Batmanned--creating our enemies.

 'I'm scared': AP obtains video of deadly arrest of Black man (apnews.com)

The above article is one example of a person reacting to his own past experiences, and those he has seen experienced by others.  

Which person am I talking about--the poor man that died scared in police custody?  or the police officers?  

Batman was a direct result of a city of corruption that led him to watch the death of his parents.  But the bad guys, they were also the result of the evil they saw, at the hands of the corrupt city.

It's an old story, the hero and the villain created from the same origin story.

The thin blue line folks will tell you, I'm just doing my job, I shouldn't get hurt doing my job.  People just need to do what I tell them.  People need to stay calm because I have to make split second decisions based on their actions to keep myself and my fellow officers safe.  

Pretty much, saying "gun" if you are not a middle class white man or woman, is the same as pointing a gun at them.  That split second is so filled with fear that the shoot, frequently emptying the gun into center body mass from 10 foot or less from the "bad guy".

I know we are seeing more of this because of smart phones and social media and body cams, but are we also seeing more of it because we have all seen more of this?  

Is the fear now greater due to the many times we have seen what happens when the police decide to go after a nonwhite person?  Are there more high speed chases, more foot chases, more brown folks going "rabbit"---perhaps you prefer "deer in the headlight", frozen, with fear, trying to move slowing so as not to get shot, saying things like "there is a gun in the---(huge and multiple booms go off).

We now have stand your ground in a lot of states.  If the police use a no-knock warrant to enter a home, can the residents lawfully shoot them?

Is there a law that officers have a right to put their hands on a person instead of using their words?  You know, to turn them around and spread their legs, to shove their head down to get them in the car.  

Do officers have a right to yell instead of talk, curse instead of talk, push instead of talk.  Do regular citizen not have those same rights?

Getting your respect by making those you interact with fear for their lives is not actually respect.

And guess what, that adrenaline you are working with, the person you are yelling at is dealing with that too.  

We don't need Batman and the Joker. We don't need more badass cops.  We need Andy of Mayberry.  We need Mr. Rogers.  We need Officer Friendly, that lives in the neighborhood and helps people when they have problems.

Maybe we can head off the horrible effects of poverty and criminal/police interactions if we start early on more than just making poor kids hate cops young.

How do we fix the problems in our country.

 • People shot to death by U.S. police, by race 2021 | Statista

Black Lives Matters didn't start out as an anti-police group, it started as a group to make people aware of the justice inequality faced by black people.  Trayvon Martin was it's poster boy.  

But the deaths of black people at the hands of police quickly provided them with an even bigger target---the killing of unarmed people by the police, before they are found guilty of a crime, before they made any attempt to harm anyone;  for having a mental health issue, for having a big mouth, for admitting they owned a gun, for being high, for not following directions fast enough.  It soon became obvious, due to the increased awareness of the public and the access to video and audio that most of us now have, that the police are not about justice---they are about obedience, getting their respect, and their right to shoot anyone that looks at them cross-eyed.

Our current policing methods are not shared by all other countries.

Countries Where Police Do Not Carry Guns - WorldAtlas

There are 18 countries in the above group.  They do not have a higher crime or death by gun rate because of this.  It is working for them

Murder Rate By Country - WorldAtlas

Countries with the widest gaps between rich and poor are four times more likely to experience violent crimes than other countries. These inequitable societies are found most often in developing countries, where high poverty lacking infrastructure is commonplace. Poverty and crime go hand in hand; crime drives away businesses and investors, reducing available human capital and creating an insecure environment, which, in turn, leads to more poverty. Organized crime, like gangs and drug trafficking, also contribute to high murder rates.

Gun ownership is not associated with lower crime or better democracies.

Currently, over 175 nations allow their citizens to own firearms, but only three constitutions in the world still include the right to own a gun, and these are the United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. Other than the United States, the other two constitutions have specific restrictive conditions on gun ownership.  https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-highest-rate-of-gun-ownership.html

Our own country has a murder rate of about 5/100,000. That places us at 89th in the world.  I have no idea if being shot by the police is counted in this number.  I do know that the countries worse than us are not on most of our  bucket list of vacation spots.

The crossover of so many things with poverty is bizarre.   We never try to fix poverty.  We never try to create better opportunities for everyone starting at birth.  Never try to make sure no one makes too little to live on, can't afford a decent place to live, can't get a decent meal, a decent education, or good access to healthcare.

The maps for poverty, republicans, poor education, unemployment, crime, deaths by police, teen pregnancy, untreated mental illness, prison populations and drug addiction are the same maps.

Why can't anyone recognize that the thing that bonds them all, the thing that drives them all is poverty.  

And we can do something about poverty.

But first we have to stop acting like being poor is a birth defect.

We have to stop acting like money is a score card.

We have to stop trying to make being poor proof that poor people are genetically inferior and start recognizing that poverty is hard to get out of, hard because when born into it, you will never get the same opportunities that a person that isn't born into it has.  

You can't spend the first 5 years of life being hungry, or watched by people that have never seen good parenting---not because they are bad, but because they only learned what they saw.  Then go to school in a system made for people that had a very different life experience.  Then treated like they are stupid because they don't know milk comes from cows or flowers grow in the woods or, flip side, that cities have subways or airports but no cow and no tractors.  

You can't expect children that spent the night listening to dad and mom fight over the last bottle of beer or, worse, cower in the center of the apartment because of the gunfire, then get up and think that the poster contest is exciting.

You can't throw kids out for swearing when everyone they knows uses far worse language, from grandpa to big sister.

You can't judge kids for being sexually active when mom has been supporting them for 14 years as a sex worker.

You can't expect kids to be at school everyday to get a perfect attendance certificate when they have to be working for the neighborhood dealer or the pimp to pay for rent and food or out baling hay or picking strawberries.

Poverty is the enemy.

And our system is currently making it harder and harder to get out of poverty.

The score card shouldn't be dollars but  happy, self-actualizing lives.

There should not be one person whose lack of money is preventing them from reaching their dreams.  We all have plenty of road blocks without making money a part of the equation.

Our country is no better than the worst conditions we allow to remain in existence.

   

Cost of living increase.

 We assume that the cost of living is like inflation but they are not the same.  

Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time are often operationalized in a cost-of-living index. Cost of living calculations are also used to compare the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living in different geographic areas. Differences in cost of living between locations can also be measured in terms of purchasing power parity rates. (from Wikipedia)

In economics, inflation (or less frequently, price inflation) is a general rise in the price level in an economy over a period of time. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money – a loss of real value in the medium of exchange and unit of account within the economy. The opposite of inflation is deflation, a sustained decrease in the general price level of goods and services. The common measure of inflation is the inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general price index, usually the consumer price index, over time.

Inflation and deflation are all about the economy.

Cost of living is all about living, specifically, a standard of living.

In the USA, living free, as in homeless, unemployeed, owning no property, is highly frowned upon if not out right illegal.  Further, it is not ok to go pitch a tent on government land and live there for free off the land.  Parks have over-night stay permits that cost money.  Other government land is not treated so much like public land as it is like forbidden land--with ranchers or miners frequently renting rights to use it.

The current standard of living has changed significantly from 100 years ago.  In 1921, most houses were heated by open gas heaters in each room if modern or by a fireplace or wood stove if a little older or more rural.  Lighting was either gas fixtures, kerosene lamps, candles, or in rare urban areas, oddly, some in Colorado being first, by electricity.  There was national radio transmission in 1916, but actual stations didn't start until 1920 and FM stations weren't until 1937.

History of Commercial Radio | Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov)

Statistics: The American Economy during the 1920s | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

By 1925, less than 20% of the population had a radio.  There were enough cars for about 20% of the population, but they tended to be owned by the wealthy and businesses and government agencies such as police, fire departments and military.  Roughly 1 phone for every ten people was available, but most of these were public phones, and those individuals with phones in their homes were on party lines with no privacy whatsoever.  Also, the phone did one thing--it allowed people to hear each other, a huge improvement over the telegraph.

Entertainment was either live, singing, plays, dance performances, burlesque, caberet, AND movies, black and white film, silent, a little jerky, but well loved and only available in movie theaters, although I'm sure some of the rich 5% had theaters in their homes.

The income breakdown for this time per the IRS is:

$1,000-$2,000/year    37%

$2,000-$3,000/year     35%

$3,000-$5,000/year      18%

$10,000-$25,000/year    6%

$25,000-$50,000/year      2%

over $50,000/year             less than 2%

(yes, very similar to now, and in 1929 all that inequality caused a lot of problems, all around the world)

What Did It Cost? A Look Back (davemanuel.com)  a fun little site, try it.

A movie ticket in 1921 cost $0.07 cents, adjusted, that would be $0.97 cents today.

(can that be right?  actually keep watching, someone is making a killing off of us)

1920s Cost of Living. New House. 1920: $6,296. Average Income. 1920: $2,160 per year. New Car. 1920: $525. Average Rent. 1920: $15 per month. Movie Ticket. 1920: 15 cents each. Gasoline. 1920: 33 cents per gallon. First Class Postage Stamp. 1920: 2 cents. 1929: 2 cents

Now, what is not comparable in cost of living:  how has living in 2021 changed from 1921.

1.  Except for a few people, we all have to pay for running water, and with that is frequently a required sewage and trash payment.  A few people are off the grid and living on wells, where I'm from, those frequently come with a load of methane.

2.  Electricity (and possibly gas) are not luxuries.  Few houses are habitable without them as our houses are not cool in summer or hot in winter without a good energy source.  If you are so off the grid that you have a good well and only use wood for heat, congratulations, you are self sufficient, and your kids hate you).

3.  Internet service, wasn't even an option in 1921, but very hard to live without in the current age.  Children with no access have an education hardship.  Frequently, those without it get by with a cable subscription and a private hotspot on their cellphone, but cellphone is necessary for this.

4.  The old payphone/party line is now a purchasable (the old ones were leased), and while land lines are still an option, frequently bundled with cable or internet, the electronic cellphone that rapidly becomes obsolete is both expensive and requires a subscription.  (you can buy a cheap version, called a prepaid, that comes with a certain amount of hours of phone time and, depending on price, a bit of data available).  It's not free--or cheap.

5.  While you can listen to AM/FM radio on a car or home radio, most is so ad/saturated that people stream their music, podcasts, news programs.  Free radio is probably about the same as the 1920's.

6. Television for free is possible, if you get a great antennae (not cheap)  or are good with coat hangers and aluminum foil and live near a pretty good local station.  Cable/Satellite/internet streaming are not free or even particularly affordable.  (I have found streaming with internet considerably cheaper than a cable or satellite bundle, though)

7. Healthcare in the 1920's( 1920-1929 - Prices and Wages by Decade - Library Guides at University of Missouri Libraries )was not easily accessible. While Hammurabi mentions health insurance in ancient Mesopotamia and England had it in the 1850's, the USA had its first group health insurance plan in 1929.  Theodore Roosevelt supported Universal healthcare due to success of systems in Europe at the time.  The USA has still not bought this idea so pretty much no one could afford health care in 1921.  We didn't have effective antibiotics, so infections were a frequent cause of death.  Reality is, there wasn't much healthcare available, it wasn't particularly safe and effective, and most people couldn't afford it anyway.  These days, even with laws allowing emergency treatment without upfront pay and Obamacare and medicare and medicaid, about 10% of adults can not seek treatment for anything but emergency care.  Emergency departments hate when people show up for routine clinical care, and if they are being jerks, a trip in for a case of strep throat or uncontrolled blood sugar can legally be sent out with no treatment, just a reminder to see their private physician.  No, they don't have a private physician, no private physician will schedule them an appointment without a payor source up front.  At least the Doctor in 1921, if there was one nearby, would try to treat you for a chicken or a deer haunch.

8.  Education in 1921 was not universally available in every locale.  We did get the Education Act of 1921.  Education Act 1921 - The National Archives  Which gave free reign to local government.   It didn't require education beyond age 14, no special education requirements or early education requirements.  There is no mention of race.  While Reconstruction caused the legal requirement of education available to Black children, that was not a push for desegregation.  In North Carolina, for example, they finally required school to be available to black children for at least 16 weeks per year until age 16.  At that time there were no high schools for black children in the state.  I suppose that the fact that Chinese immigrants,  were not allowed in school until 1905 and Native Americans were not recognized as even citizens of the USA until 1924 makes all of this less amazing. At least now everyone gets to go to public school.  We just don't budget much for our non-private school students future success.

9.  College is also not particularly better for everyone.  A lot of us are ready for free university like in multiple European countries.  A better educated population makes a better country, and a better workforce.  Currently, 69% of our students go to college, the vast majority attending part time while working, though not always immediately after high school.  In 1960 that number was 45%.

10.  The immediate college enrollment rate by race from 2000 to 2017 was: 69% of white students in 2017 in opposition to 65% in 2000, 67% of Hispanic students in 2017 in opposition to 49% in 2000, 87% of Asian students in 2017 in opposition to 74% in 2000, 58% of black students in 2017 with no significant change since 2000.  (that is the very definition of institutional racism---how many give up on college due to no funds without a sports or academic scholarship before they even get through high school)

College           1921 Tuition
University of Georgia  FREE
University of South Carolina $40
William and Mary College $50
Clark University $100
Bates College $125
Bowdoin College $150
Johns Hopkins University $150-250
Dickinson College $160
University of Vermont $175
Colgate University $180
Boston University $225
Dartmouth College $250
Harvard University $250
Tufts College $250

College           2018 Tuition
Reed College $56,030
Cornell University $54,584
Connecticut College $69,970 (includes room and board)
Harvard University $46,340
Michigan State University $39,750
Dickinson College $54,636
Colgate University $55,530
Bucknell University $55,788
Gettysburg College $54,480
Dartmouth College $52,950
Tufts University $55,172
University of North Carolina $34,938
Pepperdine University $53,680
University of Virginia $48,891

These days, only 36% of jobs are available without any college.  In 1937, only 37% of jobs required any college.  

Inflation between 1921 and now:  in 1921 a $1 is now worth $14.69.

The average income in 1921 was $3,269.40, but the Median income  was between $2 and $3 thousand.  (the difference between the two has to do with that usual 2-5% that made out like bandits---we still have that only vastly worse.)

One Hundred years later, the median income is $68,400.00.  The average household income was $97,973.61 in 2020, yet minimum wage makes under $17,000/year.

Minimum wage didn't happen until 1933 and is part of the Roosevelt Great depression recovery.  It was initially declared unconstitutional.  But by 1938, was enacted at $0.25/hour.  ($4.54 in 2019 dollars)  Of course, most people were dirt poor on this wage, and the goal was food, people lost homes, farms, and families fell apart trying to survive.  The minimum wage was not meant to do anything but make employers not try to pay people a dollar a day.

If, instead of that first, very low wage, we used the median wage of 1921 as the minimum, then our current minimum wage would be over $17.00 an hour.  

America can eliminate poverty.  We have the knowledge, the tools and the money, we just need to decide to stop trapping people by giving everyone equal opportunities.

Why do men think they are better than women?

That is not exactly the question.  Better?  More Powerful?  Intellectually superior?  More capable of critical thinking?  Faster at moving, thinking, reacting?  

No.  Those are not the questions, either, although there are those that believe all of those are true.

A lot of people will say--they aren't, don't put me in that group that thinks men are better than women.

Ok.  

But my mother frequently would say things that implied all those things.  And also compared herself more favorably with men than with other women.

My aunt frequently stated that single women were relegated to live in a less full lifestyle because they had no husband to take care of them and make the decisions that would make the family successful.

So maybe the title question should have been "why do people think men are better than women?"

About half of us have admitted that there is such a thing as institutional racism.

We know that we never fully ratified the equal rights amendment.

There are women that fear equality would mean women would be drafted into the military or put into the line of fire if they join the military on their own.

But do we have institutional sexism?  or cultural sexism?

How commonly, do powerful men still treat women that are in less powerful positions as if they are basically "domestic help".

Why is domestic help seen as subserviant?

Why do we have jobs--jobs for anyone--that are not valued as equal people to those hiring them.

Why is being beautiful or physically fit or young seen as sexual and inviting despite the actual person not doing anything different than the old, fat, homely person.

These are real questions.

I have no answers.

These answers are the same answers to institutional racism and institutional religionism and  institutional ageism.

I need your opinion.  I need your input.  How do we fix this?

Pardon Me (list of those Pardoned by Trump)

 (credit to all the journalists that named at least one pardoned person--this is original investigative reporting but a compilation in no particular order of the names of those that have been pardoned in the last 4 years---enjoy)

I can't finish this, the list is too long, and the choices too self-serving and just plain despicable.  He obviously thinks his base if all for war crimes and hate crimes.  He also thinks putting in pardons for random drug crimes, makes him ok with the rest of us.  But I feel nasty after researching this mess.  feel free to read what is here.

Pardons Granted by President Donald Trump (justice.gov)

1.Republican Party and Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy, 

2.former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, found guilty in 2013 of corruption charges.

3.Stephen Odzer, conditional pardon of conspiracy and bank fraud

4.Former Republican House member Rick Renzi of Arizona, convicted in 2013 of extortion, bribery, insurance fraud, money laundering, and racketeering. Renzi left prison in 2017.

5.Former Rep. Randall “Duke” Cunningham, R-Calif., who was released from prison in 2013 after serving eight years for charges of bribery, fraud, and tax evasion.

6.Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., the rapper known as Lil Wayne, who pleaded guilty to possession for a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

7.Broidy, who pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent and accepting money from Chinese and Malaysian interests to lobby the Trump administration.

8.Stephen Bannon, who was awaiting trial in Manhattan on federal fraud charges tied to a border wall fundraising effort.  Trump and Bannon have had an up-and-down relationship since the flamboyant adviser left the White House in 2017. At one point, Trump banished Bannon from his inner circle, claiming that he was a source of a critical book about the president, but Bannon still worked as a prominent backer of Trump's 2020 reelection campaign.

9.rapper Bill Kapri, also known as Kodak Black. The president commuted a 46-month sentence for lying on a background check related to a gun purchase.

10.Robert Zangrillo, a Miami real estate developer who was part of the recent college entrance scandal, received a full pardon. He was accused of conspiring with a college consultant to bribe officials at the University of Southern California to designate his daughter as a recruit to the crew team.

11.Paul Erickson, the former boyfriend of Russian operative Maria Butina, also received a pardon. He was sentenced last year to 84 months in prison on charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

12. Sholam Weiss, convicted in a $450 million mortgage and insurance fraud scheme. He had been sentenced to 835 years after jumping bail.  Weiss was captured in Austria in 2000. His case was supported by Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz and Trump attorney Jay Sekulow. Weiss had been scheduled for release in 2738. 

13.Amy Povah, who received a pardon from Trump after previously having her prison sentence commuted in 2000 by Clinton. Povah, who served nine years of a 24-year sentence in connection with offenses involving Ecstasy, became founder of CAN-Do (Calling for All Non-violent Drug Offenders) Foundation. The pardon record describes her as “a voice for the incarcerated, a champion for criminal justice reform.” 

14.Syrita Steib-Martin, also received a full pardon erasing her conviction, at age 19, for using fire during commission of a felony. After serving 10 years, Steib-Martin founded Operation Restoration to help female convicts make the transition out of prison. 

15.Lou Hobbs, had his sentence commuted by Trump after serving 24 months of a life term for a nonviolent drug offense. 

16.Lavonne Roach, a Lakota Sioux woman who lived through a cycle of abuse and drug addiction that led her to participate in a methamphetamine distribution scheme, according to a summary of her case published by a New York University Law School study that examined clemency candidates who had been passed over in the past. 

17.Michael Pelletier, was sentenced to life without parole in 2008 for conspiring to import and distribute marijuana. The NYU study said he used marijuana to cope with the pain and stress of a tractor accident at age 11 that left him paralyzed from the waist down, the study said. 

 18.Paul Manafort, a Trump campaign manager in 2016 who was convicted of defrauding banks

*19. George Papadopoulos, a former campaign aide who admitted lying to the FBI; a

20. Michael Flynn, a retired Army general who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials.

21.Roger Stone just days before he was set to report to prison after he was convicted of lying to Congress and obstructing the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

22. Charles Kushner, the father of presidential son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. The elder Kushner has been convicted of preparing false tax returns and witness retaliation.

23. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who had pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds;  

24.Chris Collins, R-N.Y., who had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to commit securities fraud.

25.Todd Boulanger, full pardon of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud

26.Abel Holtz, full pardon of impeding a grand jury investigation

27.Rick Renzi, full pardon to representative from Arizona convicted of extortion, bribery, insurance fraud, money laundering and racketeering

28.Kenneth Kurson, full pardon of cyberstalking

29.Casey Urlacher, full pardon of sports betting case

30.Carl Andrews Boggs, full pardon of two counts to corruption

31.James E. Johnson, Jr., full pardon to charges of illegal hunting of wildlife birds

32.Tommaso Buti, full pardon of financial fraud involving his restaurant chain

33.Glen Moss, full pardon of healthcare fraud\

34.Anthony Levandowski, full pardon of stealing trade secrets from Google

35.Aviem Sella, full pardon of espionage

36.Michael Liberty, full pardon of campaign finance violations

37.Greg Reyes, full pardon of securities fraud

38.Jeffrey Alan Conway, full pardon of financial reporting fraud

39.Benedict Olberding, full pardon of bank fraud

40.Eric Wesley Patton, full pardon of making a false statement on a mortgage application

41.Robert William Cawthon, full pardon of making a false statement on a bank loan application

42.Hal Knudson Mergler, full pardon of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of LSD

43.Gary Evan Hendler, full pardon of conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances

44.John Harold Wall, full pardon of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

45.Steven Samuel Grantham, full pardon of stealing a vehicle

46.Clarence Olin Freeman, full pardon of operating an illegal whiskey still

47.Fred Keith Alford, full pardon of a firearm violation

48.Alex Adjmi, full pardon of financial crime

49.Elliott Broidy, full pardon of conspiracy to serve as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal

50.Douglas Jemal, full pardon of fraud

51.Dr. Scott Harkonen, full pardon of fraud based on a misleading caption in a press release with respect to a treatment for a disease

52.Johnny D. Phillips, Jr., full pardon of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud

53.Dr. Mahmoud Reza Banki, full pardon of monetary violations of Iranian sanctions and making false statements

54.John Nystrom, full pardon of failure to alert authorities to double payments of subcontractors

55.Gregory Jorgensen, Deborah Jorgensen, Martin Jorgensen, full pardons of knowingly selling misbranded beef

56.Jessica Frease, full pardon of converting stolen checks and negotiating them through the bank where she worked as a teller

57.Robert Cannon “Robin” Hayes, full pardon of making a false statement in the course of a Federal investigation

58.Thomas Kenton “Ken” Ford, full pardon of making material misstatements to Federal mining officials

59.Jon Harder, full pardon of misusing investment funds during the real estate crisis

60.Scott Conor Crosby, full pardon of intent to commit a bank robbery

61.Lynn Barney, full pardon of possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, and having previously distributed a small amount of marijuana

62.Joshua J. Smith, full pardon of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to distribute

63.Dr. Frederick Nahas, full pardon of obstructing justice in a health care investigation

64.David Tamman, full pardon of doctoring financial documents that were the subject of a Federal investigation

65.Dr. Faustino Bernadett, full pardon of failure to report a hospital kickback scheme of which he became aware

66.Paul Erickson, full pardon of attempting to develop a backchannel between the NRA and Russian government

67, 68,69,70,71.Todd Farha, Thaddeus Bereday, William Kale, Paul Behrens, Peter Clay, full pardons false statements to the Florida Medicaid Program

72.David Rowland, full pardon of removing asbestos in elementary school without proper licensing.

73.Randall “Duke” Cunningham, conditional pardon of accepting bribes while he held public office

• 
  
• 
  
• Steven Benjamin Floyd, full pardon of one count of bank robbery by extortion
• Joey Hancock, full pardon of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
• David E. Miller, full pardon of making a false statement to a bank
• James Austin Hayes, full pardon of conspiracy to commit insider trading
• Drew Brownstein, full pardon of insider trading
• Robert Bowker, full pardon of illegally wildlife trafficking 22 snakes owned by Rudy “Cobra King” Komarek to be transported to the Miami Serpentarium
• Amir Khan, full pardon of wire fraud
• Patrick Lee Swisher, full pardon of tax fraud and making false statements
• Robert Sherrill, full pardon of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine
• Dr. Robert S. Corkern, full pardon of Federal program bribery
• David Lamar Clanton, full pardon of making false statements and related charges
• George Gilmore, full pardon of failure to pay payroll taxes and making false statements
• Desiree Perez, full pardon of a conspiracy to distribute narcotics
• Robert “Bob” Zangrillo, full pardon of involvement in the “Varsity Blues” investigation, a high-profile college admissions fraud scandal
• Hillel Nahmad, full pardon of a sports gambling offense
• Brian McSwain, full pardon of a drug crime
• John Duncan Fordham, full pardon of health care fraud
• William “Ed” Henry, full pardon of aiding and abetting the theft of government property

Full list of Trump commuted sentences Jan. 20:

Albert Pirro Jr., a former real estate associate of Trump's, was convicted on conspiracy and tax evasion charges.

• Jaime A. Davidson, commuted sentence of life imprisonment in relation to the murder of an undercover officer
• Bill K. Kapri (Kodak Black), commuted sentence for making a false statement on a Federal document
• Jawad A. Musa, commuted sentence of life imprisonment for a non-violent, drug-related offense
• Adriana Shayota, commuted sentence for conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, commit copyright infringement, and introduce misbranded food into interstate commerce
• Ferrell Damon Scott, commuted sentence for life imprisonment sentence for possession with intent to distribute marijuana
• Jerry Donnell Walden, commuted sentence for intent to distribute cocaine
• Michael Ashley, commuted sentence of bank fraud
• Lou Hobbs, commuted sentence
• Matthew Antoine Canady, commuted sentence for drug-related convictions
• Mario Claiborne, commuted sentence for leading drug related business conspiracy in Chicago
• Rodney Nakia Gibson, commuted sentence for trafficking drugs
• Tom Leroy Whitehurst, commuted sentence for conspiracy to manufacture at least 16.7 kilograms of methamphetamine and possession of numerous firearms
• Monstsho Eugene Vernon, commuted sentence for committing a string of armed bank robberies
• Luis Fernando Sicard, commuted sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
• DeWayne Phelps, commuted sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
• Isaac Nelson, commuted sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of crack cocaine
• Traie Tavares Kelly, commuted sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine
• Javier Gonzales, commuted sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine
• John Knock, commuted sentence for a first-time, non-violent marijuana only offender
• Kenneth Charles Fragoso, commuted sentence for a nonviolent drug offense
• Luis Gonzalez, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Anthony DeJohn, commuted sentence for conspiracy to distribute marijuana
• Corvain Cooper, commuted sentence for non-violent participation in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana
• Way Quoe Long, commuted sentence for non-violent conviction for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana
• Michael Pelletier, commuted sentence for conspiracy to distribute marijuana
• Craig Cesal, commuted sentence for conspiracy to distribute marijuana
• Darrell Frazier, commuted sentence for intent to distribute cocaine
• Lavonne Roach, commuted sentence for non-violent drug charges
• Blanca Virgen, commuted sentence for intent to distribute methamphetamine
• Robert Francis, commuted sentence for non-violent drug conspiracy charges
• Brian Simmons, commuted sentence for non-violent conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana
• Derrick Smith, commuted sentence for distribution of drugs to a companion who passed away
• Raymond Hersman, commuted sentence for distribution of methamphetamine
• David Barren, commuted sentence for non-violent drug conspiracy charge
• James Romans, commuted sentence for involvement in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
• Jonathon Braun, commuted sentence for conspiracy to import marijuana and to commit money laundering
• Michael Harris, commuted sentence for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder
• Kyle Kimoto, commuted sentence for non-violent telemarketing fraud scheme
• Chalana McFarland, commuted sentence of money laundering, bank and wire fraud and other financial crimes
• Eliyahu Weinstein, commuted sentence of real estate investment fraud
• John Estin Davis, commuted sentence for serving as Chief Executive Office of a healthcare company with a financial conflict of interest
• Noah Kleinman, commuted sentence for a non-violent crime to distribute marijuana
• Tena Logan, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• MaryAnne Locke, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• April Coots, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Caroline Yeats, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Jodi Lynn Richter, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Kristina Bohnenkamp, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Mary Roberts, commuted sentence for non-violent drug offense
• Cassandra Ann Kasowski, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Lerna Lea Paulson, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Ann Butler, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Sydney Navarro, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Tara Perry, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• Jon Harder, commuted sentence for misusing investment funds during the real estate crisis
• Chris Young, commuted sentence for role in a drug conspiracy
• Adrianne Miller, commuted sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a list I chemical.
• Kwame Kilpatrick, commuted sentence for racketeering and bribery scheme while he held public office
• Fred “Dave” Clark, commuted sentence for a non-violent drug offense
• William Walters, commuted sentence for insider trading
• James Brian Cruz, commuted sentence for a drug crime
• Shalom Weiss, commuted sentence for racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice
• Salomon Melgen, commuted sentence for healthcare fraud and false statements
• Michael Flynn
• Paul Manafort
• While many of Trump's pardons and commutations went to political allies and high-profile criminals, others were doled out to relatively unknown figures, including some who had backing from justice reform advocates.  

 

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The Lincoln Party vs the Patriot Party (or, lets bury the GOP and start over)

  The Tea Party was a conservative subgroup of the GOP that espoused limited government, lower taxes and fiscal responsibility.  It was launched in 2009, in response to Obama and his bailing out of various industries that had died from the unregulated mess on wall street.

The first head was Rand Paul and was heavily sponsored by the Koch Brothers--Kansas' favorite fortune 400 representatives.

So began the fracturing of the Republican Party.

In the 2016 presidential primary, there were 4 Tea Party candidates: Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Scott Walker.  This in itself made all 4 of them less likely to win as they were splitting the subgroups voters up.  If the Tea Party had agreed on one candidate, Ted Cruz might have won the nomination.  Jeb Bush who was not officially a tea party member, dropped out and endorsed Ted Cruz.  Bobby Jindal dropped out and supported Marco Rubio.  Rick Santorum dropped out and endorsed Rubio.  Rick Perry dropped out and endorsed Ted Cruz.  Scott Walker dropped out and endorsed "anyone but Trump". 

There were 5 more traditional conservative GOP candidates that were capable of working across the aisle; John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki, and Lindsey Graham.  John Kasich placed third in the primary and did not endorse Trump.   Mike Huckabee dropped out and endorsed no one I can find, but who actively supported Donald Trump during his presidency. George Pataki dropped out and endorsed John Kasich.  Chris Christy dropped out and endorsed Trump. Lindsey Graham and endorsed Jeb Bush, then when Bush dropped out, he endorsed Rubio.  Lindsey was anti-trump until after Trump won.

There was one black candidate, a political outsider, a world renowned neurosurgeon that had retired from medicine in 2013 for unknown reasons.  While his family was still dependent on food stamps when he was in ninth grade, he was a staunch supporter of "no government handouts".  (also, the stuff he said during his campaign mostly made no more sense than Sarah Palin had in her speeches).  He did poorly in the primaries and ended up supporting Trump, landing himself a cabinet seat.

There was one female candidate, a business woman and an outsider.  After she dropped out, she was the VP candidate for Ted Cruz.

Mark Everson, a tax-focused man with actual policies plans, was an outsider that was actively anti-trump.

So, the Grand Ole Party was fractured long before Trump.

Now it is time to dump the Trump supporters, both politicians and fan club.  They have proven they are neither about the party or the country.

Since Trump has already declared the Patriot Party, that name is out.

I suggest that true patriots subscribe to the Lincoln Party. (named after a president, and the amazing Lincoln Project---also true patriots.)

Time to bury the broken Republican party.  Let it go the way of the Whigs and Federalists.

Or do like a lot of us, and go for independent with the ability to vote in primaries.  The GOP is done, but we still need to fix our election processes, from required civics test results to psych eval and medical exam, to clean tax returns, and ranked voting, limited campaign funds so everyone's money is equal, to no gerrymandering, no voter suppression, and automatic registration at 18.  And, let the prisoners vote in prison.  They are still citizens.  We let the rich and famous pay a fine, no felony conviction on their records and keep on voting.  We need to stop giving more rights to the rich and powerful.

Lies, Opinions, and Hate Speech.

 The first Amendment in our bill of rights is: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Short, sweet, and mostly missing the rhetoric quoted and paraphrased about the first amendment--our right to say anything, our right to write anything, etc.

As you can see, it is entirely directed at congress regarding making laws that declare establishing a state religion, or talking about any religion, or stopping the press from writing---about religion?--it gets vague but a press that can not write about human rights, politics, religion, or any other event that is going on at the time becomes a puppet press, a state news propaganda machine.  It also gives the people the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

So, the people of my neighborhood can get together (assemble) and discuss the gunfire at night, every night, and decide to start a petition in which people are not allowed to shoot guns at night.  

Of course, this is where the other amendments get called in.

The second amendment is:  “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

So, the people have a right to keep and bear arms.  It says nothing about when they have a right to shoot them.  And don't get me started on the whole well-regulated militia---that is generally seen as the state's National guard units and the Governor of each state is their commander in chief.  

The supreme court originally said that the state's militia were the only ones with a right to bear arms.  It was 1925 when the Supreme Court decided that individuals had that right.  I'm thinking that citizens, whether or not they have committed a crime in the past, if they are not currently paying for a felony, also have a right to bear arms.  There are several groups whose rights to bear arms have been ignored.  They get shot if they even look like they might be bearing arms.

But this is about #1.

Most of us have always believed that we not only have a right to our opinion, but also a right to express our opinion.  

slander (noun) · slanders (plural noun)

1. the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.  Compare with libel.

   "he is suing the TV network for slander"

   • a false and malicious spoken statement.
     "I've had just about all I can stomach of your slanders"
     synonyms:

     defamation · defamation of character · character assassination · misrepresentation of character · calumny · libel · scandalmongering · malicious gossip · muckraking · smear campaigning · disparagement · denigration · derogation · aspersions · vilification · traducement · obloquy · backbiting · scurrility · lie · slur · smear · untruth · false accusation · false report · insult · slight · mudslinging · bad-mouthing · contumely
     antonyms:

     acclamation · praise

VERB

slander (verb) · slanders (third person present) · slandered (past tense) · slandered (past participle) · slandering (present participle)

1. make false and damaging statements about (someone).

   "they were accused of slandering the head of state"

   synonyms:

   defame · defame someone's character · blacken someone's name · give someone a bad name · tell lies about · speak ill/evil of · drag through the mud/mire · throw/sling/fling mud at · sully someone's reputation · libel · smear · run a smear campaign against · cast aspersions on · spread scandal about · besmirch · tarnish · taint · misrepresent · malign · traduce · vilify · calumniate · disparage · denigrate · decry · run down · slur · do a hatchet job on · derogate · asperse · vilipend

Above is a hint.

And the law will side with the person committing the slander unless the person suing them can prove it is untrue.

A proven untruth is a LIE.

So, freedom of speech does not cover lying about someone.

Lies are not free speech.  

We have all heard that screaming "fire" in a crowded theater is not free speech because it endangers lives, but did you know that lying about someone is also not protected free speech?

Which leads us to hate speech.  

Hate speech is almost always the repetition of stereotype, derogatory names and inflammatory claims about a group of people.  The goal is to make the speaker feel superior and to marginalize the group being spoken about.  

It's slander, not because no one in the group matches the stereotype, but because everyone in the group doesn't match the stereotype.  It is also aimed at the stirring up hate/violence, so the goal is to endanger the groups' members lives, either through direct violence or decreased opportunity.

Hate speech is not free speech.

If you have an opinion about a whole group of people, you might want to take some classes, antiracism classes, black history classes, women's studies, they have cultural studies at universities on about every group you can name.  

Or, if you are not the scholarly type---talk to some people from the group you have been hating.  Talk to some people from your group that don't hate the group you have been hating.  

Quit only talking to people that share your hate.

Time to grow up.