I don’t know if it was a good time to take off or not after not writing my blog for 10 days. The days were full of major stories that will affect our lives for some time to come. At the same time, I was able to thoroughly enjoy birthday parties for Alaina and Kaylen, Father’s Day, a Juneteenth celebration at the Clifton’s home, and the three-day Hickory Cup golf tournament. I also was able to use the time to do much needed work at our Ypsi house. Unfortunately, my eating habits took a major nose-dive and it showed when I finally jumped back on the scale this morning. I am now back in Petoskey ready to get back in the swing of things, as I look forward to Katy and her family coming up for the long Fourth of July weekend.
Elections Matter: The Supreme Court will get my Onion of the Day as it seems to have set us back 50 years with its abortion ruling and it decision to declare the New York gun law unconstitutional.
I am personally against abortion when used as an alternative form of birth control. I have two adopted children because two women chose not to have an abortion. For that I am eternally grateful. At the same time, there are so many other reasons an abortion is the appropriate medical care solution. SCOTUS has now thrown the decision back to the states to create their own laws on abortion. Instead of having red and blue states we are now going to have states that will be abortion friendly and those that will be abortion unfriendly. Furthermore, they have taken away the rights of women to control their own bodies. Most conservatives are against the government interfering with individual rights, yet they are willing to take the right of women to make decisions about their own body. This is such a contradiction to me.
My biggest concern about the SCOTUS decision is the impact it will have on women of color. As a person who has dedicated my life helping the underserved and underinsured, I know as well as any white male the negative ramifications this ruling will have on people of color who live in anti-abortion states. More women will die. More kids will be brought into poverty. More kids will be born with increased health issues. More kids will be brought into households where they are not wanted. The list goes on and on. It is further exacerbated in conservative controlled states where Medicaid is restricted, and health providers choose not to provide care to people of color. Emergency rooms will be their place for prenatal care and deliveries.
In all my readings in the last week, nothing sums up my feelings better than this article that appeared in today’s The Guardian.
While throwing abortion back to the states, SCOTUS also took away New York state’s right to make its own concealed weapons laws. SCOTUS ruled against the NEW YORK’s law which severely restricted the right to carry a gun outside the home. SCOTUS ruled Americans have a broad right to arm themselves in public. Open carry will soon be happening in every state because of this ruling. Somehow, I don’t feel safer because of this decision by SCOTUS
On a positive note, Congress passed, and Biden signed a new law which is a first step in attempting to reduce mass shootings. The legislation will enhance background checks for potential gun buyers under the age of 21, requiring for the first time that authorities have time to examine juvenile records, including mental health records beginning at age 16. It provides millions of dollars for states to implement so-called red flag laws that allow officials to temporarily confiscate guns from people deemed in court to be too dangerous to own them, and other intervention programs. And it strengthens laws against straw purchasing and trafficking of guns. In addition, the measure pours more federal money into shoring up mental health programs across the country, and toughening security in schools. And the bill tightens a federal ban on domestic abusers buying firearms, including recent or current serious dating partners, to close what has come to be called the boyfriend loophole.
It took the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde to finally get 10 Republican senators’ attention to make this happen. I wonder what it will take to make them go further and address the sale of assault weapons, AR-15 type weapons and magazines that hold more than 15 rounds?
After watching and listening to most of the hearings by the House Select Committee on January 6, 2021, I am amazed the number of people who still support Trump. For some people, facts do not matter. Clearly many of Trump’s congressional supporters knew they were crossing the line into illegal and immoral behavior. Why else would they ask for a pardon?
I found The Detroit News Nolan Finley article today on election candidate endorsements very interesting. Here is what he said their endorsement board is looking for in candidates.
Typically, we look for candidates who reflect our traditional conservative values of free markets, smaller, efficient government and maximum individual freedom. If that candidate is not on the ballot in any given race, we look for a competent choice who best reflects the values of the people they’re seeking to represent.
This year, we’ve broadened our criteria. It’s not enough for a candidate to simply adopt the conservative label. The word “conservative” has come to mean different things to different people, and some of the definitions we find unacceptable. Intolerance is not a conservative value, nor is advocating for the government to exert its power to create a social order that reflects a narrow cultural or religious worldview.
We are especially drawn to candidates who recognize the growing dangers of division and incivility and commit to unity. Fortunately, we’re seeing more of those this year than in the past. While traditionally our views have aligned closely with those of the Republican Party, we have never been knee-jerk in putting our stamp on GOP hopefuls. Each cycle, a third or more of our endorsements go to Democrats.
This year, party labels matter far less, given the fissures in the GOP. We are looking beyond the R and the D in search of candidates who pledge to engage in pragmatic, cooperative governing and pull politics back toward the center.
While there are no hard litmus tests, I will say we have no interest in cultists or ideologues. Candidates who call themselves Trump Republicans and salute the former president’s delusions generally need not apply. Likewise, we largely reject those Democrats who have have adopted a “by any means necessary” philosophy that shows no respect for America’s institutions and sees the Constitution as a guide when it’s convenient, irrelevant when it’s not.
I was shocked when I read that Caleb Swanigan died at the age of 25. The former Purdue standout and 2016-17 consensus First Team All-American died Monday. Swanigan was also the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2017, following a season in which he averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists for a Purdue team that went 27-8 and made the Sweet 16. Swanigan, a former McDonald’s All-American, parlayed his dominant sophomore campaign to early entry into the NBA Draft. He was selected 26th overall in 2017 by the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played for two seasons.
Swanigan was a huge man who stood 6ft 9in and weighed over 260 pounds. His teammate, Isaac Haas, was even bigger at 7ft 3in and 305 pounds of solid muscle. At the time they were playing at Purdue, I was at a Purdue/Michigan game standing on the side of the court during warm-ups and found myself close to both at the same time. I have never felt so tiny in my life. I will never forget that moment.
Elections Matter. Pray for peace and tolerance. What are you doing to stop the violence?
Orchid of the Day: Former Detroit Tiger who will be an honorary coach at this year’s MLB all-star game.
Onion of the Day: SCOTUS, for taking women back fifty years. Who knows how much more damage they are going to do before it is over?
Quote of the Day: “We have to be thinking about the Scotus decision and abortion bans generally as a racist policy, because the burden will fall the hardest on Black pregnant people, it’s going to fall hard on Indigenous people and other people of color, people living in rural areas as well and people of lower socioeconomic status,” Rachel Hardeman, a reproductive health equity professor and researcher at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Question of the Day: If states pass laws banning abortion because they believe life begins in the womb, shouldn’t they also allow a tax deduction for a child exemption at the time of conception?
Video of the Day: Governor Kathy Hochul on SCOTUS decision.
Many people think of abortion as it relates to unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. However, women need care for miscarriages & encephalic fetuses. Bleeding to death or seeing a baby without a brain suffer a few hours crying like a dying cat is not humane.
Nancy,
I have been remiss in checking the comments on my website. I apologize for that. Abortion is not as simple as some people make it out to be. If people had your knowledge and your experience they would not be anti abortion. I find that many of the people who are anti abortion are also the same people who do not support taking care of the underserved and uninsured. Makes no sense to me, but what do I know.
Biggs