#Georgia Protect Students’ Rights Act

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

"Rinderle is the first known public school teacher to be fired under Georgia’s trio of censorship laws passed in 2022. They are the Protect Students’ Rights Act, commonly known as the “divisive concepts” law; a “Parents’ Bill of Rights;” and one known as the “harmful to minors law,” which allows for the removal or restriction of materials parents deem “pornographic” or otherwise harmful. Together, the laws censor class discussion, give parents the right to refuse instruction they disagree with and ban “offensive” reading materials from school libraries. If Rinderle’s experience is any indication, she will not be the last to be terminated, advocates say."

"To this day, the district has never answered Rinderle’s main question: What exactly does “divisive concepts” mean?"

[reasonsforhope]

"Two years ago, the biggest battles in state legislatures were over voting rights. Democrats loudly — and sometimes literally — protested as Republicans passed new voting restrictions in states like Georgia, Florida and Texas. This year, attention has shifted to other hot-button issues, but the fight over the franchise has continued. Republicans have enacted dozens of laws this year that will make it harder for some people to vote in future elections. 

But this year, voting-rights advocates got some significant wins too: States — controlled by Democrats and Republicans — have enacted more than twice as many laws expanding voting rights as restricting them, although the most comprehensive voter-protection laws passed in blue states. In all, 39 states and Washington, D.C., have changed their election laws in some way this year...

Where voting rights were expanded in 2023 (so far)

Unlike two years ago, though, we’d argue that the bigger story of this year’s legislative sessions was all the ways states made it easier to vote. As of July 21, according to the Voting Rights Lab, [which runs an excellent and completely comprehensive tracker of election-related bills], 834 bills had been introduced so far this year expanding voting rights, and 64 had been enacted. What’s more, these laws are passing in states of all hues.

Democratic-controlled jurisdictions (Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Washington) enacted 33 of these new laws containing voting-rights expansions, but Republican-controlled states (Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming) were responsible for 23 of them. The remaining eight became law in states where the two parties share power (Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia).

That said, not all election laws are created equal, and the most comprehensive expansive laws passed in blue states. For example: 

New Mexico adopted a major voting-rights package that will automatically register New Mexicans to vote when they interact with the state’s Motor Vehicle Division, allow voters to request absentee ballots for all future elections without the need to reapply each time and restore the right to vote to felons who are on probation or parole. The law also allows Native Americans to register to vote and receive ballots at official tribal buildings and makes it easier for Native American officials to get polling places set up in pueblos and on tribal land.

Minnesota followed suit with a law also establishing automatic voter registration and a permanent absentee-voting list. The act allows 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote too. Meanwhile, a separate new law also reenfranchises felons on probation or parole.

Michigan enacted eight laws implementing a constitutional amendment expanding voting rights that voters approved last year. Most notably, the laws guarantee at least nine days of in-person early voting and allow counties to offer as many as 29. The bills also allow voters to fix mistakes on their absentee-ballot envelopes so that their ballot can still count, track the status of their ballot online, and use student, military and tribal IDs as proof of identification. 

Connecticut became the sixth state to enact a state-level voting-rights act, which bars municipalities from discriminating against minority groups in voting, requires them to provide language assistance to certain language minority groups and requires municipalities with a record of voter discrimination to get preclearance before changing their election laws. The Nutmeg State also approved 14 days of early voting and put a constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot that would legalize no-excuse absentee voting.

No matter its specific provisions, each of these election-law changes could impact how voters cast their ballots in future elections, including next year’s closely watched presidential race. There’s a good chance your state amended its election laws in some way this year, so make sure you double-check the latest rules in your state before the next time you vote."

-via FiveThirtyEight (via FutureCrunch), July 24, 2023

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Chris Geidner at Law Dork:

When it comes to the Biden administration’s long-awaited Title IX sex discrimination education rule, which went into effect Thursday, America truly is two nations. Due to a series of lower-court injunctions, the Education Department is blocked from enforcing the rule, which includes LGBTQ school protections, in 26 states across the country.

The steps that led us to such a place over the past 50 days tell both a story of how much anti-transgender animus has made its way into the federal courts — and a story of how irrelevant the U.S. Supreme Court has made itself and its rulings through its repeated actions disregarding, minimizing, or outright reversing those rulings. The 423-page rule that went into effect Thursday defines sex in the sex discrimination ban of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 as including both sexual orientation and gender identity. This is reasoning that, the Biden administration argues, follows from the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s sex discrimination ban includes bans on both sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.

The rule also includes provisions addressing “sex-separated facilities” and “hostile-environment harassment,” both of which include language that provides protections for transgender students. The rule does much more, however, including setting for the standards for schools to use in handling sex-based harassment complaints, pregnancy protections, and setting forth general obligations under the landmark law. That rule is now in effect, but the Education Department is blocked from enforcing it in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. (As discussed below, the department is also blocked from enforcing the rule in more than 2,500 specific schools across the country — many of which are in the 24 states that do not have an injunction in place.) The Supreme Court, moreover, has allowed this to happen without even ruling as of mid-day Thursday on the Justice Department’s requests in two of the cases to pare back the injunctions during appeals.

[...]

What happened?

A series of lawsuits were filed challenging the rule, mostly brought by Republican attorneys general but also brought by some far-right organizations and primarily arguing that the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act due to the three provisions addressing gender identity and transgender protections. They were almost all filed in jurisdictions that would increase the likelihood of a far-right judge hearing the case — and a more conservative appeals court considering appeals. The efforts paid off. Some of the most conservative district court judges in the nation heard the challenges and granted preliminary injunctions against enforcement of the rule — including U.S. District Judges Terry Doughty, Reed O’Connor, and Matthew Kacsmaryk, known for their far-right rulings on efforts to combat misinformation on social media, the Affordable Care Act, and mifepristone, respectively, all of which were reversed by the Supreme Court. In addition to those three judges in Texas and Louisiana, four others — U.S. District Judges Danny Reeves, John Broomes, Rodney Sippel, Jodi Dishman — issued injunctions from their courts in Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, respectively.

The Biden Administration’s Title IX rule went into effect yesterday, but in 26 states and in over 2,500 schools across America, the new rule is being blocked from enforcement.

[kemetic-dreams]

Jo Ann Gibson Robinson ,unsung activist (April 17, 1912 – August 29, 1992) was a civil rights activist and educator in Montgomery, Alabama.Known for initiating the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery, AL, USA

Born near Culloden, Georgia, she was the youngest of twelve children. She attended Fort Valley State College and then became a public school teacher in Macon, where she was married to Wilbur Robinson for a short time. Five years later, she went to Atlanta, where she earned an M.A. in English at Atlanta University. After teaching in Texas she then accepted a position at Alabama State College in Montgomery. It was there she joined the Women's Political Council, which Mary Fair Burks had founded three years earlier. In 1949, Robinson was verbally attacked by a bus driver for sitting in the front "Whites only" section of the bus. Her response to the incident was to attempt to start a protest boycott. But, when she approached her fellow members of the Woman’s Political Council with her story and proposal, she was told that it was “a fact of life in Montgomery.” In late 1950, she succeeded Burks as president of the WPC and helped focus the group's efforts on bus abuses. Robinson was an outspoken critic of the treatment of African-Americans on public transportation. She was also active in the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Women's Political Council had made complaints about the bus seating to the Montgomery City Commission and about abusive drivers, and achieved some concessions, including an undertaking that drivers would be courteous and having buses stopping at every corner in black neighborhoods, as they did in European areas. After Brown vs. Board of Education, Robinson had informed the mayor of the city that a boycott would come and then after Rosa Parks arrest, they seized the moment to plan the boycott of the buses in Montgomery.

On Thursday, December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move from her seat in the African area of the bus she was travelling on to make way for a white passenger who was standing. Mrs. Parks, a civil rights organizer, had intended to instigate a reaction from white citizens and authorities. That night, with Mrs. Parks permission, Mrs. Robinson stayed up mimeographing 52,500 handbills calling for a boycott of the Montgomery bus system. The boycott was initially planned to be for just the following Monday. She passed out the leaflets at a Friday afternoon meeting of AME Zionist clergy among other places and Reverend L. Roy Bennett requested other ministers attend a meeting that Friday night and to urge their congregations to take part in the boycott. Robinson, Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, two of her senior students and other Women's Council members then passed out the handbills to high school students leaving school that afternoon. After the success of the one-day boycott, African citizens decided to continue the boycott and established the Montgomery Improvement Association to focus their efforts. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was elected president. Jo Ann Robinson became a member of this group. She had denied an official position to the Montgomery Improvement Association because of her teaching position at Alabama State. She served on its executive board and edited their newsletter. In order to protect her position at Alabama State College and to protect her colleagues, Robinson purposely stayed out of the limelight even though she worked diligently with the MIA. Robinson and other WPC members also helped sustain the boycott by providing transportation for boy-cotters.

Robinson was the target of several acts of intimidation. In February 1956, a local police officer threw a stone through the window of her house. Then two weeks later, another police officer poured acid on her car. Then the governor of Alabama ordered the state police to guard the houses of the boycott leaders. The boycott lasted over a year because the bus company would not give in to the demands of the protesters. After a student sit-in in early 1960, Robinson and other teachers that had supported the students, resigned their positions at Alabama State College. Robinson left Alabama State College and moved out of Montgomery that year. She taught at Grambling College in Louisiana for one year and then moved to Los Angeles and taught English in the public school system. In Los Angeles she continued to be active in local women's organizations. She taught in the LA schools until she retired from teaching in 1976. Jo Ann Robinson was also a part of the bus boycott and was strongly against discrimination.

[reasoningdaily]

Black students being “bused” to integrated schools, circa 1970. Photo: Denver Post

Friday was the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education that formally struck down state-enforced racial segregation of public schools as violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. An assessment of Brown’s legacy in the Washington Post, based on new public opinion research, made three salient points on how people view its impact today: (1) Retroactive support for the basic holding in this decision is at an all-time high; but (2) many Black Americans are disappointed by the educational benefits of desegregation; and (3) “large segments of the White population oppose strategies that would help make [integration] a reality.” Anyone with a good memory of the fraught history of conflict over desegregation knows that Black disappointment owes a lot to white resistance.

In reality, the full implementation of Brown has been hampered by wave after wave of what came to be known as “white flight”: first from integrated schools and then from public education itself. But even before that happened, the impact of Brown was frustrated by a proviso in the decision itself that desegregation should be dismantled “with all deliberate speed.” This was an amber light that gave southern proprietors of the “separate but equal” school systems Brown theoretically condemned abundant time to challenge more specific measures in the courts and in general drag their feet. This is why over a decade after the decision, I was attending an all-white public high school in majority-Black Atlanta, Georgia.

Eventually, desegregation occurred even in the Jim Crow South, but that didn’t mean actual integration. Even in multiracial jurisdictions, “neighborhood schools” tracking segregated-housing patterns provided one way of escape for white students whose parents didn’t want them in classes with Black peers. But as urban areas outstripped the boundaries of core cities, the ability to reconstruct majority- or even all-white schools in suburbs was a significant factor in “white flight” that perpetuated both residential and school segregation. The controversy over “busing” to overcome “white flight” by overriding school-district boundaries, as federal courts dictated in many urban areas around the country, dominated the politics of education in the 1970s and 1980s. A whole generation of white politicians in both parties — including, famously, the current president of the United States — cut their teeth on “anti-busing” movements, and by the end of the 1990s, the very federal courts that created “busing” threw in the towel and put an end to it.

But long before busing rose and fell, a second and more invidious strategy for fighting school integration was born in mostly rural southern counties with unitary public-school systems that couldn’t be resegregated by school-district or political boundaries: “white flight” from public education altogether. Born in the 1950s when segregationist pols flirted with closing public schools altogether rather than integrating them, white communities and their churches sponsored pop-up private schools, often quite inexpensive, that were universally and accurately known as “segregation academies.” In 1976 in a landmark decision nearly as important as Brown, SCOTUS ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned racial discrimination in private-school admissions. It was so heated a controversy that most historians now believe the threat to segregated church-sponsored schools (including colleges and universities) rather than legalized abortion was the genesis of what came to be known as the Christian right.

Though overtly racist public or private schools became unavailable by the end of the 1970s, white flight from public schools continued, usually accompanied by efforts to give private (and again, often church-sponsored) schools tax subsidies that in effect made them publicly sponsored private schools following religious doctrines and serving a select (and usually majority-white and middle-to-upper-class) clientele. Various and increasingly widespread experiments with private-school “vouchers” have been embraced by Republicans (and, to a more limited extent, by some Democrats) in the 21st century. Most recently, individualizing school subsidies has been a frequent by-product of the conservative “parental rights” movement in education, in which the very idea of public schools as a means of promoting racial, economic, or social equality is under attack. And while some school-voucher programs are marketed as a boon to Black students “trapped” in underfunded public schools, the historical record is that they ultimately produce racially and economically stratified instruction by taking the “public” out of public schools altogether.

The bottom line is that realization of the dream of an integrated public-school system has been frustrated by decades of delays, evasions, and outright opposition stemming from white political resistance — a resistance increasingly championed by today’s Republican Party as part of its pervasive Trump-driven mission of bringing back the “greatness” of America as it existed before the 1960s came along and spoiled everything. Perhaps the vision represented by Brown was always naïve, and the strategies adopted by courts and schools to implement it were sometimes ham-handed or even counterproductive. But just accepting segregated schools is inimical to civic and religious values much older than a 70-year-old Supreme Court decision. Marking 70 Years of White Flight From School Integration

[transformationsproject]

Trans rights are still under attack in the United States. Please visit our website linked below to learn about your state and contact your reps. Here's a thread of today's updates:

Montana HB359 has a hearing Feb 9 @ 8 am, Room 137. This is one of those bills that define drag as simply dressing "other gender", performing in any way, and the wildly subjective "prurient" language. Drag bans restrict access for folks who are gender non-conforming in any way. They loosely define drag as any public performance with an “opposite gender expression”, as sexual in nature, and inappropriate for children. This also pushes trans individuals out of public spaces.

Kentucky HB162 declares both minors and adults being able to seek gender-affirming care an "emergency", This forbids mental health professionals from being able to provide affirming care or refer patients to affirming care providers. Tennessee SB0001 has passed committee, and is on the senate floor. This will prevent healthcare providers from in any way enabling a minor to “identify with, or live as, an identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex” Montana SB99 "Youth Health Protection Act" 3rd reading scheduled and South Dakota HB1080: passed committee Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm. Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.

Wyoming SF0133 passed 2nd reading and would force transgender children to compete on sports teams that align with their "biological sex" at birth. Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth. They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity. Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes.

North Carolina SB49 passed to the Senate; In Kentucky, "parental rights" bills HB173 and HB177 were introduced, along with healthcare bill HB162. Among other things, HB173 redefines bullying ambiguously, making it possible for parents to force teachers to legally report gender-affirming or trans-positive behavior to said parents as "bullying incidents”. Similarly, HB177 introduces a "don't say trans" policy, forbids comprehensive sexual education, and makes it compulsory for educators to "out" students to their parents if they request to be called by a name or pronouns that do not match their "biological sex". Virginia passed the parents' rights bill HB2432 in the house, and took it to the senate. Schooling / Parent's Rights bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans. They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth.

Kansas introduced SB180, disguised as a "Women's Bill of Rights", defining men as "bigger, stronger and faster" than women and proposing "separate but equal" accommodations for women versus men. Missouri SB14 has had a hearing, but no vote conducted yet Sex designation bills make it harder for trans folks to have IDs, such as birth certificates, match their gender identity. They can force a male or female designation based upon sex assigned at birth. Some ban a non-binary “X” marker or require surgery to qualify for ID updates.

Other Bills: Georgia introduced anti-marriage bill SR109, attempting to repeal same-sex marriage, define heterosexual marriages with trans individuals as gay, in what also appears to be a miscegenation bill. Oklahoma SB856 has a hearing (2/9) @ 2pm. Combined with SB1072 it would define grooming as teaching about queer or racial theory.

[atlantagacriminaldefense]

Defending Against Sex Crime Charges in Atlanta, GA

Sex crime allegations are among the most serious and sensitive charges an individual can face in Atlanta, Georgia. These accusations carry significant legal penalties, social stigma, and long-term consequences. For those accused, understanding the charges and working with an experienced criminal defense attorney is essential to protecting one’s rights and future.

Types of Sex Crimes in Georgia

Sex crimes encompass a wide range of offenses, with varying degrees of severity. Common charges include:

Rape: Engaging in sexual intercourse without the victim’s consent, often through force, intimidation, or when the victim is unable to give consent.

Sexual Assault: Unwanted sexual contact or advances, often involving a power imbalance such as between a teacher and student.

Child Molestation: Inappropriate sexual contact or behavior involving a minor under 16 years old.

Statutory Rape: Sexual activity with a person under the age of consent, which is 16 in Georgia, regardless of whether the act was consensual.

Solicitation or Prostitution: Offering or engaging in sexual acts in exchange for money or other compensation.

Possession of Child Pornography: Owning or distributing explicit materials involving minors.

Each charge carries specific penalties, but all have the potential to drastically alter a person’s life.

Penalties for Sex Crimes in Georgia

The penalties for sex crimes vary based on the nature of the offense, the age of the victim, and the defendant’s criminal history. Consequences can include:

Prison Time: Sentences can range from years to life imprisonment, depending on the severity of the charge.

Fines: Substantial monetary penalties are often imposed.

Sex Offender Registration: Convicted individuals must register as sex offenders, which publicly associates them with the crime and restricts their housing and employment opportunities.

Probation or Parole: Ongoing supervision with strict conditions may follow a prison sentence.

Given the profound impact of these penalties, a strategic defense is essential.

Defense Strategies for Sex Crime Charges

A strong defense can mean the difference between conviction and acquittal. Common strategies include:

Consent: Demonstrating that the alleged victim consented to the act, where applicable.

False Accusations: Highlighting inconsistencies or motives for false claims, such as revenge or misunderstanding.

Lack of Evidence: Challenging the reliability of evidence, such as DNA, digital communications, or witness testimony.

Mistaken Identity: Establishing that the accused was not the individual who committed the crime.

Improper Procedures: Examining whether law enforcement violated the defendant’s rights during the investigation or arrest.

The Role of a Criminal Defense Attorney

An experienced Atlanta criminal defense attorney is indispensable when facing sex crime charges. Their responsibilities include:

Case Investigation: Gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing the prosecution’s case.

Building a Defense: Crafting a strategy tailored to the specifics of the case.

Negotiating Plea Deals: In some situations, attorneys can negotiate reduced charges or alternative sentences.

Court Representation: Advocating for the defendant’s rights during hearings and trials.

Importance of Legal Representation

The stakes in sex crime cases are extraordinarily high, making early legal intervention crucial. An attorney can help protect the accused’s rights from the moment allegations arise, ensuring the best possible outcome.

Conclusion

Sex crime allegations in Atlanta, GA, are grave and carry lifelong consequences. However, every individual is entitled to a fair trial and robust defense. If you or someone you know is facing such charges, seeking immediate legal counsel is essential. With the help of a skilled criminal defense attorney, it is possible to navigate the complexities of the legal system and work toward a just resolution.

[daziechane]

You should be able to read that without a subscription. But here it is if you can't:

By Gabrielle Giffords

Ms. Giffords was a Democratic U.S. representative from Arizona from 2007 to 2012. She is the founder of Giffords, a national organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence.

After every shooting, blame and rationalizations fly. I know, because I was shot in the head at a 2011 congressional event near my home in Tucson, Ariz. Eighteen other people were shot at that event, six of whom died. In the weeks that followed, there were all kinds of arguments as to why and how that could have happened. To me, only one rang true: Someone dangerous had access to a gun.

There have now been two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump in just over two months. Two separate assailants, in possession of semiautomatic weapons, came terrifyingly close to inflicting great harm. But the through line here isn’t Mr. Trump. The through line isn’t the Secret Service. The through line isn’t heated rhetoric. The through line is, as it always is, the guns.

We are a country weary of repetitive gun violence. When that happens, you have a school shooting on a Wednesday and the country’s attention has moved on by Friday. You have a country where shootings on interstate highways appear to be a pattern and students in Kentucky miss several days of school during a manhunt for the perpetrator of the most recent interstate shooting. I imagine many people reading this right now might not even know about that shooting, or that manhunt, or those kids in Kentucky, doing schoolwork at home because it’s not safe to go to school.

Political rhetoric matters — but rhetoric wasn’t in the bushes around Mr. Trump’s golf course, or on the interstate in Kentucky, or in the school hallways in Georgia, or at the Trump rally in Butler, Pa. Dangerous people with guns were. The most recent would-be attack on the former president, on Sunday, is an indicator of where we are as a nation: a place where no one is safe from gun violence.

There’s no doubt that our political debate needs to cool down. We live in a participatory democracy with a wide range of opinions. We always have times when emotions are running hot; it’s inevitable.

What’s not inevitable is angry or inexplicably violent people having such easy access to guns. In Pennsylvania, a gunman too young to buy a beer nonetheless got his hands on a semiautomatic rifle. In Georgia, the high school shooting suspect was 14, and used an AR-15-style rifle. In Kentucky, the suspected gunman reportedly sent a text message declaring his intention to “kill a lot of people” and then opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle. Nothing about these episodes was inevitable.

I didn’t grow up in a country with a lot of school shootings, or mass shootings generally. The gun industry was granted broad legal immunity by Congress in 2005 through the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a major contributing factor to the soaring number of gun sales. That was great for gun company profits, and terrible for public safety. With the saturation of guns and loosening of gun laws came, unsurprisingly, a saturation of violence. Gun deaths have skyrocketed since the gun industry received that immunity. So when Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, says school shootings are a “fact of life,” he should know: They weren’t a fact of life in this country until guns proliferated and loopholes in our laws allowed dangerous people to get them.

I am, at heart, a political moderate. I believe that successful governing requires a measure of moderation — pragmatic concessions that lead to the breakthroughs that move us forward. The value of moderation is that it allows us to find common purpose and to act on solutions. But moderation without action is merely a different kind of talk, and talk is not what’s wanted or needed now.

How can we tell Americans it’s safe to send their kids to school, to head to the grocery store, to attend concerts or houses of worship — or political events with their families — if we won’t acknowledge the danger that weak gun laws present, and won’t take reasonable steps to keep them secure? All over the country parents are having to answer their children’s questions about whether school is protected, about why these guns threaten their childhoods and their lives.

One thing I learned as a candidate and elected official myself was never to try to talk people out of their own reality. Americans know the dangers of gun violence. They see it in their communities and on their news every week. Now they’ve seen a heavily guarded former president as the target of gun violence twice in just over two months.

And Americans know the difference between action and inaction. Recent research from my gun violence protection organization, Giffords, found that 95 percent of likely voters in battleground House districts — including 91 percent of people who voted for Mr. Trump in 2020 — support background checks on all gun sales, which would make it harder for dangerous people to get guns. Seventy-four percent of those survey respondents support banning weapons like the AR-15 and the AK-style rifles, the weapons implicated in the events this week, last week and the week before.

I have fought so hard to recover from my grievous wounds. I’ve fought hard to work, to stand shoulder to shoulder with other survivors and demand different gun laws. I’ve worked so hard to find my voice — as hard as it is, as much as I struggle to find the right words — to share not just my story of violence but also my deep belief in the American people, that we can find a different, safer way of living.

It’s Monday morning as I write this. Earlier today, students threw books and papers into their backpacks, grabbed lunch or their water bottles and headed out to school. We have promised them safety, but how can we look them, or their parents, in the face and pretend that the answer is anything other than changing easy access to guns? Our path forward requires us all — leaders, voters, Americans — to name the problem clearly and to take action.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 4.11 (before 1970)

491 – Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. 1241 – Batu Khan defeats Béla IV of Hungary at the Battle of Mohi. 1512 – War of the League of Cambrai: Franco-Ferrarese forces led by Gaston de Foix and Alfonso I d'Este win the Battle of Ravenna against the Papal-Spanish forces. 1544 – Italian War of 1542–46: A French army defeats Habsburg forces at the Battle of Ceresole, but fails to exploit its victory. 1689 – William III and Mary II are crowned as joint sovereigns of Great Britain on the same day that the Scottish Parliament concurs with the English decision of 12 February. 1713 – France and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Utrecht, bringing an end to the War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne's War). Britain accepts Philip V as King of Spain, while Philip renounces any claim to the French throne. 1727 – Premiere of Johann Sebastian Bach's St Matthew Passion BWV 244b at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Electorate of Saxony (now Germany). 1809 – Battle of the Basque Roads: Admiral Lord Gambier fails to support Captain Lord Cochrane, leading to an incomplete British victory over the French fleet. 1814 – The Treaty of Fontainebleau ends the War of the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon Bonaparte, and forces him to abdicate unconditionally for the first time. 1856 – Second Battle of Rivas: Juan Santamaría burns down the hostel where William Walker's filibusters are holed up. 1868 – Former shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu surrenders Edo Castle to Imperial forces, marking the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. 1876 – The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is organized. 1881 – Spelman College is founded in Atlanta, Georgia as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, an institute of higher education for African-American women. 1908 – SMS Blücher, the last armored cruiser to be built by the Imperial German Navy, is launched. 1909 – The city of Tel Aviv is founded. 1921 – Emir Abdullah establishes the first centralised government in the newly created British protectorate of Transjordan. 1935 – Stresa Front: opening of the conference between the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, the Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini and the French Minister for Foreign Affairs Pierre Laval to condemn the German violations of the Treaty of Versailles. 1945 – World War II: American forces liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp. 1951 – Korean War: President Truman relieves Douglas MacArthur of the command of American forces in Korea and Japan. 1951 – The Stone of Scone, the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned, is found on the site of the altar of Arbroath Abbey. It had been taken by Scottish nationalist students from its place in Westminster Abbey. 1952 – Bolivian National Revolution: Rebels take over Palacio Quemado. 1952 – Pan Am Flight 526A ditches near San Juan-Isla Grande Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after experiencing an engine failure, killing 52 people. 1955 – The Air India Kashmir Princess is bombed and crashes in a failed assassination attempt on Zhou Enlai by the Kuomintang. 1957 – United Kingdom agrees to Singaporean self-rule. 1961 – The trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem. 1963 – Pope John XXIII issues Pacem in terris, the first encyclical addressed to all Christians instead of only Catholics, and which described the conditions for world peace in human terms. 1964 – Brazilian Marshal Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco is elected president by the National Congress. 1965 – The Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965: Fifty-five tornadoes hit in six Midwestern states of the United States, killing 266 people. 1968 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. 1968 – A failed assassination attempt on Rudi Dutschke, leader of the German student movement, leaves Dutschke suffering from brain damage.

[mortalprinceoflies]

Name: Luke Blackburn

Age: 39

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual, Polysexual

Fc: Jeremy Jordan

Appearance: 5’10”, fit but has a dad bod (and he’s proud of it!), short dark hair, hazel eyes (they shift between light brown/green/red depending on his mood, but he almost never notices), big smile, multiple ear piercings, style varies between “that one cool teacher” and early 2000’s grunge/punk.

Personality: Clever, excellent storyteller, good listener as long as he’s not stuck in his own head, sarcastic/quick witted, makes dad jokes specifically to embarrass his two older daughters and make his youngest laugh out loud, can’t go through daily life without music in the background, will burst into song whenever he feels like it, petty but specifically in a merciful way, puts on a brave face for his daughters and students but has a lot of trauma, definitely a theater kid, protective, has a vengeful streak.

Occupation: high school guidance councilor (verse dependent)

Talents: singing, acting, playing violin and piano, getting people to open up to him.

Abilities (when he recovers his memories and magic): Fire manipulation, illusion, glowing eyes, transformation into his angel form (blond hair, red eyes, black wings, glowing skin, fiery halo made of eyes, goat/ram horns), vocal hypnosis. He’s not as strong as he was as Satan, not by a long shot, and he can’t wield contract magic, nor does he gain immortality. He can also learn various spells and rituals, if he chooses to.

Likes: Music, peaches, soul food and authentic Mexican food, motorcycles and classic muscle cars, musical theater, spending time with his family, tattoos, tongue piercings, horror comedies, football (he and Riley play whenever they get a chance.)

Dislikes: Organized religion, hypocrisy, grits, pineapple, fishing (he doesn’t have the patience), clubbing, golf, politics.

Family: Mother (Lydia Blackburn née Cromwell), Father (Richard Blackburn), Wife (Delaney Blackburn née Roberts), Daughters (Riley - born July 4, 2004, Morgan - born February 14, 2006, Jayden - born October 31, 2009)

Birthday: July 13, 1984

Background: Nearly forty years ago, during the height of the Satanic Panic, Lucifer and Lilith had yet another falling out. Of course, their relationship had never been the best; he was stubborn and controlling, she was ambitious and bitter, and they’d reached a point some decades ago where even phenomenal sex and the hint of a light at the end of the tunnel weren’t enough to keep them together. To say that the divorce wasn’t going well would be the understatement of the century. Lilith wanted many things that Lucifer wasn’t willing to give up, chiefest among them being half of Hell to rule as her own. She claimed to want to focus on rehabilitating sinners rather than torturing them. Lucifer, paranoid and corrupted as he was, was not only convinced that she was lying, but also that there was no need for rehabilitation in the first place. Sinners went to hell to face endless repentance. It’s what they deserved! What he deserved. They argued back and forth, each screaming and throwing things in an effort to prove they were right. What he didn’t know was that Lilith had already been gathering power behind his back. She had worshippers. Faith. And she was ready and willing to use it against him.

Thus, Luke Blackburn was born to a wealthy couple in Macon, Georgia (US) in 1984 as a healthy human baby boy, and Lilith took over as the Queen of Hell.

As a child, Luke was restless, but well taken care of. He showed an interest in art and music at a young age, though his parents only permitted him to learn to play the violin and the piano in a vain attempt to keep his talents refined. It didn’t stop him from taking an interest in country/western, folk, Rock’n’Roll, and heavy metal. He learned to play songs that they didn’t approve of, and took great pleasure in doing so, even joining a folk metal band in his teen years.

The older he got, the more rebellious Luke grew, denouncing his Baptist upbringing all together. He and his bandmates would regularly go out of their way to organize and run charitable fundraising concerts around the same time as the local churches would, benefitting everyone from homeless vets to at risk youth to local shelters and food pantries. This led to them simultaneously becoming local celebrities and social pariahs, as church leaders labeled them an evil satanic cult. There was a small media shitstorm. Mob mentality took hold. The unfortunate passing of the band’s guitarist in a road rage accident led to them finally dissolving, and Luke has carried guilt over it ever since, even though it wasn’t his fault.

He was seventeen and still trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life when his mother finally saw how much he was struggling. She tried to connect with him, to help him, but he pulled away, convinced that she was just trying to get him to go back to church. It took several tries for her to make even the smallest crack in the barriers he’d put up, but when she showed up at one of the shelters he was volunteering at and started working, those barriers began to crumble. They began talking more, carpooling, coordinating. Coexisting. When she told him that she hadn’t been to a church service since his friend’s funeral, he was shocked, immediately asking why. She said it felt hollow to worship a god who would condemn a young man for being different, especially when he’d done so much good for others, and that she couldn’t stand how the worshippers of such a god talked about the people around them. As if they were below or lesser than. She confessed that she’d been struggling with her faith for a long time beforehand, but only recently realized why.

Luke and his mother continued to grow closer after that. She was the first person he told about his sexuality when he was 18, and she accepted him with open arms. His father did, too, at her insistence. When he expressed an interest in studying to become a councilor of some kind, his parents were supportive, paying for him to go to a top university. When he got a girl pregnant at 20, they were disappointed, but more than willing to help out when he said he’d take full responsibility. His eldest daughter, Riley, was born just before his 21st birthday, and while he never married her mother, he was a very dedicated co-parent. He met his future wife shortly after that, a spunky law student named Delaney who knew she wanted him almost immediately. Her boyfriend at the time was also into him, and the two would regularly invite him over for threesomes, but he rarely had the time or energy to accept due to school and parental duties. It wasn’t until Delaney made an effort to connect with baby Riley that Luke realized that he could see himself spending the rest of his life with her. He proposed on a brisk spring morning. She eagerly accepted, having broken up with her boyfriend only a month prior, and even insisted that they get married over Spring Break at a courthouse. He was a bit taken aback by her overenthusiasm, but she was earnest when she told him that she wanted to build a life with him and Riley.

His parents were not thrilled with the suddenness of the wedding, but agreed to go along with it as long as they were allowed to host a larger ceremony later on in the summer or early fall. Luke and Delaney happily made the compromise. By the time the ceremony rolled around, Delaney was already pregnant with their first daughter, Morgan, who was born the following Valentine’s Day. After that, the couple made the decision not to have any more kids until after both of them were out of school and working steady jobs.

Things were rocky for a while, but they made it work, becoming quite the formidable team. Delaney graduated first, and was almost instantly offered a position at Luke’s father’s law firm, which she graciously accepted. Luke graduated that fall, having finished his degree early, and took a guidance councilor position at the high school he graduated from. He and his wife coordinated their schedules so that at least one of them was always home with the girls, which was challenging but doable. Things were looking up for the Blackburn family. Mostly. It was around this time that Luke began having horrific nightmares of hellfire and brimstone, of tortured faces that seemed both far too familiar and totally unrecognizable. He began losing sleep, which Delaney recognized quickly and confronted him about. When he told her about his fucked up dreams, she held him, tried to comfort him, encouraged him to seek therapy, which he resisted at first, but eventually agreed to. It helped him more than he thought it would, causing him to open up about past traumas that he’d previously kept locked away. Things got better again, slowly but surely.

Jayden was a surprise, but definitely a pleasant one! She was born on Halloween, a holiday baby like her sisters before her, and instantly captivated Riley and Morgan. Her whole family adored her, and still does! Even now, in the thick of their teen years, with Riley off at college, the three sisters are thick as thieves. Morgan is a junior in high school, and she does her best to protect and help Jayden through her freshman year. Luke legitimately couldn’t be prouder!

He and Delaney opened up their marriage recently, after having a lengthy conversation with their daughters about what that means. They still love each other passionately, and are very committed to their partnership and the family they’ve built, but they both have an interest in experimenting with other partners and possibly adding a third person to their relationship.

[hiddenhistoryofourenemies]

Joseph Stalin

Note - the entry isn't intended to justify Stalin - the blog was intended to explain how those enemies got to the point where they became mass murderers.

Introduction:

Stalin was a man that history has undoubtedly not forgotten - many of us associate him as a mass murderer, which of course he was. As I said, I will not defend him or (horror of horrors) support the actions of the former USSR president. However, here we will delve into the past of this man with such a lush mustache and the psyche of the aforementioned man. So let's move to Georgia, specifically the city of Gori in the 1870s.

Childhood:

He was a weak and sickly child, the third in the family, the two older ones died in infancy. He had fused second and third toes on his left foot since birth. His left arm was also abnormal and shorter than his right arm due to a childhood injury. He spoke Georgian as his native language, and spoke Russian with a distinct Georgian accent until the end of his life.

Joseph's father had his own shoe factory in Gori, employing at least ten workers, not counting students. Over time, his progressive alcoholism led to the collapse of the establishment. Due to alcohol problems, he beat the boy and his mother. Stalin protected himself from his father's aggression by throwing one of his tantrums at him. Frequent alcoholic libations ended with throwing "Beso" by the boy's mother.

Teenagehood & the beginnings of the adulthood

According to Montefiore, Stalin later always spoke well of his mother, who according to him was characterized by "indomitable willpower", while according to Radziński, after 1917 he forgot about her, visiting her only twice. The woman was washing linen for local merchants. She was very pious, so she sent him to a church school in 1888 to learn to be an Orthodox priest. At school, he especially remembered the teacher Dmitry Khakhutashvili, who introduced iron discipline in the lessons, often beating students.

In 1894, as one of the best students of the church school, he received a scholarship in the amount of 5 rubles at the theological seminary in the capital of Georgia, Tiflis. He sent some money to his mother, but cut off all contact with his father, who had problems with the law (he died in a drunken fight). Stalin did not like the seminary. As he claimed, "Jesuit" teaching methods prevailed in it, based on interference in the private lives of students. During his studies, he became interested in Marxism. In 1898, his name was included in the list of the most unruly seminarians. There is information next to the entries. Pupil of J. Dżugashvili reads forbidden books. J. Dzhugashvili published an illegal newspaper. In 1899 he was expelled from the university. As he later claimed, he was expelled for promoting Marxism.

Psychology perspective

Now we know what happened to Stalin - one of the biggest mass murderers that ever existed.

Knowing that we can distinguish 2 things (these are MINE speculations, take this diagnose with a grain of salt):

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) - As we already know Stalin's father was alcoholic and an abusive parent. The effects could be various, for example:

Adjustment disorder occurs in response to a stressful life event (or events). The emotional or behavioral symptoms a person experiences in response to the stressor are generally more severe or more intense than what would be reasonably expected for the type of event that occurred.

Symptoms can include feeling tense, sad or hopeless; withdrawing from other people; acting defiantly or showing impulsive behavior; or physical manifestations like tremors, palpitations, and headaches. The symptoms cause significant distress or problems functioning in key areas of someone’s life, for example, at work, school or in social interactions. Symptoms of adjustment disorders begin within three months of a stressful event and last no longer than six months after the stressor or its consequences have ended.

2. RAD (Reactive attachment disorder) - RAD is characterized by markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate ways of relating socially in most contexts. It can take the form of a persistent failure to initiate or respond to most social interactions in a developmentally appropriate way—known as the "inhibited form". In the DSM-5, the "disinhibited form" is considered a separate diagnosis named "disinhibited attachment disorder".

The Ending:

I'm telling you, monsters aren't born, they're made.” - "Seduced in the Dark" by C.J. Jones

History is repeating itself - we, humans are made this way. Even though we try so hard we're always stuck in the same cycle of death,destruction and hatred. Some people can learn - how to break the cycle, others don't care or even don't know how get out from this loop.

Stalin as many other mass murderers was doing the same thing that the abuser did - Joseph's father was an alcoholic and an abuser who beated him up along with his mother.

This can give one lesson - We humans are creating monsters, mass murderers - those who's mind is twisted and filled with hatred and rage. Or even fear.

This is a lesson from the real life - as a parent you have to be careful because YOU can create a cold-hearted and mentally ill killer without empathy or regrets.

That's it for today.

Have a nice day - Bye!

[atdmoney1]

What is a Payday Loan?

 A payday loan is a type of short-term loan that can be issued at a store or online. It's repaid in a single payment on the borrower's next payday, or after income from another source is received.

These loans are often marketed as a way to help people with financial emergencies between their paychecks. However, they can lead to a vicious cycle of debt for those who can't repay them on time.

Payday loans are a type of short-term loan

A payday loan is a short-term, small-sum loan that's intended to be repaid on your next paycheck. They're a popular option for people who don't have good credit, but they can be costly and cause serious financial problems.

These loans have high-interest rates and can create a cycle of debt that's hard to break. They are also dangerous for people who have a low income or no credit history.

Payday loans are often offered by check-cashing businesses or finance companies that offer a range of consumer financial services. These companies are regulated under the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Act of 2010.

In some states, payday loans are illegal. Sixteen states--Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Vermont--and the District of Columbia outlaw payday loans.

The main reason people get payday loans is to cover recurring costs. This includes student loan payments, everyday transportation costs, and other expenses that come up on a regular basis.

To repay a payday loan, you write a postdated check or authorize the lender to electronically debit your checking account. The money is due on your next payday, generally two to four weeks from the date the loan was made.

Many payday lenders charge fees of up to $30 for every $100 you borrow. These fees add up quickly, resulting in an average annual percentage rate of almost 400% for a two-week payday loan, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Another way to avoid payday loans is to build up an emergency fund. If you save even a few hundred dollars, you can cover unexpected expenses such as car repairs or medical bills.

You can also reach out to a local community organization for free funds or to an alternative lender that offers lower interest rates. NerdWallet's database of local alternatives to payday loans can help you find the right solution for your situation.

In addition, be sure to shop around for a low-interest rate when you do take out a payday loan. You can do this by comparing interest rates, fees, and other charges.

They are issued at a store or online

In a nutshell, a payday loan is the name of a smallish cash loan (usually less than $1500) that can be borrowed from most bank and credit union branches. They can be obtained by presenting a photo ID, proof of address, and employment details, and they usually carry an interest rate of about 50%. The loan is usually repaid in one lump sum on your next payday or, more likely, within two weeks. The best way to get the most bang for your buck is to take the time to research which lenders are available in your local area. A quick Google search or a trip to your local bank branch should give you a few good recommendations. Alternatively, you could opt to use a comparison website to find the top payday lenders. The site will also tell you which lenders are regulated and the best prices for your money. The most important thing to remember is that you need to be honest with yourself and your lender to avoid getting into debt. To that end, it’s time to get your budget in order before you even think about a payday loan.

They are repaid in a single payment

Typically, borrowers repay payday loans in a single payment on or around the borrower’s next payday. The lender will either ask you to write a post-dated check for the full loan amount plus fees or it can electronically withdraw funds from your bank account.

While a payday loan may seem like a fast solution to an emergency, it’s important to remember that the interest on these loans is often high. A better solution would be to set aside extra cash each month to cover your expenses until you have an emergency that requires a larger amount of money. This will allow you to avoid paying high-interest rates on a payday loan and keep your credit score healthy. There are other options that can offer you a similar speed of cash, such as credit cards and pawnshops. You might also want to consider a local community organization that offers free funds to help you meet your basic monthly expenses, such as rent or utilities.

They are a form of credit

A payday loan is a form of credit that is issued at a store or online and that requires your signature to run a check or authorize an electronic withdrawal from your bank account. They are typically issued for up to two weeks, although some lenders can extend the loan up to a month, depending on the lender���s policies. Usually, you repay the full amount plus interest on your next payday, which can be up to one month after you receive the loan.

While they may seem like a quick fix, payday loans can quickly turn into a cycle of debt that leaves you paying fees and accrued interest every time you borrow money. Instead of seeking a payday loan, consider a personal loan or working with your credit union to get an affordable small-dollar loan. You can also consider reducing your expenses by eliminating unnecessary or unneeded items from your budget. By doing so, you will free up funds for emergencies, which could make you less likely to turn to payday loans in the future.

[worldofwardcraft]

The laboratories of democracy.

It's been a while since WoW took a look at the governmental insanity raging in those benighted states dominated by Republicans. So let's take a tour of some red states and see what MAGA-addled lawmaking is on the menu.

• A new bill (Senate File 167) introduced in the Iowa legislature would rewrite the state's child labor law to allow kids as young as 14 to be employed in previously prohibited jobs — like working in meatpacking plants; operating power-driven metal punching or shearing machines, band or circular saws, guillotine shears or paper balers; and engaging in roofing operations or demolition work — as long as they're in an "approved" apprenticeship program. The bill also exempts businesses from civil liability if a student is injured or killed on the job.

• In South Carolina, the Prenatal Equal Protection Act (House Bill 3549) currently in the statehouse declares getting an abortion equivalent to committing a homicide, making any woman who gets one eligible for the death penalty.

• Earlier this week, Georgia Republicans passed House Bill 231, creating an oversight committee with "the power to discipline, remove, and cause involuntary retirement of appointed or elected district attorneys." In a related story, Fulton County DA Fani Willis is currently deciding whether to indict Donald Trump for his election tampering in 2020.

• In Tennessee, Republican governor Bill Lee recently signed into law a bill that would restrict public drag shows. And while his state is the first to enact such a law, a total of 14 similar bills have been introduced in eight other states. No word yet on whether women will be prohibited from wearing pants.

• Republicans in Florida have introduced the Information Dissemination Act (Senate Bill 1316) that would force independent journalists who blog about Dear Leader Ron DeSantis, members of his cabinet or the Florida legislature to register with the state or face fines of up to $2,500.

• Finally, another Florida creation (SB 1248) was filed last week. This bill would “immediately cancel” any political party whose platform “previously advocated for, or been in support of, slavery or involuntary servitude.” That's right, it bans the Democratic Party. Any registered Democrat would therefore be notified that their party no longer exists. And, no, we didn't make this one up.

Fortunately, most of these proposals are merely intended either as performance art for exciting the right-wing rubes, or as a means for making slightly less loony ideas seem acceptable. But they do suggest the kind of legislative experiments the mad scientists of MAGA-land are up to.

[spacestationjukebox]

Transgender people in the USA need help now!

My heart hurts. I'm not the best at describing my emotions, but that's what it feels like. The United States of America continues to single out transgender people, young and old, and become hostile for them to live in. In 2021, 28 bills have already been introduced targeting trans youth.

Arkansas legislators overrode the veto from Governor Asa Hutchinson and passed HB1570. This bill makes trans youth unable to obtain gender-affirming healthcare. Puberty blockers will be barred from trans youth who are scared of their growing bodies and hormones will be unavailable to trans minors as well. Surgeries will also be unavailable. Arkansas legislators have also introduced two bills that would ban trans students from school sports: SB354 and SJR16

Alabama's Senate Health Committee approved a bill, SB10, that would make it a felony for doctors to provide gender-affirming treatment to transgender minors. Doctors could face up to 10 years in prison.

Arizona has also joined Alabama in introducing a bill that would punish doctors for providing trans youth with gender-affirming health care. They are also introducing a bill that would make trans students unable to participate in school sports. SB1511 and SB1637.

Connecticut legislature is voting on two anti-trans sports bans that would prevent trans youth from playing in school teams "to protect women's rights": SB00324 and HB 05795.

Georgia's legislature is voting on a bill that would criminalize gender-affirming care, namely HRT and puberty blockers, for minors: HB401

Two other bills, SB266 and HB276, would prevent trans athletes from participating in school and university sports programs, even at private institutions, if passed.

Iowa's trans medical ban would prohibit gender-affirming care for minors with the exception of intersex youth if HF193 is passed.

The state is also voting on two bills that would prevent trans athletes from participating in school sports: HF184 and HF327.

Indiana is voting on two bills, both of which would bar doctors from giving gender-affirming care to trans minors: SB0224 and HB1505.

Kansas state legislature is considering whether or not to prohibit gender-affirming care like HRT and puberty blockers in two bills: SB214 and HB2210.

Kansas will also vote on SB208, a bill that will stop trans students from participating in school sports to "create fairness in women's sports."

Kentucky's HB336 would make providing gender-affirming care for trans minors illegal and protect public officials who express views against gender-affirming care if passed.

The state legislature is also debating two bills that would stop trans student-athletes from playing sports: SB106 and HB471.

Louisiana's SB 104 would make it illegal for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to minors without parental, namely gender-affirming therapy, puberty blockers, and HRT.

Minnesota is voting on three bills that would prevent trans students from participating in school sports: HF1657, HB471, and SF96.

HF 1657 would specifically criminalize trans women who try to participate in girls' sports or even try to use the locker room that corresponds with their gender rather than the sex they were assigned at birth.

HB471 and SF96 are bills that would prevent all trans students from playing on school sports teams.

Mississippi's bill that would have banned gender-affirming care for trans youth, SB2171, was killed in committee.

However, Mississippi lawmakers passed a bill that will prevent trans girls from participating in female school sports, SB2536. It is unclear whether or not the law will be signed into effect by Governor Tate Reeves.

Missouri's HB33 and SB442 would both ban doctors from treating trans youth with HRT or puberty blockers.

The state is also attempting to pass four bills that would prevent trans people from participating in school sports: HJR53, HB1184, HB1077, and HB1045.

HB1077 would specifically prohibit any state funding for schools that allow trans students to participate in school sports.

Montana is considering five trans medical ban bills, one of which would make it legal for doctors to refuse to treat any patients: HB113, HB427, SB195, SB245, and SB280

The state's HB113, HB427, and SB195 bills would prevent minors from accessing gender-affirming care like HRT, puberty blockers, and any gender-affirming surgeries like breast removal.

SB245 and SB280 would impact all transgender people in the state if passed. SB245 would allow insurance companies and healthcare providers to refuse to cover or treat trans patients on the basis of being trans.

SB280 would make it mandatory for trans people to have gender-affirming surgeries like a vaginoplasty to change their legal sex on their birth certificate and other official documents.

Montana's HB112 would require public schools to categorize sports teams based on biological sex and not allow trans people to compete.

New Hampshire's medical ban would criminalize and define gender-affirming care for trans minors as child abuse if passed: HB86

HB198 would stop trans athletes from playing school sports on the basis of preventing gender discrimination for cis women.

North Dakota is voting on HB1298, which would stop trans athletes from participating in school teams if passed.

South Dakota lawmakers voted to pass a bill that bans trans students from playing on school sports teams on March 8. Governor Kristi Noem killed the bill on March 29: HB1076.

Oklahoma may pass two bills that would prevent minors from accessing gender-affirming treatments: SB676 and SB583.

The "Save Women's Sports Act," SB331, would prevent trans athletes from participating in school sports teams if passed.

Ohio is voting on a bill that would prevent high schools, universities, and private schools to stop trans athletes from playing in school sports teams: HB61.

Tennessee's legislature is trying to pass two bills that would prevent trans youth from accessing gender-affirming care like HRT and puberty blockers: HB0578 and SB0657.

The state will also vote on two bills that prevent trans athletes in middle and high school from playing team sports: SB0228 and HB0003.

Utah's "Preserving Sports for Female Students Act," HB0302, would prevent trans students from playing sports at the high school or collegiate level.

If passed, the state's HB0092 would prevent doctors from treating trans minors with HRT or puberty blockers.

Spread this! These cannot be allowed to pass.

[reading-writing-revolution]

August 28, 2021 (Saturday)

Today, Americans across the country marched for voting rights.

They recognize that our right to have a say in our government is slipping out of our hands. At a rally in Washington, Martin Luther King III told the crowd, “Our country is backsliding to the unconscionable days of Jim Crow. And some of our senators are saying, ‘Well, we can’t overcome the filibuster,’.... I say to you today: Get rid of the filibuster. That is a monument to white supremacy we must tear down.”

Since 1986, Republicans have worked to limit access to the polls, recognizing that when more people vote, they lose. Those restrictions took off after 2013 when, in the Shelby County v. Holder decision, the Supreme Court gutted the provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that required the Department of Justice to sign off on changes to voting in states with histories of racial discrimination.

That decision opened the way to voter restrictions, but voting laws have come especially fast and furious this year. Republicans have refused to accept that the election of Democrat Joe Biden was legitimate and, in Republican-dominated states, have worked to make sure Democrats do not have the power to elect another president in the future. Between January 1 and July 14 of this year, at least 18 states have enacted 30 laws restricting access to the vote.

Their plan is clearly to make sure those states stay Republican, no matter what the voters actually want.

This lack of competition destroys Democrats’ chances of winning elections, but it also pushes the Republican Party further and further to the right. With states sewn up for a Republican victory, potential Republican presidential candidates have to worry less about winning a general election than about winning the primaries.

Because primary voters are always the most energized and partisan voters, and because for the Republicans that currently means staunch Trump supporters, those vying to be Republican front runners are the Trump extremists: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for example, and even Florida’s Matt Gaetz and Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, who recently have been touring the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire attacking mask requirements and vaccine mandates, critical race theory and the infrastructure bills currently under discussion in Congress.

Vote-rigging in Republican-dominated states leads logically to a Republican extremist winning the White House in 2024.

Congress has before it two voting rights bills that would help to restore a level playing field between the two parties. One, the For the People Act, protects the right to vote, ends partisan gerrymandering, limits corporate money in elections, and requires new ethics rules for elected officials. The House passed the For the People Act in March.

On Tuesday, August 24, the House passed the second of the two voting rights bills, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, also known as H.R. 4, which expands the system of preclearance that had been in the 1965 Voting Rights Act before 2013. Under the John Lewis bill, the Department of Justice has to sign off on voting changes not simply in states with a longstanding history of discrimination, but also in states anywhere in the country that have shown a pattern of violations of voting rights.

Both of these measures are stalled in the Senate, where Republicans, who insist that states, not the federal government, must have the final say in who gets to vote, have vowed to filibuster them. Unless the Democrats can agree to carve out an exception to the filibuster for voting rights, the measures will die.

And today, Americans across the country marched for voting rights.

Today is the 58th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was on this day in 1963 that the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Dr. King anchored the speeches for the day, though: before him spoke the chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a young John Lewis. Just 23 years old, he had been one of the thirteen original Freedom Riders, white and black students traveling together from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans to challenge segregation. “It was very violent. I thought I was going to die. I was left lying at the Greyhound bus station in Montgomery unconscious,” Lewis later recalled.

Two years later, as Lewis and 600 marchers hoping to register African American voters in Alabama stopped to pray at the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, mounted police troopers charged the marchers, beating them with clubs and bullwhips. They fractured Lewis’s skull.

The attack in Selma created momentum for voting rights. Just after the attack, President Lyndon Baines Johnson called for Congress to pass a national voting rights bill. It did. On August 6, 1965, Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act authorizing federal supervision of voter registration in districts where African Americans were historically underrepresented.

Today is also the anniversary of the longest filibuster ever conducted by a single senator. ​​On this date in 1957, South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond began his filibuster to kill the Civil Rights Act of 1957, speaking for 24 hours and 18 minutes. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was designed to protect the right of African Americans to vote, using the federal government to overrule the state laws that limited voter registration and kept Black voters from the polls.

On a day that harks back to both John Lewis’s fight for voting rights and Strom Thurmond’s fight against them, I wonder which man’s principles will shape our future.

[fatehbaz]

Genuinely asking, but that thing with the laws in Texas about felony for blocking access to a hospital or emergency vehicle with its lights on is a felony that sounds like reasonable? Unless the idea is that a cop car with its lights on is an "emergency vehicle"? But blocking an ambulance with its lights on should absolutely be punished

Well, I don’t think anyone ought to be imprisoned by the state -- especially in the US where slave labor is legal, and especially in regions of the US where prisons are built atop slave plantations in extra-humid and hot environmental conditions, and especially since the US uses drug laws and felony convictions to deliberately target and disenfranchise multiple generations of non-white people -- and so I don't trust any legal maneuvering that allows the state to more-easily achieve felony convictions.

Does this complicate the situation and put me in kind of a weird moral predicament, if, for example, reactionary “Virus Truthers” or whatever are blocking access to hospitals? Sure. But the understanding in this case seems to be that Texas is really just targeting Black Lives Matter-type protestors.

Also, this is Texas. And not just Standard Texas, but Texas-in-Desperate-Defense mode under Abb*tt, violently convulsing and lashing-out in response to the perceived threat, however minor, of black/Latin communities reaching a critical mass point where they might potentially achieve even a meager amount of state-level power in the aftermath of Blue Georgia, etc.

Do you trust the State of Texas when it says it’s concerned for your safety?

(This discussion, by the way, is in response to early September 2021 news of the Texas legislature simultaneously passing the infamous abortion restrictions; funding for “the 1836 Project” to white-wash history materials and use state-affiliated offices to spread state-ordained propaganda; prevention of public school students from receiving credit for “civic engagement” activities; requiring professional sports teams to play the national anthem before games; punishing any city that cuts police budgets; etc.)

Texas, Florida, Alberta, etc., all clearly used the p@ndemic as cheap, shallow, and obvious cover to criminalize racial justice and anti-fossil-fuel protesting. In June 2020, Alberta passed the Critical Infrastructure Defense Act, which can be interpreted by courts to mean you can be charged $25,000 a day and held in jail for 6 months for, like, walking down a highway or gathering on the street with more than one other person. These US states also used the reactionary DC Capitol Hill event in January 2021 to re-direct concern-trolling back towards leftist-ish protesting.

In the aftermath of Blue Arizona and Blue Georgia and whatever, when those in power realized that gerrymandering alone might no longer be enough, and that social awareness might be swinging away from the full-on reactionary standards that the US is usually accustomed to, in merely 3 weeks in January 2021, 9 US states introduced 14 major anti-protesting bills, most of which used “protestors could block emergency vehicles” language to fear-monger. Nebraska’s bill would categorize a disruptive gathering of more than 2 people as a “riot”. Also, Nebraska could deny bail to anyone arrested at a “riot”. The version of this law in Nebraska, Mississippi, and Indiana would also punish anyone who “aided” the “riot”, which could include charging/imprisoning someone’s older sister, miles away, at home, for getting on social media to say something like “I support you guys!” The bills in Arizona and Kentucky would allow law enforcement to detain people without charge for 12 hours.

Now, a lot of this legal precedent and language had been practiced in state-level anti-protesting legislation from the past couple of years in South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Louisiana especially, states basically completely owned and operated by energy corporations, where the legislation was specifically designed to target Indigenous protestors and others who demonstrated against fossil fuel pipelines. The term "critical infrastructure" was used to designate railroads, corporate headquarters, pipeline peripheries, etc., as "essential" to public good/health or whatever. Therefore, it would become a felony with severe consequences and mandatory minimum sentencing if the operation of these facilities was disrupted.

In the January 2021 round of legislation, “obstructing traffic” could be considered a felony riot-related offense in the legislation in Oklahoma, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Rhode Island, Kentucky, and Mississippi.

In Oklahoma, Florida, and Mississippi, the legislation protects drivers who, when “fleeing a riot,” strike and kill protestors with their vehicles.

In April 2021, much fuss was rightfully made about how DeSantis signed into law one of the scariest anti-protesting pieces of legislation. And this is Florida, where 20 million people have to put up with this bullshit. The law provides immunity to drivers who strike/kill protestors “obstructing traffic”; makes “blocking a highway” a felony offense; and denies bail to anyone arrested at a protest until their first court appearance. It also created a new felony crime called “aggravated rioting”.

If you think this had anything to do with protecting emergency vehicle traffic flow, DeSantis made it pretty clear when announcing his decision at a press conference in April 2021, saying: “If you look at the breadth of this particular piece of legislation, it is the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country.” And: “But I can tell you that case was bungled by the attorney general there in Minnesota. They didn’t handle it properly.” (Referring to BLM/Chauvin protests.) And: “We also saw around the country people toppling monuments of people like George Washington. This bill protects all monuments in Florida. You have no right to go in and take down monuments, we’re not going to let the mob win the day with that.”

Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Alberta, etc., don’t give a shit about “health” or “public safety”.