The Kids Played Dead & Called 911

The stories and scenes from Uvalde, Texas this week made me cry. When, I spoke aloud in my empty living room, when will America say Enough is Enough? By the end of the day, 19 children from the Texas school, Robb Elementary, and two of their teachers were senselessly killed by an 18-year-old neighbor who had severely injured his grandmother and fired at others after he wrecked her truck while driving to the school. The children were 9, 10, and 11 years old and killed in their classrooms. The husband of one of the deceased teachers collapsed and died while he was preparing for her funeral. They left four children. Many of the dead and injured were related; some were cousins or nieces and nephews to others in this small town.

The shooter earlier wrote on an internet site he was going to shoot up a school. He had over 300 rounds of ammunition, many of which he fired in the school. The rifle he used is modified slightly from the weapons carried during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars by soldiers. It is a killing machine, and despite claims to the contrary, has no civilian uses. It destroys bodies, which is why parents were asked to provide DNA samples to identify the bodies of their children. As the parents in Uvalde were mourning their dead children, residents of Buffalo were burying the last of their dead from their massacre only ten days earlier.

Why are we continuing to allow disturbed 18-year-olds to purchase all the guns and ammunition they can afford? Why are none of their contacts on various odd chat spaces not reporting their threats and mutterings for death and destruction? Why cannot we enact universal background checks with at least a three-day waiting period? You cannot convince me that anyone has an emergent need for a semi-automatic rifle. Where are the red flag laws to remove guns from the homes of people who are having mental health issues? Why is there a federal law that requires a purchaser to be 21 for a revolver or other handgun but one can be 18 for an AR-15 style purchase? Why can't we have sensible lawmakers who could reinstate the assault weapons bans?

Why, why, why? I have a lot of questions but too few answers. Why do we have politicians that care more about lobbyists than dead constituents? Time to make some changes in Washington, we always hear. We don't need Mitch McConnell and his study committees. Did you see bipartisan police reform enacted, Senator Tim Scott? Whatever happened to Voting Rights reform and your bipartisan committee, Senator Manchin?  Where are the promises made to the Progressive caucus? Where were the bipartisan votes for a national right to choose law? We are not Charlie Brown playing football with Lucy; we are serious. Serious business is not getting done and certain things need to happen.

The stories coming from the scene are heart-wrenching. One girl, whose friend died and was covered in blood, lay on top of her and played dead, then called 911 and whispered her call for help. Another student crouched under his desk called 911 and told the operator to send the police now. Several students made nine whispering calls over 45 minutes, gave the operator their room numbers, and asked for help, but help was delayed. Sadly, the police were outside in the hallway, apparently unaware that live students were still in two of the classrooms alongside their dead and wounded teachers and classmates. Reports of the police inaction and treatment of the issue as a barricade situation instead of a live fire action with potentially more victims will long be debated and hopefully never repeated. Misdirection created by law enforcement officials and the Texas Governor about this issue angered many in the town and the media. The decision-making in this matter is now under review by the Department of Justice.

Interviews with a boy at the hospital showed a boy who was wounded by bullets in his shoulder who had not yet cried and was sober in his conversation. He apologized for losing his glasses and ruining his shirt. What does that child have to apologize for? Nothing that happened that day in Uvalde was his fault; no, it was adults making poor decisions that have allowed these situations to happen again and again. How can that child forget seeing his friends die and his teacher shot? How will the children mentioned above ever feel safe at school again? What are we doing to our children?

Today the Washington Post printed interviews with teens who had been in school at Sandy Hook during the shootings there, but who escaped and who are now graduating from High School. All three of the girls reported issues, from jumping at loud noises, not wanting to be alone, or increased anxieties with panic attacks or migraines. One girl, who was close to one of those children killed, remains afraid to have a best friend because she might have to go through the pain again of losing someone close to her. Another, who is an adult, survived the shootings at Columbine, worried for years about being chased, as she was one of many students who dashed out of doors and ran for their lives, hearing gunshots as they ran. She thought she had overcome her fears until years later, as a school counselor, she crouched in a darkened library in a "shooter drill" and heard someone rattle the doorknob. Her panic then led her into therapy.

A therapist interviewed for the article said children look to adults for protection and when they learn traumatically that the protection is not a given, their comfort with the world around them can crumble. He said that the more a traumatic experience shatters a worldview, the harder it is to recover.

Again, I ask, just what are we doing to our children? Thousands of students since Columbine have been exposed to school shootings; thousands of other families have been exposed to massacres in churches, synagogues, supermarkets, theaters, nightclubs, and public spaces. Facebook postings this week read:

ISN'T IT A SHAME THAT AMERICA LOVES ITS GUNS MORE THAN ITS' CHILDREN?

Can't we all make a group effort to make that statement false?

Amanda Gorman, a poet for our times, but one so young, understands in her poem

Hymn for the Hurting

Everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed and strange,
Minds made muddied and mute.
We carry tragedy, terrifying and true.
And yet none of it is new;
We knew it as home,
As horror,
As heritage.
Even our children
Cannot be children,
Cannot be.

Everything hurts.
It's a hard time to be alive,
And even harder to stay that way.
We're burdened to live out these days,
While at the same time, blessed to outlive them.

This alarm is how we know
We must be altered —
That we must differ or die,
That we must triumph or try.
Thus while hate cannot be terminated,
It can be transformed
Into a love that lets us live.

May we not just grieve, but give:
May we not just ache, but act;
May our signed right to bear arms
Never blind our sight from shared harm;
May we choose our children over chaos.
May another innocent never be lost.

Maybe everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed & strange.
But only when everything hurts
May everything change.

To this, I can only add–Amen.

Meanwhile, in Texas, the world continues, the National Rifle Association held its convention in Houston and all the Republican apologists for the gun industry showed up mouthing fealty to the gun industry. Senator Cruz kept tripping over his words, afraid to say anything negative about the availability of guns, and refused to answer a reporter's question about why this only happens in America. The gun industry by itself is doing just fine. The manufacturer of the latest killing machine, the AR-15 type rifle or DDMV4 rifle, Daniel Defense, has long marketed to children using cartoon or Star Wars figures and children in their semi-automatic rifle advertising (although such ads were taken down this week and replaced with the well-used "thoughts and prayers go out" phrase). A private company, it is known for aggressive marketing and opposition to any restrictions. However, after the shooting, the company removed its display at the NRA Convention and left the convention. Sales of bullets used rose this week as did the stock market prices for gun manufacturers.

In a few days, most schools will start their summer vacations, so we should have a few weeks free from school shootings. Wonder what venue will next catch the fancy of a young man with a gun, emboldened by videos, or internet fantasies and made braver by his simple ability to purchase body armor which cannot be stopped by the usual sidearm of local law enforcement. Wonder what tragedies will mar our summer because our elected officials will not do their jobs. By the way, semi-automatic weapons and large magazines are currently banned in Maryland, so stay away, bad guys!

According to the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, several other states have restrictions on guns and ammunition currently:

State Assault Weapons Bans

Seven states and the District of Columbia have enacted state-level assault weapons bans. States with assault weapons bans include California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

State Large Capacity Magazine Bans

Nine states and the District of Columbia have enacted large capacity magazine bans. These states include: California, Colorado (limit of 15 rounds), Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont (limit to 15 rounds for handguns).

Maryland also recently restricted sales of ghost gun kits, Gun carry restrictions in New York are currently being appealed and are under review by this Supreme Court.

So laws can be passed if there is a will and, apparently, a blue state legislature!

'Til next week, let's send thoughts of peace to all families in this world troubled by violence.

What Type of Country Do Americans Want?

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

In schools, at civic events, and at other ceremonies across this land, this pledge to the flag of America is recited week after week. But I wonder, do those reciting these words really believe them? Do they stand behind the words ‘with liberty and justice for all’? Do we have an indivisible nation? Do we have a republic, still? How does a republic differ from a democracy?

According to “How Stuff Works”: The terms republic and democracy are often used interchangeably to indicate that power is invested in the people and exercised by these people or their elected representatives. The American style of democracy is called the Presidential Model, since certain powers are reserved for the president. The United States relies on a balance of power between three equal branches of government, the Executive, the Judicial, and the Legislative. It also relies on a participatory democracy where the people speak up with their right to vote; the right to vote must, therefore, not be restricted. The government must operate in the open and be transparent and rely on the Rule of Law that is respected by the citizenry. The press must be free to report on the operations of the government. The website also notes:

“Whether it’s a presidential or parliamentary system, what makes a modern democracy a true democracy is faithful adherence to a set of democratic principles: the rule of law (constitutionalism), representation based on free and fair elections, and guaranteed rights including freedom of speech, press, and religion. By that measure, some countries are democracies in name, but not in practice.”

So, do Americans really want this democracy? Currently, some states are working to stop the rights of women to make health decisions about their bodies. Do we really want to arrest women who miscarry or have ectopic (tubal) pregnancies? In some states, officials are working hard to remove legally registered voters from the voting lists on minor technicalities. Still others are trying to undo elections that were settled and certified over two years ago. Some groups are working to ban books that discuss other cultures or races, while some are trying to restrict teachers from mentioning multi-culturalism, slavery, or civil rights marches. Where does free speech fit into these practices?

An evangelical preacher in Tennessee, in a sermon that has gone viral, demanded that Democrats leave his church, and stated that they were demons! Gee, I wonder if he will lose his tax exemption concerning the separation of church and state-probably not, but you see my point. I seem to remember sermons about Christianity that spoke of brotherly love and called all men and women God’s children. Has a new gospel been written for Christians? Was America truly founded only for Christians? Is White Christian Nationalism our future? I hope not.

Is the premise to allow free speech for some, but not others? Who, then, gets to decide? A group of conservative Americans The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), including the MAGA crowd, DJT himself, and the puppets from Fox News, all appeared at their periodic conference, held in Hungary this week (some by video) where they bowed to the authoritarianism of President Viktor Orban. This elected leader, who is actually an autocrat, has been wowing these conservatives with his White Christian Nationalism and disdain for any who would disagree. He deported Muslim immigrants and brought laws against gay citizens; he promoted voting tourism and allowed white non-citizens to vote, as long as they voted his way. He employed fake opponents to defuse any real opposition. The theme of the conference is God, Homeland, and Family. In a speech at the conference, Orban railed against critical race theory, free and open media, cancel culture, and woke theory. Where have we heard those refrains before? Oh yes, in Republican speeches across our country, especially in Florida and Texas, it seems.

Previously, the New York Times reported on Orban and his manipulation of election districts and laws to fit his plans. Orban has been in power since his election in 2010 and as reported here he has consolidated his power by eroding election norms, cementing one-party rule, containing the press and media outlets, rewriting the Constitution, and using state-run media to demonize his opponents.

In 2018, Vox wrote: “An unending drumbeat of propaganda, from both official state outlets and the private media empires of Orbán allies, demonizes refugees and Muslims, warning of an existential threat to Hungarian society and culture — and touting the Orbán regime as the only thing protecting the country from an Islamic takeover. This trumped-up crisis serves as a legitimation tool for Fidesz’s {Orban’s party’s name} authoritarianism, a pretext for the government to pass laws undermining its opponents.”

Does the phrase “only I can save you” sound familiar?

Vox continues: “One of the most disconcerting parts of observing Hungarian soft fascism up close is that it’s easy to imagine the model being exported. While the Orbán regime grew out of Hungary’s unique history and political culture, its playbook for subtle repression could, in theory, be run in any democratic country whose leaders have had enough of the political opposition.

It’s not for nothing that Steve Bannon, who has called Orbán “the most significant guy on the scene right now,” is currently in Europe building an organization — called “the Movement” — aimed at spreading Orbán’s populist politics across the continent.”

If you remember back to the campaign of 2020, in speaking to his MAGA crowds, DJT, at times, indicated he expected to win then and maybe even another term after that, regardless of what our laws state. (The 22^nd Amendment to the Constitution states in part “that no person shall be elected to the Presidency for more than two terms”, so I do not know how he intended to get around that rule, but I would guess that Bannon and his ilk are working on that goal.)

This weekend saw the citizens of Buffalo start to bury their dead after the horrific hate killings at the Topps Grocery last week. My heart goes out to those who were targeted, solely because of their skin color. Can’t we move past this somehow?

An 18-year-old white teenager, clad in body armor and armed with illegally modified semi-automatic weapons, opened fire at innocent shoppers at the grocery in the mostly black neighborhood. In a rambling manifesto published on an extremist website, the teen claimed to be a white supremacist who wanted to stop the takeover of America by minorities or, as touted by many racists, Replacement Theory. Republicans, echoed by Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson, have been spouting this theory in recent years as America becomes browner and some have theorized that White Americans will be in the minority by mid-century as the nation diversifies.

According to the Guardian, since the shooting, Fox News has gone quiet on this issue and has barely mentioned the shooters’ stated motivation for his massacre. False claims are being made that immigrants are being brought to this country with a political agenda to distill the “white” population, that has long been the majority. White citizens are being told that they will lose their rights unless they fight back.

Many white supremacists blame the Jews for increased immigration and include anti-Semitism in their propaganda. But, when one goes back to the adulation for Orban, the Republican Party is tied to these theories and, even in the wake of the attacks in Buffalo, has not disavowed them. For the white supremacists who see only skin color and not the soul beneath it, their need to feel superior is based on their inability to see others as sharing the same humanity. To those who follow theories of a necessary white majority, aborting white babies are a threat to white majorities, interracial marriage remains a threat to whites, as well as the presence of integrated communities. It seems preposterous to me that some believe such propaganda.

It all hangs together though, doesn’t it? If you don’t teach about slavery and civil rights and then try to confine black people to their neighborhoods (did anyone say ghettos here?) then no one has to provide any special rights to that community, so equal opportunities may be disregarded. If you do not allow the gay community to have rights, marry and adopt children, then you will shove many back into the closeted life they once had. Is that where we are headed after generations have fought for freedoms and so many have lost their lives? Is this the America that you want to promote? Do we want to see repeats of the marches in Charlottesville, the shootings in El Paso, at Pulse, Pittsburgh and Buffalo continue without condemnation?

What kind of America do you want to live in? Stand up, Speak out, and Vote! There is an opportunity in Pennsylvania to choose a Democratic Governor in Josh Shapiro and a Democratic Senator in John Fetterman and defeat the acolytes of the right who would overturn elections and disenfranchise voters. In state after state, the standards are becoming clear and voters can choose to move the country forward or take us back one hundred years. Do we truly want a democracy?

INFO -The current demographics in the US according to the census are:

Whites 76.3% or (60%), Blacks, 13.8%, Hispanic or Latino, 18.5%, Asian, 5.9%, Native American or Pacific Islander, 1.3% (Since some Hispanics identify as white-that number may vary; others may list as multi-racial so the numbers are inexact and do not equal 100%.) But basically, the numbers show we are a multi-racial country and are likely to remain so, just the statistics will change,

Briefly, in COVID news from the NY Times, cases of the latest variants are continuing to rise and hospitalizations, which have remained flat, are also increasing. Daily totals are again over 100,00 at 108,065, the highest since the beginning of the year. Deaths remain steady at around 300 per day.

In Maryland, numbers are also climbing with Frederick and Montgomery Counties getting a moderate risk label this week and indoor mask warnings reissued. The state is averaging over 2200 cases per day, despite improving vaccination rates. Stay safe out there, folks!

Before I close, a shout out to Tom Perez who won the endorsement of the Washington Post for Governor of Maryland-way to go, Tom! (Disclosure-I do support his candidacy.)

‘Til next week-Peace, maybe it is possible!

One Million US Covid Deaths

 

Do you remember that day in the Spring of 2020 when the New York Times published the names of the 100,000 people in the US who had died of Covid? And they mentioned other days when the modelers at the University of Washington predicted deaths without a vaccine at the top level to be over 1.2 million? How improbable did those numbers seem to us then? I would bet that there are few people here now who have not known someone who died from this virus; I guess that there are none who do not know someone who contracted the illness.

Even now, some 27 months after the virus was identified in this country, we still have daily deaths occurring from these ever-changing variants. Authorities recently quoted in the Washington Post reported they fear another 100 million new cases might happen if the expected fall seasonal outbreaks occur as predicted. The vaccines have shown less effectiveness against the latest manifestations, even with boosters, but have decreased the severity of the illness among vaccinated people. Also, according to the Post:

            "Omicron has since spun off many sub-variants that are even more transmissible than               the original strain. The BA.2 omicron sub-variant continues to account for a majority of new infections in the United States, but the BA.2.12.1 sub-variant is rapidly gaining ground and may soon become the most common strain. Meanwhile, two other highly transmissible variants, BA.4 and BA.5, have fueled a recent surge in infections in South Africa."

The Biden Administration requested more money from Congress to stall this expected wave, but the funds are being held up over disputes about the border and changes to lessen the restrictions called "Title 42" which were imposed by the former administration under emergency pandemic orders.

Well, today, the New York Times published a scatter graph across an outline of the country of the one million deaths recorded so far from Covid in the US to date. About one-quarter of the deaths (about 205,126) occurred in nursing homes. {I truly believe that we have failed our elderly citizens as poor nursing home practices, lack of staffing, and inadequate safeguards condemned them to die in isolation, away from the touch of loved ones. No matter what some might say, not all were at deaths' door when they were admitted; some were recovering from surgery or had mobility issues after a stroke or an accidental fall. They had planned to return home, but were not given that chance.}

The Times' in-depth report showed that the disease was not distributed evenly across the country as the South saw far more deaths and more frequent and severe waves than other parts of the country, (378,472), the West the fewest, (189,805), and the Midwest and the Northeast each with about 211,000. Covid was the third highest cause of death for seniors over 65, after cancer and heart disease. Hispanics had the highest rates of death and were followed closely by Black patients who died. Blacks and Hispanics also were more likely to work as service workers and thus be in more vulnerable jobs with greater exposure. Sadly, over 400,000 people have died since the vaccines were widely available to all adults/teens. Consequently, the death rate for unvaccinated people is nine times that of vaccinated people.

Income, age, education, and party affiliation also affected the statistics as numbers from the three largest US cities showed:

            Although large cities had large outbreaks, the areas of the city with the lowest incomes            also had the highest death rates.

            Areas where the population was better educated or had college degrees showed lower            incidence and fewer deaths. Additionally:

            Republicans showed lower rates of vaccinations and in areas where Republicans                    earned less than $2000/month, the population was twice as likely to be unvaccinated as Republican areas with incomes over $5000/month. So, there is a wealth gap even in vaccination rates!

            The South also has the highest numbers of people with multiple health conditions,                    such as obesity and diabetes; estimates are thar over 30% of diabetics were afflicted and died.

            Many areas in the South resisted mask mandates, released them earlier, if imposed,                and curtailed shutdowns and virtual schooling periods.  

So, where do we go from here? Covid numbers remain high and are increasing. Soon, schools will be out and families will travel again. Testing centers have closed, and reporting of Covid cases is no longer routine; America has moved on, while Covid has not. Health care experts will see cases rise without the adequate testing and case tracing necessary to track spikes and prepare for regional outbreaks. Some say to treat Covid as if it were the flu, and just prepare for seasonal surges now and then; however, it is more contagious than the seasonal flu and obviously deadly to immunocompromised individuals and the elderly.

I wonder how many readers here have read the latest Louise Penny book. In the novel-The Madness of Crowds -set in the future in Canada after the "plague" as she calls it has passed, she discusses a changed populace, but she calls into question the lack of care for the elderly. The investigator, her character Inspector Gamache, looks into the large numbers of elderly who were left in their nursing homes, abandoned by the staff, to eventually perish, some said by design, as they had outlived their usefulness. He investigated this moral failing and institutional movement that ballooned during the period of contagion and isolation, and that said not all should be saved.

I challenge the reader to look at our statistics and ask, couldn't we, shouldn't we, as a nation, have better served our poor and our elderly? Shouldn't we have provided for our stressed-out healthcare providers who needed Personal Protective Equipment more than thanks and the banging of pots and pans?

When I look at China and the Draconian tactics that are being used to contain the virus, I am happy that we did not do that here. But I am saddened that a pandemic that should have been addressed by sensible and serious medical professionals and epidemiologists here became a political football bandied about with talk of bleach, Hydroxychloroquine, and political conspiracies. Wearing of masks and quarantines were not observed adequately and were downplayed by our leaders in the early days. Once a vaccine was ready, the groundwork was already in place to rally against it. America likes to say it is a problem-solving country, but here we saw a problem and found solutions, and then many were discouraged from following them. As a healthcare provider, this leaves me bewildered. This pandemic is not over and many more will die if we abandon the safeguards that have so far served us well.

The US Covid numbers are but a portion of the deaths across the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 15 million have died across the globe and concedes that number is low since India has vastly under-reported and as it is expected, so have Russia and China. Korea has now admitted to an outbreak, and it has minimal vaccination rates. China admits to under-vaccinating its elderly citizens; many other countries also have totaled low vaccination rates. WHO leaders indicated they think the pandemic is here to stay and will eventually become endemic, so harsh lockdowns are no longer necessary, but notes that routine precautions remain viable for the foreseeable future.

Current COVID Stats:

The last two weeks have shown a 60% increase nationally in cases; Maryland has had an 84% increase over the same time. The current daily case rate is 90,423; the total national incidence has reached 82,414,028. National death cases are low at 311; hospitalizations are also low. The US is now 66% vaccinated with 71% having at least one vaccine; 91% of all seniors are now vaccinated. In MD, 76% of the state is vaccinated. Current MD cases are now up to 1,737, but deaths are only 5. Frederick County reports only 24 cases per 100,000 at this time.

And life goes on-or it doesn't:

This weekend saw violence across the country. A teen-aged gunman published a white supremacist screed about replacement theory online, drove over 200 miles to a black Buffalo neighborhood grocery, and started shooting with a semi-automatic weapon. He killed ten people, including a security guard. In Milwaukee, violence erupted as fans left the arena where the Bucks played a playoff game; several were shot. In Laguna Woods, California, parishioners at a Taiwanese Church were shocked as a gunman entered, locked the doors, and started shooting; one person was killed and several were injured. The shooter was restrained and was unknown to the church-goers; he was also Asian. An argument at a flea market near Houston, Texas turned into a shooting incident, with several wounded and two killed.

Too many men with too many guns and too much hate in our country; we must find a way to turn these actions around. I wish there was a simple answer, but when others make money by dividing our country, I doubt that my quiet voice will make a difference, but I can hope.

This weekend also saw women's marches in over 400 cities in this country protesting the draft Supreme Court opinion on abortion that, if accurate, would reverse the previously decided Roe case from 49 years ago. Considered by many to be settled law, this wide-reaching opinion was not under question in the Mississippi law that would have made 15 weeks gestation the date where abortion were restricted in contrast to the Roe date of 23 weeks. Justice Alito, instead, leaped across settled law to a total restriction of any right to an abortion, citing no mention under the Constitution and allowed each state to set its' own restrictions. Citing a remote 18thCentury judicial opinion by a writer who believed in burning witches, it seems that this scholarship should be questioned. This potential restriction has galvanized women across the country who vow opposition. While Senate Minority leader McConnell lied and claimed that codifying Roe would allow abortion on demand and throughout the third trimester, he also announced that he would pass a national ban once Republicans gained control of the Senate. A pro-forma Senate Democratic move to pass a national bill to put Roe into law could not override the filibuster, Manchin, and Republican opposition. Democrats claim that negative votes on this bill will help them in the mid-terms; Republicans claim that inflation concerns will dominate-they hope! Meanwhile, red states are dusting off old laws forbidding abortion and just waiting for the moment to put them into effect. Nowhere is there understanding that, legal or not, abortions will continue, they will just be harder to obtain and possibly unsafe.

"Til next week-Peace!

Justice Alito is Wrong

 

Rights not mentioned in the Constitution do indeed exist in the opinions of many. Contrary to the reasoning by Justice Alito, many rights that have evolved over the centuries since the Constitution was written are correctly held. The originalists hold to the writings of over 200 years ago. These laws did not allow that women had the right to vote, and permitted slavery, holding that slaves were not full citizens and did not provide for Native Americans. We have moved on, as a country, from those times as we should have.

That is why this draft opinion written in February as the potential majority opinion in the cases presented this year to the court about abortion rights from Mississippi and Texas has caused so much furor after it was leaked this week. This opinion seems to have been written in anger, anger at the Roe v. Wade and Casey decisions, anger at women who would seek an abortion, anger that this medical procedure was ever permitted when abortion was not mentioned in the Constitution. Never mind that these two previous court decisions were considered settled law or precedent and affirmed as such by the current court justices in their Senate hearings before confirmation.

Republicans this week were concentrating on the matter of the leak, rather than the substance of the offensive remarks in this draft opinion. Some on the right have been quick to blame Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has not even been seated on the court yet and would not have been part of the discussions in the court. Absurd as this may be, it is believed by some. Others have suggested that the leak happened from the right as a move to make certain that this expansive decision would be supported by at least five justices and thus be finalized (embarrassing any justice who might consider changing the initial straw vote in favor).

As the two parties seem to live in separate universes, the Democrats were concentrating on the substance of the opinion and vowing to codify Roe into law. Although the measure passed in the House, it faces a filibuster in the Senate. Senators Collins and Murkowski favor Roe, but they have stated they dislike the proposed Democratic legislation. Democratic Senator Manchin, whose state gave DJT a high percentage of its votes, will not vote in favor, nor will Senator Sinema, so the measure will fail. Majority leader Schumer is determined to force a vote and use the Republicans’ nay votes against them in the fall elections. Many pundits thought that this issue could energize Democratic voters who were facing a dismal outlook for the November elections.

Predictably, the leak created a firestorm on both the left and the right. Both sides demonstrated on the Court steps as soon as the leak was announced on Monday and protests have continued since then, both in Washington DC and across the country. The final court decision is not expected to be announced until the end of June; Justice Alito stated that his opinion does not extend to other rights not specified in the Constitution. That has not stopped many from believing that other issues that were allowed previously, and were considered precedent, are at risk. These concerns include contraception, same-sex marriage, and interracial marriages that have each been based on interpretations of the 14^th Amendment and the right to privacy. With many of these rights, individual states, at times, prohibited the expression of the action described. Jennifer Rubin, as noted above, describes the court as tossing aside precedent and acting on their supporters’ Christian nationalism.

Women, and men, who took to the streets claiming “no coat hangers” and “my body, my rights,” were not listening to cautions and did not believe that the outcome might be different. American women of child-bearing age today have never lived in a country that restricted abortion the way this decision might do. They are unaware of the horrors of illegal abortions in the back alley or from the casual ‘mid-wife’ out in the country that were prevalent in the pre-Roe days. As the women’s movements note, state laws will not end abortions, they will just end safe abortions. If this leaked opinion comes down as accurate, then about half of the states, in short order, would implement anti-abortion restrictions. Some states are trying to pass laws that would call abortions homicide and punish the physicians who performed them; others are attacking IVF and stored eggs that are sometimes destroyed. In an article in Harpers’ Magazine, Jennifer Wright points out that many abortion foes believe that women attempting to conceive have good intentions; however, some evangelicals and Catholics oppose the idea of IVF. Others are trying to end contraceptive use, which has long been allowed. Who knows where these attempts will stop? Many women see these regulations as an attempt by the state to control their bodies and they believe it should not have a role in what is a private decision.

Many women’s groups have been preparing for this day by returning to the underground networks that existed before Roe. Recently, in an article in the Atlantic, reporter Jessica Bruder, who wrote “Nomadland”, wrote about the ‘Jane network’ and other groups of women who are preparing for a post-Roe world (a world that many hoped would never happen). They are holding workshops, teaching women about obtaining the medications that end a pregnancy safely, and how to perform abortions. Some states are trying to outlaw such medications and require in-person medical office visits for the provision of oral therapies since the medications are often prescribed in video visits. In recent years, more than half of the abortions before 10 weeks gestation are provided by the prescription of the oral medications used: first Mifepristone is given, followed by Misoprostol two days later. The FDA recently allowed distribution to occur online with valid prescriptions; some regional women’s groups have encouraged stockpiling of the medicines to avoid future scarcities as the red states continue to add restrictions.

I grew up in the era before Roe; women and girls still had unwanted pregnancies, they just had fewer options. In high school, sometimes girls went to stay with a “relative who was ill” for a while or went to a “home for unwed mothers” where their baby was taken away as soon as it was born and given up for adoption. Most of these girls never saw their children. Some, of course, ended their pregnancies at the hands of untrained butchers and ended up in the hospital with infections and other complications. In my early days as a nurse, I saw too many of these patients, some who died, and others who had to have emergency hysterectomies or other procedures. I agree with those marching in the streets who say: “We can’t go back!” Losing abortion as a national right and having it replaced by one which is returned to the states to decide separately will cause confusion and dismay.

I am thankful that I live in the state of Maryland, where abortion rights were approved by both the voters and the legislature. There is a move here to place it in the state constitution as a right, but as some have mentioned, this leaked opinion has jolted those who considered this right enshrined for the nation in its Constitution. Other states such as New York, Illinois, Connecticut, and California are expanding access, but that does not help a girl who lives in the deep south or upper Midwest where more restrictions will soon be added. Abortions for poor women who cannot afford to travel or others who cannot find care for the children they already have so they can travel will become more difficult. So, inevitably, the poor will suffer the most; women of color will pay the price for the fanaticism of the right. Some of the underground networks are raising funds to provide for travel and lodging for women who must leave their states, but I fear the need will vastly outweigh the funds available. I do not believe that said pregnant women or girls will have their baby and leave it at a nearby fire station, as so improbably suggested by Justice Barrett. As usual, people of means who can fly to another state that allows abortions will do so.

Ms. Magazine published poetry by Amanda Gorman about abortion that was written in 2019 before she became famous by reading a poem at President’s Biden inauguration. She was remarkably prescient then, commenting that losing this right would decrease equality and further harm those women in poverty or of color. Clicking on the link above will allow you to hear her reading this poem which is printed below.

Eight Reasons to Stand Up Against Abortion Bans Today, According to Amanda Gorman

1.     “When the penalty for rape is less than the penalty for abortion after the rape, you know this isn’t about caring for women and girls. It’s about controlling them.”

2.     “Through forcing them into motherhood before they’re ready, these bans steadily sustain the patriarchy, but also chain families in poverty and maintain economic inequality.”

3.     “Pregnancy is a private and personal decision and should not require the permission of any politician.”

4.     “For all time, regardless of whether it’s a crime, women have and will always seek their own reproductive destinies. All these penalties do is subdue women’s freedom to get healthy, safe services when they most need them.”

5.     “Fight to keep Roe v. Wade alive. By the term ‘overturn Roe v. Wade‘, the main concern is that the Supreme Court will let states thwart a woman’s path to abortion with undue burdens.”

6.     “One thing is true and certain: These predictions aren’t a distortion, hypothetical, or theoretical. Women already face their disproportion of undue burdens when seeking abortions. If the sexes and all people are to be equal, abortion has to be actually accessible and not just technically legal.”

7.     “Despite what you might hear, this right here isn’t only about women and girls. This fight is about about fundamental civil rights. Women are a big part of it, but at the heart of it are freedom over how fast our families grow goes farther and larger than any one of us. It’s about every single one of us.”

8.     “This change can’t wait. We’ve got the energy, the moment, the movement, and the thundering numbers.”

[‘The then-21-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate caps off the video with this soaring testimony of hope and motivation to keep fighting:’ (MS edits)]

“The alt-right’s biggest blunder is that most Americans aren’t under their impression that a woman’s body is up to them to decide. So when you’re outraged, these lawmakers are terrified. They want our tide to lose hope, to back up, pack up, and go home, so don’t. We won’t. We are never alone when we fight fire with feminism.

“So go, be unafraid. We will not be delayed, we will not be masquerade to the tale of a handmaid. We will not let Roe v. Wade slowly fade because when we show up today, we’re already standing up with the tomorrow we made.”

538 recently reported on the issues of abortion and noted that most Americans do not wish to overturn Roe. Over 50% approve of abortion in the first trimester, but the number decreases as the pregnancy progresses. Roe permitted abortion before “quickening” or viability and defined that as 23 weeks. They noted also that many residents do not realize that laws in their states have changed as many of the Republicans promoting them are not publicizing these efforts except to their base. Democrats are looking at this issue as one that might energize their base for the mid-terms, but we shall see what happens. Opinions on abortion rights vary by party, however, all parties, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, have significant populations in support.

538 also concludes: “But at the very least, a Supreme Court ruling that abruptly ends the constitutional right to abortion would vault the issue to the center of the political conversation — and change Americans’ lives in ways that many people may not expect.”

In conclusion, I believe that this opinion was decided on spurious grounds by a justice who appears to believe that women have no rights in controlling their bodies and that the state can and should decide their fate. Who am I to question a Supreme Court Justice? I am a woman with a right to control my body, so he could not, in my opinion, be more incorrect.

‘Til next week-Peace!

Do Words Matter?

Over the last few weeks, media reported about several conversations held by House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy which were taped, apparently without his knowledge. Someone released these tapes to the New York Times, that published articles about them and two reporters who wrote a book including this information. CNN released about the same time, thousands of emails and texts from former Presidential Chief of Staff.

Each release showed prominent men privately saying or writing words that differed greatly from their public pronouncements. Of course, this is not a new happening. People in public life have done such things for generations. The private tapes of Richard Nixon and President Johnson each revealed such contradictory words, so no one should be surprised.

But, where I am troubled, is when, in the tapes right after the horrors of January 6^th, McCarthy states he will ask DJT to resign and gives a speech, noting that he bears responsibility for the insurrection events; a few weeks later, he goes to Mar-a-Largo and caves in to the disgraced president and all is seemingly forgiven. As one commentator noted, McCarthy did the right things for a hot minute, then retreated. Senator McConnell says much the same in his speech right after the impeachment vote failed in the Senate. Yet, later he says that he would vote for the disgraced president were he to run again! Soon, the Republicans are back on the “the election was stolen” railroad track. None of their followers see anything wrong with this, it seems. Why is this duplicity okay? Is this dependent on the “we must win at any costs and we don’t care who can help us get there” theory of politics? So, even as Reps. Mo Proctor, Matt Gaetz, and Marjorie Taylor Greene are disparaged in these conversations, they will be supported by the caucus, as they please the treasured party base. I guess the old phrase ‘politics makes for strange bedfellows” remains a true saying.

Greene (who has been challenged over her fitness to appear for re-election by a voter who claims she supported the insurrection and is therefore ineligible to run for office) consorted with white supremacists. Greene has had a severe memory deficit during her testimony and seems to not recognize tweets she made earlier. Some might even say that she is lying. Gaetz is still under suspicion for sex offenses in a Florida investigation. Brooks, who appeared on the stage at the rally before the raid on the Capitol wearing body armor, is now no longer favored by the former president who has endorsed his primary opponent.

On the other issue, Mark Meadows, who has been issued a subpoena which he disregarded after he had submitted some emails and texts, (some say because his former boss complained about some claims made in his book) and was referred by the select committee to the Attorney General. Meadows is now claiming in his court appeal of the subpoena that the release of the emails was an attempt to force him to comply. What they showed in these samples of over 2,000 texts is that Meadows was an active player in the election conspiracy claims and the formation of the “Stop the Steal” movement. Communications with the former Presidents’ son in the immediate aftermath of the election loss demonstrated that an active effort to overturn the results involved White House staff and campaign officials. Exchanges with many personages at Fox News included talking points to promote the ideas that the Democrats stole the election. Also surprising were the numbers of suggestions and communications from commentators such as Sean Hannity, to the office.

The White House was said to be furious during election week that Fox News called the results for Biden in Arizona days before the other networks made that claim. However, the texts reveal Meadows was among members of the inner circle who privately agreed that they could find no actual evidence of election fraud. As bans from Twitter and Facebook were imposed on the president after January 6^th, staff comments reveal efforts to find other avenues or substitute ways to get the president back on instant communication.

The January 6^th Select Committee announced this week that it will hold open hearings for eight sessions starting on June 8^th. I will be one of those who plan to watch and listen carefully as these so-far limited communications reveal that there are many layers and players aside from the insurrectionists who actually stormed the Capitol building. In over 900 interviews, the committee learned about many of the unseen persons who plotted to overturn the election with fraudulent electors, fake claims of dubious ballots, and attacks on election workers and precinct officials. They also spoke with many who organized buses, other transportation, and lodging for the rally and march, and others who raised and provided funds for the day’s activities.

Recently, courts ruled that John Eastman’s emails (over 10,000), which he resisted providing, must be submitted to the committee. He was the plotter behind the claims that VP Pence could deny accepting the state-approved electors. His claim of attorney-client privilege was not accepted by the court. In that same hearing, the judge also ruled that the former president “more likely than not” committed criminal obstruction of the joint session of Congress meeting to approve the election. Familiar figures such as Giuliani and Stone have not yet been questioned, although they may yet come forward. Members of the former president’s family have testified as have many former staffers; the often-combative Stephen Miller testified for several hours this week. The committee may have leaked texts, but it has not revealed testimony, except to note when a person used the Fifth Amendment protection when questioned. Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who is a committee member, claimed recently that the hearings will “blow the roof off the House” and will show the involvement of the president.

As an aside, it was recently revealed that Mark Meadows claimed a voting residence at a trailer home that he never lived in when he represented a district in NC. Records appear to show that in 2020 he voted in NC and from a home in Northern Virginia. Mr. Meadows, did you really think you could get away with voter fraud; that no one would be looking? Or is this another example of right-wing arrogance? NC recently removed his name from state voting lists. Why do I have doubts that if this is true, that nothing will be done legally to punish him? What ever happened to his fine speech about fraudulent votes?

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Brief Covid notes - NY Times:

The US has seen 81,276,040 total reported cases with 56, 700 reported yesterday. Death totals are now 992,033, with 320 new deaths reported yesterday. 66% of the US population is fully vaccinated. In Maryland with 76% of the population vaccinated, recent days have seen a 60% increase in the number of cases as 945 new cases are reported. According to the Times, reporting is probably an under-count as more people are testing at home and not reporting and many test centers have closed down. The Department of Justice is appealing the recent decision by a Federal Judge for the nationwide removal of the mask mandate on transportation and other venues. Current estimates show that approximately 60% of the US population has been infected, which is well under the reported totals.

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Elon Musk succeeded with his quest to purchase Twitter and paid over $45 Billion to purchase all the stock. Some question whether he can make a profit and keep his financing intact. He used a combination of cash, Tesla stock, and loans against tesla to finance the deal. Others continue to ask why he wanted the chat site and wonder if he will continue the ban for life imposed by the former board against DJT. Many are also concerned regarding what Musk’s definition of free speech really is and how he might exercise that opinion. Time will tell.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine continues and now appears to be on track for an extended period. Putin hoped to have a defeat in hand immediately after he invaded, then he moved that goal to include the defeat of the Donbas and nearby areas by May 9^th, the Russian anniversary of the end of WWll; it does not appear that he will make this goal either, as the heavy artillery from the West seems to make a difference. Some 100 civilians are being rescued from Mariupol tonight, but many others remain waiting for rescue. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, made an unannounced trip to Kyiv on Sunday; she and her delegation met with President Zelensky, and other officials briefly.

Another MAGA endorsed candidate has been accused of groping-why am I not surprised? In the Nebraska governor’s race, the MAGA candidate, Charles Herbster, has been accused by a second woman of groping. Birds of a feather, as they say?

That is all for now.

“Til next week, hope for peace.