Civil Liberty and Football
Lately have been spending too much time watching football on television. Lurking behind my gridiron fun is a worry about what might happen to civil liberty during the upcoming Trump administration. By civil liberty I mean the kinds of activity that are authorized or outright protected by our Constitution. Between beers – or maybe because of them – I realize that football provides some metaphors for talking about civil liberty in our political moment.
Trump Threatens Birthright Citizenship
HE’S BACK! And this time Donald Trump will have a compliant Congress and a whole roster of willing Cabinet ministers. The first thing he promises to do -- after upending international trade with tariffs -- is to deport millions of immigrants. If this did not promise to be both tragic and harmful to the economy, I would feel like making a big bowl of popcorn, pulling up a chair and watching the whole thing crash.
As the Electorate Becomes More Democratic, Republicans Suppress Voting.
Donald Trump might singlehandedly ensure Democratic victories up and down the ballot in 2024. But the biggest threat to the long-term viability of the Republican Party is not Trump – it is demographics. Each year the electorate becomes more Democratic. Republican strategists know this. Their solution is to suppress voting and hide behind the made-up justification of election integrity. Voters aren’t fooled.
What the Right Gets Wrong About Immigration
Immigration has been so important to the development of the United States that our national motto -- E Pluribus Unum -- refers to it. Out of many, one. But these days right wing fear-mongers led by Donald Trump have caused many of us to oppose robust immigration. Immigrants have become Americans, embracing American identity and citizenship, serving in the military, working hard in jobs up and down the economic spectrum, and enriching American art, music, and cuisine. Immigrants are home owners, taxpayers, college students, and contributors to American society across the board. Right-wing tropes about immigrant crime are just plain false. And while we dither on immigration, other countries are taking advantage.
Thank Goodness for Jennifer Krouse
Thank goodness for Jennifer Krouse. While we thought we were only electing her to the Jefferson County Commission, she has grown into so much more. She has become the protector of our children at this critical time when we have so miserably failed in our own responsibilities. We must now recognize her with a new title – Leader of the Jefferson County Morality Squad. We have so needed her firm hand on our shoulders. She has helped parents identify the moral corruption that threatens our children even though, in our own weakness, we could not see it on our own. We are so fortunate!
Trump Fans Want to Talk About Anything But This — He’s Guilty
It started immediately after Donald Trump's indictment. First there was the "whataboutism" and false equivalencies. What about Hiliary's emails? What about the classified documents Joe Biden had? Then the claim that the communist, Democrat deep state has weaponized the Justice Department to take down the leading candidate to oppose Joe Biden in 2024. This is all deflection. Just like Trump himself, his supporters are grasping at shiny, manufactured grievances but don't want to talk about the big issue -- he is guilty of the serious crimes charged in the indictment.
Civil Liberty and Football
Lately have been spending too much time watching football on television. Lurking behind my gridiron fun is a worry about what might happen to civil liberty during the upcoming Trump administration. By civil liberty I mean the kinds of activity that are authorized or outright protected by our Constitution. Between beers – or maybe because of them – I realize that football provides some metaphors for talking about civil liberty in our political moment.
Trump Threatens Birthright Citizenship
HE’S BACK! And this time Donald Trump will have a compliant Congress and a whole roster of willing Cabinet ministers. The first thing he promises to do -- after upending international trade with tariffs -- is to deport millions of immigrants. If this did not promise to be both tragic and harmful to the economy, I would feel like making a big bowl of popcorn, pulling up a chair and watching the whole thing crash.
As the Electorate Becomes More Democratic, Republicans Suppress Voting.
Donald Trump might singlehandedly ensure Democratic victories up and down the ballot in 2024. But the biggest threat to the long-term viability of the Republican Party is not Trump – it is demographics. Each year the electorate becomes more Democratic. Republican strategists know this. Their solution is to suppress voting and hide behind the made-up justification of election integrity. Voters aren’t fooled.
What the Right Gets Wrong About Immigration
Immigration has been so important to the development of the United States that our national motto -- E Pluribus Unum -- refers to it. Out of many, one. But these days right wing fear-mongers led by Donald Trump have caused many of us to oppose robust immigration. Immigrants have become Americans, embracing American identity and citizenship, serving in the military, working hard in jobs up and down the economic spectrum, and enriching American art, music, and cuisine. Immigrants are home owners, taxpayers, college students, and contributors to American society across the board. Right-wing tropes about immigrant crime are just plain false. And while we dither on immigration, other countries are taking advantage.
Thank Goodness for Jennifer Krouse
Thank goodness for Jennifer Krouse. While we thought we were only electing her to the Jefferson County Commission, she has grown into so much more. She has become the protector of our children at this critical time when we have so miserably failed in our own responsibilities. We must now recognize her with a new title – Leader of the Jefferson County Morality Squad. We have so needed her firm hand on our shoulders. She has helped parents identify the moral corruption that threatens our children even though, in our own weakness, we could not see it on our own. We are so fortunate!
Trump Fans Want to Talk About Anything But This — He’s Guilty
It started immediately after Donald Trump's indictment. First there was the "whataboutism" and false equivalencies. What about Hiliary's emails? What about the classified documents Joe Biden had? Then the claim that the communist, Democrat deep state has weaponized the Justice Department to take down the leading candidate to oppose Joe Biden in 2024. This is all deflection. Just like Trump himself, his supporters are grasping at shiny, manufactured grievances but don't want to talk about the big issue -- he is guilty of the serious crimes charged in the indictment.