Maya Wiley should become the next mayor of New York City … if the working class that makes up the majority of voters want to take the power away from the greedy, extremist billionaires that control the city as if they are all Darth Vaders.
I endorse Maya Wiley for the Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York City.
There are many candidates in the Democratic primary for Mayor of New York City. Whoever is chosen will be the next mayor because the city is 3/4 Democrat and the Republican field is weak (Michael Bloomberg spent $100 million of his own money to win the mayoralty as a Republican and one of his top priorities was to persuade the state legislature to give him total control of the public schools).
My first choice initially was Scott Stringer, the City Comptroller, who has deep experience as a citywide official. Stringer was endorsed by the United Federation of Teachers because of his strong support for public schools. But his chances began to fade when a woman stepped forward to accuse him of groping her twenty years earlier.
When I grew up in Houston, Texas, I attended segregated public schools. Everything was segregated, including movie theaters, drinking foundations, churches, restaurants, public transit (the sign “colored” divided passengers, with blacks in the back of the bus; if there were more white passengers than black passengers, the sign was moved back and black passengers gave up their seats and stood), and everything else. Even newspaper ads were segregated, by both race and gender. Blacks entered white homes through the back door. Blacks were expected to step off the sidewalk and into the street when passing a white pedestrian.
In my high school American history class, we learned almost nothing about black history. Our textbooks recognized George Washington Carver and his discovery of the many uses of peanuts. That was about it. In eleventh-grade U.S. history, the textbook taught the now-discredited Dunning theory of the Reconstruction Era (William Archibald Dunning was…
Neil MacFarquar wrote this story in the New York Times. It is a chilling warning.
Many Americans fought and died to protect our democracy and preserve our rights. Sadly, there extremists within the country who threaten the ideas and values we hold dear. They are haters and white supremacists who betray the national idea of e pluribus unem.
They robbed an armored car outside a sprawling Seattle shopping mall.
They bombed a synagogue in Boise, Idaho, and within weeks assassinated a Jewish talk radio host in Denver.
Then a month later, they plundered another armored car on a California highway in a spectacular daylight heist that netted more than $3.6 million.
What initially seemed to F.B.I. agents like distant, disparate crimes turned out to be the opening salvos in a war against the federal government by members of a violent extremist group called the Order, who sought to establish a…
Trump’s Big Lie and the support of many in the Republican Party is a serious threat to U. S. Democracy.
The prophet Isaiah said, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.”
If Traitor Trump and his willing MAGA minions get away with calling “evil good and good evil”, who will be willing to step up and fight to defend the U.S. Constitution against Trump’s Big Lie? Will you stay home and pray/hope that Trump’s MAGA Storm Troopers don’t come knocking on your door.
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” — Martin Niemöller
Michael Gerson has been active in Republican politics for many years. He is appalled now that national and state leaders have created a loyalty test based on the Big Lie, the lie that Trump won the election, and Biden stole it. Liz Cheney was ousted from her senior role in the House Republican Caucus because she spoke the truth: Biden won, Trump lost, and its time to move on. Mitt Romney was booed by Utah Republicans for refusing to endorse the Big Lie. Very few Republicans, other than Cheney and Romney, have acknowledged that the election is over, following multiple recounts. Trump lost. Trump’s loss is now known as the Big Lie. However, in true Trumpian fashion, he calls Biden’s victory “the Big Lie,” once again trying to rewrite history.
Republican-controlled legislatures across the nation are planning to enact legislation that would have the effect of suppressing the vote. Georgia passed a law to restrict access to voting, known by its critics as the Jim Crow law. More states in Republican hands will do the same. Republicans in the Senate are likely to block a bill passed by the House to protect voting rights.
Why are Republicans afraid of a large turnout? Twenty years ago, Republican leaders insisted that every qualified voter should vote and that every vote should be counted.
In the aftermath of the highly disputed Presidential election of 2000, which was decided by 537 votes in the state of Florida, many of our most prominent political leaders recognized the need for reform of the voting system.
“Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:–I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
For those that are elected to the U.S. Congress or those that join the U.S. military or a federal law enforcement agency, there is a similar oath.
“An individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services, shall take the following oath: “I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.” This section does not affect other oaths required by law.”
Now, what does it mean to be a patriot or a loyalist?
What does it say for a loyalist? “A person who promises support and commitment to the leader or government, or to a political party, especially during a time of change.”
If you support the Constitutional Oath, you cannot be a patriot or loyalist.
A patriot may defend his/her country but ignore the U.S. Constitution.
A loyalist promises to support a leader, the government or a political party but does not have to support the U.S. Constitution.
The mob that attacked the capital of the United States on January 6, 2021, claimed they were patriots but at the same time most if not all of them were totally loyal to one man, Donald Trump. This mob was ready to hang members of the U.S. Congress and several people died because of this assault on the U.S. capital.
What about you?
Do you support the U.S. Constitution against all enemies foreign or domestic, or do you consider yourself a patriot or loyalist?
Do you think you know the answer to the question that is the title of this post?
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Lloyd Lofthouse is a former U.S. Marine and Vietnam combat veteran with a BA in journalism and an MFA in writing, who taught in the public schools for thirty years (1975 – 2005).
“Running with the Enemy” was awarded an honorable mention in general fiction at the 2013 San Francisco Book Festival. The winners were honored on May 18, 2013 at a free, day-long public festival held at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco followed by a private awards ceremony that evening.
Awarded an honorable mention in general fiction at the 2013 Hollywood Book Festival. The award ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Saturday evening, July 20.
Awarded Runner Up (2nd place) in general fiction at the 2013 Beach Book Festival. Following a free, day-long book festival and publishing seminar at the Radisson Martinque on Broadway Hotel in New York City, there was a private awards ceremony.
Awarded honorable mention in general fiction at the 2013 New York Book Festival. The winners were honored at a private ceremony at the Grolier Club in Manhattan on June 21, followed by a free, day-long festival open to the public on June 22.
“Obviously drawn from the author’s first-hand experiences as a Marine serving in Vietnam, ‘Running with the Enemy’ is a … heartfelt war story. …The book is sometimes too obviously drawn from his experience. But ultimately that’s a small complaint about a book that, on the whole, is quite good and has a lot to say about the nature of that conflict and the passion for the subject matter out-shines some limitations in the writing.” – 21st Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards commentary of anonymous judge
On January 6, 2021, Trump may once again attempt a coup to take over the country. Let your members of Congress know that you will not tolerate any attempt to subvert the U.S. Constitution. We will not accept Trump under any circumstances over the U.S. Constitution. Joe Biden will be president of the United States on January 20, 2021. Trump lost the election. No matter how many times Trump repeats the word fraud, there was no fraud. Trump has lost almost 60 court cases attempting to subvert the elections in several states. Trump’s lawyers lost those lawsuits in court because they had no evidence of fraud during the 2020 election.
Trevor Potter is a Republican who was former chairman of the Federal Election Commission and president of the Campaign Legal Center. He writes here about efforts by Trump and his surrogates to promote their belief that the election can be overturned to Congress on January 6, when the Electoral College results are presented to Congress. The Trump campaign has chosen “alternate slates of electors” and will pressure Republicans to accept them, even though they do not represent the voters of their states and were not certified by the Secretary of State or the Governor.
Jan. 6 is not another Election Day. Don’t let President Trump convince you it is.
What will happen then — a joint session of Congress to receive the presidential and vice-presidential election results transmitted by the states — typically occurs every four years in relative obscurity. But this election cycle…
“Support from Democratic lawmakers for the liability shield legislation comes after the same healthcare lobby group that drafted New York’s law has poured more than $11m into House and Senate Democratic Super PACs.
“The party, though, doesn’t seem to want its own voters to know the details of the deal it is cutting with the Republican party: in a comically on-the-nose attempt at a bait-and-switch, the Democratic senator Joe Manchin touted the legislation as only financial aid for communities – leaving out the fact that it includes a liability shield for corporations.
“US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been one of the few Democratic lawmakers to spotlight what’s really going on. Last week, she tweeted: “If you want to know why Covid-19 relief is tied up in Congress, one key reason is that Republicans are demanding legal…
Donald Trump’s presidency has been a horror show that is ending with a pandemic that is out of control, an economicrecessionand deepening political polarisation. Mr Trump is the author of this disastrous denouement. He is also the political leader least equipped to deal with it. Democracy in the United States has been damaged by Mr Trump’s first term. It may not survive four more years.
If the Guardian had a vote, it would be cast to electJoe Bidenas president next Tuesday. Mr Biden has what it takes to lead the United States. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden cares about his nation’s history, its people, its constitutional principles and its place in the world. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden wants to unite a divided country. Mr Trump stokes an anger that is wearing it down.
The real shadow government that wants to take away the freedoms the U.S. Constitution protects, supports Donald Trump in every dirty way possible. Let’s call them Trump’s Swamp Creatures.
In this post, Bill Moyers conducts an important interview with investigative journalist Anne Nelson, who talks about her new book, SHADOW NETWORK: MEDIA, MONEY, AND THE SECRET HUB OF THE RADICAL RIGHT.
Read this and you will understand the dark forces that are undermining our democracy and our democratic institutions, including our public schools.
BILL MOYERS: Let me begin with the most current part of the story, which comes just a little bit after your book is published when the conservative movement is facing a very decisive encounter with the very forces it’s been trying to defeat now for 40 years. How do you think the shadow network reads the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court? What are they making of it?
ANNE NELSON: Well, I think that they consider it a great triumph and a kind of culmination of 40 years of effort. And…
![Running with the Enemy by [Lloyd Lofthouse]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51pcd1VEY2L.jpg)
