I still believe we can. Yes we can.

He put my thoughts into words at the time. Better than I ever could. I have to believe there are many more of us than the hate mob.
This country all my life has taken sometimes shaky steps toward opening arms. Opening opportunities, opening education and justice and equality to more people.

I have spent a few months grieving. Too long. 47s election, personal illness, death of a dear friend from childhood. The reasons are many. BUT - I refuse to go down without a fight. Now it's time to get up and do what people like me do best.

Shine in the darkness.

Aha. Yes yes

Didn't catch that first time. You are right!

Example from local news. Reporting on Ohio district maps. They said the old map heavily favored "one party". Is it that hard to just SAY it.

They do need to just say it. Republicans cheat.

I don't know what we do.

The people of Central and South America are suffering. Children are starving. Out of desperation fathers drag their children through days, weeks, months of walking toward any beacon of hope they can find. Little children, walking for days without food or water in the north Mexican desert. They arrive at a border station already half dead.

These are our neighbors. Instead of mobilizing support to save people in need, we put up a President who calls these fathers rapists, throws hungry frightened children into cages, and treats mothers like they are nothing but whores.

Why in the fucking blue ass hell are Americans of any sort going on about our daily business? What has happened to us? Did this country ever have any decency? Was it my imagination?

I am here watching my husband die by millimeters, trying to enjoy the love of my life for what weeks or months we are fortunate to get. But all around me everything I worked for all my life is going to shit. How do I sit this out? How can I not grab my pitchfork and yell until my voice is gone?

Our neighbors are desperate. It is not just the damn wall. It is the lack of action. The refusal to give aid.


All I can think of is loading up my car with food and water and driving to the border. What would happen if enough of us did?

My husband can't travel. He's on chemo and needs me here. I can't be 2 places at one time. What am I to do?

Walmart's Fight Hunger Campaign

I had an abortion at 7 months pregnant in 1978.

It was after extensive consultation with my doctor and my husband. My husband drove me 6 hrs away to find a clinic that did them that late. We paid for a hotel room nearby.

Although I am sometimes sad about never having children I will never regret my decision. I feel grateful often that some medical people somewhere close enough for me to access, was willing to do what needed to be done. That kind of work had to be hard on them. They were compassionate, skilled and probably saved my life.

It was hard enough as it was. A torturous decision. Why..... WHY....... does anyone in government.......... anyone in the whole world...... think they have any right to make it even harder than it has to be. WHY would anyone demand that I be forced to carry until the actual moment of life threatening emergency takes place.... when the odds of me surviving would be so much less having lived in a very rural area? WHY add more expense, invasive ultrasounds and waiting periods to the agony already present in such a decision?

WHY - WHY - would anyone think they have a right to make a medically necessary procedure illegal.

You have no say. It's not your baby. It's not your body. You are not my doctor. The whole lot of you who think the ban is a fair compromise are so far in the wrong it's ridiculous.

I hope to God none of you ever face a decision like that.

Leaving the kids out of politics.

I can remember the pundits trashing a President's children (or the candidate) is Amy Carter and the trashers were pretty well put down. But it happened long before that.

Garfield's kids were "holy terrors". Truman threatened to punch a critic of his daughter in the nose. Lincolns boys were accused of running wild and peeing on the floor. When the monkey pic came out of Cruz's kids we had a collective fit. When someone trashed Obama's kids they were forced to resign. We refuse to tolerate either the bullying of the children, or the assumption a child's personality or choices reflects on the candidate.

But the flip side seems to be more acceptable. Admiring a candidate who has beautiful, intelligent and well behaved children. The assumption made the children are a reflection of the parent.

Looking at the adult children of a candidate to speak to the character of the candidate seems to get mixed reviews. When the adult kids campaign for the parent they are fair game IMHO. When they stay out of the fray I think they should be off limits. Good or bad.

And if we are going to decide Obama and Michelle are amazing people partly based on how wonderful their daughters are (ad they are wonderful) then I think it's fair game to wonder about the leadership skills of a candidate who's daughter wants to flick him away (Ted Cruz) or a candidate who's adult children are on the campaign trail and like to unwind at the end of a day by slicing open wildlife (Donald Trump).

Flame away.

I honestly don't care what they did 40-50 years ago.

if you guys were judging me based on who I was and what I did in 1960 something you'd probably not be so impressed either. You would hope someone who's been around that long would grow and improve over time but EVERYONE evolves in some way.

In 1960 something I was just as full of narrow minded prejudiced backwards thinking as the rest of my social group. Thank the gods my parents saw fit to bring an exchange student from Hong Kong into our house and into our school. It made a big difference. Once I got out of that town and away from home my true open, accepting and inquisitive nature really blossomed.

I would expect that and much more from someone who's been bumping around in DC for awhile.

My dreams of rainbow colored unicorn farts.

I was raised in the eastern hills of Kentucky on a 200 acre generational family farm near a dinky little town not even most Kentucky people ever heard of. We just got a stop sign last year.

I have a LOT of wing nutz in my family. Some even believe Obama killed Scalia and plans to start up a war on our soil so he'll never have to leave office. Otherwise sane, functional human beings. Obama the big black boggieman will live on in infamy with some of the racist jerks in my family. Nothing said or done will convince them. Alex Jones is a prophet.

But - nearly all of them are disgusted with the Republican party. A good many now agree Bush lied us into war. They agree the corporations and wall street is a menace. They are sick of DC politics that reward investors and speculators and punish actual work. It's their biggest issue this time out. Not guns, not gays, not abortions. Even racism is secondary. It is all about the economics. Even the healthcare debate is all about the economics.

They mostly like Trump but some of them, astonishingly, are listening to Bernie. Undecided, but listening. Most are in the anyone but Hillary camp, but they don't seem to mind Bernie "the commie socialist" to quote my sister in law.

And so we get to my fantasies of rainbow colored unicorn farts. Where we actually end up with a Trump vs Bernie general election. Turnout shoots up to 80% of registered voters and the lines of cars waiting to find a parking spot at the polling place go for miles. No matter how you slice it, it puts DC on notice the American people are pissed as all get out. Bernie wins. America wins.

You may now laugh or flame as is your pleasure.

Dear Hillary, you are wrong about the ACA.

In the last debate you said

I don't fucking care how much they paid her.

You can bet if I had the star power to get paid $157 Million a year to talk for 15 - 20 minutes every couple months then I'd do it in a heartbeat and not apologize for it. She shouldn't be asked to.

Here's my problem with this.

1. "I'm not establishment."

Yes you the fuck are. Own it. Market it. You are claiming you have the inside track to get shit done where Bernie can't. Ya, well, that means you are establishment. You've got people paying you a shitload to talk. Just market the fact you have a close relationship with big money guys and plan to use that for the common good. Quit your bullshit over this.

2. "I'll look into it."

Really? You plan to function as Commander in Chief with that lack of decisiveness? Bull effing shit. YOU are the kind of person not afraid to tell a Secret Service agent to fuck off when they've earned it. I have no doubt whatsoever you could practically rip the gonads off Vladimir. You are as tough a woman as I've ever heard of and I respect that about you. So stop with the crap.

Yes I understand part of the deal with politician is the BS. THEY need to understand that we are sick of it. Yes we do need someone capable of triangulating and outmaneuvering the bad actors in the world but you can't go around bullshitting the people you want to work for. Not on this kind of stuff. If you do, we won't believe we can trust you to do what you say you'll do.

And that is my problem with Hillary. For all her talents and potentials... and she has MANY.... I just don't trust her to come through for me and mine. I'll vote for her in the general if I have to because I think she'll hurt me less than the Republicans.

Not exactly the best endorsement.