The thing I’m most sick of in US Politics is watching people change sides when their “team” is in power:, You either believe that appointing a Supreme Court appointment is appropriate in an election year or you don’t.
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Just a warning for folks:
I keep seeing this (and similar) posts.
Keep in mind that means nothing. Anyone with little or no tech knowledge can buy a domain and point it tp any site they wanted for less than $15. Yes someone from the biden campaign could've done this, or someone from antifa, or someone on the right as disinformation or, most likely, a 15 year old kid just having "fun".
To prove my point, if any friend posts a message like this, implying that the biden campaign is connected to antifa or, say, trump is connected to the kkk because of where a domain points. I will register their name, point it someplace unscrupulous and make a post connecting them
I never had a student loan so I don’t know the answer to this. When you get a student loan, does some counselor sit with you and say “Just so you know when you graduate this loan is going to cost $W/mo. Food, apartment, insurance, etc on average cost $X/mo. So you’ll need $Y/mo to survive. People starting in the field you're studying on average make $Z. Do you think this is a good idea?"
As I mentioned in another post, I am a fan of “take home voting”. The ability to use the internet to research ballot initiatives, candidates further down the ticket, etc is a powerful reason to push us in that direction. It would increase access for folks who’s work clashes with voting hours or that have medical issues. Even without a pandemic I believe it’s a good thing.
But to be fair, I have to admit that I am concerned that it does open up the possibility that someone’s vote can be influenced. Parents and spouses can play the “You live under my roof, you’ll vote the way I tell you” card. Employers can subtly make your employment contingent on voting for a particular candidate. People an be influenced by cash (paying for your vote) or by physical intimidation. None of this is legal, but we know it can and will happen.
The reason you can’t take pictures of your filled in ballot or get a receipt for your vote is to protect people from these influences.
I've been doing this for years. I prefer looking at it as "take home voting". There's inevitably a ballot initiative that I want to do more research on, or a judge I want to research. I've never trusted the USPS with my vote (it has to go through too many hands) and, as I've said in the past, I've spent too much of my career worrying about man-in-the-middle attacks
"The Congress may determine the Time of chusing [sic] the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States." - Article 2 Clause 4 US Constitution.
A few years ago (before the current administration) I posted an earlier version of this ACLU article, pointing out the dangers of the actual and perceived powers of the Border Patrol and how they can be misused. I’ve mentioned it a few times since and the answer was always “oh that wacky conspiracy theorist, Sean. He’s so silly”.
Hello Portland. If you live within 100 of the border or the coast, why do you think you're not next?
I think we all know that I have a (un)healthy distrust of the Federal Government. The further away I am from the decision makers, the less influence I have. This is part of the reason. If States entirely funded education the President would have no ability to force schools to physically or not.
Decisions to open and close schools and businesses should be done at a local level, as the Constitution intended.
This is what conservatism used to be and should be. Those who govern least, govern best.
This President is not a conservative and never has been, he is a populist.
This is how I often feel talking to folks who are on either end of the left / right political divide.
I posted a shorter version of this, commenting on a friend’s post about replacing the Star Spangled Banner because Francis Scott Key was a slave owner.
I can separate an artists' background from their creations. It’s why I can still read Harry Potter without thinking of transrights or watch The Usual Suspects without thinking of Kevin Spacey’s crimes. In my heart I know that every beautiful thing, every funny thing, everything that makes us feel something has been created by an imperfect person who has done something in their life that would disgust me.
All that said the problem with the Star Spangled Banner isn’t Francis Scott Key. The song itself celebrates slavery. It starts off fine enough…”we made it through the battle! the flag is still there, ain’t we great!!!” Then in the third stanza it takes a rather dark turn:
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
You might say to me “I didn’t know there was a third stanza, we don’t sing that part”. Yeah I know, but it’s part of the song and a little too close. I mean it is an accurate representation of the pre-civil war south, but doesn't represent what I want 2020 America to be. And with both "America, the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" just sitting there, waiting to be used.
The article my friend posted suggested John Lennon’s Imagine. I can’t sign off on that. Honestly, right now, I think the world would be better if most people imagined there was a hell below us.
Plus as far as the SSB is concerned, let’s be honest no one can hit that High F at the end.
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