated children from parents from the inception of our nation and has thousands in custody now that will not be returned to their parents.
I don’t think it’s wise to dedicate a red, white, and blue barbeque to a commercialized notion of God and country when by doing so we’re continuing to sell the illusion that holds this hostile takeover together.
So, as we’re facing down Independence Day wondering how we’re going to get our independence back, maybe the first step is to stop pretending everything is just fine when things are not. Pretending is exactly what they want us to do because if things look like they always have maybe we’re fine enough not to want to demand our democracy back.
Reading Time: 8 minutes Being human, there’s always a gulf between our intentions and our actions. This is especially true when we are attempting to include, in our constitutional framework, a widely diverse set of individual beliefs, values, and cultural practices.
If that gulf is left untended, it results in fracture patterns in our society. These fissures may remain largely invisible in times of peace and prosperity, except to those who live on the wrong side of the divide. They deepen into seemingly unbridgeable chasms in times of economic and other stresses that reveal the true nature of our cultural and social landscape.
As Without, So Within.
Reading Time: 6 minutes At the end of the day remember, nothing is permanent. The Buddhist concept of impermanence is often associated with loss. For many of us right now, the law of impermanence is a promise that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.
- Engage
5 Ways to Get Involved and Do Something Politically Instead of Sitting Around Freaking Out
by Confluenceby ConfluenceReading Time: 2 minutes A lot of good things are going on right now. A lot of good people are doing good work right now. Much of it is being inspired by the Trump Administration. So, we have to admit, not everything is going to hell. As things seem to be moving daily further in the direction of OMG, it might feel better to DO something rather than do nothing.
Reading Time: 6 minutes As for this declaration that April is “National Sexual Assault Awareness Month” – there is probably no one in the world who has made us more aware of sexual assault than our current president who openly bragged about it and somehow still got elected. And just like the individual victim of gaslighting who becomes aware, now we need to follow up our awareness with the action that will get us free. Stand up, speak out, and vote.