amendment

Elections, Amendments & Tunnels


Post 1,037

A little longer today because there is so much going on .  .  .

Winning Elections

A piece in The Economist in December accidentally provided yet another reminder of what wins elections. We used to believe that honesty and moral character were our guides, but we’ve been disabused of that fanciful notion for many years by poundings upside our heads from brutal reality.

We want to say that sound policy and good solutions leading to sensible goals are what get our votes. Surely the right policies for both our nation and for We The People individually are important to us. So, too, is a leader’s strong backbone to lead our national defense. That’s all nice and good, but that’s not what drives most voters’ choices.

In that Economist piece they report from a recent Harvard Youth Poll:

“Most of those who favoured Mr. Biden – 69% – said they did so more out of opposition to Mr. Trump; by contrast, 65% of those favouring Mr. Trump said they felt loyal to him.”

That’s touchy-feely stuff, not policy driven choice.

The Economist also reports from Joe Mitchell, who operates Run GenZ to recruit young conservative candidates, saying:

“Mr. Biden, he says, has passed more progressive legislation than Mr. Obama but is less admired by progressives because he lacks Mr. Obama’s cachet. By contrast, the indictments of Mr. Trump have restored his celebrity gleam.”

There’s that touchy-feely thing again. Sensible judgment need not apply.

If you listen to the comments from Trump supporters being interviewed, what you will hear consistently is visceral declarations of support charged with passion and certainty. If they are pressed for reasons for their enthusiasm they say that Trump kept his promises, that the economy was so much better when Trump was president, that he has the strength to stand up to other strongman leaders, that immigration was under control and our borders were safe when Trump was president. They say these things with great certainty and as though that’s what’s behind their support for Trump.

But they are wrong. Factually, provably wrong. He didn’t keep his wall promise or infrastructure week promise or pretty much anything else. The economy was worse, he was sucking up to dictators, our immigration system was as bad as it is now and Trump was locking up babies. We were far sicker and hundreds of thousands died. Yet even when presented with these and other incontrovertible facts, Trump enthusiasts remain certain in their beliefs. His moral failings like grabbing women you-know-where and raping them somehow don’t repulse his female followers. His nonstop vomiting of racist filth somehow doesn’t inflame his Black supporters.

They don’t follow and support Trump for his policies or for his moral foundation. Their enthusiasm is more about his showmanship and his tough guy talk. His followers think that the victimhood he whines about makes him like them, that when the bad guys from our justice system come after him, he speaks of that as coming after “us.” It’s a “We are a band of brothers under siege” appeal – and they eat that stuff up. They believe it.

It’s that touchy-feely thing again and millions are led to the ballot box by no more than that and an invitation to give their adulation.

Biden can’t come close to that. He just doesn’t have the stuff to strut. He’s further hobbled by the far left in his own party, people who are never satisfied and always complaining and demanding what he cannot possibly deliver.

Thanks go to JN for passing this along

I’ll make the assumption that nobody who reads these posts is a Trump supporter, so I can reasonably expect that even if you aren’t a Biden supporter, you want to see Trump defeated. Maybe you don’t trust any Republicans, so you don’t want Nikki Haley to win when she’s their nominee once Trump is wearing orange. Fine. What should Biden do to win?

Remember: Winning elections isn’t about policy. Winning may not even be about reality or about any version of truth. Winning elections most definitely is about emotion, passion, beliefs, style, entertainment, heart-thumping pie-in-the-sky promises, excitement and pretty much anything touchy-feely.

And that is a huge challenge that not-so-exciting Joe Biden must meet if he is to win a second term, so:

  1. What should Biden do in order to win?
  2. What must you do to ensure that happens, so that you get what you want and, so very importantly, so that you don’t get what you deeply don’t want?

Here’s a little help for you:

Link to this Sheila Markin post and scroll down to the “USE YOUR WORRY TO ACTIVATE YOURSELF” section. Admit it: you’re worried. You’ll find a list of places to go where you can pitch in, take action, alleviate some of your anxiety and make a difference.

Click to join The Union. Their Action Center will give you all the direction you need for where to go and what to do to make a difference.

Link to Mobilize and register so they can aim you geographically and find ways for you to mobilize and make a difference.

Subscribe to The Grassroots Connector and see how you can make a difference.

Are you seeing the pattern? It’s time for us to make a difference.

Supreme Court

It looks quite likely that the Court will strike down the State of Colorado’s decision to remove Trump from its 2024 ballot. The questions of the justices during oral arguments often focused on distinctions without a difference, like whether a president holding office is an officer of the government. And it gets worse.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is a plain language statement that those who have taken an oath to the Constitution – like a president does – and who then participates in an insurrection against our government or who gives aid and comfort to those who rebel in such a way, may not hold office. The framers of this Amendment were exquisitely clear that people like Jefferson Davis must never hold power again. They felt the pain of our Civil War acutely, so they knew how important it was to prevent those who broke faith from holding office.

If the Court decides as it appears it will, the justices will have by-passed the requirement of Article V of the Constitution requiring a 2/3 vote of both Houses of Congress and the affirmation of 3/4 of the states. That is because this Court will have voided Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, something that should require a new amendment.

Think of that: This Court may unilaterally amend our Constitution. That puts every one of us in peril, as it can unilaterally steal our rights and our freedom.

Tunnels

Click me for the story about humanitarian aid that Hamas is keeping from the hostages

The strife in Gaza continues and, like nearly everything in the Middle East, things are complicated and rarely what they seem to be. Bret Stephens posted a most clarifying piece, The Meaning of Gaza’s Tunnels. He wrote,

“Hamas’s tunnels measure between 350 and 450 miles in a territory that’s just 25 miles long. (By comparison, the London Underground is only 249 miles long.”

Here’s another comparison: The entire New York City subway tunnels are only 145 miles in length.

Q. What do you suppose that enormous Gaza excavation is for?

A. To provide command centers, shelter for Hamas fighters and to build and warehouse huge factories to construct rockets and other munitions for the sole purpose of attacking and killing Israelis.

Palestinians have been impoverished for decades by the diversion of resources intended for the benefit of the Gaza people. The resources have been used instead solely to build this subterranean military fortress. Again, its only purpose is to enable Hamas to kill Jews and eliminate Israel.

Read Stephens’ piece, as well as another of his posts linked from the bottom of his current one. I promise you’ll learn important things you don’t yet know. They just might change how you see this awful, ongoing Gaza war.

Late Addition

Take this pledge for democracy and then link through.

Click me

  • Today is a good day to be the light
  • _____________________________
  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

John Wilkes Booth


Click me

While checking into a state park lodge for a family reunion, I got into a discussion with the guy behind the counter. The net of it was that he directed me to a couple of websites: Bay Area Transparency and 1st Amendment Auditor. I started watching a video on each of them and lost patience at lightning speed. They appear to be pseudo documentaries focused on taking down law enforcement by means of entrapment, temper tantrum badgering and vomiting accusations.

These videos have the smell of a guy with anti-authority mania, victimhood adoration and severe daddy issues, all of which he uses to bludgeon others.

In one scene the host is operating his camera with his mouth in full-auto blabbing mode while finger jabbing at a police officer in the middle of the street. He’s complaining that there are signs indicating parking only for state vehicles and that the police shouldn’t be allowed to make up their own rules and limit others. That’s his gotcha.

The point is that he goes to great lengths to find ways that injustice prevails and disadvantages him. He accuses and badgers police officers who are polite in return. He sounds like he has an adult body and an adult voice, but he has the maturity and self-control of a kid having a tantrum on the floor of the cereal aisle.

Why should you care about that?

Because this guy is a poster child for our infestation of MAGA plague. He appears to believe that he’s doing a red, white and blue, true American patriotic unmasking of authoritarian over-reach and cruelty, all this over a parking space.

Extrapolate that to millions of people whose weapons aren’t cameras, but instead are semi-automatic pistols and assault rifles. That’s why you should care.

We have an overload of citizens who think they’ve been wronged, who believe that there is a deep state populated by oppressors who happily crush true Americans. These are people who have devolved into anarchist king killers.

Last Tuesday I saw a clip of reporter Vaughn Hillyard interviewing a woman at a Trump rally in New Hampshire (view from 2:10). He asked what will happen if Trump is found guilty. She responded, “civil war.” Take your own guess as to why saying that would appear to please her.

As disastrous as such violence would be, not prosecuting Trump would eventually be far worse, so I’m not advocating backing off prosecutions. Indeed, I’m for full speed ahead to nail that law breaker and his sycophantic co-conspirators. Accountability is all that forestalls worse. See my post this Wednesday for more about that.

There is a very high level of anger, belligerence, and vitriol in the bellies of millions of Americans. They’re people with “issues” and they act as though only violence will assuage their “issues.” These are people who don’t just want the parking signs taken down. They want everything taken down.

The Republican Party is no longer the party of Lincoln. It is the party of John Wilkes Booth.

Maybe Some Sanity and Relief is Coming From

H.J.Res.54 – Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing that the rights protected and extended by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only. (118th Congress)
Sponsor: Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (Introduced 04/10/2023)

We’ve tried this before. Maybe we can bring it to the right conclusion this time.

January 21, 2010 was a dark and dangerous day for the United States. It was the day that the Supreme Court announced its findings in the Citizens United case and produced a thunder clap decision that was scarcely related to the case actually brought before the Supreme Court.

The Court, in its warped, John Roberts anti-wisdom, decided that corporations have all the same rights as people. It reaffirmed that money isn’t a tangible property; it’s speech. It said that it’s okay for wealthy individuals and corporations to make enormous financial donations to politicians and SuperPACs. And it said that it’s okay for much of that bribery to remain secret. Fundamentally, that decision validated politics as a pay-to-play scheme, giving lots more power to rich people and corporations and way less to you. And none of that had anything to do with Citizens United wanting to post a smash-mouth video trashing Hillary.

In his dissent in this case, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote that in addressing an issue that was not raised by the litigants,

“ . . . the majority changed the case to give themselves an opportunity to change the law.”

“A democracy cannot function effectively when its constituent members believe laws are being bought and sold.”

And that’s why this proposed amendment is critically important.

I’ve done many presentations about the craziness of this case and others. Click here and scroll down to the embedded 15-minute video for a taste test. It’s from 2014 and, sadly, it’s still timely today.

Many of us have been searching for an answer to the question of what we can do to reverse this theft of our government (see MoveToAmend). From the lead-in to this section of a proposed Constitutional amendment, it looks (again) like relief might be on the way.

What you can do now is to encourage your Representative to co-sponsor H.J. Res. 54. Because this is a proposed amendment to the Constitution it’s going to take years to get this done. That’s why today is a good day to start.

Quote of the Week

Steve Schmidt writes a post entitled The Warning and I heartily recommend it. Last Wednesday he centered his comments around those of President James Garfield and his address to his Union Army “Boys in Blue” in his essay America Is Not Our Politics. It is a splendid reminder of the real America, so I heartily recommend it to you.

To make the point about America being something else and not being our politics, Schmidt wrote,

These are troubled days where idiocy, malice, cowardice and appeasement have become the rocket fuel for political advancement.

And, of course, that isn’t who you or I or any of us is. Read Schmidt’s post.

Not Just For Fun

I saw this pic that led a story in the Washington Post about a murder cold case. Intending no disrespect for that story or the people involved, I just had to use it for a spoof.

In my interpretation, peeking from behind that door are Ron DeSantis and some dope of a placeholder for all the self-righteous Republican politicians who think they belong in your bedroom.

Here’s what that will look like in video if the self-righteous ones (including Clarence Thomas) get their way.

From David Corn’s Our Town Newsletter of August 12:

” .  .  .  the fundamental reality [is] that for many on the right, the war against reproductive rights is a war against sex. These folks just don’t like the idea of us having a good time on our own terms.”

  • Today is a good day to be the light

    ______________________________

  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


  • Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take ALL OF US to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    Click me

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

Amendment XXVIII


Section 1.

Whereas: The necessity of a free state to have a well regulated militia being fully satisfied by the various State National Guard units; and,

Whereas: The right of the people to be safe and secure in their persons, domiciles and in all public places being paramount; therefore,

Upon ratification of this article, the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is immediately repealed.

Section 2.

Sale, possession or use of automatic firearms, assault rifles, large capacity ammunition magazines, bump stocks and all other firearm modifications designed to create automatic fire weapons, ghost guns, silencers and ammunition designed for warfare are strictly prohibited. The official collection of banned materials from private hands, the time period for such collection and the determination of proper compensation, if any, for the relinquishing of banned materials shall be as proscribed by Congress through legislation.

Anyone found to be in possession of banned firearm materials beyond the final date set forth by Congress for turning in such materials will be guilty of a felony with penalties as defined by Congressional legislation.

Section 3.

The transportation, distribution or importation into any State, Territory or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of prohibited firearm materials intended for private sale or possession is a felony subject to such penalties as Congress shall establish.

Section 4.

Ownership of handguns, hunting rifles and shotguns shall be allowed by permit only. Permission for such ownership shall be as specified by Congress. At all times such ownership shall be subject to the following provisions:

1. All private citizens seeking ownership of any firearm shall undergo a thorough background check to determine whether such citizens are capable of and likely to follow legal and safety rules of ownership. No person having been found guilty of violent behavior shall be allowed to own firearms.

Failure to successfully complete  this background check shall disqualify any citizen from firearm ownership and possession. Background checks shall be defined by Congress and shall be subject to adjustment through legislation as Congress shall from time to time deem appropriate.

2. All owners of firearms shall secure liability insurance against harm to others as Congress shall require. Firearm owners shall keep such insurance in force at all times.

3. Prior to delivery into private hands of any legal firearm, the owner(s) shall undergo use and safety training as Congress shall deem to be required. Any citizen failing to successfully complete such use and safety training shall be prohibited from owning and from possessing any firearm.

4. No person or household shall be allowed to possess more than three (3) firearms at any time.

5. Use of an otherwise legal firearm in the commission of any misdemeanor or felony shall cause the perpetrator to be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence in federal prison of not less than five (5) years, regardless of whether such firearm is discharged during the commission of a misdemeanor or felony.

6. When privately owned firearms are not in use they must be stored in a locked cabinet or storage device that meets all security provisions as Congress shall define. Firearms in storage must be unloaded. Ammunition must be stored in a similar manner and separate from all firearms.

7. The right of firearm ownership shall be terminated upon any illegal use of a firearm and all firearms owned by any person using any firearm illegally shall be surrendered to law enforcement authorities immediately.

8. Congress shall create by legislation an Extreme Risk Law to allow for an intervention to temporarily prevent any citizen in crisis from accessing firearms of any type.

9. No person under the age of 21 years shall be allowed to own or possess any firearm of any kind.

Section 5.

Upon ratification of this article, the following types of legislation, whether federal, state or local, are immediately revoked and made null and void:

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2006

Any and all laws authorizing open carry of firearms

Any and all Stand Your Ground laws

Any and all permit-less concealed carry laws

Section 6.

Congress shall establish a complete list of zones where it is illegal for any private citizen to carry or possess firearms at any time, including schools, college campuses, daycare centers, playgrounds and other places where children gather, bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, any public gathering, whether indoors or outdoors, public demonstrations and rallies, airports, polling places, courthouses and other locations as Congress shall determine. Simple possession of firearms in such places shall be a felony, with penalties as defined by Congress through legislation.

Section 7.

Congress shall have the power to enforce and adjust this Amendment through appropriate legislation as Congress shall from time to time deem appropriate and necessary for the safety of the citizens of the States, Territories and possessions of the United States of America.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.

_________________________________

Click the pic

America should be judged by the small coffins it tolerates.

Finally,

Cooler heads have a clear message for us regarding the indictment of Donald Trump. They tell us that this is a sober time. Never before have we indicted either a former president or a presidential candidate, much less both at the same time. These are weighty charges carrying grave and far-reaching consequences.

Yet as David Frum wrote in The Atlantic,

“It’s a solemn and sad moment. It’s also a fiercely just moment.”

This is a time of joy for our nation. This is a moment to celebrate the beginning of the restoration of the rule of law and accountability. This is when we make it more than an easy slogan that no one is above the law. This is when it becomes so. Just this indictment is a victory for us all.

I wrote in this space last Friday,

Remember this day, March 30, 2023, so that you can tell your grandchildren that this was the moment when justice began to return to America.
.

I’m right about that.

Whether Trump is found guilty of any of the 30+ charges against him is not the point right now. His behavior looks like fraud, smells like conspiracy and perp walks like illegal campaign contributions. Trump deserves to be put on trial for these and whatever other charges District Attorney Alvin Bragg has for him. Let this man who has never been held accountable at last face the music for his deeds.

And we can dance in the streets to that music.

Today is a good day to be the light.

______________________________

  • Our governance and electoral corruption and dysfunction and our ongoing mass murders are all of a piece, all the same problem with the same solution:
  • Fire the bastards!
  • The days are dwindling for us to take action. Get up! Do something to make things better.


    Did someone forward this post to you? Welcome! Please subscribe – use the simple form above on the right. And pass this along to three others, encouraging them to subscribe, too. (IT’S A FREEBIE!) It’s going to take a lot of us to get the job done.

    And add your comments below to help us all to be better informed.

    Thanks!

    The Fine Print:

    1. Writings quoted or linked from my posts reflect a point I want to make, at least in part. That does not mean that I endorse or agree with everything in such writings.
    2. There are lots of smart, well-informed people. Sometimes we agree; sometimes we don’t. Search for others’ views and decide for yourself.
    3. Errors in fact, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all embarrassingly mine. Glad to have your corrections.
    4. Responsibility for the content of these posts is unequivocally, totally, unavoidably mine.
    5. Book links to Amazon are provided for reference only. Please purchase your books through your local mom & pop bookstore. Keep them and your town or neighborhood vibrant.

    JA


Copyright 2024 by Jack Altschuler
Reproduction and sharing are encouraged, providing proper attribution is given.

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