Bernie Takes Michigan

I have never made it a secret that I support Bernie as our next president, and have been a fan of his for a few years now. Being from upstate NY, stuff that happens in Vermont isn't all that far from me, so it's not a huge slide to hear about it.

  Having always considered myself more of a green party/independent kind of person, I still am registered as a Democrat for elections for this very reason. For when someone like Bernie Sanders runs for office.

  No, I have no illusions that if Democrats do not take back the majority of seats in both the House and Senate in DC, they will continue their Koch fueled goal to obstruct everything that interferes with their views of free market and protecting their assets, regardless of what it does to the economy longterm, the environment, or the people of the United States outside of their small circle view (for more information on this, check out Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer).

  But one thing I do have, that Trump followers do not seem to have, is hope. I have hope that we can turn it around and make this country a place where we take care of each other. Where college is affordable and available, where healthcare is universal, where trickle down theory stays in the history books (not in policy), where the rich pay taxes just like the rest of us (not get out of paying taxes due to loopholes as they donate to their favorite radical right not-for-profits). You can read more about Bernie on the issues here:  "On the Issues"

  The great thing about what happened in Michigan, is that it shows how misleading the polls can be. Do not let the polls keep you from getting out and voting or feeling as if your vote won't matter. If nothing else has been demonstrated this year thus far, it is that every single vote really does matter (even with the super delegates being pain in the asses).

  Keep your head up! #feelthebern


 

Trump, Hillary and Bernie.. What is going on?

I have not hidden my opinions on Trump (Hitler reborn), Hillary (too middle ground for me, but I will vote for her if she wins the Democratic nomination), and Bernie (the man I believe can turn this country around, if we take back democratic control of the Senate and House in a dramatic fashion).

Trump Fans??
Yesterday was super Tuesday, and Trump won most of the states and is still leading the Republican nomination. To my fellow citizens, why are you voting for him? Just because he speaks his mind? But his mind is hateful and fear-mongering! If you are afraid of terrorist attacks (which I understand, they scare me too) but do not support gun control, you frighten me more than "Muslim" terrorists.

source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34996604

 

I know you're afraid, I really get that. But let's sit back for a second and realize a few things.

1) Muslim's are people too who believe in God (Allah), as many of you do as well, and most of them are against terrorist attacks.

 

2) Having a gun does not mean that you are protected, and do you really want more people to be able to have guns on school campus' when regulation is so low and they could be planning to kill someone? What if your child is caught in the crossfire in college?

 

3) Mexican immigration is another hot topic in terms of what Trump keep's yelling. Where are his statistics that illegal immigrants are criminals? In 2007, when illegal immigration was MUCH higher from Mexico than it is now, the Immigration Policy Center found that Hispanic immigrants are incarcerated at lower rates than native-born Americans. And now Mexican immigration is much lower than it used to be, lower than Chinese immigration and on par with India.

 

Source: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-08-17/three-facts-that-can-refocus-u-s-immigration-debate

 

So why are you such a fan of someone who is spouting comments with absolutely NO basis in fact, meant to merely galvanize a frightened population that he seems to consider highly uneducated and easy to manipulate? Do you really want to be manipulated or do you want to do some research and think about the facts? This isn't a liberal idea, this is an equal rights, I should know all the facts before I make a decision grown-up kind of thing.

 

 

 

Hillary and Bernie

 

I have said it before, and I will say it again. If Hillary wins the primaries, I will vote for her. If Bernie wins the primaries, I will vote for him (and be thrilled). But I am a Bernie fan #feelthebern and all that. And I understand that some liberal websites have taken sides between the two of them, and that is fine. But what bothers me is when they take things that either have said and stretches it as far as they can to be able to say "look how horrible this is".

 

   Someone actually commented this in reply to my own comment on a motherjones.com post: "A vote for Hilary is a vote for Trump. Bernie supporters will not vote for Hilary." And all I can say in reply is WHAT? You would rather vote for Trump than Hillary? Really? Crazy-speak much? How can anyone make a jump from being a full supporter of Bernie to ever being able to vote for Trump? There is NO logic in that.

 

  It is understandable that these websites want Bernie or Hillary to win, respectively, but we can talk about it as adults and without mudslinging. There are enough differences in ideology alone to simply discuss it. And I am looking forward to being able to once again follow my favorite liberal pages on Facebook haha.

 

Finally

 

This race is really scaring me. I want us to have jobs, not cater to the rich, and keep social programs well funded (for once). If you are Christian, really look at what Jesus would do. Jesus defended a woman accused of prostitution, washed her feet. He only became violent when it came to money-changers in the temple.

 

Free markets do not work. The rich do not raise wages without being forced too. They do not create safe working situations without being forced to and with monitoring. The trickle down theory does not work. The rich are more likely to send jobs overseas than to create jobs here, and good jobs. We need to raise the pay for jobs that women typically take and are needed in this country, mental health and teaching (for example).

 

So much work needs to be done, but do you think that Republicans will do any of the previous paragraph? When have they supported these in the past 30 years?

 

Republicans need to realize that what is good for everyone is to have higher wages and more jobs. People will spend more, which will bring more revenue to the businesses and everyone is happy. Businesses do not need to get greedy and raise the prices of everything because they can, keep the prices low and sell more. We're Americans, we hoard, it will work :).

 

Go VOTE!



 

No, Michelle is Not in Fuller House. And That is OKAY!

My oldest daughter (who is 8) loves Full House, so when we found out about Fuller House, she was pretty darn excited! Then we heard that everyone was coming back except for the twins who played Michelle.

  To be honest, at first I did say "too bad" since everyone else is coming back. But then, after all the bashing and nonsense going on about it, I realized that it wasn't that big a deal to me and stayed out of the fray completely.

   Than the full season was released on Netflix this past Friday and my daughter and I finished all the episodes by Saturday night (which is pretty good, since we had a lot to do on Saturday haha).

  Here are my thoughts:

  The writers of the show did a fantastic job in poking fun at the fact that Michelle wasn't there, and everyone else was. My favorite was probably the drunken, late-night, phone message left for Michelle by DJ, Stephanie and Gibbler :P.

That being said, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have every right to not return to acting, or Full House. Let's think about it for a second from a few different view points.

1) Would you jump off a bridge if everyone else was? To be honest, just because everyone else from Full House came back to the show does not mean that they have to as well. It really doesn't and the idea that they do is kind of bullying. Sure, Mary-Kate Olsen did some acting in Beastly, but really the two of them have stayed so much out of the Hollywood acting world that they really do not have a fan base that they need to appease.

2) They started acting when they were babies. BABIES. They had absolutely no choice in the matter. I am not knocking that or saying one way or the other that it is a bad or good thing. But I am saying is that they have a choice now that they didn't have then. Sure they did a few kid movies, but did they really want to act? Because they faded from doing much acting pretty quickly. Do YOU want to be forced to do something you don't want to do?

3) There are much bigger things in the world that you can get mad about, rather than the fact that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen did not join the cast of Fuller House. And to be honest, them not being there made a few scenes really funny in pointing it out or poking fun at the cutesy things that Michelle used to say. Be mad about global warming, or the shit the Republicans are saying, or the fact that Trump is doing so well.  But to be mad because two grown individuals are exercising their right to make choices for themselves, regardless of what others think is admirable. They are not hurting anyone by these choices.

Not that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will read this, but kudos to both of you for sticking to what is right for you. Do not take the pokes in the show too personally, and live your lives as you would choose to do so. Be well and see you around the star tracks (People Magazine).

So enjoy Fuller House, and ya'll, take a chill pill!!

What If Trump Won?

So I have been among the many liberals who are scared shitless about the idea that Trump could win. I mean, why would I want the man who is so far removed from reality to be president? The man who is frightening in his xenophobia, racism and lies?

There was even an article going around about a Canadian island welcoming Americans who want to flee the country if he wins. And I have admittedly said myself, to my husband and mother, that I would leave the country if he wins.

I will not lie, the United States of America has disappointed me many times with how conservative it can be, how blind, how many lies the politicians spew, and with how hypocritical and unkind the citizens can be when something doesn't "affect" them. But this morning, I realized that it is more important for people like me to stay.

There was this fantastic article, written by a millennial who already moved out of the country. I get why we want to leave, I would love to move to a country with universal healthcare, free (or low cost) college for my children, more family leave that is paid during illness or maternity/paternity leave. But my country, the United States, deserves this as well. And if liberals decide to leave, I truly fear that this country will go further to the conservatives and end up dialing back the clock until all that is left is the rich and their serf's. That is a real fear I have.

  I do not believe that if left to corporations, they will raise wages to a livable rate and keep it up, they do not take care of their workers. If it becomes too much of a hassle in the United States they hire overseas and have their factories there, as they have proven over and over.

  But tell me this. If the wages stay low, as things get more expensive, how are we going to be able to afford to buy food, and non-essentials? How are we going to keep the economy afloat in the United States if people do not get paid enough to do so?

  So I will not leave. I will stay and fight. I will stay and blog, and talk, and comment, and share on Facebook, and not keep my mouth shut. Because if Trump wins and the House and Senate remain Republican, I may not personally be affected immediately. But those I love will be affected, and those I do not know will.

I am not just liberal for me, are you just conservative for you?

Democrats, get your butt out there and vote this year. PLEASE.

"You Want My Daughter's to Wear What?" Petition Share

   Today Mayim Bialik shared a petition on her Facebook page that was started by Cassy James in Kissimmee, Florida asking American Eagle Outfitters, Urban Outfitters and Forever 21: Retailers should provide fashionable, modest, age-appropriate clothes for girls.

   I'm actually for this, I am not Jewish or Muslim, but find it comfortable to cover my hair on some days. I do not have a problem with showing some skin, but find it comfortable to wear shirts and pants that are lounge-able. I would love for my daughters to have this option as well. And the problem is that we do not have this option in the stores. It is not a matter of just what is fashionable, but we should have a wide-range of fashionable and comfortable clothes for all types of women (young and old). I want to wear comfortable pants, long skirts. Why can't we have both?

   Currently, I have two daughters who are 8 and 4. When going to a store for bathing suits, the main option (with a few one pieces around) are two pieces. For children? Why? Am I the only one who finds one pieces more comfortable for being rowdy in the pool with? Seriously?

  Looking at clothes as my kids get older, I have never been a fan of short skirts, and don't really want my daughters to wear them either. But I would like to be able to find a middle ground with her, but that middle ground is not available at all. And yes, of course I will parent and put my foot down where I need too. I have no problem with that, but it seriously would make my parenting job so much easier if I didn't have to fight over this, and I can't see how that isn't a fight sometimes.

  And what if my girls actually do want comfortable clothes? And I freely exchange comfortable with modest, because I don't expect my daughters to cover themselves from head to toe, but if you are not showing cleavage or have to worry that if your legs open too much your underwear will show, there is a certain comfort in that assurance.

  So if you are a fan of having actual choices in the teen clothing stores, please go sign the petition I linked above, I did (though I'm pretty sure the last word in the comment I left was written wrong, I'm a fan haha).

 

Grey Pro-Choice

Watching Gilmore Girls, woman who had a baby at 16 and raises her child as a strong independent woman my past ghosts come up and cause me to question my choices.

  When I was 18 I became pregnant. It was very dramatically revealed while trying to join the army and all of coming home in shame to my mother who put into place me having an abortion within a month.

  No one in my family asked me if I wanted to do anything differently and to this day I wonder if I should have stuck up for myself and really thought about my options. But I didn't and I had the abortion, which led to a period of time in which I was so depressed I lost months of time and eventually agreed to marry someone I didn't want to marry at all which led to me being raped by that husband.

  But here is the grey area of being pro-choice. Once upon a time abortion was illegal and people still had them, and sometimes died from that. With them being legal, women can have them safely. I refuse to put my guilt and ghosts on others, saying, look how bad you will feel. Because not everyones situation is the same.

  Now I am a mom to two fantastic daughters who I love very much. They are the lights of my life. I mourn my choice from 17 years ago, but have to move forward. So I write and volunteer to counsel women who have abortions and are having trouble with the grief and guilt. I am also pro-choice, because it is a womans body and choice.

Sadly, be well.

Gun Control? How About Some Statistics?

So today I was doing some things, such as studying the gun laws of NYS (which are super strict and awesome by the way), and that got me to thinking about gun statistics in general. Low and behold you know what there is? Lots of awesome statistics.

  To put this in perspective, I'm actually not against people having guns. Hunting is something that is good to do (within reason), and if you have no history of violence and in general you are a reasonable person, you should absolutely be able to access a gun (within reason, you don't need an assault gun, handguns, sure).

  But, that being said. I'm for very tight gun laws that restrict who can have a gun. Such as the following:

10 States with the Most Lenient Gun Laws

10 States with the Strictest Gun Laws

 These ratings come from the Brady Campaign to restrict gun access, in all fairness, but I fairly agree with their judgment (of course I would, right? I'm a liberal). Still, for the sake of this argument, let's say they are fairly accurate. So there is part of the information I was looking for.

Next, I was looking for this map (from 2015):

I found this here: Map Source

So here we go, up to math.

Taking the numbers from the States with the Least Strict gun laws, I end up with an average number of deaths per 100,000 people as 14.83.

 

Taking the number from the States with the Most Strict gun laws, I end up with an average number of deaths per 100,000 people as 5.68.

So gee, it seems that strict gun laws do statistically make a difference.

If you are not a violent person (no history of violence or have ever had a restraining order against you), if you do not do drugs (sorry), have a severe mental illness (sorry even someone who is depressed should not have a gun because of the easy access for suicide, for example), have ties to any hate group anywhere (no matter the religious connection), and cannot find 3 people who can be interviewed by a policeman as to your character, you should not have a goddamn gun.

Rant done.

Have a Happy Holidays.

Don't Drink And Drive.

Ever.