#banned from a fifth of the state she’s governor of

[guillotinegloryhole]

i like this. more reserves should start banning politicians from entering their land.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), who has repeatedly pledged to “protect kids” with anti-LGBTQ+ laws, appointed a man to a top state prison post even though he had previously been fired from a local police force for receiving oral sex from a teen girl in a post office parking lot.

Jamol Jones, who Sanders appointed as chairman to the Arkansas Post-Prison Transfer Board in January, resigned last Friday after news agencies reported that the Benton Police Department fired him after he admitted to an internal affairs investigator that he had sexual relations as an adult with a 17-year-old girl, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

The age of consent in Arkansas is 16. A ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors that Sanders signed last year includes everyone younger than 18.

A November 1, 2018 letter from Benton Police Chief Scotty L. Hodges revealed that he placed Jones on administrative leave with pay “until further notice” for lying to an internal affairs investigator about his sexual relationship with the teen. Jones said he lied because he was embarrassed and scared. An investigation found that Jones’s initial job application to join the police force “did not provide or submit certain key information” about the relationship with the minor.

Jones said he and the girl “had talked at the gym” and that “she had identified herself as an 18-year-old” before performing oral sex on him in the Benton Post Office parking lot. Though he denied knowing her actual age, the Benton Police internal affairs investigator wrote in his official report, “There was indication he knew her age and continued the relationship, even telling her that the relationship could not be found out.”

Jones admitted to wanting to keep the relationship secret. He also admitted to never asking to see the girl’s ID, even though he had been formerly trained as a police officer to confirm people’s ages by doing so. The girl’s mother said she suspected that her daughter might have lied about her age to attract male attention, and the mother added that she didn’t want Jones to go to jail over the sexual relationship with her daughter.

Nevertheless, the lie and relationship violated the department’s ethics policy and state law. Though the Saline County prosecuting attorney’s office didn’t file charges against Jones, Hodges fired Jones three weeks later.

When Sanders appointed Jones in January, she said in a statement, “His prior law enforcement experience makes him a clear choice to take on this important role, and I look forward to working together as we empower Arkansans with a safer, stronger state.”

He was meant to serve for seven years as the board’s “chief executive, administrative, budgetary, and fiscal officer” while earning an annual salary of over $95,380. The board he resigned from oversees parole, alternative sentencing programs, and expunging criminal records for eligible offenders.

State Sen. Kim Hammer (R) said that he and other senators “had no knowledge of [Jones’s] actions” before the Senate voted to confirm his appointment to the position, noting, “I was given no indication from the Governor’s office, who vets the application, that there was an issue.”

Sanders’s office didn’t respond to a media request asking if she knew of Jones’ firing from the police force before she appointed him or how her office vets potential political appointees. Her appointment of him seems at odds with her pledge to “protect kids” by passing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

In March, Sanders also signed a “Don’t Say Gay” law, banning classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation before fifth grade, as well as another bill allowing anyone who received gender-affirming care as a minor to sue their doctor up to 15 years after they turn 18 — though a court blocked it. In February, she signed a bill reclassifying drag performances as adult-oriented entertainment.

“The Governor has said she will sign laws that focus on protecting and educating our kids, not indoctrinating them and believes our schools are no place for the radical left’s woke agenda,” a Sanders spokesperson said in a statement when she signed the gender-affirming care ban.

Last November, Sanders appointed an anti-LGBTQ+ Christian nationalist to oversee state libraries. In October, Sanders issued an executive order banning “woke,” gender-inclusive language in government communications.

[tomorrowusa]

Gov. Kristi Noem, a Trump lickspittle, is banned from 15% of her state of South Dakota. She is one of the contestants for the number two position on Trump's national ticket.

As South Dakota governor Kristi Noem vies for a top position in a second Trump White House, she appears to be more focused on shoring up her vice-presidential chances than on making allies at home — to the point that she is no longer welcome in around 15 percent of the state she governs. Over the past few months, Noem has made several comments about alleged drug trafficking on Native American reservation lands, infuriating a number tribes in the state. In February, the Oglala Sioux Tribe banned her from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the fifth largest in the United States, for claiming without evidence that drug cartels were connected to murders on the reservation. The ban did not dissuade her from making more incendiary remarks. In March, Noem said at a community forum in Winner that there are “some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from cartels being there and that’s why they attack me every day.” When tribal leaders demanded an apology, Noem doubled down, issuing a statement to the tribes to “banish the cartels.” In response, the Cheyenne River Sioux forbade Noem from setting foot on their reservation, the fourth largest in the U.S. On Wednesday, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the sixth largest in the U.S., banned her as well. On Thursday, a fourth tribe, the Rosebud Sioux, followed suit.

So far, four tribes are banning Noem:

Oglala Sioux

Rosebud Sioux

Cheyenne River Sioux

Standing Rock Sioux

Alleged drug cartels on tribal lands in South Dakota are the local equivalent of millions of migrants illegally voting in 2020. Bullshit is not just a GOP specialty but a dedicated lifestyle.

[justinssportscorner]

Trudy Ring at The Advocate:

Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, and other sports stars are urging the National Collegiate Athletic Association to allow transgender athletes to compete under their gender identity. The NCAA last revised its policy on trans athletes in 2022. For a decade previously, it allowed trans women who’ve completed a year of testosterone suppression treatment to compete alongside cisgender women. The change in 2022 let the governing body for each sport to set standards on testosterone levels. Now, after another college athletic association barred all trans women from participating in women’s sports, the star athletes and others are calling on the NCAA to stand up for inclusion. More than over 400 current and former NCAA, professional, Olympic, and Paralympic athletes sent an open letter expressing that sentiment to the NCAA Board of Governors, which is having a virtual meeting Thursday. It’s not clear if the trans policy is on the agenda, but “the end of April and beginning of May is typically a key rules-making period for the NCAA,” The Washington Post reports. The NCAA will also hold its annual inclusion forum this week.

“To deny transgender athletes the fundamental right to be who they are, to access the sport they love, and to receive the proven mental and physical health benefits of sport goes against the very principles of the NCAA’s Constitution,” says the letter. Its more well-known signers include WNBA coach Cheryl Reeve, soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, trans male swimmer Schuyler Bailar, and WNBA players Bird, Layshia Clarendon, and Brianna Turner.

Rapinoe, an ambassador for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ equality in sports, also issued a statement through the organization: “The time is now for the NCAA and the nationwide athletic community to speak up and affirm that sports should be for everyone, including transgender athletes,” she said. “To my fellow cis women athletes: the time is now to say loud and clear that bans against trans athletes framed as ‘protecting women’s sports’ do not speak for us and do nothing to protect us. To the trans athletes fearing that they may be sidelined from the sport they love: I see you and hear you and I am WITH YOU. “ The letter continues, “Within the context of broad legislative attacks on the rights of trans people in the United States, opposition to trans athletes is driven by certain politicians who seek to control our bodies, not by science or data. Although trans exclusionary efforts claim to ‘protect women’s sports,’ in reality, they fail to address any of the real, documented threats to women in sports, namely unequal pay, failure to uphold Title IX, rampant sexual abuse and harassment of women and girl athletes, and a lack of equal resources for men’s and women’s teams (as we saw in March Madness tournaments just three years ago).”

[...] The lawsuit in question was filed in March by several current and former college athletes, alleging that the NCAA violated their rights by allowing swimmer Lia Thomas, a trans woman, to compete against cisgender women. One of the plaintiffs is Riley Gaines, who has been particularly outspoken in her opposition to trans inclusion. Gaines and Thomas tied for fifth place in the 2022 NCAA National Championships. The letter points out that four cis women beat Thomas.

The letter from athletes was accompanied by a separate letter from Athlete Ally, 53 other LGBTQ+ advocacy, gender justice, and sports organizations and 56 PFLAG chapters nationwide, plus a letter from more than 300 scholars and academics.

Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, and Cheryl Reeve are among the 400+ signatories to a letter via Athlete Ally urging the NCAA to stand up for trans inclusion in sports.

[theworstfoundingfathers]

Who is the worst founding father? Round 4: George Washington vs James Monroe

George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War and served as president of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Washington has been called the “Father of his Country” for his manifold leadership in the nation’s founding.

Washington was a slave owner who owned a cumulative total of over 577 slaves during his lifetime who were forced to work on his farms and wherever he lived, including the President’s House in Philadelphia. As president, he signed laws passed by Congress that both protected and curtailed slavery. His will stated that one of his slaves, William Lee, should be freed upon his death and that the other 123 slaves should be freed on his wife’s death, though she freed them earlier during her lifetime.

Some accounts report that Washington opposed flogging but at times sanctioned its use, generally as a last resort, on both men and women slaves. Washington used both reward and punishment to encourage discipline and productivity in his slaves. He tried appealing to an individual’s sense of pride, gave better blankets and clothing to the “most deserving”, and motivated his slaves with cash rewards. He believed “watchfulness and admonition” to be often better deterrents against transgressions but would punish those who “will not do their duty by fair means”. Punishment ranged in severity from demotion back to fieldwork, through whipping and beatings, to permanent separation from friends and family by sale.

Washington endeavored to assimilate Native Americans into the Anglo-American culture. He also waged military campaigns against Native American nations during the Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War.

His closest advisors formed two factions, portending the First Party System. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton formed the Federalist Party to promote national credit and a financially powerful nation. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson opposed Hamilton’s agenda and founded the Jeffersonian Republicans. Washington favored Hamilton’s agenda, however, and it ultimately went into effect—resulting in bitter controversy.

In response to antislavery petitions that were presented in 1790, slaveholders objected and threatened to “blow the trumpet of civil war”. Washington and Congress responded with a series of racist measures: naturalized citizenship was denied to black immigrants; blacks were barred from serving in state militias; the Southwest Territory that would soon become the state of Tennessee was permitted to maintain slavery; and two more slave states were admitted. Washington signed into law the Fugitive Slave Act, which overrode state laws and courts, allowing agents to cross state lines to capture and return escaped slaves. Many free blacks in the north decried the law believing it would allow bounty hunting and the kidnappings of blacks.

---

James Monroe (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, and diplomat who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. He is perhaps best known for issuing the Monroe Doctrine, a policy of opposing European colonialism in the Americas while effectively asserting U.S. dominance, empire, and hegemony in the hemisphere. He also served as governor of Virginia, a member of the United States Senate, U.S. ambassador to France and Britain, the seventh Secretary of State, and the eighth Secretary of War.

As president, Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise, which admitted Missouri as a slave state and banned slavery from territories north of the 36°30′ parallel. 

Monroe sold his small Virginia plantation in 1783 to enter law and politics. He owned multiple properties over the course of his lifetime, but his plantations were never profitable. Although he owned much more land and many more slaves, and speculated in property, he was rarely on site to oversee the operations. Overseers treated the slaves harshly to force production, but the plantations barely broke even. Monroe incurred debts by his lavish and expensive lifestyle and often sold property (including slaves) to pay them off. 

Two years into his presidency, Monroe faced an economic crisis known as the Panic of 1819, the first major depression to hit the country since the ratification of the Constitution. The severity of the economic downturn in the U.S. was compounded by excessive speculation in public lands, fueled by the unrestrained issue of paper money from banks and business concerns.

Before the onset of the Panic of 1819, business leaders had called on Congress to increase tariff rates to address the negative balance of trade and help struggling industries. Monroe declined to call a special session of Congress to address the economy. When Congress finally reconvened in December 1819, Monroe requested an increase in the tariff but declined to recommend specific rates. Congress would not raise tariff rates until the passage of the Tariff of 1824. The panic resulted in high unemployment and an increase in bankruptcies and foreclosures, and provoked popular resentment against banking and business enterprises.

The collapse of the Federalists left Monroe with no organized opposition at the end of his first term, and he ran for reelection unopposed. A single elector from New Hampshire, William Plumer, cast a vote for John Quincy Adams, preventing a unanimous vote in the Electoral College. He did so because he thought Monroe was incompetent. 

[quasieli]

[Image description: Five images about the banning of books in US schools. The first three images are screenshots of Facebook posts. The first post reads "My heart is broken for Florida students today as forced to pack up my classroom library. Due to the new law that went into effect on December 31st all Manatee Teachers must remove all books that have not been "vetted" by the state or risk being charged with a third degree felony and losing our license. This applies to both public and government funded charter schools.

The vetting process for new books is cumbersome, so even accepting donated books from parents and community members will not be allowed. The process of finding the list of approved books is also incredibly difficult.

So, please, no matter what side of the debate you're on, if you don't agree with this, contact your representatives! We are losing teachers at an alarming rate and this will make matters even more grave."

The second image is accompanied by a photo of a bookshelf turned to face the wall. The post reads "This is the bookshelf in my daughter's classroom in Florida. She is in her 11th year of teaching Civics (yes, Civics!). Effective today, it must be turned toward the wall until emptied of her personal classroom library, most of which supplement her classroom material. If a parent complains about the content of any of her books, it could lead to a third degree felony charge against her.

How does this possibly inspire any student to stretch beyond the basics?

Yes. I am mad! And so are her students. The students have initiated a letter-writing campaign to their state legislators and their governor. They inspire me!"

The third image is accompanied by a photo of a colorful classroom library filled with books for younger kids. The post reads "Farewell, classroom library. We'll see you soon, I promise. #SaveOurLibraries #TrustTeachers #readersareleaders #desantass #florida As an educator, I have spent the past 18 years of my life dedicated to providing students with quality literature. Helping them connect with books and develop of love of lifelong learning. Receiving notice today that classroom libraries are to be dismantled is a travesty to education, the future of our children and our nation."

The fourth image is a tweet by @Goodable and it reads "The Brooklyn Public Library has announced that any teenager in America is now eligible for a Brooklyn Public Lirary card. Teens can sign out ebooks + audiobooks from wherever they live. The move is designed to combat censorship, with some titles listed as "always available."

The fifth image is a screenshot from Brooklyn Public Library's website. It is titled "National Teen BPL eCard" and the post reads "For a limited time, individuals ages 13-21 can apply for a free BPL eCard, providing access to our full eBook collection as well as our learning databases. To apply, email booksunbanned@bklynlibrary.org.

BPL's eCard is always free to teenagers in New York State. Apply here." End description.]

[stephen-barry]

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is now banned from entering nearly 20% of her state after two more tribes banished her this week over comments she made earlier this year about tribal leaders benefitting from drug cartels

[msclaritea]

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday announced a new public health order that, she said, will ban people from carrying firearms, either open or concealed, in Albuquerque and throughout Bernalillo County for the next 30 days, regardless of whether they have a permit.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, issued an executive order Thursday evening declaring gun violence a public health emergency.

During a news conference Friday, she said she expects legal challenges to the public health order and expressed uncertainty about whether the order would prevail in court.

The order states "no person, other than a law enforcement officer or licensed security officer, shall possess a firearm ... either openly or concealed, with cities or counties averaging 1,000 or more violent crimes per 100,000 residents per year since 2021."

The order applies only to the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, Lujan Grisham said, and can only be enforced by New Mexico State Police, whose presence in the state's largest city would be "significant" over the next month.

Violating the order would likely be a misdemeanor, Lujan Grisham said, and it will have no bearing on private property or at a licensed gun dealer.

The declaration came after a shooting in which an 11-year-old boy was killed near the Isotopes Park in Albuquerque. Police said the incident appeared to be a case of road rage, the fifth such fatal incident in 2023.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The gun ban by the governor of New Mexico is only for 30 days, to highlight that guns are a public health danger. MAGA are spreading misinformation that the ban is permanent. It's not. Ask them what happened to States Rights?

[pashterlengkap]

Minnesota governor signs conversion therapy ban & law protecting trans healthcare rights

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed three laws on Wednesday, including one banning conversion therapy, another protecting access to abortion rights, and a third protecting gender-affirming care access. The laws will defend LGBTQ+ people and reproductive rights against attacks on both by Republican legislators nationwide. In a Twitter message published on Wednesday, Walz wrote, “In Minnesota, we’re protecting rights – not taking them away.” --- Related Stories GOP lawmaker complains that equality for trans people will make her less equal somehow She said the quiet part out loud. --- The conversion therapy ban forbids any medical or mental healthcare practitioner from offering such therapy to minors and “vulnerable” adults. It also forbids any entities from publishing advertising that refers to LGBTQ+ identities as “a mental disease, disorder or illness” or promises to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Practitioners who break the law could face discipline from the state’s health licensing boards. Additionally, the law forbids insurance companies and health care plans from paying for conversion therapy. Opponents of the ban say it’ll forbid religious-based counseling and stop people from seeking help for unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction and “gender confusion.” But mainstream medical and mental health organizations have disavowed conversion therapy as a harmful form of psychological torture. The abortion and gender-affirming healthcare laws both forbid state legal authorities from honoring any out-of-state subpoenas or arrest warrants seeking to bring civil or criminal actions against anyone who helps provide access to abortion or gender-affirming care. These laws will help protect families fleeing other states that have banned or criminalized gender-affirming care and abortions, as well as those that seek to punish anyone who aids someone in obtaining such care. Most abortions are now banned in 19 states, though courts have blocked the bans in six states, according to The Washington Post. While 14 states have banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth, some of these states have also had their bans temporarily blocked by courts. Minnesota is now the fifth state to protect people seeking gender-affirming care: the three others are Washington, Colorado, New Jersey, and California. “Families who have fled are already here, and many more are planning to come,” state Rep. Leigh Finke (D), Minnesota’s state’s first out trans lawmaker, told the Minnesota Reformer. “We’re going to be ready to take care of them and to provide them with the health care they need.” In a statement issued Wednesday morning, Kat Rohn, executive director of OutFront Minnesota — the state’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization — said, “Today is a day that I am deeply proud to be a Minnesotan. The signing of these bills marks the most significant legislative wins for the LGBTQ+ community in this state since marriage equality.” Thanking Gov. Walz for his leadership on these issues, Rohn said, “Today’s signings send a clear message to the LGBTQ+ community: You belong here…. We will continue to affirm our values as a state that trusts all of us to make the best decisions about our bodies and lives, takes pride in providing exceptional health care, and supports communities in need.” In early March, Walz��signed an executive order that directed the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to compile and present a summary of existing scientific literature affirming the safety and effectiveness of gender-affirming care. Additionally, the order informed all healthcare providers within the state that they could bill health insurance companies for gender-affirming care. Minnesota is now the 22nd state to ban conversion therapy. http://dlvr.it/SnC1NF

[reading-writing-revolution]

Heather Cox Richardson:

24 Aug 2020

Trump is running far behind Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the polls. In early February 2020, at its best, his overall popularity rating hovered close to 50%. In the same month, according to a Gallup poll, 63% of Americans approved of the way he was handling the economy. To keep this economic success story going, Trump downplayed the coronavirus, leaving us wide open to its devastation. It hit the U.S. in earnest shortly after this poll was taken. The economy shut down, and we plummeted into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

But Trump is determined to be reelected, so determined that he has begun to suggest he will not accept a Biden victory as valid. There is room to speculate about why he is so obsessed with reelection that he took the unprecedented step of filing for reelection way back in January 2017, on the day of his inauguration. One possible answer is that campaign money can be used to pay for lawyers under certain circumstances. As of May, the campaign had spent more than $16 million on legal services—in comparison, George W. Bush spent $8.8 million; Barack Obama spent $5.5 million; and, in May, Biden had spent just $1.3 million. Another possible answer is that the Department of Justice maintains that a sitting president cannot be indicted.

To pull off a win Trump is trying to guarantee loyal Republican voters will show up to vote. To that end, he is favoring evangelical voters, his most loyal bloc. Last week’s posthumous pardon for Susan B. Anthony was a gift to anti-abortion activists; yesterday Trump explicitly called the attention of evangelical Christians to his lie that “The Democrats took the word GOD out of the Pledge of Allegiance at the Democrat National Convention.” (They didn’t. The Muslim caucus and the LGBTQ caucus, both of which met privately, left the words “under God” out. All the public, televised events used the words.)

This morning he was more abrupt. He tweeted: “Happy Sunday! We want GOD!” And then he went golfing.

He is also trying to consolidate power over Republican lawmakers, making the party his own. The Republican National Convention starts tomorrow night, and it seems it will be the Trump Show. The convention was initially supposed to be in Charlotte, North Carolina, and then Trump moved it to Jacksonville, Florida, when North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, would not guarantee he could have full capacity despite the coronavirus. Finally, in the wake of the under-attended Tulsa rally, Trump recognized that the convention would have to be virtual. But this has left planners scrambling to plan a convention in four weeks, when planning one usually takes a full year. No one seems quite sure what is going to happen.

It is traditional for a candidate to put in a short appearance to acknowledge the nomination and then give a keynote acceptance speech on the last day. But the RNC’s announced line-up features Trump speaking every night in the prime-time slot. The speakers include the First Lady and all of the adult Trump children, including Tiffany, but do not include any of the previous Republican presidents or presidential nominees, which is unusual.

Trump will speak live from the White House. This raises legal questions because while the president and vice-president are not covered by the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities, the rest of the White House staff is. Further, it is against the law to coerce federal employees to conduct political activity.

Vice President Mike Pence will also speak from federal property—possibly Fort McHenry— the First Lady will speak from the newly renovated Rose Garden, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will apparently speak from Jerusalem while on an official trip to the Middle East, although secretaries of state generally do not speak at either political convention. Democrats have raised concerns about the overlap between official property and business and the Trump campaign.

The Republicans have written no platform to outline policies and goals for the future. Instead they passed a resolution saying that “the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda.” The party appears now to be Trump’s.

But….

The Republicans’ next resolution calls on the media “to engage in accurate and unbiased reporting, especially as it relates to the strong support of the RNC for President Trump and his Administration.” And a final resolution prohibited the Republicans from making any motions to write a new platform.

If you read that carefully, you see people trying to convince everyone that they are united, when they are, in fact, badly split.

Trump’s extremism is alienating the voters that other Republican lawmakers need to stay in power, and those lawmakers are trying to keep their distance from him without antagonizing his base. Yesterday, in Portland, Oregon, the police refused to respond as neo-fascist Proud Boys and armed militia members staging a “Back the Blue” rally attacked Black Lives Matter protesters, who fought back. It is a truism in American history that violence costs a group political support, and militia groups are angry because Facebook has banned them, hurting their ability to recruit.

Today, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officers shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back multiple times in front of his children; the shooting was caught on video and has sparked outrage.

Tell-all books are also undermining the president. Yesterday, it came out that when researching her book, Mary Trump, the president’s niece, recorded her aunt, Maryanne Trump Barry, Trump’s sister, discussing Trump. “All he wants to do is appeal to his base,” Barry said. “He has no principles. None. None.” “Donald is cruel,” she said, “he was a brat.” A new book by CNN reporter Brian Stelter shows how Trump simply echoes the personalities at the Fox News Channel. And former Trump fixer Michael Cohen is about to release his own book about his years working for Trump.

Trump also took a personal hit tonight, when advisor Kellyanne Conway announced she was leaving the White House. Both she and her husband, George Conway, a co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, are stepping away from the public eye to deal with family issues exacerbated by the political drama of the past several years.

And the Russia story, revived by the fifth volume of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on Russian connections to the 2016 Trump campaign, is not going away. Tonight, the Daily Beast reported that Jared Kushner—who after, all, could not get a security clearance until Trump overruled authorities-- has been using a secret back channel to communicate with a Putin representative. According to the story, Steve Bannon, who was arrested on Friday by the acting U.S. Attorney at the Southern District of New York and so now has an excellent reason to flip, knew all about it.

This afternoon, Trump tried to change the news trend when he called a press conference to announce what he called a “safe and effective treatment” for Covid-19. The FDA has approved an Emergency Use Authorization for convalescent plasma, a treatment involving giving anti-body rich plasma from those who have had the virus to those ill with it. Studies show that the treatment has some potential, but there has been little scientific study of it, and it is certainly not established as an effective treatment. Federal health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have objected to the EUA until there is more information; Trump has accused the doctors of delaying approval for political reasons. He walked out of the press conference after a reporter asked about the discrepancy between his triumphant announcement of a treatment and a doctor's explanation that plasma has potential.

So the best option for the president to win in 2020 might be to keep Biden supporters from voting. Yesterday, the House passed a bill committing $25 billion to the United States Postal Service and to stop Postmaster General Louis DeJoy from making more changes that are delaying the delivery of the mail. Today, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) refused to take up the bill.

But Americans have figured out that they can avoid using the slowed USPS by turning to Ballot Drop Boxes. So today, Trump tweeted that “Mail Drop Boxes… are a voter security disaster,” that are “not Covid sanitized.”

Twitter slapped a warning on it: “This tweet violated the Twitter rules about civic and election integrity.”

[margdarsanme]

NCERT Class 12 Political Science (India) Chapter 6 The Crisis of Democratic Order

NCERT Class 12 Political Science Solutions (India Since Independence)

Chapter 6 The Crisis of Democratic Order 

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED : Q l. State whether the following statements regarding the Emergency are correct or incorrect. (a) It was declared in 1975 by Indira Gandhi. (b) It led to the suspension of all fundamental rights. (c) It was proclaimed due to the deteriorating economic conditions. (d) Many Opposition leaders were arrested during the emergency. (e) CPI supported the proclamation of the Emergency.

Answer: (a) Correct, (b) Correct, (c) Wrong, (d) Correct, (e) Correct. Q 2. Find the odd one out in the context of proclamation of Emergency. (a) The call for ‘Total Revolution’. (b) The Railway Strike of 1974 (c) The Naxalite Movement (d) The Allahabad High Court verdict (e) The findings of the Shah Commission Report

Answer: (c) The Naxalite Movement Q 3. Match the following:

Answer: (a)-(iii), (b)-(i), (c)-(ii), (d)-(iv). Q 4. What were the reasons which led to the mid-term elections in 1980?

Answer: 1. Janata party lacked direction, leadership and a common programme. 2. Janata party government could not bring a fundamental change in policies pursued by Congress. 3. There was a split in Janata Party and the government led by Morarji Desai which lost its majority in less than 18 months. 4. Charan Singh government was formed due to support of Congress party which later decided to withdraw its support resulting resignation of Charan Singh government within four months. 5. All the above mentioned reasons led midterm elections of 1980, which defeated Janata Party and again Congress led by Indira Gandhi came back to power by winning 353 seats. Q 5. The Shah Commission was appointed in 1977 by the Janata Party Government. Why was it appointed and what were its findings?

Answer: The Shah commission was appointed in May 1977 by Janata Party government which was headed by J.C. Shah, retired chief justice of Supreme Court of India to look into the matters of: 1. Allegations of abuse of authority, excesses and malpractices as well as actions taken in the name of emergency proclaimed on 25 June 1975. 2. The Commission performed to examine various evidences to give testimonies even including Indira Gandhi to appear before Commission, but she refused to answer any questions. Findings of Shah Commission: (a) It found many ‘excesses’ committed during Emergency. (b) Under preventive detention laws nearly one lakh eleven thousand people were arrested. (c) Press censorship took place without any proper legal sanctions. (d) Even general manager of Delhi Power Supply Corporation received verbal orders from the officers of the Lt. Governor of Delhi to cut electricity to all newspapers press at 2 a.m. on 26 June 1975. Q 6. What reasons did the Government give for declaring a National Emergency in 1975?

Answer: Emergency was proclaimed in response to petition filed by Raj Narain to declare Indira Gandhi’s election invalid. (i) On June 25, 1975, the government declared the threat of internal disturbances to invoke Article 352 of constitution. (ii) Article 352 can declare emergency on ground of either internal or external disturbances. (iii) The government decided a grave crisis to be arisen to proclaim emergency to bring law and order, restore efficiency and implement pro-poor welfare programmes. (iv) The President Fakhruddin Adi Ahmad proclaimed emergency which became the most controversial episode in Indian Politics. Q 7. The 1977 elections for the first time saw the Opposition coming into power at the Centre. What would you consider as the reasons for this development?

Answer: The 1977 elections were evolved as a shock to everyone as Congress party was defeated for the very first time and opposition party came into power: 1. The opposition adopted the slogan ‘Save democracy’ against imposition of emergency earlier. 2. The opposition campaigned non- democratic character of rule which provided various excesses. 3. The opposition party highlighted the preventive detention and press censorship to favour public opinion. 4. Janata Party also ensured not to divide non-Congress votes. 5. Middle section of north India was moving away from Congress for whom Janata Party became a platform. 6. Hence, elections of 1977 emerged many other factors instead about emergency only. Q 8. Discuss the effects of Emergency on the following aspects of our polity.

(a) Effects on civil liberties for citizens. (b) Impact on relationship between the Executive and Judiciary. (c) Functioning of Mass Media. (d) Working of Police and Bureaucracy.

Answer: 

(a) Effects on Civil Liberties for Citizens: 1. The government made large scale arrests under preventive detention. 2. Arrested political persons could not challenge arrest even under Habeas Corpus petition. 3. Despite of filing many petitions government claimed it not to be necessary to be informed on grounds to arrested persons. 4. In April 1976, finally it was proved that the government could take away citizen’s right to life and liberty by overruling of high courts under supreme court and accept government’s plea.

(b) Impact on Relationship between the Executive and Judiciary: 1. The Parliament brought in many new changes in Constitution which made an amendment declaring that elections of Prime Minister, President and Vice¬President could not be challenged in the court. 2. The forty-second amendment (42nd) was also passed to bring a series of changes in constitution like duration of legislatures, elections can be postponed by one year during an emergency.

(c) Functioning of Mass Media: 1. Press censorship took place which banned freedom of press and newspapers w7ere supposed to prior approval before they publish any material i.e. RSS and Janata Island were banned. 2. Protests, strikes and public agitations were also banned. 3. Various fundamental rights were also suspended including even Right to move to court for restoration of Fundamental Rights. 4. Kannada writer Shivarama Karanth awarded with Padma Bhushan and Hindi writer Fanishwarnath Tlenu with Padmashri returned their awards in protest against suspension of democracy.

5. Newspapers mainly Indian Express, and the statesman protested against censorship by leaving blank spaces where news items were censored.

(d) Working of Police and Bureaucracy: Refer Part (a) + (b) of the same question. Q 9. In what way did the imposition of Emergency affect the party system in India? Elaborate your answer with examples.

Answer: 1. Due to absolute majority to party in power, leadership even dared to suspend democratic process. 2. The constitution makers presumed to be abide by laws and democratic orders, hence, wide and open ended powers were given to the government during emergency. 3. A tension and differences arose between institution based democracy and democracy based on spontaneous popular participation. 4. It was attributed to incapability of party system to incorporate aspirations of the people. 5. For the first time, opposition parties came together to form a new party ‘Janata Party’ not to divide the non-Congress votes. 6. 1977 elections brought an end to one party dominance and created coalition government. Q 10. Read the passage and answer the questions below:

“Indian democracy was never so close to a two-party system as it was during the 1977 elections. However, the next few years saw a complete change. Soon after its defeat, the Indian National Congress split into two groups The Janata Party also went through major convulsions David Butler, Ashok Lahiri and Prannoy Roy. —Partha Chatterjee (a) What made the party system in India look like a two-party system in 1977? (b) Many more than two parties existed in 1977. Why then are the authors describing this period as close to a two-party system? (c) What caused splits in Congress and the Janata Party?

Answer: (a) The imposition of emergency in 1977 and political crisis made the party system in India look like a two-party system. (b) Two parties existed in 1977 were Congress and non-Congress parties to be described as close to two party system because it ended the one party dominance and emerged Janata Party, umbrella of non¬Congress parties. (c) Split in Congress: Congress splitted on the issues of presidential elections in 1969. Split in Janata Party: On tensions among three leaders Morarji Desai, Charan Singh and Jagjivan Ram for leadership in 1979.

Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark]

Q 1. Mention the main reason for the defeat of Congress party in the elections 1977.

Answer: The opposition party adopted the slogan ‘Save democracy’ against the imposition of emergency. Q 2. In which year fifth general elections to Lok Sabha held?

Answer: 1971. Q 3. Name the political party which came to power at centre in 1977.

Answer: Janata Party Q 4. In January 1974, Students of Gujarat started an agitation against which two major problems?

Answer: 1. Rising prices of food grains, cooking oil and other essential commodities. 2. Corruption in high places. Q 5. Who was Charu Majumdar?

Answer: Charu Majumdar was a communist revolutionary and the leader of Naxalbari uprising. He founded the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist). Q 6. Name the president who proclaimed emergency in 1975 in India.

Answer. President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad at midnight on 25 June 1975. Q 7. Who introduced Twenty Point Programme and Why?

Answer: Congress government led by Indira Gandhi introduced ‘Twenty Point Programme’ to maintain law and order and to restored efficiency including land reforms, eradication of bonded labour, land redistribution, workers participation in management etc. Q 8. Who became the symbol of restoration of democracy?

Answer: Jayaprakash Narayan, leader of Janata Party. Q 9. Mention the Historic decision given by the court in famous Kesavananda Bharati Case.

Answer: That there are some basic features of constitution not to be amended by parliament at all. It led to a crisis between the government and judiciary. Q 10. What was the controversy regarding the appointment of the chief justice A.N. Ray in 1973?

Answer: It became political controversial because in this appointment the government set aside the seniority of three judges who had given ruling against the stand of government. Q 11. Why did Congress win in Southern states?

Answer: 1. The impact of emergency was not felt equally in all the states. 2. The forced relocation and dis¬placements, the forced sterilisations were mostly concentrated in the northern states. Q 12. What do you mean by Preventive Detention?

Answer: In Preventive Detention Act, people are arrested and detained on the apprehension to commit any offence in future and government made large scale arrests under this during emergency.

Very Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks]

Q 1. What factors led to crisis of democratic order in Indian Politics?

Answer: 1. Emergence of Indira Gandhi with a lot of popularity. 2. Party competitions had been created. 3. Relation between the government and judiciary had become tense. Q 2. Mention the factors which led Naxalite movement in backward states.

Answer: 1. Forced labour 2. Exploitation by moneylenders 3. Exploitation of resources by outsiders. Q 3. What was Shah Commission of inquiry? How did government react to it? “

Answer: The Shah commission was appointed in May 1977 by Janata Party government headed by S.C. Shah, retired chief justice of Supreme Court of India to look into the matter of: 1. Allegations of abuse of authority. 2. Excesses and malpractices. 3. Actions taken in the name of emergency proclaimed on 25 June 1975. The government appeared before commission against various evidences but she refused to answer any question. Q 4. Describe any two outcomes of Naxalite Movement.

Answer: The ‘Naxalites’ were the Marxist and Leninist Agricultural workers of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and adjoining areas who organised massive agitations against economic injustice and inequality and demanded redistribution of land to cultivators. Q 5. Mention circumstances to be characterised for imposition of emergency?

Answer: 1. Emergence of Indira Gandhi. 2. Power Politics became personalised and governmental authority was converted into personalization. 3. Bitter party competition. 4. Tense relations between the government and judiciary. Q 6. Who organised the first nationwide Satyagraha and Why?

Answer: It was organised by Jayaprakash Narayan for Indira Gandhi’s resignation, he appealed to people not to obey illegal and immoral orders by a massive demonstration on 25 June 1975. All these changed the political mood of the country against Congress.

Short Answer Type Questions [4 Marks]

Q 1. Explain the reasons for students movement of 1974 in Bihar and the role played by Jayaprakash Narayan in this movement.

Answer: Reasons for Student’s Movement of 1974: Students organised movement against: 1. Rising prices of food grains, cooking oil and other essential commodities. 2. Corruption in high places. Assess Role played by Jai Prakash Narayan: Satyagraha was organised by Jayaprakash Narayan for Indira Gandhi’s resignation, he appealed to people not to obey illegal and immoral orders by a massive demonstration on 25 June 1975. All these changed the political mood of the country against Congress. Q 2. Evaluate the consequences of declaration of emergency in 1975? 

Answer: 1. It effected civil liberties of peoples i.e. in April11976 it was proved that the government could take away citizens’ right to life and liberty by overruling of high courts under supreme courts and accepted government’s plea. 2. The forth-second Amendment was also passed to bring a series of changes in constitution. 3. It affected the functioning of mass media also as press censorship took place which banned freedom of press and newspapers, which were supposed to prior approval before they publish any material. 4. Despite of filing many petitions government claimed it not to be necessary to be informed the grounds to arrested persons. Q 3. Explain any two lessons learnt from emergency imposed in 1975.

Answer: The emergency brought out weaknesses and strengths both to India’s democracy: 1. First lesson was felt that it was extremely difficult to do away with democracy in India. 2. Secondly, it amended that internal emergency could be proclaimed only on the grounds of armed rebellion, on the advice to the president to proclaim emergency must be given in writing by council of ministers. 3. Thirdly, emergency made everyone more aware of civil liberties as well as courts also took an active role in protecting civil liberties of individuals. Q 4. Examine the legacy of emergency of 1975 in India.

Answer: The legacy of emergency was felt in every sphere of people’s life and politics: 1. Between the elections of 1977 and 1980, Congress identified itself with particular ideology, claiming to be only socialist and pro-poor party. 2. The concept of non-Congression was created among oppositions parties. 3. The issues of welfare of backward classes began to dominate politics i. e. northern states elected non¬Congress leaders of backward class since 1977. 4. This period of emergency saw the period of constitutional crisis to loose its origin in constitutional battle over jurisdiction of parliament and judiciary. 5. This period created political crisis also as the party in power enjoyed absolute majority, still decided to suspend the democratic process. 6. The emergency tensed between institution based democracy and democracy based on spontaneous popular participation for which party system was to be blamed. Q 5. Why is emergency and period around it known as the period of constitutional crisis? Explain.

Answer: 1. The Parliament brought in many new changes in constitution which made an amendment declaring that elections of Prime Minister, President and Vice President could not be challenged in the court. 2. The forty second amendment was also passed to bring a series of changes in constitution like duration of legislatures, elections can be postponed by one year during emergency. Q 6. How far do you agree that the government had misused its emergency powers during 1975-77? Explain.

Answer: No, the government hence misused its ‘Emergency Powers’. But it said that it wanted to use the emergency: 1. To bring law and order into society. 2. To restore efficiency into administra¬tion and system. 3. To implement the pro-poor welfare programmes. Q 7. How did emergency of 1975 benefit the Indian democratic set up?

Answer: 1. Between the elections of 1977 and 1980, Congress identified itself with particulars ideology, claiming to be only socialist and pro-poor party. 2. The concept of non-Congressism was created among opposition parties. 3. The issues of welfare of backward class began to dominate politics i. e. Northern states elected non- Congress leaders of backward class since 1977. 4. The emergency tensed between institution based democracy and democracy based on spontaneous popular participation for which party system was to be blamed. Q 8. Describe any four circumstances for proclamation of emergency in 1975.

Answer:1. Emergence of Indira Gandhi. 2. Power politics became personalised and governmental authority was converted into personalization. 3. Bitter party competition. 4. Tensed relations between the government and judiciary. Q 9. Discuss the role of Jayaprakash Narayan in Bihar movement and national politics.

Answer: 1. Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan from Janata Party was a Marxist of youth, who became a Gandhian and involved himself in a Bhoodan movement. 2. He led Bihar movement and opposed the emergency. 3. Bihar students invited him and he accepted on the condition of movement to be non-violent and not to limit only to Bihar territory. Hence, Bihar movement assumed a political character and national appeal. 4. This movement demanded dismissal of Congress government in Bihar and called for total revolution in social, economic and political aspects to establish a total democracy. 5. Bandhs, gheraos, strikes were organised in protest. Even employees of railways organised a strike which threatened to paralyse the country. 6. In 1975, Janata Party led people’s march to parliament to be one of the largest political rallies ever held in capital. 7. Janata was supported by non¬Congress parties like BJS, socialist parties etc., which projected JP as an alternative to Indira Gandhi. Q 10. ‘Emergency was a Blackmark in Indian History’. Comment.

Answer: 1. Emergency was declared on the ground of internal disturbances on 25 June 1975 to invoke Article 352 of constitution. 2. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recommended to impose emergency to president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad. 3. Emergency was one of the most controversial episode which possessed different virus regarding to impose emergency. 4. Emergency practically suspended the democratic functioning. 5. ‘Shah Commission’ exposed many excesses committed during emergency. 6. Emergency highlighted some hidden matters over constitutional battle between the parliament and judiciary. 7. Tensions or conflicts had been arisen between institution based democracy and popular participation of people.

Passage Based Questions [5 Marks]

1. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions: Once an emergency is proclaimed, the federal distribution of powers remains practically suspended and al 1 t be powc itc the hands of the union government. Secondly, the government also gets the power to curtail or restrict all or any of the Fundamental Rights during the emergency. From the wording of the provisions of the Constitution, it is clear that an Emergency is seen as an extra-iordinary condition in which normal democratic politics cannot function. Therefore, special powers are granted to the government.

Questions 1. When was emergency imposed? 2. Who recommended emergency to be imposed and to whom? 3. Mention the implications of emergency.

Answer: 1. 25 June 1975. 2. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recommended to impose emergency to the president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad. 3. (i) The federal distribution of powers remains practically suspended. (ii) All the powers are concentrated in the hands of Union government. (iii) The government also gets power to restrict all or any of Fundamental Rights during emergency. 2. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions: There were many acts of dissent and resistance to the Emergency. Many political workers who were not arrested in the first wave, went ‘underground’ and organised protests against the government. Newspapers like the Indian Express and the Statesman protested against censorship by leaving blank spaces where news items had been censored. Magazines like the Seminar and the Mainstream chose to close down rather than submit to censorship. Many journalists were arrested for writing against the Emergency. Many underground newsletters and leaflets were published to bypass censorship. Kannada writer Shivarama Karanth, awarded with Padma Bhushan, and Hindi writer Fanishwarnath Renu, awarded with Padma Shri, returned their awards in protest against the suspension of democracy. By and large, though, such open acts of defiance and resistance were rare.

Questions 1. Why did people began to protest against government? 2. How did newspapers protest against censorship? 3. How did writers protest against the emergency? 4. Which magazines protested against censorship?

Answer: 1. Against imposition of emergency. 2. Newspaper like Indian Express and the Statesman protested against censorship by leaving blank spaces where news items had been censored. 3. Kannada writer Shivarama Karanth awarded with Padma Bhushan and Hindi writer Fanishwarnath Renu awarded with Padma Shri returned their awards in protest against suspension of democracy. 4. Magazines like ‘Seminar’ and ‘Mainstream’ chose to close down rather than submit to censorship.

Long Answer Type Questions [6 Marks]

Q 1. Analyse any three lessons learnt from the emergency of 1975.

Answer: 

(i) The emergency of 1975 at once brought out both the weaknesses’ and the strengths of India’s democracy. Though there are many observers who think that India ceased to be democratic during the emergency, it is noteworthy that normal democratic functioning resumed within a short span of time. Thus, one lesson of Emergency is that it is extremely difficult to do away with democracy in India.

(ii) It brought out some ambiguities regarding the emergency provision in the constitution that have been rectified since. Now ‘internal’ emergency can be proclaimed only on the grounds of ‘armed rebellion’ and it is necessary that the advice to the President to proclaim emergency must be given in writing by the Council of Ministers.

(iii) The Emergency made everyone aware of the value of civil liberties. The courts, too, have taken an active role after the emergency in protecting the civil liberties of the individuals. This is in response to the inability of the judiciary to protect civil liberties effectively during the emergency. Many civil liberties organizations came up after this experience. Q 2. Examine the three consequences of emergency imposed in 1975.

Answer: 

(a) Effects on Civil Liberties of Citizens: 1. The government made large scale arrests under preventive detention. 2. Arrested political persons could not challenge arrest even under Habeas Corpus petition. 3. Despite filing many petitions government claimed it not to be necessary to be informed of grounds to arrested persons. 4. In April 1976, finally it was proved that the government could taken away citizen’s right to life and liberty by over ruling of high courts under supreme court and accepted government’s plea.

(b) Impact on Relationship between Parliament and Judiciary: 1. The parliament brought in many new changes in constitution which made an amendment declaring that election of Prime Minister, President and Vice¬president could not be challenged in the court. 2. The forty-second amendment (42nd) was also passed to bring a series of changes in constitution like duration of legislatures, elections can be postponed by one year during an emergency.

(c) Functioning of Mass Media: 1. Press censorship took place which banned freedom of press is newspapers were supposed to seek prior approval before they publish any material. 2. Protests, strikes and public agitations were also banned. 3. Various fundamental rights were also suspended including even Right to move to Court for Restoration of Fundamental Rights. 4. Kannada writer Shivarama Karnata awarded with Padma Bhushan and Hindi writer Fanishwarnath Renu with Padmashri returned their awards on protest against suspension of democracy. 5. Newspapers mainly Indian Express, and the Statesman protested against censorship by leaving blank editorial column. Q 3. Examine any six reasons for the imposition of emergency in India in 1975. Or Analyse any three reasons for imposing emergency on 25 June 1975. Did the government misuse its emergency powers? Give any three arguments in support of answers.

Answer: (i) Emergency was proclaimed in response to petition filed by Raj Narayan to declare Indira Gandhi’s election invalid. (ii) On June 25, 1975, the government declared the threat of internal disturbances to invoke Article 352 of constitution. (iii) Article 352 can declare emergency on ground of either internal or external disturbances. (iv) The government decided a grave crisis to be arisen to proclaim emergency to bring law and order, restore efficiency and implement pro-poor Welfare Programmes. (v) The President FakhruddinAli Ahmad proclaimed emergency which became the most controversial episode in Indian politics. (vi) Power politics became personalised and governmental authority was converted into personalization Q 4. Assess any three happenings which were responsible for the downfall of Congress Party in the 1977 elections. Or ‘The 1977 elections for the first time saw the opposition coming to power at the centre’. Examine any six reasons for this change.

Answer: The 1977 elections were evolved as a shock to everyone as Congress Party was defeated for the very first time and opposition party came into power: 1. The opposition adopted the slogan ‘save democracy’ against imposition of emergency earlier. 2. The opposition campaigned non- democratic character of rule which provided various excesses. 3. The opposition party highlighted the preventive detention and press censorship to favour public opinion. 4. Janata Party also ensured not to divide non-Congress votes. 5. Middle section of North India was moving away from Congress for whom Janata Party became a platform. 6. Hence, elections of 1977 emerged many other factors instead about emergency only. Q 5. Explain any three outcomes of Lok Sabha elections of 1977.

Answer: 1. In March 1977 elections, for the first time, Congress lost elections with winning 154 seats only. 2. Janata Party and its allies won 330 seats out of 542 seats. 3. Congress lost from the states of Bihar, U.P., Haryana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. 4. Janata Party was formed of coalitions under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayana. 5. Janata Party called this election as a referendum on emergency. 6. Opposition party realised not to divide the votes to enjoy the power under one umbrella. 7. All these indicated a tough time for Congress ahead. Q 6. What is Naxalite movement? Evaluate its role in Indian politics.

Answer: The Naxalites were the Marxist and Leninist agricultural workers of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and adjoining areas which organised massive agilations against economic injustice and inequality and demanded redistribution of land to cultivators. Role in Indian Politics: 1. Naxalite, did not participate in the elections formally but these were actively associated with parties. 2. Naxalites ensured a better representation of demands of deprived social sections in party politics. 3. These movements retained associations or relations alongwith the political parties either as an individual or as an organisations.

Picture/Map Based Questions [5 Marks]

1. Study the picture given below and answer the questions that follow:

Questions 1. What was the slogan of Janata Party to campaign in elections? 2. Identify the person who is sitting on ground holding the slogan. 3. Against which practices Jayaprakash Narayana agitated?

Answer: 1. Save Democracy. 2. Jayaprakash Narayan. 3. Corruption, lawlessness, violence, and most important against imposition of emergency. Q 2. Study the picture given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question. 1. When did cartoon appear in the newspaper and why? 2. Identify the person behind Indira Gandhi. 3. Identify what does the ‘Political Crisis’ stand for. Explain.

Answer: 1. This cartoon appeared few days before the declaration of emergency to capture the sense of impending political crisis. 2. The then Congress president D.K. Barooah. 3. Political crisis in 1977 made the party system in India look like a two party system i.e. Congress and non¬Congress to end one party dominance and emergence of non-Congress party Janata Party as an umbrella for others. Q 3. Study the picture given below and answer the questions that follow:

Questions 1. What situation does the picture refer to? 2. Which Commission is represented into the cartoon? 3. Mention some points of this Commission’s report.

Answer: 1. Appearance of Indira Gandhi before Commission but refused to answer any question. 2. Shah Commission’s report about emergency. 3. (i) There were many excesses committed during emergency. (ii) Several restrictions were put on the press sometimes without legal sanction. (iii) Many people were arrested under preventive detention law. (iv) Even general manager of Delhi Power Supply Corporation received verbal orders from the officers of Lt. Governor of Delhi to cut electricity to all newspaper presses at 2 a.m. on 26 June 1975.

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[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Anti-LGBTQ+ Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) acknowledged that she spent $19,000 in state taxpayer funds on a lectern that she’s not even publicly using. She paid for it using a state credit card, and the Republican Party of Arkansas eventually reimbursed the state for the lectern, but only after a local blogger revealed the uncommonly expensive purchase.

While speaking to the press on Tuesday, Sanders explained that she would not be using the lectern, even though it was purchased specifically for her public statements as Governor, because the media would “talk about nothing else” if she used it for its intended purpose.

“I figure if you do [use the lectern], you [the media] would talk about nothing else than the important actions that we’re actually taking … which, unfortunately, is not surprising, that while we are focused on things that actually impact our state and impact Arkansans, the media wants to spend all of their time on things that frankly don’t,” she chastised reporters on Tuesday.

Sanders’ office purchased the custom blue and wood-paneled lectern from Beckett Events LLC in June for $19,029.25, “significantly higher than prices listed online for other lecterns,” KTHV reported. On Tuesday, she explained several features that may have added to its cost.

“In terms of specific features, the height of the podium is specific,” she said. “I don’t know if you noticed but women are traditionally shorter than our male counterparts. And so that makes a little bit of a difference…. It also incorporates sound components that make it easier to plug in for multiple media outlets at one time to get the best sound quality, I guess, possible, to relay back to TV and the purposes of that nature.”

In September, local blogger Matt Campbell revealed that Sanders’ office had made the expensive purchase. Sanders’ executive assistant and office manager Laura Hamilton has since been accused of altering an invoice for its purchase, writing an undated note that the item was “to be reimbursed.” Hamilton hasn’t revealed who allegedly told her to add the note.

Sanders’ office has also been accused of illegally withholding and redacting documents associated with its purchase. She has claimed that she purchased it using taxpayer funds as an “accounting error” and said that questions around its purchase are “nothing more than a manufactured controversy.” However, state Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R) has ordered a legislative audit to “get all the facts.”

Although the Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed the state for the purchase, “A check from the party was not written until September, three months after it was purchased,” the aforementioned news outlet reported.

In March, Sanders signed a law prohibiting trans students from using bathrooms that match their gender identity.

In February, she signed a bill reclassifying drag performances as adult-oriented entertainment. In March, she signed a “Don’t Say Gay” law, banning classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation before fifth grade, as well as another bill allowing anyone who received gender-affirming care as a minor to sue their doctor up to 15 years after they turn 18.

In June, a federal judge struck down the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, which the legislature passed before Sanders became Governor.

[yasbxxgie]

For as long as she can remember, Hanna Wagari, a longtime resident of San Diego and the Director of Marketing for a multinational cosmetics company, has straightened her hair every time she’s had a job interview.

“I feel that white people find me less intimidating and more likable when my hair is straight,” said Wagari, who is Black and has a short afro. “People hire people they like, and I am more liked with straight hair. Once I get in the door and get the job, then I don’t care—I’ll wear my hair curly because my work speaks for itself.”

Wagari is only one among scores of Black people across the country who feel the need to change aspects of their physical appearance to avoid anti-Black bias at work or school. For many, this means going to expensive, taxing, and sometimes dangerous lengths to change their natural hair.

Recently, California took historic first steps to rectify this issue. Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the CROWN Act, making California the first state to legally ban workplaces and public schools from discriminating against Black people due to their hairstyles. But some Black Californians suspect that even with these new legal protections, biases against Black hair won’t change.

The new bill, also known as the act for Creating a Respectful and Open Work Space for Natural Hair, was originally proposed by California Senator Holly Mitchell and mirrors similar legislation passed in New York City earlier this year. Specifically, it bans workplaces and public schools from enforcing dress codes and grooming policies that prohibit natural Black hair, including afros, braids, twists, and locs.

The bill’s passage follows several recent cases of Black people across the country alleging racial discrimination in the workplace and at school due to natural hairstyles. Notably, Chastity Jones, a Black woman from Alabama, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court after losing a job offer because she refused to cut her dreadlocks in 2018. In California and across the country, Black children are regularly sent home from school or put in detention because their curls or other natural hairstyles conflict with dress code. And many Black employees have filed lawsuits alleging that they have lost jobs or faced discrimination at work due to their hair.

In California, the Crown Act should be immensely helpful in winning such cases. But some, like Wagari, aren’t confident that it will help correct the notion that natural Black hair is unprofessional or unruly, or prevent the frequent instances of bias and discrimination that are too subtle and insidious to legally pin down.

“I am so glad that the CROWN Act has been passed to protect little girls in schools and also people at work,” Wagari said. “However, it won’t change my practice of straightening my hair for that first or second or third interview. My purpose at an interview is to get the job, so I need to present an image that is acceptable.”

What Wagari is worried about is implicit bias—the ways that negative societal perceptions inform our everyday actions, often without us even realizing it. “Everyone has biases,” explained Bentley Gibson, an assistant professor of Psychology at Georgia Highlands College who studies implicit bias. “Biases don’t have to be racial, but they can absolutely lead to racism. Most people have a bias, positively, for people who are ranked higher in society. It’s easier to see them––in this case, white people—as good.”

Gibson founded The Bias Adjuster, a company that offers implicit-bias training in offices and schools in Georgia. She noted that while the Crown Act should aid in ending explicit biases that employers or schools hold towards Black people and their hair—such as firing employees or sending children home from school because of natural hair—this law is unlikely to change negative societal perceptions.

“This is a good start, and this law can hopefully make workplaces more inclusive and foster some productive conversations,” Gibson said. “But we’re still going to have people who have certain thoughts and biases towards Black hair, and they are going to act and think in ways that are discriminatory, even if that’s no longer as explicit.”

Stigma against Black hair is not new; it has endured for about as long as Black people have been in America. Post-emancipation, Black people began using chemicals–now known as “relaxers”—to soften their hair in order to be accepted into a newly integrated society. In 2016, The Perception Institute conducted the “Good Hair” Study to illuminate the ways that these stigmas persist today. The study, which examined women’s implicit and explicit attitudes towards Black women’s hair, found that on average, white women viewed natural hair as less attractive and less professional than straight hair. It also found that one in five Black women felt social pressure to straighten their hair for work—beyond explicit policies requiring it.

“For so long, the conversation around Black hair has also been attached to messages about professionalism, standards of beauty, cleanliness, and worthiness,” said Kalida Brown, a professor of Sociology and African American Studies at UCLA. “I hate to think about the psychological damage that these patently ridiculous conversations have had on Black people and how we view our worth.”

Michaela-Jolie Gilliard, a 20-year-old from Los Angeles, became familiar with these messages at a young age. “I was five years old the first time I had relaxer put in my hair,” she said. “And that shit burns.”

Gilliard recalled her time in Los Angeles public schools, where she says she was always one of the few Black children in her class. “My hair was always a source of shame growing up,” she said. “I wore my hair in braids in elementary school, and I always felt like an outsider. I remember one day in fifth grade, I was trying to play handball, and these white kids started shouting at me, telling me I wasn’t good enough to play. I never understood why then, but in hindsight, it was because I was Black and wore braids and looked different than them.”

Gilliard’s experiences speak to the social biases that fall through the cracks of the Crown Act. In Gibson’s view, law reform, while useful on many fronts, is not actually the best way to counteract implicit bias. In addition, schools and workplaces should provide counter stereotypes by offering new and positive information about negatively stereotyped groups, such as representation in media, or by putting people with natural hair in positions of power.

Some experts believe that implementing laws like the Crown Act can be a help in the effort to change perceptions. “I see this going a couple of ways,” said Elizabeth Redford, a behavioral scientist from University of Florida. “People [namely employers or school administrators] could definitely become more defensive, or feel like the law is infringing on their autonomy. Or we could see a shift in behavior. Sometimes when our environments change, we change as well.”

Redford cited a study conducted in India after gender quotas were enforced in order to allow more female leadership in local government positions. After these quotas were introduced, studies showed that attitudes towards women’s leadership in India improved.

For her part, Gilliard is also confident that the new law will have such an effect. “I think that this will change so much,” she said. “It’s incredible that people can wear afros or braids to work now and feel worthy or classy or qualified in their job. Maybe one day I can raise a daughter in Los Angeles who is confident in herself. The CROWN Act gives me hope.”

[feelingbluepolitics]

Part Three of a glance through Midwestern politics, the epicenter of many Blue voters' contortions over "electibility" given our very large field of candidates, and our grim need to eject trump.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,  Kansas,  Michigan, Minnesota,  Missouri,  Nebraska, North Dakota,  Ohio,  South Dakota, and Wisconsin

Picking up here with:

Ohio. Buh-bye, Ohio. The Buckeye state is a black eyed state, beaten into a stranglehold red miasma.

Forced motherhood has been much in the news during May, but Ohio was already there by November of 2018.

The 2018 Midterm Blue Wave crashed and died in Ohio. Only Sherrod Brown hung in there as the only state-wide elected Democrat in the state.

Ohio harbors Gym Jordan, who is too disgusting and hateful to talk about.

The following article groups Texas in with "swing states like Ohio."

https://theweek.com/speedreads/826395/texas-now-2020-swing-state

At this point, any article discussing swing states has more credibility leaving Ohio off the swing state list.

The surprise blue spotlight in Ohio is Sherrod Brown deciding not to join the presidential hopefuls because he has more than enough to do right there at home and in the Senate.

"Even though he won’t be on the ballot, Brown could still be a major figure in the 2020 race. Ohio’s politics are tricky, and there are few in the Democratic Party who have so successfully navigated its intricacies. Only once since 1974 has Brown lost a race in Ohio. The failure of the blue firewall in Ohio in 2016 was a warning sign more broadly."

When it was a perennial swing state, Ohio was the infallible "bellwether" state, but now that it's rammed full into Republiconism, it's predictive powers are castrated.

Can we go now?...No?...Because somewhere along the way in Part One or Part Two, I said that Democrats shouldn't cede any state? (Except for Fracking North Dakota.)

Nan Whaley does not believe Ohio is lost to Democrats, and she's Dayton's progressive mayor.

"Those who see 2018 as a blood bath for Ohio Democrats are forgetting that Senator Sherrod Brown won by 6.4 percentage points. This was a larger margin of victory than he had in 2012 — when he shared the top of the ticket with President Barack Obama, who also carried the state.

..."In statehouse races, Democrats nearly matched Republicans in total votes statewide, but they saw limited gains because of Republican gerrymandering. Our current legislative maps border on the absurd — despite winning just over 50 percent of the vote, Republicans will control more than three-fifths of the state legislative seats. Thankfully, voters in May enacted redistricting reforms that will make our next maps much fairer, allowing Democrats to compete on a more level playing field beginning in 2022.

..."While Republicans will control the governor’s mansion for another four years, Democrats continue to dominate in Ohio’s largest cities and counties. In places where Republicans can’t gerrymander the lines — including the 12 largest cities — local Democrats have been pursuing bold, progressive policies that strengthen communities."

So the final call for Ohio is actually, get in there and work very hard.

South Dakota. Reliably Republicon since 1968. (It's like they're twins, or something; see North.)

But. South Dakota voters are mad. They are mad because SD ranks as the "4th most corrupt state."

They are mad because "[i]n 2016 South Dakotans made history as the first state in America to pass a statewide Anti-Corruption Act. This landmark Act closed lobbying loopholes, enhanced political transparency, and created an independent ethics commission. A clear majority approved the measure." Their Republicon state legislature actually declared an "emergency" to give itself the power to kill it, because they decided the voters didn't understand what they were trying to do.

If it keeps going, voters will shoot to make it a constitutional amendment, and therefore Republicon "lawmaker" proof. An additional option is to elect Democrats to listen to them, with the bonus of teaching a lesson.

Democrats need to be running on anti-corruption at every level anyway.

Billie Sutton ran an unusually competitive race to get a Democrat (technically) into the governor's mansion. Although he ultimately lost to Kristi Noem, Sutton scared both SD and D.C. Republicons, which is remarkable in itself.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/19/politics/sutton-noem-south-dakota/index.html

Recently, Noem supported an outrageous anti-protest, pro- Keystone XL pipeline bill, and now isn't allowed to step onto tribal lands.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/441921-american-indian-tribe-bans-gop-governor-from-reservation-over-her

Even though trump won over Hillary here almost by double, voters are really mad at corrupt, power-grabbing Republicons in South Dakota, and that could open some state elections.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 5.15

495 BC – A newly constructed temple in honour of the god Mercury was dedicated in ancient Rome on the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine hills. To spite the senate and the consuls, the people awarded the dedication to a senior military officer, Marcus Laetorius. 221 – Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty. 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne. 589 – King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence among the Lombard nobility. 908 – The three-year-old Constantine VII, the son of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire by Patriarch Euthymius I at Constantinople. 1252 – Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition. 1525 – Insurgent peasants led by Anabaptist pastor Thomas Müntzer were defeated at the Battle of Frankenhausen, ending the German Peasants' War in the Holy Roman Empire. 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery and incest; she is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury. 1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, her third husband. 1618 – Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made). 1648 – The Treaty of Westphalia is signed. 1718 – James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun. 1730 – Robert Walpole effectively became the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 1776 – American Revolution: The Fifth Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the United States Declaration of Independence. 1791 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre proposes the Self-denying Ordinance. 1792 – War of the First Coalition: France declares war on Kingdom of Sardinia. 1793 – Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for "about 360 meters", at a height of 5–6 meters, during one of the first attempted manned flights. 1796 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon enters Milan in triumph. 1800 – King George III of the United Kingdom survives an assassination attempt by James Hadfield, who is later acquitted by reason of insanity. 1817 – Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). 1836 – Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse. 1848 – Serfdom is abolished in the Habsburg Galicia, as a result of the 1848 revolutions. The rest of monarchy followed later in the year. 1849 – Troops of the Two Sicilies take Palermo and crush the republican government of Sicily. 1850 – The Bloody Island massacre takes place in Lake County, California, in which a large number of Pomo Indians are slaughtered by a regiment of the United States Cavalry. 1850 – The Arana–Southern Treaty is ratified, ending "the existing differences" between Great Britain and Argentina. 1851 – The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier. 1858 – Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. 1862 – President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture. 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of New Market, Virginia: Students from the Virginia Military Institute fight alongside the Confederate army to force Union General Franz Sigel out of the Shenandoah Valley. 1867 – Canadian Bank of Commerce opens for business in Toronto, Ontario. The bank would later merge with Imperial Bank of Canada to become what is CIBC in 1961. 1869 – Women's suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association. 1891 – Pope Leo XIII defends workers' rights and property rights in the encyclical Rerum novarum, the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching. 1904 – Russo-Japanese War: The Russian minelayer Amur lays a minefield about 15 miles off Port Arthur and sinks Japan's battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons, with 496 crew and Yashima. 1905 – Las Vegas is founded when 110 acres (0.45 km2), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off. 1911 – In Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, the United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up. 1911 – More than 300 Chinese immigrants are killed in the Torreón massacre when the forces of the Mexican Revolution led by Emilio Madero take the city of Torreón from the Federales. 1919 – The Winnipeg general strike begins. By 11:00, almost the whole working population of Winnipeg had walked off the job. 1919 – Greek occupation of Smyrna. During the occupation, the Greek army kills or wounds 350 Turks; those responsible are punished by Greek commander Aristides Stergiades. 1925 – Al-Insaniyyah, the first Arabic communist newspaper, is founded. 1928 – Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, "Plane Crazy". 1929 – A fire at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio kills 123. 1932 – In an attempted coup d'état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is assassinated. 1933 – All military aviation organizations within or under the control of the RLM of Germany were officially merged in a covert manner to form its Wehrmacht military's air arm, the Luftwaffe. 1934 – Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia. 1940 – USS Sailfish is recommissioned. It was originally the USS Squalus. 1940 – World War II: After fierce fighting, the poorly trained and equipped Dutch troops surrender to Germany, marking the beginning of five years of occupation. 1940 – McDonald's opens its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California. 1941 – First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 the first British and Allied jet aircraft. 1941 – Joe DiMaggio begins a 56-game hitting streak. 1942 – World War II: In the United States, a bill creating the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) is signed into law. 1943 – Joseph Stalin dissolves the Comintern (or Third International). 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Poljana, the final skirmish in Europe is fought near Prevalje, Slovenia. 1948 – Following the expiration of The British Mandate for Palestine, the Kingdom of Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia invade Israel thus starting the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. 1957 – At Malden Island in the Pacific Ocean, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb in Operation Grapple. 1958 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3. 1960 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4. 1963 – Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with astronaut Gordon Cooper on board. He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space, and the last American to go into space alone. 1966 – After a policy dispute, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ of South Vietnam's ruling junta launches a military attack on the forces of General Tôn Thất Đính, forcing him to abandon his command. 1969 – People's Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by the University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot. 1970 – President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army generals. 1970 – Philip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green are killed at Jackson State University by police during student protests. 1972 – The Ryukyu Islands, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control. 1972 – In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he is campaigning to become President. 1974 – Ma'alot massacre: Members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attack and take hostages at an Israeli school; a total of 31 people are killed, including 22 schoolchildren. 1976 – Aeroflot Flight 1802 crashes in Viktorovka, Chernihiv Raion, killing all 52 people on board. 1987 – The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit. 1988 – Soviet–Afghan War: After more than eight years of fighting, the Soviet Army begins to withdraw 115,000 troops from Afghanistan. 1991 – Édith Cresson becomes France's first female premier. 1997 – The United States government acknowledges the existence of the "Secret War" in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans. 2004 – Arsenal F.C. go an entire league campaign unbeaten in the English Premier League, joining Preston North End F.C with the right to claim the title The Invincibles 2008 – California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state's own Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional. 2010 – Jessica Watson becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo. 2013 – An upsurge in violence in Iraq leaves more than 389 people dead over three days.

[tiphaniedyme]

Reposted from @theshaderoom TSR STAFF: Danielle J! @prettyaries16 _____________________ As the laws throughout the country regarding anti-transgender youth continue to persist, the state of Alabama has officially made its own. It was just confirmed that Alabama Governor #KayIvey just signed multiple anti-transgender bills into law that directly impact the youth in the state—and the backlash of her decision has already reached massive levels. _____________________ Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is the latest state leader to take a firm stance regarding transgender youth, courtesy of a trio of new bills she recently signed into law. The Montgomery Advisor reports, Governor Ivey signed bill SB 184 that formally bans doctors from giving puberty blockers and hormones to transgender youth and subjects them to 10 years in prison if they do so. She also signed HB 322, that forces transgender youth to use bathrooms of the sex they were assigned at birth. Lastly, Ivey banned all discussions of “sexual orientation or gender identity” in Alabama elementary schools from kindergarten through fifth grade that is “not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate,” the bill states. _______________________ Speaking about her highly controversial decisions, Kay Ivey said via statement “There are very real challenges facing our young people, especially with today’s societal pressures and modern culture. I believe very strongly that if the Good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy, and if he made you a girl, you-Click The Link In Bio To Read More! 📸: (@gettyimages) Follow Me For More Posts: @Tiphanie_Dyme https://www.instagram.com/p/CcHF4csF-8U/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=