While I mostly stick to posting pics of nature and the world around
me, I am also very much concerned about the societal world around me.
Many of my friends regularly post political viewpoints and memes, and I
claim the privilege to do the same on occasion. If my viewpoint differs
from yours, that doesn't mean I don't respect or even love you. We still
have more in common than what separates us and will continue to long
after the upcoming election. I don't expect to convert anyone with my
opinions, but if you are open to hearing my perspective, read on.
I
will start by saying that I believe my political leanings are deeply
rooted in my Christian LDS upbringing. I have always been taught that we
are brothers and sisters with all humanity, and we should treat ALL of
our brothers and sisters with kindness and respect, even those who we
believe "sin" differently than we do, because let's face it, we are all
sinners on some level. My religion encourages us to vote but does not
direct us how to vote, stating, "Principles compatible with the gospel
may be found in various political
parties, and members should seek candidates who best embody those
principles."
For me personally, it seems
glaringly obvious which candidate best embodies principles of integrity,
compassion, morality, and unity, and so I choose the candidate who:
-Will
protect the future of American Democracy. DTrump has specifically
stated if he is elected, voters will no longer have to go to the effort
of voting. This is NOT OKAY and one of many reasons why strong and true
conservative Republicans such as Liz Cheney, Dick Cheney, Adam
Kinzinger, Anthony Scaramucci, Mitt Romney, Jeff Flake, Cassidy
Hutchinson, and hundreds more are endorsing the Harris-Walz campaign.
They understand this is the only way to preserve our Democracy from
fascism.
Heather Cox Richardson, a self-described Lincoln Republican and American
centrist, explains what's at stake in this
video.
-Will support the work of Lina Khan of the US Federal Trade Commission,
an agency that was toothless for decades until Biden appointed Lina Khan who has
worked to cap asthma inhalers and insulin prices at $35 and to prevent giant mergers of
grocery stores which would eliminate competition that keeps prices down, is
fighting to eliminate junk fees as well as on many other fronts to protect
American consumers. Check out her amazing work
here. A DTrump administration will remove her because their large
corporate donors don't like her.
-Supports
protecting women's lives by making all necessary healthcare accessible.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, more than 20 states have implemented
extreme abortion bans, even threatening medical providers with fines and
jail sentences for performing a D&C, a routine life-saving
procedure following a miscarriage. In the summer of 2022, a woman in
Georgia who was bleeding out after a miscarriage was allowed to die in
the hospital, leaving a 6-year old orphaned son, because medical
providers feared being prosecuted for providing the D&C procedure
that would have saved her life. That report was only recently released.
We don't yet know how many other women have died unnecessarily since.
Anyone supporting laws that are killing women cannot honestly be
considered pro-life. Those who are really interested in reducing
abortion rates would work to decrease poverty, by increasing the child
tax credit and other strategies planned by Harris-Walz. See
link.
-Will work towards undoing the corruption that has undermined our
Supreme Court which has granted full immunity to the POTUS to commit any
crime so long as it can be construed as being in line with their presidential duties. NO
ONE in America should be above the law. See comments by Constitutional
Law professor and MD Congress
Rep, Jamie Raskin
here. SCOTUS has also
severely weakened the ability of federal agencies to protect clean air
and clean water for citizens of the US as a favor to their wealthy
corporate bribers, oh, and they legalized bribery too. RI's Senator
Whitehouse provides clear education on the corruption in SCOTUS in this
video.
-Will
shift more of the tax burden from the lower and middle classes to the
ultra-wealthy. While I understand that our taxes go towards numerous
programs for the public good, such as schools, libraries, public health,
highways, national parks, military, etc., it is time to start
eliminating loopholes that many in the top 1% use to avoid paying their
share. Meanwhile, everyone should understand that the tariffs DTrump
keeps talking about will be passed directly to the consumers resulting
in roughly 10% inflation rates. See
article on taxes.
I
will proudly be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, because
I do not want to see our Constitution destroyed by an authoritarian
regime backed by the likes of Charles Koch, Leonard Leo, and Kevin
Roberts of the Heritage Foundation who would support enacting laws
requiring all citizens to abide by the tenants of the Catholic Church
(effectively creating a state religion or Christian Nationalism), which is a bad thing for anyone
who believes all should have the freedom to worship (or not to worship)
how, where, or what they may. And if you have read this far, you totally have my respect. I hope you will vote according to your conscience too.
_____
Brene' Brown question #4. What is something that people often get wrong about you? My Answer: People assume I am afraid of public speaking because I am quiet by nature. And they’re not wrong that I don’t absolutely love it, but I do like the opportunity to share my thoughts sometimes, especially if you give me at least to week to write them up beforehand. My gift is in writing more so than speaking, but given the chance to organize my thoughts through writing first, I am happy to share them through speaking (regardless of a wee bit of nervousness). What's your answer?
