Constitutional Rights Blog: Constitutional Rights Blog Updated March 10 2021

If you do not believe that free speech is a necessity of life: please leave this blog now officially and legally as of reading this, your obligation to this statement is formally required.

Freedom of speech is understood to be fundamental in a democracy. The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights.

The author of the Constitutional Rights Blog does not affiliate with any other organization or people on the internet or the world for that matter. I have been saying this since I first logged on to the internet. Just because I like organizations like the ACLU; does not mean I believe in everything they believe in or stand for. Just like in our great country when we vote; we will never believe in everything the candidate we vote for; believes in or stands for. That does not mean we should not vote.

I make typos allot. I do not get paid to do this. I do not have a editor or anyone working for me at all. Sometimes it may take me more than one day to finish a article.

I posted this on my art blog on October 11, 2015 on my art blog. Since I have decided to post Normal petitions and articles here; I will post it here. I donate to Normal; once a year. Normal is American earned freedom and INDEPENDENCE; in action.

Although I have not used Marijuana since high school and shortly after high school. Since I have mentioned it here on my blog yesterday; I have decided to support the legalization of Marijuana online. I signed up with these folks : http://marijuanamajority.com/

Growing up as a police officer's son in the 1970's I had my life threatened many times just for being a police officer's son; hence I hate all crime and have avoided it all my life. I definitely do not support the breaking of any laws; so until it is legalized; I hate even the thought of having anything to do with Marijuana. In fact any mention of Marijuana to me or any of my loved ones repulses me beyond belief; to the point of which makes me physically ill. I will always feel this way until Marijuana is legalized. I advise you take up this frame of mind also to protect yourself and the ones you love; if Marijuana is illegal where you are.

Posted here on February 17 2021. It is unconstitutional to let police arrest people for marijuana; since it is legal in so many states in our country. I see it all the time in the news; presented as a celebration by the police; posing so proudly next to the marijuana. Mean while just a few miles away; marijuana can be purchased completely legally. It reminds me of the lynching's of the old south. When the slaves were freed; they thought all of their problems were over. What they did not anticipate was; white men lynching them with no legal or rationale reason at all. I am behind any federal legislation to make marijuana legal for all of America; to keep these heinous crimes of arresting people for marijuana, from being committed in the name of the law. Release them all in the USA; arrested for marijuana and expunge their records.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated May 23 2020

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020

Texas leaders' budget direction for prison agency makes no sense

Texas state agencies have been asked to prepare budgets that include 5% cuts in light of reduced tax revenues thanks to the coronavirus and plunging oil prices, the Texas Tribune's Jolie McCullough reported on Twitter. The TDCJ Correctional Security division and UTMB Managed Correctional Healthcare are exempt from cuts, but "Other parts of TDCJ's budget though — like parole, education/training programs, drug treatment, executives — seemingly will have to be in proposed 5% cut." Read here: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2020/05/texas-leaders-budget-direction-for.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated May 24 2020

She plead guilty last year to maintaining a drug-involved premises. She was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison.

But shortly after being transferred from a jail in South Dakota to a federal prison in Texas, Circle Bear died of COVID-19 while in custody, just 28 days after giving birth via C-section while on a ventilator. The 30-year-old member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota was the first federally incarcerated woman to die from COVID-19. From here: https://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/when-a-two-year-sentence-becomes-a-death-sentence/

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated May 26 2020

I made this screenshot of a good email I got from: https://texashdcc.com/

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated May 27 2020

TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 Reasonably Suspicious podcast back from hiatus: Austin police chief under fire, COVID in TX prisons and jails, Harris DA calls to overturn shady drug convictions, and other stories Listen here: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2020/05/reasonably-suspicious-podcast-back-from.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated May 29 2020

I am longing for the days before the corona virus. It seems they were carefree days compared to today. I have not had a truly carefree day since around 1995 so I am a good judge of this. It seems like this past January for us; (I realize China was dealing with it before us) was a time of peace. Now we have this Minnesota problem. Let me just say when I saw a photo of George Floyd I felt very, very sad; for him and the people that loved him. He was a very large man and in my opinion a legendary type of human being. These are the exact type of people the police seem to over react to and abuse, sometimes. This is also the type of individual we all want to stand up for too. I think as that police officer had his knee on his neck, killing him; he did not resist because of his respect and admiration for our country and it's so called justice system. In real life if he wanted to he could have broke that guys leg and pulverized him in less than a minute; if he was not handcuffed at the time. I think the image of a citizen cooperating as a police officer is killing them, while they are handcuffed; is a great example of what is wrong with our perverted, unjust so called justice system. Yes George Floyd had trouble with the law and no doubt on edge because of the Covid 19, but he is and was definitely not alone in our country of mass incarceration. The only problem I have with all this is the state of Minnesota. I have been actively warning people online for many years now about Minnesota. It seems in this most secluded aria of the united states the state of Minnesota has gone completely insane in the past 20 years or so. The government and law enforcement in Minnesota has become the worst of what our country has to offer. I think allot of it has to do with it's proximity to Canada also. Lets face it Canada is not fond of us and is rated one of the worst places for Americans to visit. To all them in authority that has ignored the deterioration of Minnesota all these years; now is the time except your responsibility and act to bring civility to this long gone insane state of The United States of America. All these things I have been saying about Minnesota for many years online now; including my jokingly comparison to Rose Nylund depiction of Minnesota in the good old show; The Golden Girls. Think about how many years ago that was and how with a little comedy, like that; there is always some truth to it.

Here is a email I got from the NAACP today. If anyone has a say in all this; they should be considered the authority and the go to people for what is going on in the (in my opinion; completely mentally ill state of Minnesota).:

The murder of George Floyd by the police is an unspeakable tragedy.

Black families and communities across this country are united in outrage at this moment. The protests we see are urgent responses to the racism that has afflicted and torn apart our communities for centuries. Over the last few days, these issues have now manifested in anger, sadness, fear, and confusion experienced by people after watching or hearing about the horrific footage of George Floyd’s killing at the hands of law enforcement. We are all asking, when is enough, enough?

As a father, I share the fear of Black parents when our children leave the house. As a husband, I consider my wife and the life she would be left to navigate if I was prematurely taken from her and my children as yet another unexplainable death. As the leader of the NAACP, I understand just how hard it is to face the injustices that threaten our personal safety. And as a Black man, I consider how much longer I can be asked to bear the brunt of these social injustices without meeting force with force.

But, as a community, we must consider what’s at stake in this moment. We must consider the lives we are attempting to forge for our families and communities, and the walls we are working to knock down that will grant future generations access to a greater and more powerful reality.

From the onset, the NAACP in Minneapolis has been at the forefront in spreading awareness and fighting for justice in the death of George Floyd. In speaking with Leslie Redmond, President of NAACP Minneapolis, about the situation on the ground, the rawness in her report and the trauma she has had to face spoke to an issue much larger than Minneapolis, and much deeper than police brutality. The events in Minneapolis have confirmed the weaponization of whiteness and the criminalization of Blackness that has plagued our nation for generations.

NAACP Minneapolis President, Leslie Redmond, doused with milk after being tear-gassed by police.

I’m asking our communities in this hour to be angry, to be sad, but above all, to be measured as we battle this outrageous injustice. The NAACP will not rest until we see these officers charged and convicted for the murder of George Floyd. But we must also keep our focus on redressing the institutional racism against our communities everywhere that led to this tragedy. And we cannot afford to do so while losing more Black lives.

We are done dying.

What we must do now is protest peacefully, demand persistently, and fight politically. If you believe that enough is enough, join us in our fight and let’s work together to make sure justice will be ours.

Fighting forward, Derrick Johnson @DerrickNAACP President and CEO NAACP

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

Prosecutor-turned-TV-star cultivated ring of informants to give false testimony in cold cases, federal judge declares

Imagine prosecutors cultivating a "ring" of jailhouse snitches to give false testimony in cases where there otherwise was insufficient evidence to convict the defendant. Well guess what? You don't have to imagine. Read more here: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2020/05/prosecutor-turned-tv-star-cultivated.html

Florida forced medical examiners to stop reporting death results, and now we know why

Thursday May 28, 2020 · 7:40 AM CDT

Back in April, it became clear that Florida was intentionally hiding a list of daily deaths that had previously been compiled by county medical examiners. Since that time, those examiners, as well as hospitals and local officials, have complained that the number of COVID-19 deaths being reported in Governor Ron DeSantis regular updates, doesn’t match what they’re seeing in their areas. Last week, the scientist behind Florida’s COVID-19 dashboard was fired after she says she refused to alter numbers as she was told. Read more here: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/5/28/1948035/-More-evidence-emerges-that-DeSantis-has-been-deliberately-under-reporting-COVID-19-deaths-in-Florida

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated May 31 2020

I love that people are disgusted with Minnesota. I love that people are protesting in backwards, insane Minnesota; I do not even care if they are bused in. They need to be bused into Minnesota. It seems Minnesotans have done nothing to stop it's state from it repression and oppression of it's people; through it's unconstitutional, barbaric, cruel and unusual legal system. Please heed the advise of Joe Biden and do not let violence ruin it all:

Biden: 'We are a nation in pain, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us'

05/31/20 07:39 AM EDT

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is condemning the violence associated with protests over the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, saying that while the nation is in pain, “we must not allow this pain to destroy us.”

Biden said in a statement early Sunday that the past few days have “laid bare that we are a nation furious at injustice.”

“Every person of conscience can understand the rawness of the trauma people of color experience in this country, from the daily indignities to the extreme violence, like the horrific killing of George Floyd,” the former vice president said.

He added that protesting such brutality is “right and necessary” as well as an “utterly American response.”

“But burning down communities and needless destruction is not. Violence that endangers lives is not. Violence that guts and shutters businesses that serve the community is not,” he said.

“The act of protesting should never be allowed to overshadow the reason we protest,” he added. “It should not drive people away from the just cause that protest is meant to advance.”

Biden’s comments came after a fifth night of demonstrations over the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody on Monday.

Read here: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/500310-biden-we-are-a-nation-in-pain-but-we-must-not-allow-this-pain-to-destroy-us

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated June 2 2020

"Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.": Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.": Martin Luther King, Jr.

"That's all nonviolence is - organized love.": Joan Baez

"Demonstrations must be dignified and nonviolent, as the overwhelming protests in Ferguson and Staten Island have been. Do not confuse anarchists who don't want the system to work and thugs who want to exploit a situation with the majority who from day one have operated with impeccable nonviolence and clear goals.": Al Sharpton

See what could happen through non violent protest?:

Michigan sheriff takes off helmet and joins protesters marching for George Floyd

JUNE 1, 2020 / 12:03 PM / CBS NEWS

Police officers and the National Guard clashed with protesters in several U.S. cities this weekend, as demonstrations over the death of George Floyd escalated. But in Michigan, law enforcement officers actually joined a peaceful protest in a show of solidarity. Video showing Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson taking off his helmet and joining a group of protesters in a march has gone viral. Raed more here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-sheriff-chris-swanson-joins-george-floyd-protest-march/

I got this cool email from the ACLU this morning:

As you come out to protest, here's what our video notes to keep in mind:

The right to protest is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment.

If you get stopped, ask if you are free to go. If the police say yes, calmly walk away.

You have the right to record. The right to protest includes the right to record, including recording police doing their jobs.

The police can order people to stop interfering with legitimate police operations, but video recording from a safe distance is not interfering.

If you get stopped, police cannot take or confiscate any videos or photos without a warrant.

If you are videotaping, keep in mind in some states, the audio is treated differently than the images. But images and video images are always fully protected by the First Amendment.

The police's main job in a protest is to protect your right to protest and to de-escalate any threat of violence.

If you get arrested, don't say anything. Ask for a lawyer immediately. Do not sign anything and do not agree to anything without an attorney present.

If you get arrested, demand your right to a local phone call. If you call a lawyer for legal advice, law enforcement is not allowed to listen.

Police cannot delete data from your device under any circumstances.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated June 3 2020

TUESDAY, JUNE 02, 2020

Did a Houston cop set up George Floyd years before Minnesota cops killed him? How militarized policing escalated protests; 50 years of ignoring 'accumulated grievances,' and other stories

It's been a crazy few days for those of us who work on criminal-justice reform. The news right now is filled with analysis and accounts of all the protests, so I won't rehash it all. But here are a few odds and ends that merit Grits readers' attention: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2020/06/did-houston-cop-set-up-george-floyd.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated June 10 2020

I have been against the militarization of the police online for about 20 years on the internet. My father was a police officer and his police officer friends; were my good friends. Police should be member's of our community and people we know. If a police officer conducts themselves like that; there would never be problems. Police are not the military and never should be.

I was shocked almost 20 years ago; to find out we had regular armed police officers as campus security, at my college. I remember posting on the internet that it was like trying to kill a butterfly with a tank. I have also posted shocking stories of children being arrested in their schools. That can not be good physiologically for children's futures and subsequently our future. I think the same thing for all those young people in violent protests. It must have a very bad, long lasting effect on a young person; to be in a violent protest.

TAKE ACTION: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/congress-end-police-militarization-and-over-policing-our-communities-now

It's time to divest from law enforcement as an institution. We're calling on the House to take swift measures toward this goal and need you to join us. Please, send your message to Congress now – and specifically demand:

The end to the Department of Defense's 1033 program, which fuels the militarization of law enforcement by arming local and state police like soldiers. Weapons have no role in the policing of our communities or protests, especially military-grade weapons;

The end to the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) grants that put excessive numbers of law enforcement on the streets and in schools, where they have proven to be dangerous and divisive;

The reigning in of Byrne JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) grants, as long as they continue to perpetuate police violence, the destruction of Black and Brown communities, the failed drug war, and low-level arrests.

TAKE ACTION: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/congress-end-police-militarization-and-over-policing-our-communities-now

TUESDAY, JUNE 09, 2020

Big D city-council majority endorses defunding police agenda; other Texas cities may follow suit

The Dallas City Council is considering its own defunding police agenda. Reported the Dallas Morning News: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2020/06/big-d-city-council-majority-endorses.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated June 16 2020

Supreme Court rules in favor of LGBTQ rights in landmark decision

"Today, we must decide whether an employer can fire someone simply for being homosexual or transgender. The answer is clear."

Monday, June 15, 2020 :

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/06/supreme-court-rules-favor-lgbtq-rights-landmark-decision/

MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

Roundup on policing and COVID in prisons

Here are some recent articles Grits found enlightening that may interest readers as well: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2020/06/roundup-on-policing-and-covid-in-prisons.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated June 18 2020

Sign this petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/federal-demand-the-house-pass-legislation-to-end-marijuana-criminalization/

Federal: Demand The House Pass Legislation To End Marijuana Criminalization While it is positive that House lawmakers are debating ways to reform police tactics, we believe that they should also be debating issues surrounding police powers. Over the years, law enforcement in this country have been granted extraordinary powers — powers that often provide them with the ability to interact with citizens whenever and wherever they please. In many cases, the rationale for these ever expanding police powers has been to enforce the so-called war on drugs. One of the most common pretexts provided by police for interacting with citizens is that they suspect that someone has either used or is in possession of marijuana. Yet, the policy of marijuana prohibition itself was largely born out of prejudice and racial animus and its enforcement continues to disproportionately impact people of color. Simply put: marijuana should have never been criminalized in the first place, and law enforcement should not be able to engage with a citizen simply because they arbitrarily suspect that he or she may be possessing cannabis. That is why NORML is demanding that federal lawmakers end marijuana criminalization, by way of either including language in the police reform bill to deschedule cannabis, or having House lawmakers pass the MORE Act, which cleared the Judiciary Committee last November. Use our pre-written message and edit it as you see fit to your Representative now!

Sign this petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/federal-demand-the-house-pass-legislation-to-end-marijuana-criminalization/

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated June 19 2020

The following paragraph include the same words I have been posting on the internet for the past 20 years.

This article (below) is a example why there is such terrible political unrest in out city's. Always the city's never our rural arias; especially the upper class neighborhoods that equal one percent of our total population, yet these arias rule our nation with a iron hand. When there is a assault or a sex crime in a rural or upper class aria; it is a epidemic that needs Nazi like, anti-American laws, that devastate community's and effects countless citizens all in a negative way. In contrast: if someone commits a assault or a sex crime in the city; it seems like it is all part of living in the city and considered no big deal, especially to them that do not live in the city's. Our entire country needs to face the reality of everyday life in our city's or be destroyed by it.

The following paragraph include the same words I have been posting on the internet; since the dawn of social media organized crime. Social media should be called trolling media instead or just plain organized crime. Sorry; never got into it and most likely never will.

Also this article is one of many examples why I will never forget the crimes organized and perpetrated by Facebook.I especially remember the many elderly people assaulted because of Facebook. I even remember elderly people being beaten here locally here in the Dallas Metroplex aria organized by Facebook. Could be the man mentioned in the article was inspired by Facebook to commit his crime. One thing is for sure crimes like this are a small step away from committing murder or rape.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

From: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/disturbing-video-shows-random-attack-hydrant-head-smash-of-92-year-old-woman-in-manhattan/2466659/

Serial Random Attacker Cuffed in Hydrant Head Smash of 92-Year-Old NYC Woman: Cops

The woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition after Friday's attack

Published June 16, 2020 • Updated on June 17, 2020 at 5:45 am

A senior law enforcement official tells News 4 Brimmage is a recidivist with 100 prior arrests who has gotten a desk appearance ticket for his most recent ones because of bail reform. He is an NYPD co-response client, which means police have responded with social workers when dealing with him. Brimmage has an extensive history of being emotionally disturbed in police encounters as well.

Brimmage is currently a suspect in a grand larceny that happened on Feb.19 at the 116th St. train station in which a woman had $120 stolen from her purse, the senior law enforcement official said. He's also a transit sex crime recidivist.

Just got this; must post email, from the ACLU:

Enslaved people in Texas were the last to learn of their freedom in this country.

On June 19, 1865, more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, news of the end of chattel slavery finally made its way to Galveston, Texas. Today we celebrate June 19, aka Juneteenth, amidst an unprecedented public health crisis and national moment of reckoning over systemic racism.

Advocates like you are continuing to take to the streets to protest systemic racism and the tragic death of George Floyd. With protests planned for Juneteenth, we want you to have what you'll need to know your rights. : https://www.aclutx.org/en/know-your-rights/freedom-of-speech-right-to-protest

I have been wearing a baseball cap for years from the Texas Ranger baseball team. My wife got the hat for free and I liked the way it fit on my head. I cut it in half and threw it away this morning after reading this article:

The Texas Rangers have a nasty history. Why does the baseball team keep the name?

"The terms 'death squads' and 'ethnic cleansing' would not enter common usage for another sixty years or so, but that was what the Rangers were and what they did."

JUNE 18, 2020 — 12:29PM

“They burned peasant villages and slaughtered innocents,” he writes. “They committed war crimes. Their murders of Mexicans and Mexican Americans made them as feared on the border as the Ku Klux Klan in the South.”

Later, they were a bulwark acting to hold back racial equality. When black students tried to enroll in the segregated Texarkana Junior College in 1956, angry whites barred the way, hurling gravel and racial slurs and forcing the students to leave. The Rangers stood idly by.

When farmworkers, most of them Mexican-American, went on strike in 1966, some were beaten and arrested by Rangers. An old saying is: “Every Texas Ranger has Mexican blood. It’s on his boots.”

Sponsored by - Normal

I swear this guy is the best! When Biden is in full swing, look to this good old Texan, to guide us all through; working with and through it all. We can all win with guys like Jim Hightower around when the democrats are large and in charge.

For many Americans in 2020, that lament could be the anthem of our national despondency, expressing our dismay and exasperation at humankind, which has seemingly gone mad:

Fanatics in MAGA caps rabidly cheering a tyrannical, lying–and clearly insane–president

Avaricious corporate executives and reckless public officials spreading and prolonging the coronavirus by rushing employees into infected workplaces, thus knowingly sickening and killing thousands of them

Viciously xenophobic US government officials cruelly separating impoverished refugee families at the border, incarcerating their terrified children–even babies–in cages

A militarized police system that won’t stop targeting and murdering innocent Black people, and then beats, shoots, and arrests the outraged citizens who protest the killings

Corporate profiteers who routinely poison people and our planet have no fear of being stopped or jailed for their rapacious immorality, routinely poisoning people and our planet. A supposed “democracy” that produces plutocratic, kleptocratic governments by autocratically rigging the rules to block millions of eligible voters from casting ballots

Roving gangs of goofball “Proud Boys” strutting around in militia costumes, puerilely proclaiming themselves heroes for beating and shooting protesters whose politics they dislike

A new cadre of wackadoodle extremists who advocate political violence by promoting the group hallucination that Nancy Pelosi is secretly leading a takeover of America by a fiendish Democratic cabal of child sex traffickers and cannibals

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated November 28 2020

TAKE ACTION NOW: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/support-just-marijuana-legalization

On Election Day, there's one thing voters from blue states and red states both agreed on, and that's marijuana legalization.

Our nation is ready to put an end to the destructive and racist policies that the War on Drugs has caused and a critical development in Congress could have a huge impact on making that happen: The House is set to vote on the MORE Act – a groundbreaking piece of marijuana reform legislation – as soon as December 2nd and we need your help.

Please, send a message to your representative before next week and tell them to pass the MORE Act as soon as it comes up for a vote.

As a reminder, here are a few important things that make this bill one of the most comprehensive marijuana reform bills in Congress. The MORE Act will:

Decriminalize marijuana on the federal level, removing it from the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

Tackle the racial disparities of drug prohibition head-on, making it not only a marijuana reform bill but a racial justice bill as well.

Expunge many past convictions and resentence people with marijuana convictions.

Include an excise tax that generates funds specifically to invest in the communities most harmed by marijuana prohibition.

Richard, the War on Drugs has failed. That's clear. Yet hundreds of thousands of people are still arrested each year for marijuana possession, disproportionately Black and Latinx people.

In fact, a Black person in our country is 3.6x more likely to get arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, despite similar usage rates. It's time to not just legalize marijuana, but do so in a way that addresses these harmful disparities once and for all.

The MORE Act will do exactly that. So please, send a message to Congress today and tell them to vote YES – we don't have much time before this goes to the House floor.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated November 29 2020

Man Sentenced to 90 Years Imprisonment for Marijuana Charges in Florida to Be Freed After 31 Years

November 28, 2020

From here: https://www.yc.news/2020/11/28/man-sentenced-to-90-years-imprisonment-for-marijuana-charges-in-florida-to-be-freed-after-31-years-2/

A Florida man who spent three decades behind bars for charges stemming from marijuana may receive an early release, Your Content has learned.

Richard DeLisi has been incarcerated since 1989 when, at the age of 40, he was convicted on charges of racketeering, trafficking in cannabis and conspiracy after agreeing to help smuggle more than 100 pounds of marijuana from Colombia into Florida.

He received a 90-year prison sentence.

In 1988, Richard was caught as part of a reverse-sting/entrapment operation for trafficking cannabis into the State of Florida, according to the Last Prisoner Project.

Richard and his brother, Ted DeLisi, were both charged for cannabis trafficking and sentenced to a total of 98 years in prison. Ted DeLisi was released from prison in 2013.

Although the crime he was sentenced for carried a guideline of 12-17 years, Richard received what amounts to 3 life sentences for a plant which has been deemed “essential” by many state governments during the pandemic and is now socially accepted and legal in many countries all over the world.

Florida, a state notorious for harsh drug sentences, has since made cannabis legal for medicinal use. According to recent data,two-thirds of Americans believe that adult-use marijuana should be legalized. A poll by the University of North Floridareveals that 64 percent of Floridians now support adult-use marijuana, the Last Prisoner Project reveals.

On September 19, 1988, Richard DeLisi was arrested and charged with Trafficking in Cannabis, Conspiracy to Traffic in Cannabis, and Violation of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO).

These charges resulted from Richard agreeing to assist with the smuggling of cannabis into Florida from Colombia.

Richard, previously in 1975, was convicted of a RICO charge, for smuggling cannabis, as a result when he was released from prison a little over a year later he was in serious financial debt.

The RICO law intended for Florida to stymie illegal activity by financially punishing offenders.

The DeLisi case was Florida’s first chance to test the law and as a result they confiscated the brothers’ homes, cars, and mostly everything they owned besides their auto body shop. In addition to being stripped of all Richard had owned, he also owed over $50,000 in fees to the state as well as high attorney’s fees.

Numerous times during this difficult period, Richard was approached by his old smuggling friend, J.J. White, who told Richard they could be wealthy again if they went back to smuggling cannabis.

Richard wanted to only make money legally but because of his debts he eventually agreed to one last smuggling trip.

As the Miami New Times article about Richard DeLisi stated, “His friend J.J., a pilot, was going to hook them up with one last planeload of 1,500 pounds. And he was going to do it for free, without taking a cut, so the guys could pay off their attorneys’ fees, get themselves a new house, and bulk up their business.”

What Richard did not know was that his friend J.J. White was a paid confidential informant for the

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) as well as numerous other government agencies.

At trial in 1989, Richard’s attorney argued the defense of entrapment but was unsuccessful.

While the Florida sentencing guidelines recommended Richard be sentenced to between 12 and 17 years in prison, the judge decided to give him 3 consecutive 30 year sentences totaling to a 90 year prison term.

The judge’s reasons for the upward departure and imposition of the maximum possible sentence were twofold.

First, the judge stated Richard and his brother were the ringleaders/organizers of the crime and second, because of an interview Richard did which was perceived as him bragging about making large amounts of money from cannabis smuggling.

Richard had given an interview to Geraldo Rivera which was edited down to a short clip that was not reflective of his true character.

Geraldo himself came to the trial, embraced Richard, and testified that he was a “remorseful victim of his own trade.”

Many think there must have been violence, weapons, or another aggravating factor for the judge to sentence Richard to 90 years but that is not the case.

Richard has no history of violence, while the newspapers at the time reported him as “armed and dangerous” he was never even accused of committing any acts of violence.

Even while incarcerated, where violence occurs often, Richard has never participated.

His friends have described him as a man who would never hurt anyone, in fact that’s why he refused to participate in the illicit industry of substances far more lucrative than cannabis where violence and death was the norm.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated November 30 2020

When you have Center for Constitutional Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center helping you; you must really deserve help.

Black trans woman sues Georgia Department of Corrections

Ashley Diamond, a Black transgender woman represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center, sued the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) for the second time for its failure to protect her from sexual assault and provide her with adequate healthcare while incarcerated.

In February 2015, Ms. Diamond filed a lawsuit challenging the abusive conditions facing incarcerated transgender people in Georgia prisons, which led to a historic settlement agreement and rebuke of GDC from the federal court and the U.S. Department of Justice. But despite the policy changes her lawsuit created, Ms. Diamond was met with similar unconstitutional conditions when she re-entered GDC custody in 2019.

The lawsuit argues that GDC failed to protect Ms. Diamond from sexual assault and knowingly put her in danger by denying her protection from sexual assault, which GDC affords others, simply because she is transgender.

As a result of a technical parole violation, Ms. Diamond, who was released on parole in August, 2015 re-entered GDC custody in October 2019 and has once again been housed in men’s prisons where she has been sexually assaulted more than 14 times in the past year by other incarcerated people and GDC staff. According to the complaint, she also has been subjected to relentless sexual harassment and denied necessary treatment for her gender dysphoria. Her experience has been so traumatic that Ms. Diamond recently attempted suicide.

“Being a woman in a men’s prison is a nightmare,” said Ms. Diamond. “I’ve been stripped of my identity. I never feel safe. Never. I experience sexual harassment on a daily basis, and the fear of sexual assault is always a looming thought. I’m bringing this lawsuit to bring about change on behalf of a community that deserves the inherent dignity to simply exist.”

Learn more about Ashley Diamond and this case on our website. Ms. Diamond was also the subject of a piece in The New York Times, which can be read here.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 1 2020

4 looming foreign policy crises that could derail Biden’s agenda early on

Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Afghanistan could cause short-term problems for Biden’s long-term global agenda.

Dec 1, 2020, 8:00am EST

President-elect Joe Biden may want his administration to focus on long-term issues like the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, rebuilding alliances, and America’s relationship with China, but some key near-term foreign policy problems will likely require his attention first.

After the assassination of its top nuclear scientist by an unknown attacker, Iran might be less willing to engage in diplomacy with America and instead seek revenge by targeting US officials. North Korea could test an intercontinental ballistic missile early in Biden’s term to try to gauge the new administration’s response. The last remaining nuclear arms control deal between the US and Russia is set to expire just over two weeks after Biden takes office. And the reduced number of American troops in Afghanistan could derail sputtering peace talks and worsen the country’s security situation.

Read more here: https://www.vox.com/21726445/iran-north-korea-russia-afghanistan-joe-biden-foreign-policy

I was curious about the meaning of the word cracker:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(term) :

Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial epithet directed towards white people,

context in reference to a native of Florida or Georgia

A 1783 pejorative use of crackers specified men who "descended from convicts that were transported from Great Britain to Virginia

(1558-1603) (one may be said to "crack" a joke) and cracker could be used to describe loud braggarts;

white slave foremen in the antebellum South were called "crackers" owing to their practice of "cracking the whip" to drive and punish slaves.

Also see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckra

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_trash

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honky

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Crack_Corn_(children%27s_song)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_White

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck_(stereotype):

Redneck: By the 1970s, the term had become offensive slang, its meaning expanded to include racism, loutishness, and opposition to modern ways.

Patrick Huber, in his monograph A Short History of Redneck: The Fashioning of a Southern White Masculine Identity, emphasized the theme of masculinity in the 20th-century expansion of the term, noting, "The redneck has been stereotyped in the media and popular culture as a poor, dirty, uneducated, and racist Southern white man."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_class_in_the_United_States

I am not trying to be combative by posting this. I am not trying to provoke by posting this. I am simply making a observation. The links should be a check list; to check off that you are not. I am all about everyone these days. I have nothing but love for everyone. I am still praying for the masses; as always. I find this to be a unique new thing about me. I never prayed for a vast amount of people and prayed for them like I would pray for myself, the way I have; since the pandemic.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 2 2020

Like I said yesterday this is a interesting study. Again (like I said yesterday) I do not want to seem like I am trying to make white people angry. It just seems to me that instead of calling people Karen's like the media has been doing; we should just call them crackers. from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(term)

The term could have also derived from the Middle English cnac, craic, or crak, which originally meant the sound of a cracking whip but came to refer to "loud conversation, bragging talk

cracker could be used to describe loud braggarts; this term is still in use in Ireland, Scotland and Northern England,

Police: Group of men assault bowling alley manager, Police: Group of men assault bowling alley manager, employee after being asked to wear a face mask in Maryland

The manager was treated for his injuries at a hospital. Meanwhile, the suspects got away.

Published: 9:00 AM CST December 2, 2020

Updated: 12:11 PM CST December 2, 2020

GLEN BURNIE, Md. — A group of men assaulted a bowling alley manager in Glen Burnie after they were asked to wear a mask inside of the establishment Tuesday evening, Anne Arundel County Police said.

The incident happened around 7 p.m. at the Bowl America located at 7155 Ritchie Highway, police said.

The manager of the Bowl America asked a group of men to leave the bowling alley after they refused to wear a face mask in accordance with the establishment's COVID-19 safety protocol. Police said that's when one of the men pushed the manager before exiting the alley.

Police: Waukesha Man Points Gun After Being Asked To Wear A Mask

 Waukesha Police were called regarding a disorderly conduct incident on Tuesday on Corinna Blvd.

Dec 2, 2020 10:53 am CT

WAUKESHA, WI— Waukesha Police were called regarding a disorderly conduct incident on Tuesday on Corinna Blvd. The building has a rule only two people are allowed in the elevator at a time—people must wear a mask, according to the police log.

The caller was in the elevator with an elderly man when a younger man tried to get in the elevator without a mask. The caller asked him to put on a mask and the man became upset, the log said.

The caller took out his phone to take a picture of the younger man but he grabbed the phone and ran off. The younger man fell and rolled over then pointed a pistol at the caller and took off, the log said.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 3 2020

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2020

Policing protests, K-9 units barking up wrong tree, the 'toothless' agency regulating Texas cops, and other stories

I've been working on a larger project and ignoring the blog a bit this week, but here are a few odds and ends that deserve Grits readers' attention: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2020/12/policing-protests-k-9-units-barking-up.html

SIGN NOW: Tell the Biden-Harris administration to uproot Trump’s Social Security underminers!

Sign Petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-now-tell-the-biden-harris-administration-to-uproot-trumps-social-security-underminers/

With just weeks remaining in the Trump administration, they’re pushing through dangerous rule changes that threaten the financial security of hundreds of thousands of Social Security recipients. It’s part of a wave of last-minute regulations designed to kick people off of the benefits they need to survive―but the Biden-Harris administration can stop them on Day 1!

These last-minute changes will make it harder to apply for Social Security benefits, and harder to keep some benefits once you’re signed up. It’s a cruel, senseless policy, led by Trump appointees with a reputation for cruelty. Read more here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-now-tell-the-biden-harris-administration-to-uproot-trumps-social-security-underminers/

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 4 2020

Tell President-Elect Biden:https://nocorporatecabinet.com/

Keep corporate insiders out of your administration.:

Joe Biden Should Not Let Corporate Interests Run The Government.

After four years of Donald Trump deploying the government to serve powerful corporations – at the expense of everyday Americans – Joe Biden is in the process of organizing a new administration.

Biden must build out an administration that is structured to meet the historic needs of this moment and uphold the nation’s highest values, by unequivocally promoting the well-being of working Americans.

Biden must decline to nominate or hire corporate lobbyists, top executives of big corporations, and prominent corporate consultants to serve in high office. Moreover, he must instead appoint people with proven track records of prioritizing the public interest. If necessary, Biden should use tools like the Vacancies Act and recess appointments to overcome any obstruction by Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans. Read more here: https://nocorporatecabinet.com/

SIGN NOW: Tell the Biden-Harris administration to uproot Trump’s Social Security underminers!

Petition to the Biden-Harris Administration:

https://act.demandprogress.org/sign/biden-harris-social-security/

On the first day of your administration, rescind the Trump administration’s rule changes that undermine Social Security, and fire all of Donald Trump’s political appointees to the Social Security Administration.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 5 2020

[Add your name] We MUST call on Congress to ensure that humanitarian aid prioritizes protecting women and girls in crises. >>: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/forms/add-your-name-we-must-call-on-congress-to-ensure-that-humanitarian-aid-prioritizes-protecting-women-and-girls-in-crises

Add your name to join Mercy Corps in urging Congress to support the Safe from the Start Act to protect women and girls in places of crisis around the world.

COVID‑19 lockdowns have resulted in a surge of cases of domestic abuse in countries across the world. And today, approximately 1 in 5 refugee or displaced women in humanitarian emergencies have experienced sexual violence.

Gender-based violence is not only an assault on human dignity – it also undermines development, security and human rights. Passage of the bipartisan Safe from the Start Act will help the U.S. government’s humanitarian assistance become more effective at preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

Despite recognition of the negative impacts of gender-based violence in crises, humanitarian responses often fail to address the unique risks women and girls face. We know that more must be done to prevent and address these abuses.

That’s why we’re calling on you now to join with us in calling on Congress to take action by passing the Safe from the Start Act. This is critical to preventing gender-based violence and helping affected women recover and strive for a safer future.

Add your name now to join Mercy Corps. Tell Congress: Pass the bipartisan Safe from the Start Act to protect women and girls in places of crisis.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 7 2020

The Detroit News

Opinion: Lessons from a day that continues to live in infamy ▻ The Pearl Harbor attack killed 2,403 service members and wounded 1,178 more, ... A couple of years ago I attended a service at the Daddow-Isaacs Dallas ...: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2020/12/07/opinion-lessons-day-continues-live-infamy/6481396002/

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Pearl Harbor Dead Remembered in Ceremony Shrunk by ...

He continued to pull wounded sailors to safety even after an order to abandon ship. The Navy awarded Miller the Navy Cross for his heroism in 1942. Earlier this ...: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/pearl-harbor-ceremony-to-honor-those-killed-in-1941-attack/2498324/

U.S. servicemen and women and National Park Service officials gathered at Pearl Harbor on Monday to remember those killed in the attack — but elderly survivors stayed home to pay their respects from afar to avoid health risks from the coronavirus pandemic.

The USS Arizona battleship bell rang at 7:55 a.m., the minute the attack began 79 years ago, to start a moment of silence. F-22 jets then flew overhead in missing man formation.

The Arizona today lies at the bottom of the harbor, where it sank shortly being hit by two bombs. The battleship lost 1,177 sailors and Marines, including more than 900 who remain entombed on board.

Battleship New Jersey is commemorating Pearl Harbor with solemn ceremonies

Posted: December 6, 2020- 6:03 PM:

https://www.inquirer.com/news/pearl-harbor-2020-philadelphia-camden-battleship-new-jersey-20201206.html

Trump ratchets up pace of executions before Biden inaugural

by: The Associated Press,

Posted: Dec 7, 2020 / 03:30 PM CST / Updated: Dec 7, 2020 / 03:30 PM CST

The expectation is that Biden will end the Trump administration’s policy of carrying out executions as quickly as the law allows, though his longer-term approach is unclear.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 9 2020

This all started when I read about religious people being against marijuana so much; they were calling it calling it devil weed, and sinful, and the like. Then I read about Richard being released from prison for marijuana and those 2 things together got me angry about Separation of Church and State. I thought about it and came up with this:

I am sorry about my grumpiness yesterday when I posted my rant against Christians. It is no secret that I get angry when Christians or any religion pokes it's nose into politics; in our country. That is why we have Separation of Church and State. It is the foundation of our country.

I quote myself from 2018:

New Blogs Part 9 Updated March 16 2018 I am posting this article to prove for the thousandth time that I am against big religions; interfering with American politics. I post this even though I am sure they will always fail more and more into the future. I stand as strong as when I first started this blog for separation of church and state. Study finds a link between brain damage & religious fundamentalism from here.

and here:

New Blogs Part 9 Updated March 24 2018 This is a great example why we need separation of church and state. Why do so called Christians want to allow this weird practice of so called conversion therapy; unless they are homophobic and need psychiatric help for that. From here.

I guess I will make a new page for this blog because I have so much to quote from myself on the subject of Separation of Church and State.

Here you go. This took a lot of work so I hope it helps everyone, democrat, republican, and everyone eles: https://constitutionalrightsblog.blogspot.com/p/constitutional-rights-blog-separation.html

Longest-serving marijuana inmate in US released from Florida prison

December 8, 2020

For the first time in more than 31 years, Richard DeLisi will be able to spend Christmas with family members.

DeLisi, described as the longest-serving inmate for nonviolent marijuana crimes in the nation, walked out of South Bay Correctional Facility in Palm Beach County on Tuesday morning as a free man. Sentenced in 1989 to a 90-year term in a Polk County courtroom, DeLisi left prison ahead of his scheduled June 2022 release.

“It actually feels like 10 times better than wonderful,” DeLisi, 71, told The Ledger by phone. “It was so unjust what they did to me. I just hope that I can help other people that are in the same situation.”

Here is some great unbias journalism; from a great organization that is always about Separation of Church and State. This is from a email I got today. I can always count on their emails to be against the mixing of religion and politics; in our great country.

From today's email from: https://tfn.org/

Quote of the Day

"The allegations in the lawsuit are false and irresponsible. Texas alleges that there are 80,000 forged signatures on absentee ballots in Georgia, but they don’t bring forward a single person who this happened to. That’s because it didn’t happen."

Georgia's deputy secretary of state, Jordan Fuchs, reacting to a lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against four battleground states whose election results handed the White House to President-elect Joe Biden.

Religious Right Watch

Associated Press

Conservative evangelical Christians have proven some of Donald Trump’s staunchest allies during his presidency. As his administration draws to a close, some of those backers are approaching President-elect Joe Biden with skepticism, but not antagonism.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 10 2020

Sign this petition here: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/tell-president-trump-to-stop-the-execution-of-lisa-montgomery

TO: President Donald Trump

TELL PRESIDENT TRUMP TO STOP THE EXECUTION OF LISA MONTGOMERY

Campaign created by

Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide

We ask you to extend mercy to Lisa Montgomery, a victim of multiple rapes, child sex trafficking, and domestic violence. Lisa was sentenced to death by a jury that was never informed of the full extent and impact of the sexual violence and physical abuse she endured. As a result of her trauma, she is now so mentally ill that she must receive multiple medications to prevent full-blown psychosis.

We also ask you at a minimum to grant a stay of execution. We believe Lisa deserves a full and fair opportunity to petition the courts to stay her execution, as well as an opportunity to present comprehensive arguments to you and your administration as to why her death sentence should be commuted to life imprisonment. This cannot happen in the midst of a global pandemic.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2020

Top Ten Texas Criminal Justice Stories of 2020: Looking back at a crazy, (literally) sick year

It's been a crazy year, both for me personally (I underwent throat-cancer treatment and lost nearly 100 pounds) and for the state and nation generally, between COVID, the Trump un-election, and the massive protests surrounding Houstonite George Floyd's death that in many ways defined the year.: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2020/12/top-ten-texas-criminal-justice-stories.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 11 2020

I voted today. The Collin County staff there were very professional.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 13 2020

Sign this petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-reject-costly-tax-breaks-for-the-rich-and-corporations-deliver-aid-to-those-who-need-it-most

TELL CONGRESS: Reject costly tax breaks for the rich and corporations. Deliver aid to those who need it most.

Vital public services and jobs in healthcare, education, housing and other services will be slashed in the coming months if Congress fails to act on a comprehensive COVID relief package that includes substantial state and local aid. Read more here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-reject-costly-tax-breaks-for-the-rich-and-corporations-deliver-aid-to-those-who-need-it-most

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020

Galveston has a Civilian Review Board that's somewhere on the spectrum from lame to non-existent

Grits earlier mentioned the report from the Kinder Institute at Rice analyzing civilian oversight systems in Texas. The one in San Antonio, they noted, was so obscure that members of the public calling for oversight didn't know it existed. The SA board was the only one of those studied by the Kinder Institute which wasn't independent of the police department.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 16 2020

I found this comic and edited it to make it funnier.

Why don't you leave Hunter Biden Alone?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/arts/design/hunter-biden-art.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 19 2020

Biden plans to be sworn in as president with a massive family heirloom Bible dating back to 1893

December 19 2020

When President-elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office on January 20, he'll be sworn in using a huge Bible that's been in his family since the Gilded Age.

During an interview with Stephen Colbert on Thursday, Colbert asked whether future first lady Jill Biden had been "working out" because of the heavy lifting she'll have to do at the inauguration to present the Bible for her husband.

President-elect Biden explained that the Bible has been in the family since 1893 and comes from his father's side.

He's used it for all seven of his swearing-in ceremonies as a US senator and twice for the oaths of office he took as President Barack Obama's vice president.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 21 2020

Just yesterday, Americans learned from reports that the president is considering declaring martial law to hold onto power. The idea that a sitting president could possibly invoke the Insurrection Act to stop the winner of the 2020 election from assuming the presidency comes a mere seven days after protests in DC devolved into violent conflicts instigated, in large part, by the Proud Boys.

As more local elected officials are threatened for supporting efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 and conspiracy theories fuel violent conflict that threaten our democracy, there is increasing evidence that America is drifting towards a violent schism.

Escalating tensions

The slippery slope that led to our hyper-polarized tribal politics began well before the 2016 election. But there's no doubt that the election of Donald Trump and his four years in office stoked the flames of partisanship.

There are three interrelated factors playing into the heightened tensions and increased violence of the current moment.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 22 2020

POLITICS

Conspiracy theories and talk of martial law grip the White House as Trump seeks to undo Biden’s win

PUBLISHED TUE, DEC 22 20201:49 PM ESTUPDATED TUE, DEC 22 20204:35 PM EST

KEY POINTS

President Trump touted yet another false claim about the election as he reportedly has rattled close White House advisors by talking with conspiracy-minded allies who have fueled his fantasies of undoing Joe Biden’s victory.

Those allies have floated suggestions that include having Trump declare martial law and rerunning the election in states where he narrowly lost.

Leading the charge has been lawyer Sidney Powell, whom Trump fired as an election attorney last month, and Powell’s client Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor whom Trump recently pardoned for lying to FBI agents

Read full article here: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/22/martial-law-conspiracy-theories-rattle-white-house-as-trump-seeks-to-undo-biden-win.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 27 2020

I have said many times on this blog; "I do not believe in any conspiracy theories" listed here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories I think they were a driving force behind the support of Trump and that ain't right. I am not saying this guy was a supporter of Trump; although belief in conspiracy theories, seems to be a republican thing.

From: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9091093/Nashville-bomb-Tennessee-cops-pull-truck-PA-telling-people-evacuate.html

The FBI is said to be investigating whether Warner may have been motivated by a paranoid belief that Americans are being spied on with 5G technology.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G#Misinformation_and_conspiracy_theories

There are a number of debunked claims and conspiracy theories around 5G, some of which became particularly prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The scientific consensus is that 5G technology is safe. Misunderstanding of 5G technology has given rise to conspiracy theories claiming it has an adverse effect on human health.

There have been a number of concerns over the spread of disinformation in the media and online regarding the potential health effects of 5G technology. Writing in The New York Times in 2019, William Broad reported that RT America began airing programming linking 5G to harmful health effects which "lack scientific support", such as "brain cancer, infertility, autism, heart tumors, and Alzheimer's disease". Broad asserted that the claims had increased. RT America had run seven programs on this theme by mid-April 2019 but only one in the whole of 2018. The network's coverage had spread to hundreds of blogs and websites.

In 2019, 180 scientists from 36 countries wrote to the European Union requesting a pause on 5G rollout, because of their concerns about possible health risks.[citation needed] In April 2019, the city of Brussels in Belgium blocked a 5G trial because of radiation rules. In Geneva, Switzerland, a planned upgrade to 5G was stopped for the same reason. The Swiss Telecommunications Association (ASUT) has said that studies have been unable to show that 5G frequencies have any health impact.

According to CNET, "Members of Parliament in the Netherlands are also calling on the government to take a closer look at 5G. Several leaders in the United States Congress have written to the Federal Communications Commission expressing concern about potential health risks. In Mill Valley, California, the city council blocked the deployment of new 5G wireless cells. Similar concerns were raised in Vermont and New Hampshire. The US FDA is quoted saying that it “continues to believe that the current safety limits for cellphone radiofrequency energy exposure remain acceptable for protecting the public health. After campaigning by activist groups, a series of small localities in the UK, including Totnes, Brighton and Hove, Glastonbury, and Frome, passed resolutions against the implementation of further 5G infrastructure, though these resolutions have no impact on rollout plans.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 02 2021

Good thing you weren't transitioning (recently) in Alabama; Laverne. I have been talking bad about Alabama and how it is my most hated state in all of America; on this blog for a long time. I still believe like 1970's Lynyrd Skynyrd said, from my favorite Albums: One More For the Road: "There are GOOD people in Alabama". We need those good people to stand up and be counted and help us in Texas to stand up too.

You have also appended the "racist" tag rather too easily on them: remember, "Sweet Home..." was actually a REACTIVE song to Neil Young's "Alabama" (BTW if you find Skynyd mediocre, you should really check him out!); in the live version of "Sweet Home...", Ronnie actually mutters "There are GOOD people in Alabama, let Mr. Young know that too" to wild cheers from the audience. Doubt any cotton-field redneck would identify with THAT. From: https://newstar.rinet.ru/music/lynyrdc.htm

Laverne Cox speaks out about ‘deeply traumatizing’ transphobic attack

Emmy-nominated actress said she was harassed last month while walking with a friend

By Riley Gillis on December 30, 2020

From: https://www.metroweekly.com/2020/12/laverne-cox-speaks-out-about-deeply-traumatizing-transphobic-attack/

“Most of my life growing up in Alabama, I was bullied my whole life,”

Jaheim Pugh: Video of non-binary teen bleeding to death after he was shot at a party was posted online, claims report

The video broadcast on social media showed 19-year-old Jaheim Pugh wearing a rainbow-colored bodysuit as he lay huddled on the floor after being fatally hit by the bullets

Updated On : 09:23 PST, Dec 24, 2020

From: https://meaww.com/murder-lgbt-teen-wearing-party-broadcast-live-facebook

How could Facebook allow this degusting video to play on their platform?

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 04 2021

Trump made false claims in call pressuring Georgia Sec. of State to undo Biden win, official says

KEY POINTS President Donald Trump made a series of "provably false" claims during his phone call to pressure Georgia's secretary of state to reverse President-elect Joe Biden's win there, an elections official said. Gabriel Sterling gave a detailed refutation of Trump's allegations, days after Trump leaned on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "give" the president enough votes to beat Biden. Sterling suggested the allegations could harm Republican incumbents Sens David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in their runoff elections against Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 05 2021

Oh no; Biden is going to be president, I am so upset: says the right wing. I would much rather be upset; than to wake up and all of America is extinct. You keep believing in conspiracy theory's; over reality and you will steer us all to our doom, in no time flat. I have been warning online since 1999 online; that if we keep perverting our law and kicking out our foundation: we will fall, divided against ourselves.

SC's Sen. Tim Scott opposes objecting to Biden's Electoral College victory

Jan 5, 2021 Updated 1 hr ago

COLUMBIA — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott announced Tuesday he will oppose efforts by GOP colleagues to object to President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, breaking with other South Carolina Republicans who support the longshot bid to overturn the election results.

In a statement, Scott said he supported President Donald Trump's legal right to contest the election through the courts but noted that his campaign's many lawsuits have been unsuccessful.

"As I read the Constitution, there is no constitutionally viable means for the Congress to overturn an election wherein the states have certified and sent their Electors," Scott, R-S.C., said.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 07 2021

I just want to clarify that when I say our country will be no more from destroying what our country was founded on. A house can not stand without it's foundation. When I say foundation; I mean our liberty's and freedoms, not anything racist or homophobic or anything like that. I have to say that now that the slogan; make America great again seems to mean, bring back racisms and hemophobia, to many people. Republicans need to stop being cruel and unusually torturing it's own citizens and work together with democrats because a house divided against itself; will also fall.

Trump summoned supporters to "wild" protest, and told them to fight. They did

Reuters

Thursday January 07, 2021 13:39

“Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election,” Trump, a Republican, tweeted on Dec. 20. “Big protest in DC on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”

Appearing at what could be his last rally as the sitting president, Trump exhorted his supporters “to fight.”

“We will never give up, we will never concede,” Trump said, delighting the crowd by calling Democratic victories the product of what he called “explosions of bullshit.”

“Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!” people chanted in reply. Read more here: https://www.kitco.com/news/2021-01-07/Trump-summoned-supporters-to-wild-protest-and-told-them-to-fight-They-did.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 08 2021

From email I got from the intelligent, level headed people; who I love to read their articles: THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER from: 400 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104. They are by far the best Alabama has to offer and are proof that "there are good people in Alabama." - Ronnie Van Zant. See my post on this page from January 02 2020.

Yesterday was overwhelming. In the morning we learned the final results of Georgia’s Senate runoff races (thank you to the SPLC Voting Rights team for their GOTV efforts in Georgia). By the afternoon, our attention had been captured by the horror of the attempted coup at the Capitol building. I hope you may feel some measure of relief today after the deeply unsettling and dangerous events of yesterday. I would like to share the statement we released yesterday as events were unfolding. Read here: https://www.splcenter.org/presscenter/splc-president-trumps-quest-steal-election-endangers-lives-capitol

This is a very excellent example of the many great articles; posted on Grits. Although I have not posted links to him recently; I read every email he sends me. He inspired me to ad a links column; I posted today.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 07, 2021 Roundup: Texas police-reform news, bail update, jury trials during COVID, and other stories Lets' clear a few browser tabs with a roundup of recent items that may have escaped Texans' attention while our Attorney General was in Washington D.C. inciting mayhem.: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2021/01/roundup-texas-police-reform-news-bail.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 09 2021

I like this:

Hanwha Releases New Body Temperature Detection Camera

The multipurpose camera from Hanwha combines AI with a dual-sensor design to monitor facility entrances and identify potential health risks.

January 08, 2021

The TNM-3620TDY joins Hanwha Techwin’s full suite of solutions for helping businesses adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic, comply with new public health guidelines and keep customers and employees safe, according to the announcement.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 10 2021

Oops; forgot the date. Good thing I do not get paid for this. Or bad thing?

Momentum for Trump impeachment soars as some in GOP say it's warranted after Capitol riot

USA TODAY

January 10 2021

Fifty-six percent of Americans say Trump should be removed from office before his term ends, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll Sunday. A higher figure, about two-thirds, blame the commander in chief for the riots that left five people dead, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 11 2021

NY bar association seeks Giuliani ban over ‘combat’ remarks

Published: Jan. 11, 2021 at 10:28 AM CST| Updated: 1 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Rudy Giuliani is facing possible expulsion from the New York State Bar Association over incendiary remarks he made to President Donald Trump’s supporters last week before they violently stormed the U.S. Capitol.

The organization said Monday that it has opened an inquiry into whether Giuliani should remain a member. Its bylaws state that “no person who advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States” shall remain a member.

State Dept. website bio for Trump changed to say his term ended Monday

Published: Jan. 11, 2021 at 4:12 PM EST|Updated: 1 hour ago

(Gray News) - The biography page for President Donald Trump on the U.S. State Department’s website was briefly changed to say his term was ending Monday.

The change was likely not due to advanced knowledge of their plans. Buzzfeed News reported a “disgruntled” department staffer made the edits, and the matter was under investigation, according to sources.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 12 2021

Guantánamo Advocates Condemn 19th Anniversary of Indefinite Detention

Biden Must Take Swift Action on Gitmo Before Men Die

January 11, 2021, New York – On the 19th anniversary of the transfer of the first Muslim men to Guantánamo, the Center for Constitutional Rights issued the following statement:

President Biden can and must take immediate action on the prison: appoint senior officials to carry out the mandate of closure; release the men the government has not charged by now, starting with the six men already cleared for transfer; abandon the military commissions system; and bring existing cases of men who have been charged to federal court. Biden must reaffirm his commitment to closure and take the necessary action to accomplish it before we have to mark the 20th anniversary next year.

If the ACLU says it; that is good enough for me.

Go here to sign this petition: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/impeach-trump-now

On January 6, an unruly mob stormed the United States Capitol in an effort to prevent the certification of the Electoral College results and to intimidate members of Congress from carrying out their constitutional duties. President Trump urged their actions on.

There is absolutely too much at stake for our country to ignore the hideous reality that he is unfit to lead. For his unconstitutional attempts to subvert our nation's democracy, Trump must be held to account. Please send your message to Congress to vote to impeach now.

Message Recipients: Your U.S. House Representative

As your constituent, I'm calling on you to take immediate action in response to the horrifying events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. What we saw at the Capitol were not protests. It was an unruly mob attempting to overthrow the legitimate outcome of a democratic election – and President Trump urged them on. For the grave and imminent threat he poses to civil liberties, please vote to impeach Trump now.

The president has continually engaged in an extended pattern of bad-faith conduct designed to subvert the results of a democratic election, including:

- Repeatedly making knowingly false statements about voter fraud and improprieties designed to undermine the legitimacy of the election results.

- Pressuring election officials in several states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, to interfere with the results of the election.

- Seeking to disenfranchise people of color by targeting many of these efforts at counties and jurisdictions, such as in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, with predominantly Black or Brown populations.

- Directing Vice President Pence to block Congress’s certification of the Electoral College results, where the Vice President had neither the authority nor the grounds to do so.

- Urging an unruly mob to riot at the United States Capitol on January 6, in an effort to prevent the certification of the Electoral College results and to intimidate members of Congress from carrying out their constitutional duties.

These unprecedented acts constitute impeachable offenses. They are certainly "high crimes and misdemeanors." Trump has made clear that he has no interest in cooperating with the democratic process and every moment he remains Commander-in-Chief poses a risk to our nation.

Please, I'm urging you to do what is absolutely necessary to ensure the safety of our democracy. Vote to impeach Donald J. Trump now.

Go here to sign this petition: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/impeach-trump-now

Do not forget; the ACLU stuck up for Trump yesterday:

The American Civil Liberties Union has expressed "concern" over the action by the social media giants. In a statement, Kate Ruane, the ACLU's senior legislative counsel, said: "We understand the desire to permanently suspend him now, but it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions -- especially when political realities make those decisions easier."

From: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/twitter-facebook-ban-trump-free-speech-cal-thomas

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 13 2021

Here comes all the good petitions; just like during the Obama administration. You know why? Because it would be a waist of time for people to ask the right wing republicans, to end the death penalty; for instance. You know what the death penalty reminds me of? The death penalty reminds me of; the Nazi rescheme of world war 2. Right on Biden; don't you ever be ashamed to compare some of our law makers to the world war 2 Nazi rescheme. I have been doing it for years concerning our perverted justice system; run by politicians being swayed every which way by the media and sensationalism. I have been sending emails to all my republican representative here in the belly of the ultra conservative beast; of where I live. I do it because I really, genuinely care.:

Ted Cruz, AOC spar over using Holocaust analogies to describe US Capitol riot

High-profile lawmakers duke it out on Twitter after Texas senator takes umbrage at labeling the Trump supporters who participated in violence ‘Nazis’

Today, 10:25 am

It started Friday when US President-elect Joe Biden was asked how he regarded attempts by Cruz and Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri to overturn Biden’s victory. The two voted Thursday to challenge the election results, despite a violent assault the afternoon earlier on the Capitol by a mob invoking *President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

*“They’re part of the big lie,” Biden said. “Goebbels and the great lie. You keep repeating the lie, repeating the lie.” (Goebbels used the expression in reference to tactics he attributed to the Nazis’ British enemies, but it has come to be identified with his own propagandistic strategies. It has been invoked by politicians on both sides of the aisle to decry propaganda on the other side.)

Brian Schatz, the Jewish Democratic senator from Hawaii, took a similar tack.

“Ted, there were people who literally stormed the Capitol with zip ties to take hostages, and one person had a ‘camp Auschwitz’ tee-shirt,” Schatz said. “You don’t get to referee the words that anyone uses given your behavior over the last month.”

Read full article here: https://www.timesofisrael.com/ted-cruz-aoc-spar-over-using-holocaust-analogies-to-describe-us-capitol-riot/

Sign this petition here: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/petitions/sign-the-petition-congress-must-abolish-the-death-penalty

Sign the petition: Congress must abolish the death penalty

Our country has come so far in many ways, yet, with an ever-expanding prison and immigrant detention system, incarcerated people still — in 2021 — are at risk of facing the death penalty.

After a 17 year hiatus on federal executions, Trump has executed 10 people since July 2020 and has approved the state-sanctioned killing of three more people: Lisa Montgomery on January 12, 2021, Cory Johnson on January 14, 2021, and Dustin Higgs on January 15, 2021.

Even as state executions are fortunately in decline, Trump has been the first lame-duck president in over 130 years to execute a federal prisoner.

The racial disparties in death penalty sentencing between Black and white incarcerated people is staggering. Trump’s execution of Lezmond Mitchell, the first Indigenous person to be federally executed for a crime committed on tribal lands, makes clear that this regression on the death penalty will continue to predominantly harm Black, brown, and Indigenous communities.

The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment: no one should be executed by the government regardless of the crimes they may have been charged with.

Now that Democrats have control of the House and Senate too -- and with the urgency of three people slated to be executed this month -- it is time for Congress to once and for all abolish federal executions.

Sign this petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-demand-corporate-donors-and-pacs-stop-donating-to-members-of-congress-who-voted-to-overturn-the-election-results-2

Sign the petition: Demand corporate donors and PACs stop donating to members of Congress who voted to overturn the election results

Republican members of Congress, including Sens. Cruz and Hawley, are directly complicit in inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol through their attempts to overturn the election.

They contributed to the misinformation that ultimately incited rioters to storm the U.S. Capitol building in a bid to stop Congress from counting the electoral votes, resulting in five deaths. In storming the Capitol and trying to stop a legitimate process of certifying the election, the rioters were following the lead of Trump and many Republicans in Congress -- many of whom voted on that same day to reject legitimate and fair election results.

These members of Congress cannot continue to be backed by corporate donations after they have broken their Oath of Office and completely trashed our democracy.

We are calling on all corporate donors and PACs to immediately stop funding the 147 Republican congresspeople who have trampled on our Constitution in voting against the certification of the election.

Some corporations have made plans to temporarily halt donations. This is not enough. We are calling on ALL corporations and PACs to cease funding PERMANENTLY. And if these corporations really want to heal our democracy, they must support the For the People Act (H.R. 1) -- which would implement the type of lasting changes to money in politics that America needs.

Add your name to demand no more corporate or PAC donations to the instigators of the insurrection -- 147 congress people turned their back on the Constitution and do not deserve to be funded in their position. And demand that these funders instead support H.R.1 to remedy our country's systemic money-in-politics problems.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 15 2021

I posted this because I thought it was a cool photo.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, walking past security forces to his office during a
break in the Senate session that reconvened last week after a mob of Trump supporters attacked the
Capitol.Credit...Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times

McConnell Privately Backs Impeachment as House Moves to Charge Trump

The House formally called on Vice President Mike Pence to move to wrest power from the president, as Republican support built for impeaching him of inciting violence against the nation.

Published Jan. 12, 2021

Updated Jan. 14, 2021

Senator Mitch McConnell has concluded that President Trump committed impeachable offenses

Mr. McConnell has indicated he wants to see the specific article of impeachment that the House is set to approve on Wednesday, and to hear the eventual arguments in the Senate. But the Senate Republican leader has made clear in private discussions that he believes now is the moment to move on from Mr. Trump, whom he blames for causing Republicans to lose the Senate. Mr. McConnell has not spoken to Mr. Trump since mid-December, when the senator informed the president he would be recognizing Mr. Biden as president-elect after the Electoral College certified it.

“This failed attempt to obstruct the Congress, this failed insurrection, only underscores how crucial the task before us is for our republic,” Mr. McConnell said as the Senate reconvened to complete the electoral count disrupted by the mob. “Our nation was founded precisely so that the free choice of the American people is what shapes our self-government and determines the destiny of our nation.”

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 16 2021

Fort Hood facing potential name change with congressional override of military bill

The local post is one of 10 military posts named after Confederate leaders that are now set to have their names reviewed and possibly changed.

From: https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/military-matters/fort-hood-facing-potential-name-change-with-congressional-override-of-military-bill/500-41c6f941-882e-4e77-bbad-5d2268d84283

Published: 4:32 PM CST January 1, 2021

Updated: 5:14 PM CST January 1, 2021

FORT HOOD, Texas — Fort Hood could be facing a name change with the Senate's override of President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Fort Hood and nine other Army posts -- named after Confederate leaders -- could soon be renamed according to the new defense bill.

The $740 billion dollar National Defense Authorization Act was previously passed by both the House and Senate, but president Donald Trump vetoed it on December 23. The House voted to override the veto and now the military spending bill, which includes a 3% pay raises for military members, was passed in the Senate on Saturday before Congress adjourns its current session.

In 1942 Fort Hood was named after confederate general John Bell Hood, a military leader who fought for the losing southern side.

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska believes recent instances of racial violence and racism have underscored the immediate need for change.

“Our military bases should bear the names of America’s war heroes who went above and beyond to answer the call of duty, and who represent the best ideals of our republic, such as medal of honor and purple heart recipients, or other national heroes," Rep. Bacon said.

With the bill is passed on Saturday, Fort Hood and the other nine military installations named after Confederate leaders are set to be renamed within three years.

According to a release from Rep. Bacon, the provision forms the National Commission of Modernizing Military Installation Designations, which will be made up of individuals appointed by service secretaries as well as members of Congress. The commission will review and make recommendations for renaming installations and department property which have designations "not in line with the values of this country or the mission of the United States military."

Here is a list of military posts facing possible name changes:

Camp Beauregard (1917) Pineville, Louisiana, a Louisiana National Guard installation named for Louisiana native and Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard.[3]

Fort Benning (1917), Columbus, Georgia, named after Henry L. Benning, a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army.

Fort Bragg (1918), in North Carolina, named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg.

Fort Gordon (1917), Grovetown, Georgia, named in honor of John Brown Gordon, who was a major general in the Confederate army.

Fort A.P. Hill (1941), Bowling Green, Virginia, named for Virginia native and Confederate Lieutenant General A. P. Hill.

Fort Hood (1942), in Killeen, Texas, named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, who is best known for commanding the Texas Brigade during the American Civil War.

Fort Lee (1917), in Prince George County, Virginia, named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Fort Pickett (1942), Blackstone, Virginia, a Virginia National Guard installation named for Confederate General George Pickett.

Fort Polk (1941), Leesville, Louisiana, named in honor of the Right Reverend Leonidas Polk, an Episcopal Bishop and Confederate General.

Fort Rucker (1942), in Dale County, Alabama, named for Edmund Rucker, a colonel appointed acting brigadier general in November 1864.

Trump staffers appear to be stealing "souvenirs" as they leave the White House.

Friday, January 15, 2021

“This is illegal,” wrote Obama administration official Kenneth Baer, retweeting a picture of Trump advisor Peter Navarro walking away from the White House while carrying a framed picture of Donald Trump meeting Xi Jinping.

“These photos belong to the American people, and go to the National Archives.”

Read more here: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/01/maga-rioters-stormed-capitol-now-trump-staffers-looting-white-house/

MAGA Mob Kills Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, Iraq War Veteran Defending Congress From Trump Rioters

Updated Jan. 08, 2021 1:31PM ET / Published Jan. 07, 2021 4:48PM ET

Footage of the crowd Wednesday showed many participants with Blue Lives Matter and Back the Blue flags and gear, the slogans of groups that have been fierce supporters of Trump and supposed supporters of cops who have been maligned with accusations of police brutality.

3 of the best quotes come from democrat's:

Most memorable quotes from inaugural addresses:

4: Ronald Reagan's first inaugural address - 1981

“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

3: John F. Kennedy's first inaugural address - 1961

"Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."

2: Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first inaugural address - 1933

"This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

1: Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address - 1865

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 19 2021

Vice President Mike Pence will not attend Trump's sendoff event, will attend Biden's inauguration

Published 31 mins ago Updated 28 mins ago U.S. Associated Press

12 National Guard members removed from Biden inauguration security mission

Published 5 hours ago Updated 1 hour ago Inauguration Day Associated Press

Second GOP state leader wants to secede because Trump

He later denied that he meant this as a call for red states to secede from the United States. Earlier this month, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) warned that a second civil : https://americanindependent.com/republican-leaders-secession-trump-election-loss-wyoming-texas/

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 21 2021

Sign this petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-ban-fracking-our-health-is-at-stake

Fracking leads to increased climate pollution, water waste, earthquakes, and now, it can physically kill us!

In a recent study, fracking was shown to increase heart failure to those exposed, with increased noise and air pollution, and traffic from fracking acting as major stressors. Add this to the list of health issues caused by fracking, especially among Black community members who disproportionately live near fracking wells

This is yet one more danger of fracking which already includes:

Water waste/pollution: Fracking consumes a massive amount of water. Anywhere between 1.5 million and 16 million gallons of water may be used to frack a single well. Additionally, fracking fluids and waste have made their way into our aquifers and other water sources, contaminating our drinking water.

Earthquakes: While the fossil fuel industry denies it, the EPA has acknowledged the connection between fracking and increased earthquakes since 1990. Most of these earthquakes are caused by underground injection wells, which are used to dispose of contaminated water created by the fracking process.

Increased climate pollution: Methane gas — the main component of natural gas — is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. In fact, it’s 85 to 105 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at disrupting the climate over a 20-year period.

Fracking is more expensive, more polluting, and more dangerous than clean, renewable energy.

The Fracking Ban Act introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would ban fracking nationwide by 2025. This new legislation will immediately prevent federal permits from being issued for new fracking, new pipelines, new natural gas or oil export terminals, expanded fracking, and other oil and gas infrastructure.

Fracking for oil and gas would become illegal on and offshore in the United States.

The science is clear, fracking is a key contributor to our climate emergency. It is destroying our communities, our health, and our environment. Stopping fracking is paramount to fending off the climate crisis.

I posted about Biden's Bible here (to prove he is not the demon the republican's lie about); so it is only fair to post about Kamala's Bibles too:

Kamala Harris sworn into history with vice-presidential oath

Jan. 21, 2021 at 1:20 a.m. UTC

Harris, clad in an outfit of purple by Black designer Christopher John Rogers, took the oath of office with her hand on two Bibles. One belonged to civil rights icon Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice and a fellow Howard University graduate whom Harris, a former prosecutor, saw as a hero. The second belonged to Regina Shelton, a neighbor who was a second mother to Harris and her sister. Harris took her Senate oath on Shelton’s Bible in January 2017. Biden administered that oath.

Just got this cool email from Gay USA:

GAY USA with Ann and Andy: Our long national nightmare is ending; Biden takes up LGBTQ rights on Day One

President Joe Biden got right down to work after his inauguration undoing some of the damage of the Trump administration. Among the executive orders he signed were several restoring LGBTQ rights.

This week's GAY USA is online here: http://gayusatv.org/

President Biden’s Full Inauguration Speech, Annotated

President Biden used his Inaugural Address to urge Americans to come together to take on the challenges ahead.

“There is truth and there are lies, lies told for power and for profit. Each of us has a duty and a responsibility as citizens, as Americans and especially as leaders, leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation, to defend the truth and defeat the lies.”

The way I see it, and one of the reasons I voted all democrat; including of course voting for Biden, is the modern republican party is fueled, largely by, lies and conspiracy theories. Trump would not speak out against conspiracy theories because he knew it would cost him votes.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 22 2021

PUBLISHED JAN 22, 2021 AT 12:25 PM | UPDATED JAN 22, 2021 AT 1:59 PM

From: https://www.nola.com/news/business/article_fcc82208-5ccb-11eb-8736-bf892d4da3e1.html

The day turned violent when some attendees at the rally, encouraged by Trump to "fight like hell" against the election results that Congress was certifying, stormed the Capitol and forced members of Congress to take shelter. Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died in the mayhem, and the House impeached Trump a week later on the charge of incitement of insurrection.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 23 2021

During the 90’s, Hightower became known as “America’s most popular populist,” developing his radio commentaries, hosting two radio talk shows, writing books, launching his newsletter, giving fiery speeches coast to coast, and otherwise speaking out for the American majority that’s being locked out economically and politically by the elites.

As political columnist Molly Ivins said, “If Will Rogers and Mother Jones had a baby, Jim Hightower would be that rambunctious child — mad as hell, with a sense of humor.”

I have been a fan of this guy for over 15 years of this guy. I know I always go on and on about this dude but he is really awesome. I did a couple clicks on his website and found this page: https://media.jimhightower.com/ You can download a huge amount of files here; that feature his awesome radio address's. This guy is a good old fashioned Texas democrat who is not afraid to stand up to democrat politicians; in the rare occasion that it is needed. This is the guy we all need in my opinion. Here is a link to his radio station affiliates.

His email was exceptionally great this week. This is some of my favorite stuff here:

Who’s really behind the desecration of our Capitol?

The ransacking and terrorizing of Congress by violent Trumpeteers is an outrage, right? Even Republican congressional leaders have rushed to assail the mob invasion, calling it a desecration of America’s democratic ideals. But wait...: https://hightowerlowdown.org/podcast/whos-really-behind-the-desecration-of-our-capitol/

The corporate mob behind Trump

You can’t poke into any issue in Congress without stumbling over sacks full of corporate campaign donations – and the recent eruption of pro-Trump mob violence inside the US Capitol exposed boodles of that special interest cash to public view...: https://hightowerlowdown.org/podcast/the-corporate-mob-behind-trump/

The police all over our country; constantly treated the Trump protesters like Back the Blue completely different than the anti Trump protesters. This is another reason I voted all democrat in November:

The past few weeks have shown us that policing has never been a neutral institution. We saw how subdued the response by police was to the violent white supremacists at our Capitol when compared with the centuries of brutality inflicted against Black people. Or how officials chose not to charge the police officer who shot Jacob Blake seven times at close range.

None of this is surprising given the long, tragic history of anti-Black racism in our law enforcement – an institution born from slave patrols. But it all needs to change.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 25 2021

I was thinking that this cake thing would have been funny, if this cake was for some guy's girlfriend; because she shunned him. I think he would have to tell her it was just a joke; just after he presented the cake. Maybe I have a weird sense of humor.

I was reading this story here: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/01/dairy-queen-rejects-lesbians-request-ice-cream-cake-family-establishment/ : Dairy Queen rejects lesbian’s request for an ice cream cake because it’s a “family establishment” The manager said "Happy Birthday Lesbian" is inappropriate for a Dairy Queen cake. Friday, January 22, 2021

So then I got curious and did a little research and found this download: https://www.thehrcfoundation.org/professional-resources/corporate-equality-index-2020-1

This PDF is worth the download just to be amazed at the work gone into this.

Capitol rioter Miller says he was following Trump's orders, apologizes to AOC for threat

January 25 2010

Miller also apologized to Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for writing "Assassinate AOC" in a Twitter post. He said he would be willing to testify to Congress or in a trial about the riot.

Miller, 34, had on a social media account also threatened a Capitol Police officer who fatally shot a fellow rioter, saying he planned to "hug his neck with a nice rope," authorities have said.

The Richardson resident's apology came as a federal judge in Dallas ordered him detained without bail pending trial, after finding he was both a danger to the community and a flight risk, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas.

MIller is one of dozens of people charged with participating in the riot, which began shortly after Trump held a rally outside the White House, where he urged supporters to pressure Congress to reject the election of Joe Biden as president.

In a statement released by defense attorney Clinton Broden, Miller said he had been motivated by Trump's false claims about having been cheated out of reelection by ballot fraud and said, "I am ashamed of my comments."

"I was in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, because I believed I was following the instructions of former President Trump and he was my president and the commander-in-chief. His statements also had me believing the election was stolen from him," Miller said.

"Nevertheless, I fully recognize Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and that the election is over. Donald Trump is no longer president and I would not have any reason to continue to follow his lead."

"While I never intended to harm Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez nor harm any members of the Capitol police force, I recognize that my social media posts were completely inappropriate. They were made at a time when Donald Trump had me believing that an American election was stolen," he said.

He said he left Washington and headed back to Texas "immediately after President Trump asked us to go home."

Miller, who was arrested last Wednesday, said that "until very recently," he had not been interested in or involved with politics.

"Nevertheless, what Donald Trump had been saying about the election really got to me and I felt I had to support him. Still, I recognize that I am solely responsible for my actions and that there are no excuses for what I did," he added.

Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives for inciting the riot. He is due to go on trial next month in the Senate, where he faces being banned from ever being president again.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 26 2021

Bomb Rocks Extremist Church In El Monte

The FBI is investigating an explosion at an El Monte church known for extremist views and a group that had planned to protest it Saturday.

EL MONTE, CA — Authorities are investigating vandalism and an explosion that occurred Saturday at a church in El Monte that was the target of protestors for its extremist views against Jews, women, L.G.B.T.Q. people, and Black Lives Matter.

The church is part of the New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement, a network of 22 American and eight international churches known for their hateful rhetoric and calls for the government to round up and execute gay people, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit that analyzes hate groups, reported in 2019.

Anderson pastors Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. He gained national attention for celebrating the June 2016 Pulse massacre, where 49 people were killed and 53 injured in an attack at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando. Anderson’s violent rhetoric against LGBTQ people has gotten him banned from 32 countries, including most recently Ireland, where he’d planned to preach in late May.

The New IFB is a group of 22 domestic and eight international churches led by Anderson’s colleagues and acolytes. Those evangelists often rival his rhetoric in their depictions of LGBTQ people as rapists and pedophiles who are a danger to society and worthy of death.

From: https://davidpakman.com/

Fox News Already Warning of Biden Concentration Camps

Fox News host Sean Hannity is taking on his old form of being part of the opposition. Hannity wasted no time after Joe Biden got sworn in last week as the 46th president. He warned that under a Biden administration conservatives are going to become “deprogrammed” or put into “reeducation camps.” No serious leftist has called for putting Trump supporters into concentration camps. The allegation is as crazy as the Obamacare “death panels” and the countless fake scandals Hannity was at the forefront of pushing just over four years ago. This is just the start of Biden’s four years and without skipping a beat, the right-wing media sphere has reverted back to its old ways.

Fox News is wasting no time, with Sean Hannity already warning his audience about Trumpist “re-education camps” that he claims the left wants to put Trump …

Fox News pushes conspiracy theory about 'reeducation camps' on the eve of Biden's inauguration:

Hannity: Democrats' 'deprogramming' rhetoric the opposite of Biden's calls for 'unity'

"Reeducation camps, deprogramming, OK," Hannity said. "According to the press wing of the Democratic-Establishment Socialist Party, you, we the people, we need to be deprogrammed or put in reeducation camps because our political opinion differs from theirs."

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 27 2021

Sign this petition here:

https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/petitions/sign-the-petition-demand-top-us-companies-divest-from-disinformation-and-cut-all-ties-with-fox-news

Sign the petition: Demand top U.S. companies divest from disinformation and cut all ties with Fox News

Fox News has a long history of spreading misinformation. Whether it is speaking on COVID-19, the Movement for Black Lives, the election, or the climate, Fox News puts lies above the truth. Any advertising company continuing to give money to Fox News is profiting from and complicit with their misinformation, white supremacy, and extremist fear-mongering.

By backing election and COVID-19 misinformation on Fox News, advertisers are putting profit above the health and safety of people and our democracy. While more than 70 companies have publicly announced that they will cut ties with Sean Hannity’s, Laura Ingraham’s, and/or Tucker Carlson’s prime-time shows on Fox since 2017, it is now clear that any company that claims to support American democracy must immediately cut all ties with Fox News.

It's long past time to hold Fox News accountable. Together, we can pressure companies to stand up for public health and for our democracy.

Fox News is the gateway to right-wing extremism. With thousands of Americans dying every day from the COVID-19 pandemic and the violent right-wing attack on the U.S. Congress on January 6, 2021, Fox News’ dangerous disinformation increasingly poses a direct threat to our democracy. Your company has the opportunity to divest from disinformation and hate. We urge you to make good on your espoused values for democracy and equality by immediately cutting all ties with Fox News.

Sign and send the petition: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-hr-1-and-rebuild-our-democracy

To create the kind of change voters want to see in our democracy, our next administration and Congress must support the passage of HR1— the For the People Act — a once-in-a-generation democracy reform package to clean up our political system, expand and protect voting rights, get big money out of politics, hold elected officials accountable for corruption, and create a democracy that values the voices of all Americans.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 28 2021

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021

Poll: Texans overwhelmingly support Senfronia Thompson's "George Floyd Act"

The University of Houston polled 1,329 Texans on numerous criminal-justice topics, including state Rep. Senfronia Thompson's George Floyd Act. Their poll question did a pretty good job of summarizing the legislation: Read more here: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2021/01/poll-texans-overwhelmingly-support.html

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021

Why the #txlege should add point-and-report to statewide police shooting data

In a roundup a few weeks ago, Grits pointed to a new academic study analyzing Dallas police shootings which associated a "point and report" policy with a reduced number of people shot because the officer falsely thought they were armed. Now, the authors have written an op-ed in the Dallas Morning News about their findings. Here's a notable excerpt: Read more here: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2021/01/why-txlege-should-add-point-and-report.html

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021

Please prove me wrong: Jose Garza wants to make Grits eat my words

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza is trying to change Grits' mind about "progressive prosecutors." He hasn't succeeded yet, but in the early days of his administration, he's giving it the ol' college try.

In the last week, Garza announced indictments of two officers who'd allegedly engaged in excessive force but weren't punished by police management, and said a grand jury would soon consider charges in the deaths of the police officers who killed Mike Ramos and Javier Ambler. Then yesterday, his office agreed Rosa Jimenez - the babysitter falsely convicted 18 years ago of murdering a child in her care - could be released on bail pending her appeal, and Judge Karen Sage agreed. Read more here: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2021/01/please-prove-me-wrong-jose-garza-wants.html

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 29 2021

From: https://davidpakman.com/

Millions of COVID Vaccines Went Missing Under Trump

Millions of COVID-19 vaccines reportedly went missing in the distribution process and no one is exactly sure how. The shortage happened in the waning days of the Trump administration. Since Biden was barely briefed during the transition period, they are now scrambling to try to figure out what happened to them. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), only 21.8 million vaccines have been administered despite 41.4 million being distributed to the states. This poor management in vaccine distribution will certainly lead to an extended period of battling the pandemic and more cases and deaths along the way.

--Joe Biden announces a freeze to US weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, a major geopolitical and foreign policy move that Donald Trump was not willing to make

--Financial disclosure documents reveal that Donald Trump's former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany had a gig lined up with Fox News, which is now apparently on pause

From: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/01/aoc-just-yanked-ted-cruz-collar-shook-brutally-honest-tweet/

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is known for speaking her mind and refusing to back down from doing the right thing. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is known for being hated by his fellow senators and his leading role in the insurrectionist attack on the Capitol building.

Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly called on Cruz to resign for his role in pushing “the big lie” of election fraud that led to the riot by supporters of former-President Donald Trump seeking to overturn the results of the election. So when Cruz tried to slide into AOC’s DMs, she wasn’t having any of it.

From: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/01/bidens-pro-lgbtq-executive-order-popular-according-new-polling/

Biden’s pro-LGBTQ executive order is his most popular according to new polling

Even most Republicans say they support Biden extending discrimination protections to LGBTQ people.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

From: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/01/joe-biden-needs-rebuild-wall-religion-government/

Joe Biden needs to rebuild the wall between religion & government

At Biden’s inauguration ceremonies, in addition to the official speech and benediction, God came up several times including in song and anthems and in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Commentary Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Premack: Secession is illegal, would hurt senior community Paul Premack , Correspondent

Jan. 29, 2021 Updated: Jan. 29, 2021 12:55 p.m.

If it passes and is approved by Texas voters, subsequent secession would still be illegal. Secession would be revolution, insurrection, and sedition against the United States.

More here: https://www.mysanantonio.com/life/life_columnists/paul_premack/article/Secession-is-illegal-would-hurt-senior-community-15908792.php

Secession talk is dangerous

January 29, 2021

Even if we ignore the law and adopt this unpatriotic plan, there are other problems here. Secession would be massively expensive. If it were to become a nation, Texas would have to establish its own military, its own citizenship and immigration laws, not to mention new taxes. If Biedermann’s fancy were to become reality, it would almost certainly mean a Texas income tax.

We agree with Plano Rep. Jeff Leach who wrote on Twitter: “Based on what you’ve said the bill does, it seems like the most anti-American bill I’ve seen in my 4+ terms in the Texas House. It’s a disgrace to the Lone Star State. The very definition of seditious. A true embarrassment.”

Talk of secession is irresponsible at any time. But just weeks after insurrectionists stormed the Capitol in Washington, the timing couldn’t be worse.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated January 30 2021

I was going to post this on my military blog; updating after a while; a long while. I do not want to update that blog because covid is ravaging the world; and all. I am sure China has more to be concerned with dealing with covid. I quote myself from this page. ""While obligation is one of the driving factors to care and show dignity toward elderly, the Chinese culture has always stressed respect toward elders. So practices of honor and kindness toward seniors is normal life in China." this is originally from this random page I found on Google here: https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/10-10-16-how-different-cultures-take-care-of-seniors/ This post is to try to show that we as a country needs to stand up for our great country and join together for the prosperity and longevity of the land of the free.

Biden’s Nightmare May Be China

Jan. 30, 2021, 2:45 p.m. ET

Most experts don’t believe that such an assault is likely (an all-out invasion of Taiwan is even less probable), but it is a considerably greater risk than it had been for decades. And what began on Pratas or Kinmen wouldn’t end there: The United States would most likely be drawn into perhaps the most dangerous confrontation with another nuclear power since the Cuban missile crisis.

So while we try to calm partisan “warfare” in Washington, let’s work harder to prevent an actual international shooting war in Asia. The coming years represent the greatest risks since I began covering U.S.-China relations in the 1980s, partly because Xi is an overconfident, risk-taking bully who believes that the United States is in decline.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 03 2021

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 02, 2021

Deep in the Weeds: Sandra-Bland data provides first-ever detail on scope of arrests, searches at Texas traffic stops

The Scope of Texas Traffic Enforcement

In 2019, Texas law enforcement officers reported making 9.7 million traffic stops in racial profiling reports submitted to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

About 3.9 million of those stops, roughly 40%, resulted in citations. (For reasons no one fully understands, citation totals have been falling for more than a decade.)

In addition, 21% of arrests at traffic stops were for Class C misdemeanors (64,100), mostly moving violations and a few arrests for breaking municipal ordinances. These are the arrests that would be eliminated under the George Floyd Act (and should have already been eliminated: similar language was pulled out of the Sandra Bland Act before it passed in 2017). Here's a breakdown of arrests by type:

Police reported using force at .6% of stops, or 60,034 total times in 2019, but use-of-force rates by department varied widely.

Send letter to your representative here: https://norml.org/act/coming-soon-a-senate-bill-to-end-marijuana-criminalization/

Coming Soon: A Senate Bill To End Marijuana Criminalization

On February 1st, Senators Cory Booker, Ron Wyden, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released a joint statement declaring their intention to release a draft discussion bill outlining how best to legalize and regulate cannabis and cannabis commerce in a post-prohibition America.

This marks the first time we have seen a coalition of Senate leaders publicly announce their intent to introduce and move legislation in the Upper Chamber that seeks to end federal cannabis criminalization.

Please send a message to your Senators right now to ensure that they will work with this coalition to move this important legislation forward. In the final days of the 116th Congress, House members historically voted to approve legislation (The MORE Act) repealing federal marijuana prohibition. It is time to build upon this momentum and work with Senate leadership to advance similar language in the Upper Chamber and, ultimately, to the President’s desk.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 05 2021

Sign now to join Amnesty USA and tell President Biden to shut down the Guantánamo Bay detention facility once and for all! >> https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/petitions/add-your-name-tell-president-biden-close-guantanamo

[Add your name] Tell President Biden: CLOSE GUANTÁNAMO >>

The military prison at Guantánamo Bay is a glaring, longstanding stain on the human rights record of the United States. Today, it continues to hold 40 Muslim men, most without charge, and none having received a fair trial. Many, like Toffiq al-Bihani, were tortured by the U.S. government. And al-Bihani, along with five other prisoners, has been cleared for transfer to other countries, yet remains behind bars without charge or trial.

When President Trump revoked President Obama’s order to close Guantánamo, he opened the door for a whole new era of human rights violations to take place. Now, President Biden has an opportunity to end these ongoing abuses by closing the detention center once and for all.

Help us close Guantánamo and ensure the transfer of all cleared detainees to countries that will respect their human rights.

Sign this petition here: https://commutethemall.com/

TELL JOE BIDEN: Commute all death sentences.

Ayanna Pressley and Cori Bush, along with dozens of their colleagues, including Rashida Tlaib, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Mondaire Jones, AOC, and Jamaal Bowman, sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to commute all death sentences for Americans currently on death row, halt Federal executions, and fight to abolish the Federal death penalty once and for all.

Add your name to our official petition now to call on President Biden to commute all current death sentences and commit to abolishing the death penalty

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 07 2021

Sign petition here: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-we-need-a-wealth-tax-now-more-than-ever

Elizabeth Warren has been appointed to the Senate Finance Committee. Her first bill will be to introduce a wealth tax, which was a centerpiece of her presidential campaign. The events of the past year have proven that we need a wealth tax, now more than ever.

In the United States alone, billionaires reportedly added $1 trillion to their collective wealth since the start of the pandemic. Ten billionaires made enough money in the pandemic to cover the cost of coronavirus vaccinations for the entire world, with funds leftover.

Meanwhile, the rest of us have been devastated by rising unemployment and an inability to pay rent or mortgage payments. And our social safety net has proven woefully inadequate.

Elizabeth Warren's bill would levy a two-cent tax on every dollar of individual wealth over $50 million, with an additional tax on every dollar over $1 billion. This would go a long way to helping provide needed assistance during these tough times, as well as rebuild our social safety net. It's time to pressure Congress to make it happen.

Sign the petition to Congress: We need a wealth tax now, more than ever.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 08 2021

Does “Trump, Make Enforcement Great Again,” mean: make law enforcement more homophobic and more racist again?

NYPD officer disciplined after wearing Trump patches on uniform, which is against policy

Posted at 9:39 AM, Feb 08, 2021 and last updated 2021-02-08 09:40:51-05

From: https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/video-shows-nypd-officer-with-trump-patches-on-uniform-in-defiance-of-department-policy

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The New York Police Department launched an investigation Saturday into a video that shows an officer with patches in support of former President Donald Trump pinned to the front of her uniform, which is against departmental policy.

One of the patches reads, “Trump, Make Enforcement Great Again,” the video shows.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 09 2021

Ambush of Biden campaign bus in Central Texas could play a role in Trump impeachment trial

Posted: Feb 9, 2021 / 02:49 PM CST / Updated: Feb 9, 2021 / 02:49 PM CST

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Days before the November election, Wendy Davis, an Austin congressional candidate, was on board the Biden-Harris campaign bus as it was swarmed by a caravan of President Donald Trump’s supporters in Central Texas.

Trump would later praise the group, tweeting: “I LOVE TEXAS.”

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 10 2021

This guy is a great example of why I go on and on about Christians destroying our country and perverting our justice system.:

Sign this petition here: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/my-pillow-guy-costco

Ask Costco to stop hosting "roadshows" for the MyPillow company.

Why is this important?

With Michael Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, showing up at the White House in January with written notes to give to Donald Trump that were instructions to overturn the election by way of martial law. I no longer think a great company like Costco should allow MyPillow a place to set up and sell their products. MyPillow should be banned from ALL Costco facilities, as Mr Lindell has engaged in treasonous behavior.

TEXAS Trump Fans Harass Biden Bus in Texas 386,733 views • Nov 1, 2020 3.8K 2.2K SHARE SAVE Bloomberg Quick take: Now 849K subscribers The FBI is investigating an incident of alleged harassment by Trump supporters of a Biden campaign bus in Texas, the Texas Tribune reported, TEXAS, citing a local law enforcement official. Read more here: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/ambush-of-biden-campaign-bus-in-central-texas-could-play-a-role-in-trump-impeachment-trial/

Is this the same as “Trump, Make Enforcement Great Again,”?

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 11 2021

If you see this video you will see those Back The Blue flags again. When will people see these guys are not good guys? https://youtu.be/lWjK_Eu8uME

Here’s the damning video Democrats played at Donald Trump’s impeachment trial

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) changed his vote on the constitutionality of Trump's second impeachment and cited the Democrats' particularly effective opening argument for his change of heart.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

See here: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/02/heres-damning-video-democrats-played-donald-trumps-impeachment-trial/

Stupid people are more likely to be homophobic according to science

A new study confirms something most queer folk have known for a while.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Stupid people are more likely to be homophobic according to science

Read here: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/02/stupid-people-likely-homophobic-according-science/

Texas Gets Failing Marks on HRC’s Equality Scorecard

The Human Rights Campaign’s annual report challenges legislators to do better.

January 27, 2021

Texas doesn’t fare too well. In fact, it’s at the bottom of the barrel. The annual state-by-state report of statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families places Texas right down there with ultraconservative states like Alabama and Florida.

State Equality Index 2020

The State Equality Index (SEI) is a comprehensive state-by-state report that provides a review of statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families.

The SEI rates all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. in six areas of law and assigns the states to one of four distinct categories.

Check your state's scorecard by texting SEI to 472472 from your mobile phone. (msg & data rates may apply. Text STOP to quit, HELP for info.)

Go here to download report: https://www.hrc.org/resources/state-equality-index

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 12 2021

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021

Texas oyster crimes are no joke and a symptom of broader problems

This blog has spent an inordinate amount of time over the years focused on Texas' array of oyster-related criminal offenses, to the point that Politifact once did a fact check on my claims. They found them "Mostly True," with the "mostly" caveat being that one source put the numbers even higher than I'd said!

From yesterday’s show:

The David Pakman Show

Trump Screaming and Furious About Embarrassing Impeachment Legal Defense

Donald Trump watched day one of his own Senate impeachment trial in horror as the House impeachment managers put together an impeccable presentation, while his own lawyers floundered around unprepared. Trump was “deeply unhappy” with defense attorney Bruce Castor’s performance and was “borderline screaming,” according to a report from CNN. While the opening remarks from the defense were lackluster, that’s exactly what Trump should have expected. So few legal experts in the country wanted to take up this case because they know Trump is guilty of inciting the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. The ex-president also has a history of not paying legal fees, which limits the pool of talent he could possibly choose from.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 14 2021

Since trees supply most of the worlds oxygen; it makes sense that they also can help disease from being more of a threat to humans. Read here: https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/how-many-trees-does-it-take-to-produce-oxygen-for-one-person/

Sign this petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-joe-biden-and-congress-must-stop-deforestation-in-order-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic

As COVID-19 continues to escalate, policymakers must take action to stop this nightmare from repeating. Deforestation, climate change, wildlife trade and environmental destruction are driving a nearly exponential acceleration of new diseases. There were six times more animal-to-human outbreaks in 2010 than 1980. Without action now, we will face a new pandemic as deadly as Ebola and as contagious as the worst strains of COVID—and more likely within the next decade than the next century. Read more here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-joe-biden-and-congress-must-stop-deforestation-in-order-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 15 2021

I could not have said it better. The impeachment was not about Trump completely. It was about a attack on the capitol of the United States. The best way to mark this moment in history; so it will not be forgotten, is to hold the impeachment, for better or for worst "‘To lay down a marker for history’".

What’s the point of impeachment? ‘To lay down a marker for history’ (Commentary)

Updated 9:35 AM; Today 9:35 AM

From: https://www.syracuse.com/opinion/2021/02/whats-the-point-of-impeachment-to-lay-down-a-marker-for-history-commentary.html

In this light, it is worth thinking anew about whether there are other purposes that the impeachment power does, or could, serve. In other words, even though we cannot use it to successfully bar from office presidents who have abused their powers, does it still make sense for Congress to invoke the power on occasion?

The answer is yes. The impeachment power’s primary function, in actual practice, is to lay down a marker for history. Donald Trump has joined Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton as the only presidents to be impeached, and he stands alone as the only president to suffer this fate more than once. Wherever U.S. history is fairly taught, this fact will be noted about his presidency.

Viewed through this lens, Saturday’s Senate vote may appear in a different light. For those hoping Trump would be convicted and barred from office, the fact that just seven Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues to find him guilty can seem distressing beyond belief. But for those taking the long view, that same 57-43 tally represents the most bipartisan presidential impeachment vote in our history.

So here’s how I choose to remember the trial: The House managers, most of whom the American people got to know for the first time, put together an extraordinarily compelling case showing that Trump’s actions leading up to, and on the day of, Jan. 6 represented “a disgraceful dereliction of duty.” The people who violently stormed the Capitol “believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their President. And their having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole” that Trump had voiced in the two months following the November election. As a result, “there’s no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day.”

You don’t have to take my word for it. Those quotes are all from Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s statement following the Senate verdict.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 16 2021

See Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 17 2021 below for my comment on this article.

More Republicans blame Biden for Capitol riot than fault Trump

February 16, 2021, 12:55 PM

From: PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter January–February 2021

It is this rise and use of the psychological expert, called the “religious psychologist,” that so offended Fieldhouse’s knowledge and commitment to the Word of God. Fieldhouse readily quotes and uses the Word of God to expose the blasphemy of what he calls the “religious psychologist.” Mission Agencies have been one of the many users of the “religious psychologist” in the U.S. and in the U.K. Missionary candidates, whether accepted and sent to the field or rejected and able to reapply later, learn one powerful lesson: the “religious psychologist” rules through psychological evaluations and psychological tests.

Thanks be to God for Marvin Fieldhouse’s insights and to those who see what is hidden in plain sight and who support our efforts to expose the evil of the “religious psychologist.”

Download PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter January–February 2021 here: https://pamweb.org/palv29n1/

Tell President Biden: Follow through on your commitment to expunge marijuana records.

Target: President Biden

President Biden was crystal clear on the campaign trail when he stated: “I think we should decriminalize marijuana, period. And I think everyone – anyone who has a record – should be let out of jail, their records expunged, be completely zeroed out.”

Now, as President, he has the power to do just that.

Join us in telling President Biden to follow through on his commitment to expunge marijuana records.: https://norml.org/tell-president-biden-follow-through-on-your-commitment-to-expunge-marijuana-records/

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 17 2021

Republicans have also shifted the blame for the Capitol riot over the past few weeks. While 47 percent of the GOP said Trump was at least partly responsible for the riot when asked Jan. 6–7, just 27 percent said so when asked Feb. 14–15. Now, 46 percent of those Republican respondents actually blamed President Biden and 58 percent blamed Democrats in Congress. Just 27 percent blamed Republicans in Congress — many of whom had challenged the Jan. 6 electoral college vote certification. From: https://news.yahoo.com/more-republicans-blame-biden-capitol-185541501.html

When I read the above article it blew me away. What does this mean? Does it mean half of the republican party has mental disorders? This is the most people I have ever seen all suffering from externalizing blame I have ever seen. I guess it should not surprise me; since it seems most republicans have make believe, beliefs in conspiracy theories. I quote myself from: Constitutional Rights Blog Updated December 27 2020 I have said many times on this blog; "I do not believe in any conspiracy theories" listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories

To think that at least half of republicans blame Biden and democrat's for a attempted siege of the capitol of the United States, causes me to suspect that amount of them have mental disorders like externalizing blame.

What Externalizing Means in Psychiatry

Externalizing Psychiatric Disorders

July 25, 2020

Externalizing is a term used by mental health professionals to describe and diagnose psychiatric disorders featuring problems with self-control of emotions and behaviors. A person with an externalizing disorder directs antisocial, aggressive behavior outward (externally), at others, rather than turning his or her feelings inward (internalizing).

A person diagnosed with any externalizing disorder has problems controlling emotions and impulses and expresses them with antisocial behavior that often violates the rights of others. For example, he or she may confront other people angrily and aggressively, opposing or “taking on” authority figures or striking back against social limits.

Read more here.: https://www.verywellmind.com/externalizing-425248

Sign this petition here: https://commutethemall.com/

TELL JOE BIDEN: Commute all death sentences.

Add your name to our official petition now to call on President Biden to commute all current death sentences and commit to abolishing the death penalty.

Sign this petition here: https://norml.org/timely-congressional-letter-on-marijuana-pardons/

TIMELY: Congressional letter on marijuana pardons

Representatives Barbara Lee and Earl Blumenauer are urging President Biden to use his authority to pardon federally convicted, nonviolent marijuana offenders, and they are currently soliciting additional Representatives to sign on to this effort.

They said, “Until the day that Congress sends President Biden a marijuana reform bill to sign, he has the unique ability to lead on criminal justice reform and provide immediate relief to thousands of Americans.”

This came out at the same time that NORML released a petition calling upon President Biden to do the same.

Will you tell your Representative to sign on to their letter and support this effort?

It is unconstitutional to let police arrest people for marijuana; since it is legal in so many states in our country. I see it all the time in the news; presented as a celebration by the police; posing so proudly next to the marijuana. Mean while just a few miles away; marijuana can be purchased completely legally. It reminds me of the lynching's of the old south. When the slaves were freed; they thought all of their problems were over. What they did not anticipate was; white men lynching them with no legal or rationale reason at all. I am behind any federal legislation to make marijuana legal for all of America; to keep these heinous crimes of arresting people for marijuana, from being committed in the name of the law. Release them all in the USA; arrested for marijuana and expunge their records.

Right on President Biden! This should be the model for all buisnesses in America.

Biden Task Force Says Unmasked Feds Should Face Discipline, Calls for Bonus Leave

A task force on federal employee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic has issued its first set of guidelines.

FEBRUARY 17, 2021 02:19 PM ET

Agencies should also consider “reasonable accommodations”—such as a special physical distancing setup—for staffers who have religious or medical reasons not to wear masks. In cases in which a visitor refuses to comply with the mask requirement, employees should contact security—or if none is available on site, bring in outside law enforcement—to remove the individual.

Right on President Biden about student loans too! I paid mine off in ten years of hell dealing with a private company that was in charge of a government loans. They had the most confusing website I have ever used and I took web design 1 and 2 in college; not too long ago. I have no mercy on those that take student loans. I only took my loans because so many of my fellow students had one. If students would just stop taking out student loans; it may influence others not to make the same mistake.

Frisco Texas is just a stone's throw from here so I thought this was worth posting:

In-House Attorney Fired for Jan. 6 Protest

February 17, 2021 at 04:36 PM

The former in-house attorney who was fired for participating in the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6 is now representing a number of people and organizations seeking a new congressional and presidential election.

https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2021/02/17/in-house-attorney-fired-for-jan-6-protest-takes-lead-on-election-lawsuit/?slreturn=20210117183523

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 18 2021

I want to thank my mom because this post is a portion of the email I sent her. I normally take lots of photos outside; when it snows here. With so much suffering here in Texas, because of this storm; I am not taking any photos at all. I want to forget this storm as best I can. I hope we all can forget this terrible winter storm; soon. We always have cold winters here where I live; 5 months out of the year cold, guaranteed, every year. I have never seen it this bad in almost 30 years. So many days in the single digits with highs only in the low teens; is unreal. By single digits I mean 1 degrees, since we live north of town, that always means 3 degrees less; that means we were at least 2 degrees below zero for over 3 days. Mean while my mom who lives on the north east coast, said she had a high of 50 degrees yesterday. 50 degrees here yesterday sounds too good to be true; like summertime. Since this storm started and to this day I have been praying for it to stop; every chance I get. If I know Texans; we all have been praying. What else can you do when facing the awesome, overwhelming, destructive power of nature? It is too much for us to even comprehend it. Scientist can not explain how a flower grows, never mind how a huge storm like this exists; in it's all encompassing form that it has over our lives.

WPTV.com

How to help those affected by Texas' winter storm emergency

The unprecedented winter storm in Texas has left millions of people without power and essentials for days. Grocery stores throughout the state look similar to the ... https://www.wptv.com/weather/how-to-help-those-affected-by-texas-winter-storm-emergency

Progressive Grocer

Natural Grocers Steps Up to Help Texas Storm Victims

Natural Grocers is offering free water in its Texas stores for storm victims. As millions of consumers in Texas deal with frigid weather and lack of ... https://progressivegrocer.com/natural-grocers-steps-help-texas-storm-victims

BBC News

Texas weather: Residents told to boil tap water amid power ...

The huge storm sweeping across the southern US has killed at least 24 people and left millions without power. Texas has seen widespread blackouts. Freezing ... https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56109720

WABE 90.1 FM

Millions In Texas Under Boil-Water Notices Because Of Winter ...

Millions In Texas Under Boil-Water Notices Because Of Winter Storm ... city and state officials across Texas are pleading with residents to conserve water and ... https://www.wabe.org/millions-in-texas-under-boil-water-notices-because-of-winter-storm/

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 20 2021

From my email from Jim:

Our next episode of the Hightower Happy Hour -- on Tuesday, Feb. 23 -- will zoom in on the Texas disaster; more details to follow. In the meantime, for more on the story, we recommend the following. (And, no, frozen windmill grease did NOT collapse the state’s grid.)

Texas leaders failed to heed warnings that left the state's power grid vulnerable to winter extremes, experts say

Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. It wasn’t ready for the extreme cold.

Texas seceded from the nation’s power grid. Now it’s paying the price.

Got this in my email from David https://davidpakman.com/:

Beto O'Rourke Declares Texas "Almost a Failed State"

Former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is going after Texas Republicans for their failure to prepare and respond to the winter storms and power outages ravaging the state this week. O’Rourke said, "We are nearing a failed state in Texas. And it has nothing to do with God or natural disasters. It has everything to do with those in positions of public trust who have failed us." There are reports across the state of families freezing in their homes. Water pipes are bursting, roads are going unplowed, and power still hasn’t returned in many areas. People are having issues getting supplies like gas and groceries and the problems are only compounding as time goes on.

To make matters worse, Republican leadership in the state shows no sign of being able to handle the crisis adequately and prepare for the next one. When the storms began, Texas Governor Greg Abbott chose to go on Sean Hannity’s show to blame the power failure on the Green New Deal and Democrats. Senator Ted Cruz took off to Cancun rather than using his resources and connections to help get aid to people. Former Governor Rick Perry volunteered the people of Texas to continue going without power if the alternative was getting assistance from the federal government. Other Republicans are dodging questions about climate change, arguing that now is not the time to “politicize” the matter. These Republicans are shameless and they have failed miserably on this crisis, yet somehow they will all still likely be reelected when they next appear on the ballot.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 23 2021

Tiny Home Village now open, first residents move in

Posted: Feb 11, 2021 / 05:41 AM MST / Updated: Feb 11, 2021 / 04:33 PM MST

From: https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/tiny-home-village-now-open-first-residents-move-in/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – After years of planning, the Tiny Home Village in Albuquerque, it’s finally complete, and the first residents have officially moved in. “I just thought to myself, you know a year ago this was an empty lot,” said Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley, who spearheaded the Tiny Homes project.

Seattle homeless shelter buys heroin pipes with city funds, teaches rectal injection method

FEBRUARY 22, 2021 AT 7:08 PM

From: https://mynorthwest.com/2593799/rantz-seattle-shelter-city-fund-heroin-pipes-injection/?

FEBRUARY 22, 2021 AT 7:08 PM

A Seattle-backed homeless shelter is instructing addicts to smoke heroin and inject drugs rectally. And the shelter is using tax dollars to help get addicts high.

The Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) passes out heroin pipes and so-called “booty bumping” kits. To alert homeless clients of their offerings, DESC posted several flyers at their Navigation Center location on 12th Avenue South. They give encouragement to addicts to use new tools and methods to continue their destructive and deadly addictions.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Plano police do best 'Cartman' impersonation arresting black kid for walking home in the snow

If you needed another example why the Texas Legislature should forbid police from arresting people for Class C misdemeanors, here's yet another poster-child case for the history books.

Rodney Reese, an 18-year old black man living in Plano, was walking home from his job at the Walmart during the Snowpocalypse when police officers stopped him ostensibly for a "wellness check." Carrying a plastic bag, underdressed for the cold in a short-sleeve shirt, he told them he didn't want their help and was on his way home. But the cops wouldn't take "no" for an answer and soon told him he was under investigation and being formally detained, eventually arresting him for "pedestrian in a roadway." To their credit, the Plano PD quickly posted the dashcam video. You can watch the video here.

Mr. Reese was charged with being a pedestrian in the roadway - a Class C misdemeanor - and hauled off to jail. The maximum penalty for that offense is only a $500 fine, so the arrest punished him to a greater extent than the maximum a jury could have imposed following a guilty verdict.

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to repeal the federal ban on cannabis!: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-the-petition-tell-congress-to-repeal-the-federal-ban-on-cannabis-2/

Democrats are in charge of the Senate -- and they’re vowing to use their majority to make cannabis legal.1

When Mitch McConnell was Senate Majority Leader any cannabis legalization bill was dead on arrival. But guess who’s not running the Senate anymore?

Now we have a clear and urgent pathway to legalize cannabis and pass restorative justice reforms to address the millions of people harmed by the disastrous “War on Drugs.”

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to repeal the cannabis ban and pass restorative justice reforms now!

Back in November, along with electing President Joe Biden, every cannabis legalization or decriminalization initiative won at the ballot box.2 That’s a clear mandate.

Of course, legalization is only part of the process. Right now, even though cannabis is legal in 15 states and DC, an estimated 40,000 people are still in jail for cannabis offenses.3

Democrats in Congress have been introducing bills to legalize cannabis and restore justice for low-level drug offenders for years. But Senator Mitch McConnell blocked cannabis legalization in the Senate.

But McConnell no longer runs the Senate, and Democrats control Congress and the White House -- for now. If we want to see an end to the “War on Drugs,” then Democrats need to act now.

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to repeal the cannabis ban and pass restorative justice reforms now!

Sources:

1. CNBC, “Democratic senators will push to pass pot reform bill this year,” February 1, 2021.

2. Ibid.

3. Forbes, “With 40,000 Americans Incarcerated For Marijuana Offenses, The Cannabis Industry Needs To Step Up, Activists Said This Week,” June 26, 2020.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 24 2021

Sign this petition here: https://secure.everyaction.com/wxl1llyUIUqbFDt7Wju5qw2

TAKE ACTION: EMERGENCY HEARING ON POWER CRISIS

This Thursday, February 25, the House State Affairs and Energy Resources committees will hold a joint emergency hearing about the recent power crisis that affected Texans across the state. We need you to make your voice heard by your legislators and submit a written public comment. Fill out this form for all of the resources you need.

Millions of Texans were without power and water for nearly a week in freezing weather -- some still are. When we needed transparency and timely information about the crisis, we were told power outages would be rolling and brief; they were not. When we needed to know why this failure had happened, we were fed misinformation and lies about wind turbines. We must hold our elected officials accountable for how they failed everyday Texans.

The purpose of the emergency House committee hearing is to address this massive failing. The hearing begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday, February 25. Committee members are hearing only invited testimony, but the general public may submit written testimony electronically in advance of the hearing.

These written public comments are necessary to show our elected leaders they can't ignore the voices and experiences of everyday Texans. Otherwise committee members will hear only the voices of state officials and power companies who failed our families.

What are we demanding?

Demand honest answers from state leaders who were supposed to prevent a crisis like this: How did this happen? How do we prevent it from happening again?

Demand immediate relief to affected Texans. The Legislature must take action to provide families with the relief they need to recover from this disaster and reject bailouts for the power companies that made the crisis worse by putting profits ahead of people.

Demand improved infrastructure. Lawmakers must commit to building the reliable and renewable energy systems we need to address the challenges of climate change, survive the next weather crisis, and make this a state where all of our families can thrive.

Tell us you're in by submitting your info below, and we will direct you to the correct form to submit your comment, as well as providing a resources document that contains talking points and tips on how to write an effective comment.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated February 25 2021

Militia members want to blow up Capitol when Biden addresses Congress, chief says

“We know that members of the militia groups that were present on January 6th have stated their desires that they want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible with a direct nexus to the State of the Union,” Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman stated when asked about lingering security measures at the Capitol.

Pittman denied law enforcement failed to take warnings of violence seriously on the day of the Capitol insurrection, but conceded that the agency’s incident command protocols were “not adhered to,” and that there was a “multi-tiered failure.”

In prepared remarks given Thursday, Pittman said intelligence collected ahead of the Capitol assault did indicate the gathering would have the participation of armed militia members, white supremacists and “other extremist groups.”

While Pittman said in her testimony that sergeants and lieutenants were supposed to pass on intelligence to the department’s rank and file, many officers have said they were given little or no information or training for what they would face.

She added that the rioters “weren’t only interested in attacking members and officers. They wanted to send a symbolic message to the nation as to who was in charge of that legislative process.”

Download full prepared testimony here: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20491644/yogananda-pittman-statement-022521.pdf

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated March 2 2021

Sign this petition here: https://act.amnestyusa.org/page/73907/petition/1

I’m sure you know the story of Guantánamo Bay, where over the last 19 years the U.S. government has imprisoned 780 Muslim men. And you likely remember that President Obama promised to close the prison, and to transfer prisoners securely to other countries. But with so many human rights crises happening in the world, I’m guessing it hasn’t been at the top of mind for many of us in a while.

That was true for me, too, until I filmed The Mauritanian, a new movie that I’m excited Amnesty International is promoting. The film tells the true story of Mohamedou Ould Salahi, who was tortured and held without charge in Guantánamo for more than a decade. It’s based on the best-selling memoir he wrote while detained in the prison, Guantanamo Diary, and I play the defense lawyer Nancy Hollander, who bravely takes on his case.

I’m glad The Mauritanian is putting the spotlight back on Guantánamo. It couldn’t come at a more opportune time: President Biden has a real chance to close Guantánamo, once and for all. The prison there still holds 40 men, most of whom have still never been charged with a crime or given a fair trial. My friends at Amnesty International say there’s a real chance President Biden might make this move — that’s why they’ve launched this petition. I just signed myself — will you add your voice, too?

Take Action

This film challenges the way we perceive fairness and human rights, and reminds us of the human costs of the “War on Terror,” a deadly campaign the U.S. government has waged for almost two decades against whomever it determines is threatening our country.

I’m particularly proud that the film also focuses on sharing the very human story of Mohamedou Ould Salahi, and the horrific injustice that he has been through. Even now, the stigma of being a former detainee includes painful restrictions on his freedom of movement. He’s been unable to secure visas to travel and visit his loved ones, including his new wife and baby. His story matters, and the human rights of all people matter.

I hope you’ll watch The Mauritanian, and help us continue this conversation about justice and human rights. Amnesty International is promoting the film, and you can watch a trailer of it here.

It’s important to tie Mohamedou’s story to what’s still going on in Guantánamo today. I think of Toffiq al-Bihani, a Yemeni citizen who has been held there since 2003. Like Mohamedou, he was cleared for release over 10 years ago, but our government is still holding him behind bars. He’s not alone: 40 other men are there, too. Many of them were tortured by the U.S. government. Those who have been cleared for release deserve to go home. The others deserve a fair trial.

Richard, I usually prefer to trust the experts on human rights issues, and that’s one reason I trust Amnesty International. For 60 years, they’ve worked to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth, and dignity are denied. And powered by people like you, they’ve freed hundreds of people who were wrongfully imprisoned because of who they are or what they believe — and changed laws in dozens of countries in order to defend and advance human rights.

The situation in Guantánamo is clear: this detention center needs to close, and 2021 will be the year we FINALLY make it happen. That’s why I have chosen to speak up. I hope you will, too!

Thanks for reading my note, and thanks for taking action with Amnesty.

Sincerely,

Jodie Foster

Sign this petition here: https://act.demandprogress.org/sign/tell-congress-pass-wealth-tax/

Tell Congress: Pass a Wealth Tax

Petition to Congress:

I’m writing to demand that you support Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax proposal, which would create $2.75 trillion in revenue in the next ten years. As the pandemic and climate disasters continue to exacerbate wealth inequality, millionaires and billionaires should be taxed in order to support a fair recovery.

$931 billion. That's how much money billionaires made during the pandemic.1

That's why we're asking Congress to tax the wealthiest Americans -- those with a net worth of over $50 million. Taxing the 75,000 families with over $50 million could help fund universal childcare, Medicare for All, free college, and more.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has proposed a two percent tax on assets over $50 million dollars, which would generate $2.75 trillion over ten years. It's time to speak out in support of this important proposal.

Tell Congress: It's time that the wealthiest Americans pay more taxes!

As the pandemic exposed the deepest faults in American society, wealth inequality has taken off to new extremes. The wealthy have seen rising investment values, while the rest of the US is careening down a path marked with evictions, debt, and unemployment.

Economists have warned of a K-shaped recovery from the covid crisis -- meaning that the rich will get richer, and the poor will get poorer.2

Warren's tax would mean that a family with a net worth of $60 million would pay a two percent tax on their assets over $50 million ($10 million). Billionaires would be taxed three percent on assets over one billion dollars.

Warren's proposal is our best bet at passing a wealth tax, and getting ultra-rich millionaires to pay up.

Can you tell Congress to pass a wealth tax?

Sources:

1. USA Today, "Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk among US billionaires that got richer during coronavirus pandemic," December 1, 2020.

2. Washington Post, "How a K-shaped Recovery is Widening US Inequality," December 16, 2020.

Sign this petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/reduce-penalties-for-marijuana-possession

Reduce Penalties for Marijuana Possession

Current marijuana laws in Texas are harsh, unreasonable, and ineffective.

In 2018, our state arrested more than 62,000 for the simple possession of marijuana, a substance we know to be objectively safer than alcohol, tobacco, and many pharmaceutical drugs patients are prescribed every day.

It’s time for a change!

Ask your legislators to support more sensible marijuana policy in Texas!

I have watched the sitcom called The Office many times and have been, and am convinced; to this day, that the character Michael Scott, has serious mental disorders. My favorite thing to say about Michael Scott is; if this show was reality, the character Michael Scott, would be dead or in prison. I found this page that tries to prove that the character Michael Scott had serious mental disorders:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AMichael_Scott_(The_Office)

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated March 3 2021

TUESDAY, MARCH 02, 2021

Boost Texas prisoner food budgets 39 cents per prisoner/day

If your annual food budget was $800 per person and that money had to last all year, how would you spend it?

I'll give you a moment: Try to imagine what that would look like.

Having recently spent >$250 at my big, post-SNOVID trip to HEB, Grits can hardly fathom eating for a year on that amount. But that's the dilemma facing cafeteria cooks and nutritionists at TDCJ, where prisoners have been receiving food during COVID more suitable for pig slop than human consumption.

This is what Texas feeds prisoners on an $800/year food budget

That said, in Texas prisons the pigs are air conditioned while the prisoners and guards are not, so it's likely the pigs eat better than this. read more: https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2021/03/boost-texas-prisoner-food-budgets-39.html

TEA says mask requirement stays in place for Texas schools, but a district's board can vote to remove the requirement

Texas among the worst in the US in vaccine distribution

"Look, I hope everybody has realized by now these masks make a difference. We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way we are able to get vaccine in people’s arm,” Biden said.

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated March 5 2021

I read this in a email I got yesterday:

"Certainly politics is about negotiation and Democrats have tight margins to work with in the House and Senate, but the concessions on this relief effort and the time that it’s taking are inexcusable." - David Pakman - https://davidpakman.com/2021/3/march-4-2021/

Constitutional Rights Blog Updated March 10 2021

I should not bad mouth Daily Kos; they do allot of good. You should go to their website as often as you can. I will leave the link up on every page here.

My wife was watching this this morning and it sounded cool: