#Mississippi State Representative Candidate

[serious2020]

A Virtual Fundraiser & a Conversation on Policy, PPL, & Power in Mississippi

SAVE THE DATE: July 20, 2023 Maurice “Mo” Mitchell – Working People’s Party Candidate Rukia Lumumba – MS State Representative Candidate w/Dr. Akinyele Umoja – Moderator www.instagram.com/p/Cuwq53LAEcp/

[trumpwillkillyourfuture]

People have been comparing Israel's atrocities in Gaza to slavery to explain why they're not voting for Kamala Harris ("her position on Gaza is so unacceptable that I can't vote for her even though her opponent is worse on nearly every other issue I care about"), so here's a relevant history lesson.

The 1844 presidential election was between Henry Clay and James Polk. Clay had what we would now consider an unacceptably moderate position on slavery: He thought that it should be allowed to continue where it was already legal but that it shouldn't be expanded to other parts of the country. Meanwhile, Polk wanted to see slavery both preserved and expanded.

To some abolitionists, Clay's position was effectively no better than Polk's, as the Missouri Compromise had set a policy on slavery west of the Mississippi River that prohibited it north of 36°30′ north latitude (with the exception of Missouri itself), and slavery was already legal in every state south of 36°30′. Many voters, unwilling to vote for either Clay or Polk, found someone to support in a third-party nominee: James Birney, representing the Liberty Party, who wanted slavery abolished entirely.

At the time, this position was outside of mainstream politics, and Birney was seen as a fringe candidate with no chance of victory. Sure enough, Birney came nowhere close to winning any state, but he did get 15,812 votes in his home state of New York. Incidentally, the entire election came down to New York, where Polk defeated Clay by just 5,106 votes. Had Birney's voters voted for Clay instead, he would have been elected the 11th president of the United States.

Instead, Polk went on to be the most pro-slavery president in American history, starting a war with Mexico to gain new land that would be open to slavery. A situation that Birney voters thought couldn't get any worse, Polk had found a way to make worse.

Now, 180 years later, people driven by fury at Harris's support for Israel and a belief that Donald Trump can't make things any worse for Palestinians are at risk of making the same mistake. Trump absolutely can make things worse, most clearly in the West Bank, which multiple members of the Israeli governing coalition would love nothing more than to annex completely, something Trump's biggest donor reportedly wants him to allow. Given Trump's transactional nature, it's likely that he would give Israel the go-ahead to fully annex the West Bank, which would destroy hopes of Palestinian statehood for the foreseeable future. Surely those who support the Palestinian cause can't countenance that happening by refusing to vote for Harris, the only candidate with a chance to defeat Trump?

As infuriating as it is that both major candidates are so unconditionally supportive of Israel's actions in Gaza, the fact is that either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be elected president in November. Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist governing partners very much want Trump to win. It seems safe to say that the vast majority of Palestinians who happen to be paying attention to US politics want the opposite: a Harris victory. Please don't let them down.

[tomorrowusa]

Tuesday is Election Day in many parts of the US.

VOTE! 🗳 🇺🇸

A number of sites provide you with an opportunity to see who is on your ballot and what issues are being contested. They don't include an actual image of your ballot but they do let you know what's on it.

VOTE411 Voter Guide

Sample Ballot Lookup - Ballotpedia

Vote Informed on the Entire Ballot - BallotReady

Of course check the site of your local election authority. In some places it's the county clerk and in others it's a board of elections. The elections mentioned in this post are a small number of those around the US on November 7th.

Because of the GOP SCOTUS overturning of Roe v. Wade, state legislatures now determine whether a state supports reproductive freedom or not. State governments have been badly neglected by liberals for decades — and that situation needs to end.

Both chambers of the state legislature in Virginia are up for election on Tuesday. If both fall under Republican control then the state will join the rest of the South in restricting abortion.

Virginia is not the only state having elections for its state officials.

STATES HOLDING ELECTIONS FOR STATE LEGISLATURE

Virginia

New Jersey

Mississippi

Louisiana

STATES HOLDING ELECTIONS FOR GOVERNOR

Kentucky

Louisiana

Mississippi

There are numerous municipal elections, special elections, ballot measures, and constitutional amendments to be decided on Tuesday.

The biggie is the Ohio constitutional amendment on reproductive freedom. Voters in Ohio have the opportunity to overturn the gerrymandered Ohio Republican legislature's ban on abortion. Vote YES on Ohio Issue 1.

A very local but important contest is the special legislative election in New Hampshire to fill a vacancy in Hillsborough County District 3 (in the Nashua area). Right now Republicans have a one seat advantage in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. If Democrat Paige Beauchemin wins this seat then Republicans will be forced to share power with Democrats in the chamber.

Good candidates for federal office often emerge from state and local government. Before he was elected to the US Senate in 2004, Barack Obama served several terms in the Illinois legislature.

There is no such thing as an unimportant election.

[coochiequeens]

Dear Democratic Party,

don't fuck up 2026

By Mandy Taheri Weekend Reporter

Republicans clinched control of the Senate on Tuesday, setting up a challenging situation for Democrats to overcome in 2026.

Earlier this week, Republicans flipped three Senate seats in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, tipping the chamber's control away from the Democrats. As of Friday, the Republicans have 52 Senate seats and the Democrats 45.

Before this week's election, Democrats held a narrow majority of 51 seats (including four independents who caucus with the party), while the Republicans had 49.

Democrats trailed Republicans in all political races on Tuesday, with President-elect Donald Trump winning the White House, Republicans securing a Senate majority and the GOP possibly maintaining a GOP majority in the House. Not all House races have been called as of Friday morning.

Unlike the House, where candidates are up for reelection every two years, senators serve six-year terms.

Thirty-three Senate seats are open for election on November 3, 2026. Of those, 20 are held by Republicans and 13 by Democrats.

The following states will have Senate seats up for election that year: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Map shows seats up for election in the U.S. Senate in 2026. Ballotpedia

To flip the Senate in 2026, Democrats would need to win all 13 seats and flip at least three others.

While there are paths for Democrats to secure the majority, they currently seem less likely than Republicans holding their lead.

The following states are likely to have key races in the 2026 Senate elections.

Potential Seats to Flip

Maine

Maine is a political split state, with Republican Senator Susan Collins and independent Senator Angus King representing the state, which is led by Democratic Governor Janet Mills.

Collins has represented the state since 1997. She is considered a moderate Republican who spoke out against Donald Trump during his first term.

In her most recent election, in 2020, she won the seat with 51 percent of the vote, with the Democratic challenger garnering 42.4 percent. In 2014, she won by an even larger margin, 67 percent to 30.8 percent.

The Maine Senate seat could be a potential path for Democrats to flip a Republican seat, but given Collins' long electoral history and support, it is unlikely.

North Carolina

Republican Senator Thom Tillis has had two competitive elections in the state, having won the seat originally in 2014, 48.8 percent to Democrat Senator Kay Hagan's 47.3 percent.

In 2020, Tillis secured 48.7 percent of the vote, winning the seat again.

Given North Carolina's history of ticket splitting, most recently seen in this week's elections when a majority of voters backed Trump for president and Democrat Josh Stein for governor, it is possible Democrats could try to flip the state.

Potentially Contested Democrat-Held Seats

Georgia

In 2020, Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff won a tight Senate runoff election against Senator David Perdue. Ossoff clinched the seat by garnering 50.6 percent to Perdue's 49.4 percent.

Ossoff, who will run for reelection in 2026, is expected to face a tight race against a Republican candidate. To flip the Senate, it would be crucial for Democrats to keep Ossoff's seat, although this is likely to be a closely contested race.

Michigan

Democratic Senator Gary Peters took office in 2015, beating out the Republican challenger by 13.3 percentage points. In 2020, he was reelected by a much tighter margin, 49.9 percent to the Republican candidate's 48.2 percent.

Because Peters' victory margin shrank that year, this is a seat Republicans might work to flip. Securing his seat in 2026 would be essential for the Democratic Party's regaining control of the Senate.

New Hampshire

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen has held her seat in New Hampshire since 2009. In 2020, she secured the seat with an over 15-point lead, while in 2014 she had a closer race, winning 51.5 percent to a Republican challenger's 48.2 percent.

Democrats would need to keep the New Hampshire seat to flip the Senate.

While New Hampshire has two Democratic senators, the state's governor, Chris Sununu, and the Legislature are Republican.

Virginia

Democratic Senator Mark Warner assumed office in 2009 and will run for reelection in 2026. He narrowly secured the seat in 2014, with 49.1 percent of the vote versus his Republican challenger's 48.3 percent.

In 2020, he won the state with 56 percent of the vote.

[lboogie1906]

Frederick Madison Roberts (September 14, 1879 – July 19, 1952) was born in Chillicothe, Ohio. He arrived in Los Angeles at age six and was the first Black to graduate from Los Angeles High School. He attended USC, majored in pre-law graduated from Colorado College, and finished the Barnes-Worsham School of Embalming and Mortuary Science. He took over his father’s undertaking business. By 1908 he was editor of the Colorado Springs Light, a weekly newspaper, and two years later was deputy assessor for El Paso County, Colorado. He spent several years as principal of the all-Black Mound Bayou Normal and Industrial Institute in Mississippi. Returning to Los Angeles, in 1912 he bought the New Age and served as its editor until 1948.

Running in 1918 as a Republican to represent California’s 62nd Assembly District, he defeated a candidate who handed out cards reading “My opponent is a nigger,” he became the first Black in the state and on the West Coast to ascend to such high political office. During his 16 years in the State Assembly, he sponsored legislation to establish UCLA and expand the use of school textbooks, and he proposed civil rights and anti-lynching measures. In June 1922 he welcomed Marcus Garvey to the city and rode in Garvey’s parade car. Following his defeat in 1934 by fellow African American Augustus F. Hawkins, a Democrat, he failed in two attempts to become the first Black elected to Congress from California. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[clonebrainrot]

Hey I said I would post about non Star Wars things every once in a while. Anyway I wanted to just say this. When it comes to the election this year don’t think about how it only affects America. Remember it will impact the lives of not only Americans, but literally everyone. America is one of the most powerful countries in the world and I think objectively the most powerful democracy in the world (I know India is a bigger democracy I am just talking about influence on the world)

And as much as we may hate that our two options are two geriatric dudes, one is clearly a better option. Joe Biden. And yes I know how we all wish there are better candidates than Joe Biden, there just aren’t. And due to how voting works if you live in very specific states and you vote third party you may very well be costing him the election. I mean if you live in Mississippi, Hawaii or California by all means vote for whichever third party ticket you want as your vote won’t matter, but if you live in any swing state? Please for the love of god vote for Joe Biden. If not for you just put it into facts. What party doesn’t want to hunt trans people like it’s a sport? What party supports the continuation of gay marriage in the United States? What party has been more supportive of sending aid to Palestine? What party supports a women’s right to choose? What party supports the continuation of ACA? What party continues to support Ukraine (something that if they lost US support Ukraine would inevitably lose the war and live under a tyrant). The answer is the democrats.

Now the democrats aren’t perfect nowhere near close, but there is a party which is clearly better here and it’s the democrats. So please vote this November if you live in the United States, the fate of your country but the world may rest on that decision. No pressure.

Also make sure to vote for your senators and local representatives as well. It’s not just the presidential election that matters.

Yes I know I am abusing the tags on this post, but tagging this as political won’t get it to the right people.

[whitesinhistory]

On September 4, 1875, Republicans in Hinds County, Mississippi, held a barbecue and meeting in the town of Clinton that was attended by 3,000 people. Hoping to curb the risk of violent political conflict, Clinton authorities appointed special police and prohibited serving liquor. When the Republican speakers began making their political speeches in the afternoon, Democratic party representatives unexpectedly joined the meeting and requested speaking time.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln was the dominant political wing of the federal government working to restore national unity and enforce the new civil rights of Black people, while the Democratic Party largely represented the white South of the former Confederacy intent on regaining control of their state governments. The "Radical Republicans" were an arm of the Republican Party that advocated imposing severe penalties on the South for waging the Civil War and also ensuring full political and social equality for the millions of Black people in the South who were now American citizens.

Political realignment during the civil rights movement of the 1960s led to major shifts in party identification, as Southern elected officials and constituents largely left the Democratic Party in protest of civil rights advancements enacted by President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, while the Republican Party stayed silent on civil rights issues to attract the defecting South and later embraced the coded language of "law and order" and "state's rights" to dominate regional politics. But in 1875, Republican politicians in the South—a small minority—were considered agents of federal oppression, friends of African Americans, and enemies of the white supremacy many former Confederates wanted to reestablish.

At the Clinton, Mississippi, barbecue on that September evening, the risk of violent conflict between the political parties was great. In the interest of keeping the peace, Republican officials agreed to accommodate Democrats' request to speak and arranged for a public discussion between Judge Amos R. Johnston, a Democratic candidate for state senate, and Captain H.T. Fisher, Republican editor of the the Jackson Times. 

Both speakers were to be given an equal amount of speaking time, and Judge Johnston spoke first. When Mr. Fisher's turn came, he expressed optimism that meetings between the parties could take place peacefully in the future—but eight minutes into his address, an altercation erupted in the crowd. A gunfight between Black and white people in the audience rang out, as bystanders panicked and rushed to escape the danger. Within 15 minutes, three white people and four Black people were dead, and six white people and 20 Black people were wounded.

Though newspapers reported that the Black people who had fired weapons were acting in self-defense, many white observers were enraged by the Black show of force. That night, armed white men from Clinton and Vicksburg formed roving bands targeting Black men. By the next day, an estimated 50 Black people had been killed. Many more had been forced into the woods and swampland to avoid an attack, where they remained until the attack subsided.

[beardedmrbean]

In an Instagram story posted on Sunday, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, blasted Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein as "predatory" due to her multiple runs for the White House while struggling to grow the third party at the grassroots level.

In 2016, Stein played kingmaker in several key battleground states. Her vote total was higher than Donald Trump's margin of victory in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan—prompting intense backlash from Democrats and political pundits. Not only was Stein widely condemned as a spoiler, but former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was the Democratic nominee during the 2016 election, later accused her of being a "Russian asset."

Ocasio-Cortez accused Stein and the Green Party, which reached its current party status in 2001, for only putting its emphasis on presidential elections. To date, no Green Party candidate has ever held a federal office and only a handful have been elected as state legislators.

Ocasio-Cortez, responding to a question from an Instagram follower about Jill Stein's candidacy, said that "this is a little spicy, but I have thoughts."

"If you run for years in a row, and your party has not grown, has not added city council seats, down ballot seats and state electives, that's bad leadership. And that to me is what's upsetting," the congresswoman said about Stein.

Stein will be on the ballot in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and West Virginia, according to Ballotpedia's most-recent update.

She will also be on the ballot in Montana, Utah, Nevada, Alaska, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Maine, Maryland and Missouri, Stein's campaign manager Jason Call previously told Newsweek.

Meanwhile, the Green Party is on the ballot in Mississippi, South Carolina and Hawaii.

The reason for why Stein is on the ballot in some states and the Green Party is on in others is because of ballot access procedures.

On its website, the Green Party states that "at least 144 [party members] hold elected office in 20 states across the United States as of February 15, 2024." The list includes Green Party members of local school, zoning and tax boards, as well as several city council members.

The New York Democrat said that Stein had been the Green Party's candidate for 12 years in a row. However, Howie Hawkins ran as the party's nominee in 2020.

"If you have been your party's nominee for 12 years in a row, and you cannot grow your movement, pretty much at all, and can't peruse any successful strategy...and all you do is show up every four years to speak to people who are justifiably pissed off, you're not serious. To me, it does not read as authentic, it reads as predatory. I'm sorry, I'm just saying it," Ocasio-Cortez said in her Instagram story.

She also asserted that she's not against third parties, overall, and that she has and will continue to endorse some third-party candidates, even against Democrats.

"What I have a problem with is, if you're running for president, you are the DeFacto leader of your party. I've been on record with criticisms of the two-party system. This is not about that," the congresswoman added.

A spokesperson for Stein referred Newsweek to the Green Party candidate's posts on X, formerly Twitter, in response to Ocasio-Cortez.

The Massachusetts native wrote in one post, "What's seriously predatory is pretending your candidate is 'working tirelessly for a ceasefire' [in Gaza] when in reality they're actively arming and funding genocide."

She wrote in a second post, "Democrats sue to kick us off ballots, hire operatives to infiltrate and sabotage us, lock us out of debates, fight ranked-choice voting, then act concerned that Greens have only won 1400 elections. So which party is authentic, and which is predatory?"

Newsweek emailed Ocasio-Cortez's office Sunday afternoon for comment.

The Democratic Party has gone through considerable legal efforts to challenge third parties from appearing on ballots.

Before independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump, Democratic-funded lawsuits had successfully removed him from the ballot in New York and had tried and failed to remove him in North Carolina and New Jersey.

On Monday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected an attempt by Democratic National Committee (DNC) official David Strange to knock Stein off the state's ballot this year.

Strange said that the Green Party should not be allowed to nominate presidential electors in Wisconsin because it does not have any state officeholders or legislative candidates to nominate these presidential electors. However, the court ruled that "the petitioner is not entitled to the relief he seeks."

Michael White, co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party, said the complaint was a "mark of fear by the Democratic Party."

In her 2017 book, What Happened, Clinton wrote: "So in each state, there were more than enough Stein voters to swing the result."

Nationally, Stein received 1 percent of the vote in 2016, just under 1.5 million votes. In the 2020 election between Trump and Joe Biden, the Green Party's candidate, Hawkins, only received 0.2 percent of the popular vote.

When asked recently by Newsweek if she feared a similar backlash after Trump's 2016 victory when Clinton and many in the Democratic Party blamed her for taking crucial votes in several battleground states, Stein said those "smear or fear campaigns by the parties of Wall Street have never stopped."

"The exit polls showed the vast majority of our votes in 2016 were non-voters," Stein said, stating it is nonsense to claim her party took votes away from Clinton. "That campaign has never stopped and doesn't influence my thinking. My thinking is on the climate catastrophe, economic hardships and stopping endless wars."

In addition to Stein, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris could also lose votes in key states to Cornel West, the "Justice for All Party" presidential candidate.

According to the Associated Press, a cohort of Republican strategists, attorneys, and supporters nationwide are striving to influence the upcoming November elections in a manner that potentially benefits Trump. Their objective is to bolster third-party candidates like West who present liberal voters with a different option that might divert support from Harris.

The funding source for this initiative remains ambiguous, but it holds substantial potential to alter outcomes in states that saw extremely narrow margins in the 2020 election won by Biden.

West's campaign has encouraged the effort. Last month, the academic told the AP that "American politics is highly gangster-like activity" and he "just wanted to get on that ballot."

Trump has offered praise for West, calling him "one of my favorite candidates." Of Stein, the former president favors her for the same reason.

"I like her very much. You know why? She takes 100 percent from them. He takes 100 percent," Trump has said.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Rick McKee, Augusta Chronicle

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 5, 2023

Heather Cox Richardson

In yesterday’s election in Wisconsin, the two candidates represented very different futures for the country. One candidate for the state supreme court, Daniel Kelly, had helped politicians to gerrymander the state to give Republicans an iron lock on the state assembly and was backed by antiabortion Republicans. The other, Janet Protasiewicz, promised to stand behind fair voting maps and the protection of reproductive rights. Wisconsin voters elected Protasiewicz by an overwhelming eleven points in a state where elections are usually decided by a point or so. Kelly reacted with an angry, bitter speech. “I wish that in a circumstance like this I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent,” he said. “But I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede.” Yesterday’s vote in Wisconsin reinforces the polling numbers that show how overwhelmingly popular abortion rights and fair voting are, and it seems likely to throw the Republican push to suppress voting into hyperdrive before the 2024 election. Since the 1980s, Republicans have pushed the idea of “ballot integrity” or, later, “voter fraud” to justify voter suppression. That cry began in 1986, when Republican operatives, realizing that voters opposed Reagan’s tax cuts, launched a “ballot integrity” initiative that they privately noted “could keep the black vote down considerably.” That effort to restrict the vote is now a central part of Republican policy. Together with Documented, an investigative watchdog and journalism project, The Guardian today published the story of the attempt by three leading right-wing election denial groups to restrict voting rights in Republican-dominated states by continuing the lie that voting fraud is rampant. The Guardian’s story, by Ed Pilkington and Jamie Corey, explores a two-day February meeting in Washington organized by the right-wing Heritage Foundation and attended by officials from 13 states, including the chief election officials of Indiana, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. At the meeting, participants learned about auditing election results, litigation, and funding to challenge election results. Many of the attendees and speakers are associated with election denial. Since the 2020 election, Republican-dominated states have passed “election reform” measures that restrict the vote; those efforts are ongoing. On Thursday alone, the Texas Senate advanced a number of new restrictions. In the wake of high turnout among Generation Z Americans, who were born after 1996 and are more racially and ethnically diverse than their elders, care deeply about reproductive and LGBTQ rights, and want the government to do more to address society’s ills, Republican legislatures are singling out the youth vote to hamstring. That determination to silence younger Americans is playing out today in Tennessee, where a school shooting on March 28 in Nashville killed six people, including three 9-year-olds. The shooting has prompted protesters to demand that the legislature honor the will of the people by addressing gun safety, but instead, Republicans in the legislature have moved to expel three Democratic lawmakers who approached the podium without being recognized to speak—a breach of House rules—and led protesters in chants calling for gun reform. As Republicans decried the breach by Representatives Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson, protestors in the galleries called out, “Fascists!” Republican efforts to gain control did not end there. On Twitter today, Johnson noted that she had “just had a visit from the head of HR and the House ethics lawyer,” who told her “that if I am expelled, I will lose my health benefits,” but the ethics lawyer went on to explain “that in one case, a member who was potentially up for expulsion decided to resign because if you resign, you maintain your health benefits.” The echoes of Reconstruction in that conversation are deafening. In that era, when the positions of the parties were reversed, southern Democrats used similar “persuasion” to chase Republican legislators out of office. When that didn’t work, of course, they also threatened the physical safety of those who stood in the way of their absolute control of politics. On Saturday night, someone fired shots into the home of the man who founded and runs the Tennessee Holler, a progressive news site. Justin Kanew was covering the gun safety struggle in Tennessee. He wrote: “This violence has no place in a civilized society and we are thankful no one was physically hurt. The authorities have not completed their investigation and right now we do not know for sure the reason for this attack. We urge the Williamson County Sheriff’s office to continue to investigate this crime and help shed light on Saturday’s unfortunate events and bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice. In the meantime, our family remains focused on keeping our children healthy and safe.” The anger coming from losing candidate Kelly last night, and his warning that “this does not end well….[a]nd I wish Wisconsin the best of luck because I think it's going to need it,” sure sounded like those lawmakers in the Reconstruction years who were convinced that only people like them should govern. The goal of voter suppression, control of statehouses, and violence—then and now—is minority rule. Today’s Republican Party has fallen under the sway of MAGA Republicans who advocate Christian nationalism despite its general unpopularity; on April 3, Hungarian president Viktor Orbán, who has destroyed true democracy in favor of “Christian democracy” in his own country, cheered Trump on and told him to “keep on fighting.” Like Orbán, today's Republicans reject the principles that underpin democracy, including the ideas of equality before the law and separation of church and state, and instead want to impose Christian rule on the American majority. Their conviction that American “tradition” focuses on patriarchy rather than equality is a dramatic rewriting of our history, and it has led to recent attacks on LGBTQ Americans. In Kansas today, the legislature overrode Democratic governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill banning transgender athletes who were assigned male at birth from participating in women’s sports. Kansas is the twentieth state to enact such a policy, and when it goes into effect, it will affect just one youth in the state. Yesterday, Idaho governor Brad Little signed a law banning gender-affirming care for people under 18, and today Indiana governor Eric Holcomb did the same. Meanwhile, Republican-dominated states are so determined to ignore the majority they are also trying to make it harder for voters to challenge state laws through ballot initiatives. Alice MIranda Ollstein and Megan Messerly of Politico recently wrote about how, after voters in a number of states overrode abortion bans through ballot initiatives, legislatures in Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, and Oklahoma are now debating ways to make it harder for voters to get measures on the ballot, sometimes even specifying that abortion-related measures are not eligible for ballot challenges. And yet, in the face of the open attempt of a minority to seize control, replacing our democracy with Christian nationalism, the majority is reasserting its power. In Michigan, after an independent redistricting commission redrew maps to end the same sort of gerrymandering that is currently in place in Wisconsin and Tennessee, Democrats in 2022 won a slim majority to control the state government. And today, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a bill revoking a 1931 law that criminalized abortion without exception for rape or incest.

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

In November, millions of voters in red, blue and purple states voted on the future of our health care directly on the ballot. And Senator Warnock ran his re-election campaign and run-off on health care. Health care, and Warnock, won decisively.

Voters decided to expand Medicaid in South Dakota, meaning more than 40,000 low-income South Dakotans will finally have the health care they should have had years ago. More than 17 million Americans have gained health coverage as a result of Medicaid expansion, part of the Affordable Care Act that became optional as a result of a 2012 Supreme Court decision. Every time expansion of health care through Medicaid is on the ballot, health care wins.

In Arizona, the voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 209, the Predatory Debt Collection Act, with a whopping 72% approval. This measure will protect Arizonans from predatory debt collection, including families suffering from medical debt.

Voters in states as varied as Michigan, Vermont, California, Kentucky and Montana supported abortion rights. In Michigan, Vermont and California, voters approved ballot measure enshrining abortion rights into their state constitutions. In Kentucky and Montana, voters rejected initiatives to restrict access to reproductive health care.

And in Oregon, Measure 111 passed. Voters there made Oregon the first state in the nation to guarantee affordable health care as a constitutional right. Now the state legislature needs to deliver on it, perhaps by moving forward a state-based public health insurance option as Colorado, Nevada and Washington have done so far.

Senator Warnock just won re-election in Georgia as a champion for lower drug prices, as did candidates across the country last month such as Representative Susan Wild in Pennsylvania.

Health care was on the ballot across the country, and the results are clear: Americans want affordable, accessible health care.

This issue is personal for me, because I've been on the front lines fighting for my health care and for the health care of 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions like me. I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2017. The day after my first chemotherapy treatment, Republicans in the U.S. House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act – the insurance paying for the treatments I needed to survive. But health care voters fought to defend the Affordable Care Act from a Congress and President determined to repeal it. We won.

And in the past couple years, health care voters have finally seen progress from Congress: with the American Rescue Plan making health insurance more affordable than ever, and the Inflation Reduction Act lowering prescription drug costs for seniors and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices at last. Yet already those gains are under attack.

Whether voting to expand health insurance through Medicaid, protect families from medical debt, preserve the right to reproductive freedom, or guarantee health care as a human right, Americans showed up and made their priorities known. Health care is a winning issue, no matter the state or political party of the voter.

Voters in South Dakota and elsewhere also demonstrated that state legislatures are blocking overwhelmingly popular legislation. It's time for Representatives in the remaining eleven hold-out states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, to do their jobs. They must represent the interests of their constituents by finally expanding Medicaid so low income Americans in their states can get health care too.

It's also time for Congress to get on board and work to expand lower drug prices to all, instead of threatening to take away what gains on affordable prescription drugs we made through the Inflation Reduction Act.

And once again, we are reminded that the majority of Americans support affordable, legal and accessible abortion access. Abortion is health care. We must continue to advocate for reproductive freedom and show our elected officials that their restrictions on our bodies are unwarranted and unwelcome.

Our fight for affordable, accessible health care continues. There's so much more to do, from tackling prescription drug costs for the rest of us not on Medicare, to ensuring lower health insurance costs to ensure everyone can get access to care.

Voters want health care. Listen up, elected officials.

[13thpythagoras]

could a tax-exempt pastor make a more politically charged series of anti-trans GOP-sympathizing comments while attempting to officially represent their tax-exempt church?

How can this pastor bash the “left” and then argue he hasn’t just endorsed every single right-leaning political candidate in his home state of Mississippi? 

Here is the link to report a church for political activity soas to remove their tax exempt status, please join me in reporting pastor Christopher G. Sykes for fraudulent political activity; please note his church website link will try to install malware if you click it. Please report this LGBTQ+ hating fraudulent criminal asshole with me and put his way of life out of business. 

[girl-innovator]

Week 6 Abortion Rights

1. Roe V. Wade was a historic Supreme Court decision passed on January 22 1973 that protected a woman's constitutional right to choose. It also ruled that the Texas abortion ban that was in effect at the time was unconstitutional. This ruling is historic because it gave women autonomy over their own bodies, and the option not to carry pregnancy to term. And beyond that, it allowed women to take their healthcare into their own hands. 

2. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1920, granted women the right to vote and prohibited any U.S. citizen from being denied the right to vote based on sex. Recently, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made headlines for expressing a lack of knowledge about the 19th Amendment, suggesting she didn't fully understand its significance. This sparked discussions about the importance of civic education and awareness among public officials.

It's concerning when elected representatives are unfamiliar with foundational aspects of American democracy, as it reflects on their understanding of the rights they help legislate. It underscores the need for better civic education, not just for politicians but for all citizens, to ensure a well-informed electorate.

3.I am Registered to vote 

4. This TikTok shows Texas Native Olivia Juliana explaining why she believes incumbent Texas Senator Ted Cruz may lose his upcoming election in November. The way she explains it is quite interesting she doesn't use polls or reference the news she looked at how much money the Texas republican party spent on his campaign during his last election and compared it to now and says that the Texas republican party is pouring money into Ted Cruz’s Campaign. In his last election, he barely won by a 2.7% margin and then the Texas Republican Party was not pouring nearly as much money as they are now. Juliana also mentions that Ted Cruz is going on friendly News networks like Fox to ask for money. Showing how desperate his campaign is. 

5. The restrictive abortion laws passed in states like Idaho, South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas have sparked a lot of debate and concern. I believe these laws disproportionately affect marginalized communities and could lead to a significant backlash, especially as more voters prioritize reproductive rights. It’s possible that this issue will play a major role in the 2024 Presidential election, forcing candidates to address it more directly to connect with a broader audience.

I find it alarming that Texas has implemented some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, including a near-total ban around six weeks of pregnancy. Known as Senate Bill 8, this law allows private citizens to sue anyone involved in an abortion, effectively creating a unique enforcement mechanism that sidesteps state involvement. Which I think is beyond disgusting,  this has created significant barriers for individuals seeking care, often forcing them to travel out of state and raising serious health and safety concerns. I think the extreme measures in Texas could mobilize voters who care deeply about reproductive rights, potentially reshaping the political landscape in the upcoming elections.

[edsrb5b]

American public opinion shows disappointment and concern

Xinhua News Agency reported that on the 12th, the current US President Biden and former President Trump each locked in the Democratic presidential candidate nomination and the Republican presidential candidate nomination for the 2024 presidential election. This means that if nothing unexpected happens, the two will face off again in the US presidential election. American public opinion expressed concern about the emergence of this situation.

According to calculations and reports by many mainstream media in the United States, in the primary elections in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington on the 12th, Biden and Trump won the party respectively, and the number of party delegates to their respective party’s national congresses has exceeded the number required to be nominated as presidential candidates.

Biden issued a statement on the same day, thanking him for letting him represent the Democratic Party again. He also blasted Trump, saying that Trump’s "grudges" and "revenge" activities threaten the "American ideal." Trump said a few days ago that Biden is a threat to American democracy and attacked Biden on age and health issues.

In the 2020 US presidential election, Biden won, but Trump refused to admit defeat and claimed that there was large-scale election fraud, which laid the fuse for the "Capitol Hill riots" on January 6, 2021. House Democrats then accused Trump of "inciting rebellion" and impeached him again before Trump left the White House. Trump has been accusing Biden and the Democratic Party of "political persecution" against him. In the past few years, the political and legal turmoil caused by the election of that year has continued to hit the United States.

Previous polls showed that most Americans do not want to see Biden and Trump "rematch" and expressed concerns about their ability to govern. The Associated Press article said that Biden and Trump both have shortcomings and are unpopular, and their rematch is bound to exacerbate the sharp political and cultural divisions in the United States. Dan Holtell, a South Carolina voter and veteran, told reporters that Biden and Trump "will only fight each other" and it is estimated that the United States will be worse than it is now in the next few years.

In the United States, campaigning is a "money-burning war". Some American research institutions predict that the 2024 election cycle will be the most expensive cycle in American history, and the total spending of candidates on political advertising will exceed $10 billion.

The primary election is the first stage of the US presidential election, and this year's primary election will last until June. After the primary election, the Democratic and Republican parties will each hold a national convention to formally nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates. This year's US election voting day is November 5th.

[thatnerdyfairy]

Super Tuesday

Content Warnings: Donald Trump, Presidential Election, Voting

If you want more updates like this, please feel free to follow or join my Discord Group

Good morning. It is Monday, March 4th and it is a day to be a US Citizen. As many of you may or may not know tomorrow, March 5th, is Super Tuesday, the day that jump-starts the US Presidential Election Primaries. 15 States are participating in Super Tuesday this year and will be holding their primaries tomorrow. These states are: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia are holding primaries. Two states, Alaska and Utah, are holding the Caucuses.

“In 2016, former President Donald Trump won eight of [the] states that are holding nominating contests on Super Tuesday 2024. This year, Trump has won nearly every  GOP presidential nominating contest, having lost only the D.C. Republican primary on Sunday night to Nikki Haley” (CBS). If you are a member of one of these states and do not support Trump, your vote in this primary is CRUCIAL. Data analyzers estimate that March 12th, one week from tomorrow is the earliest that Trump could win enough delegates to become the official Republican nominee for the 2024 election. The states with primaries on or before that date but after Super Tuesday are: Georgia (March 12th), Hawaii (Republican only, March 12th), Mississippi (March 12th), New Hampshire (March 12th), and Washington (March 12th) (NCSL). As dates draw closer I will send out updates and reminders. 

Please remember that if you are registered to vote, you may need to change your party affiliation if you are in a state that holds Closed Primaries. If you are in a state that holds Open or Semi-Closed primaries, you may not need to alter anything before voting in the primaries. 

States with Primaries and/or Caucuses that are happening on or before March 12th are listed again below for your convenience with the type of primary as well as the date of the primary. Idaho (Republican Caucus March 2nd) Partially Closed

Missouri (Republican Caucus March 2nd) Open

Alabama (March 5th) Open

Arkansas (March 5th) Open

California (March 5th) Top Two Open

Colorado (March 5th) Open to Unaffiliated

Maine (March 5th) Open to Affiliated

Massachusetts (March 5th) Open to Unaffiliated

Minnesota (March 5th) Open 

North Carolina (March 5th) Open to Unaffiliated

Oklahoma (March 5th) Partially Closed

Tennessee (March 5th) Closed

Texas (March 5th) Partially Closed

Vermont (March 5th) Open

Virginia (March 5th) Open

Alaska (Republican Caucus March 5th) Top Four

Utah (March 5th) Partially Closed

Georgia (March 12th) Open

Hawaii (Republican Caucus March 12th) Open

Mississippi (March 12th) Open

New Hampshire (March 12th) Open to Unaffiliated

Washington (March 12th) Top Two If you are registered to vote, you can find rules on how voting in the primaries works in your state here: https://allintovote.org/rules-in-your-state/

If you are not yet registered to vote, please do so ASAP here: https://allintovote.org/register/

Vocabulary

Super Tuesday: The “jump start” day for the Presidential Primaries, the day the most states are holding primaries and the most delegates will be assigned in the election process

Primaries: “Primary voters choose their preferred candidate anonymously by casting secret ballots. The state where the primary is held takes the results of the vote into account to award delegates to the winners.” This helps decide who the candidates for each political party will be.

Caucus: Similar to a primary with the addition of speeches and debates by voters to encourage other voters to join their “team” as it were. 

Delegates: “In the context of presidential elections, delegates are individuals who represent their state or community at their party’s presidential nominating convention. These delegates choose a presidential candidate to represent the national party in the November general election.”

Closed Primaries: Primaries in which voters must vote on only the ballot for the party with which they are registered to vote

Open Primaries: Primaries in which voters can vote for any candidate regardless of affiliated party.

Semi-Open or Semi-Closed Primaries: Primaries that are a hybrid of the two above options, with a range of limitations to voting.

Sources

[lboogie1906]

State Representative Robert G. Clark Jr. (October 3, 1928) is a politician who served in the Mississippi House of Representatives (1968-2004) representing the 47th district. He was the first African American member of the Mississippi Legislature since 1894.

He was born in Ebenezer, Holmes County, Mississippi; his great-grandfather had first bought the land after the American Civil War, and his father Robert continued to farm it.

He received his BA from Jackson State University and an MA in Administration and Educational Services from Michigan State University, nearly completing his PhD before entering politics. In 1960, some 800 independent Black landowners held nearly half the land area of Holmes County, which along with most of the American South had sharecropping as the predominant agricultural system.

He became involved in the civil rights movement, which had been working to register and educate voters since 1963. After the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, he agreed to be a candidate in 1967 for the Freedom Democratic Party. The FDP registered thousands of Black voters for the first time since the disfranchisement of their ancestors.

Until 1976 he was the only African American representative in the state house.

He became the first Black committee chairman in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He was named to head the “Education Committee, a position he held for ten pivotal years of change and reform in Mississippi’s educational system. He was at the helm of the Education Committee when the House passed the highly acclaimed 1982 Education Reform Act, as well as the 1984 Vocational Education Reform Act.

In 1982, he ran for congress and won the Democratic nomination, but did not receive party support and lost the general election.

He was elected as Speaker Pro Tempore (1992-2004). When he retired from the Mississippi House of Representatives, he was the longest-serving member in continuous House service. He was succeeded in office by his son, Bryant Clark.

He became the first African American to have a Mississippi state building named after him. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[thxnews]

2024 Marshall Scholarship: Record Winners Announced

New York, NY - In a remarkable moment of academic achievement, the British Government has unveiled the recipients of the 2024 Marshall Scholarships, marking the largest class in the program's illustrious 70-year history. This prestigious scholarship program, named after former U.S. Secretary of State General George C. Marshall, continues to uphold its legacy of promoting academic excellence and international cooperation.  

A Tribute to General Marshall's Legacy

The Marshall Scholarship program, established by the British Parliament in 1953, serves as a living memorial to General George C. Marshall's contributions to the world, particularly his role in the Marshall Plan. This initiative allows America's brightest minds to pursue up to three years of graduate studies in any academic discipline at renowned universities across the United Kingdom.   An Impressive Cohort of Scholars This year's class of Marshall Scholars comprises 51 exceptional individuals who have already distinguished themselves through their academic prowess and potential for making a significant impact on society. The selection process was rigorous, and the chosen scholars will embark on their graduate journeys in the UK next year.   A Broad Spectrum of Academic Pursuits The diverse backgrounds and aspirations of this year's recipients are truly inspiring. Among the group are future diplomats, doctors, fighter pilots, and scientists. A noteworthy fact is that half of the 2024 class will focus on STEM-related degrees, with a strong emphasis on the ethical and technological aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This focus aligns with the UK Government's vision of becoming a "Science & Technology Superpower" by 2030, as highlighted during the recent global AI Summit.  

A History of Scientific Innovation

The Marshall Scholarship program has a rich history of nurturing scientific innovation. Many past scholars have gone on to achieve groundbreaking advancements in various fields. From Ray Dolby's contributions to audio engineering to Dr. Dan Barouch's vital role in developing a COVID-19 vaccine, Marshall Scholars have consistently pushed the boundaries of scientific achievement.   A Growing Presence Across the United States This year's application pool attracted over a thousand candidates from academic institutions across the United States, representing 34 universities from 21 different states and the District of Columbia. Notably, several state and public universities and military service academies are among the institutions sending scholars to the UK. For the first time in history, Mississippi State University, Washington & Lee University, and the University of Hawaii at Hilo will be represented in the Marshall Scholar community. Furthermore, awards have been extended to scholars from the University of Denver and the University of Mississippi after a two-decade hiatus.  

A Scholarship Program with Global Support

The Marshall Scholarship program receives primary funding from the British Government and additional support through partnerships with leading British academic institutions. This collaboration allows scholarship winners to pursue their graduate degrees in diverse academic fields at various UK universities. The 2024 class will commence their studies at 18 different institutions throughout the UK, ranging from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to Loughborough University in Leicestershire.  

A Connection to New York

This year's class includes 11 talented individuals with ties to the New York region. They hail from various academic backgrounds and regions within the state, exemplifying the diversity and excellence that New York contributes to the program. Their achievements not only reflect their personal dedication but also the educational opportunities and support available in the region.   About the Marshall Scholarship The Marshall Scholarship, initiated as a gesture of gratitude for U.S. assistance under the Marshall Plan, has evolved into a prestigious scholarship program offering talented young Americans the opportunity to pursue their academic interests in the United Kingdom. Over the years, Marshall Scholars have made significant contributions to academia, government, and society, leaving an indelible mark on the world. This year's recipients join the ranks of distinguished Marshall Scholars who have gone on to achieve greatness in their respective fields, shaping the future of our nation and the world. For more information about the Marshall Scholarship program, its recipients, and the impact it has had over the decades, visit Marshall Scholarships.   Sources: THX News & British Consulate General New York. Read the full article