Posts by KentNelson@democracy.town
(DIR) Post #AS0W1M6QhEGcxOpEyu by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-01-25T15:33:55Z
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@TonyStark Good info. From The Guardian article:"Living with a handgun owner particularly increased the risk of being shot to death in a domestic violence incident, and it did not provide any protection against being killed at home by a stranger, the researchers found."I wish more people would understand this.
(DIR) Post #AS0W1PF31dwYgzsfKa by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-01-25T16:16:47Z
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@sparseMatrix @TonyStark The hypothesis here is:Living with a handgun owner can increase one's risk of being shot in a domestic dispute;and,That having a handgun at home does not protect one from being killed by a stranger.I think the facts speak for themselves.Guns aren't Evil, but they Are Dangerous.⚡
(DIR) Post #AS0W1QYa8VAAls1mPw by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-01-25T16:25:45Z
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@Heimdall @sparseMatrix @TonyStark Heimdall, I have to admit - I like your style.⚡
(DIR) Post #AS70yhY0lsPq7rhUzg by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-01-28T19:24:04Z
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On Understanding Trump and the Truth:"Dismissive and simple explanations about the stupidity of authoritarian fraudsters and their gullible followers do not actually explain much.Instead they are symptomatic of a refusal to understand what we might not like: the mythical incarnation of truth that leads to its decimation.Programmatic politics and winning elections against (Trump) are more important to the present and future of democratic life than assessing his psychiatric state or stereotyping him as a con man. He does not lie because he is a crazy cheater; he lies because he belongs to a political tradition that proposes an alternative notion of truth and emanates from the sacred infallibility of the leader.His racism and misogyny are political attempts to transform reality in order to make it closer to fantasy.It cannot be ignored." F Finchelstein, A Brief History of Fascist LiesVote. Out. Republicans. ⚡#VoteBlue
(DIR) Post #ASAtFS1BjxWXssfC0u by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-01-30T16:29:07Z
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Remembering a Joyous Moment in U.S. History - the Jan 5th Win for Ossoff and Warnock:Biden's Fight for the "Soul of America," his extensive campaigning, the efforts of thousands of campaign volunteers across the nation, and a Resounding Rejection of Trumpism by ordinary citizens across America; As well as the voters in Georgia literally shifting the Balance of Power in the Senate through some extraordinary, on-the-edge-of-your-seat elections;Saved Our Country from the Deep Dive towards the End of Democracy where Trump was Determined to Take Us.This may sound dramatic, but we all lived through it, and I can still remember standing in my kitchen late at night on Jan 5th when the numbers finally rolled in strong from Dekalb County, putting Warnock and Ossoff handily in the lead - that something significant had just happened. A Major Shift in the Trajectory of Hope and Goodness in America Happened On That Night.⚡
(DIR) Post #ASHbFnykeLZdwF7PKC by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-02T14:50:48Z
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We're facing a terrible wave of Hate and Intolerance here in America; and Book Banning is the latest threat.DeSantis is leading the charge, but Florida isn't the only state moving in this direction.19 States have initiated Teaching & Book Bans:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Tj5WQVBmB6SQg-zP_M8uZsQQGH09TxmBY73v23zpyr0/edit#gid=267763711What can we do?From Brea Baker:1. BUY BANNED BOOKS - and actually read them.2. If you live in a state that's banning books, call your local and statewide elected officials.3, Sign up for a free Brooklyn Public Library Card.4. For adults with children; buy them books, talk about difficult subjects with grace and care, and help them to host book clubs with peers.5. Support programs such as: Books Not Bars, The American Library Association, and Others.6. Show up at School Board meetings, and run for Local Office positions. 7. Vote in Local Elections, and Support Local and State Candidates for Office.Stay Informed. Get Involved. Turn Back the Tide.Vote. Out. Republicans.⚡https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/02/11276842/fight-censored-education-banned-books
(DIR) Post #ASHxPK2P1Tt6xtlluS by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-02T16:07:10Z
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@GeorgeCarlinWasRight I do agree that it's a difficult road, but I also believe in never giving up. A little discussed fact is that Texas mostly voted Democrat for over 100 years prior to 1976.
(DIR) Post #ASHxPRKNv1QnZhEjPU by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-02T20:20:46Z
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@Npars01 @DontMindMe @GeorgeCarlinWasRight What she said.⚡
(DIR) Post #ASNO95JTfaqxDW2Ohc by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-05T16:37:12Z
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@TonyStark It's sad to say, but two of my siblings residing in Texas due to their age, and employment status - not being eligible for company health plans that require full time employment - have both had to live without any insurance at all. They're in that "in-between" age where they're beyond their prime working years, but not old enough for Medicare - and just can't afford it.It's a bad situation, especially because this is when they likely need coverage the most.My daughter on the other hand was able to qualify immediately for great coverage from WA state's expanded Medicaid program when she was working part time at minimum wages and barely able to make ends meet.This is a good illustration of what Democrats can do when they're in charge. Republicans spend all their time talking down the very things that can help average people the most.
(DIR) Post #ASQ3CnjvQyrcJEDeDY by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-06T16:13:15Z
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Climate Change is the single most existential threat to humanity we've ever faced, including nuclear weapons. –BidenWe cannot follow the traditional way of dealing with this problem, that is, wait until the consequences are obvious, it will be too late. –Romm, PhDDemocrats are doing something about it now, while Republicans are keeping their heads planted firmly in the sand.Massive investment in nascent technologies has been proven to Significantly Reduce the Cost of such technologies, not only on a national scale where investment is focused initially, but on a Global Scale as well.Because of the Inflation Reduction Act, America is firmly on the path to meet our 2030 climate goals. With over $650bn in combined investment from the IRA, the CHIPS and Science Act, America will now “be able to reduce emissions by 1bn tons of carbon annually – more than ten times the climate impact of any prior American legislation.”#ClimateCrisis For further reading,https://kentnelsonfordemocracy.blog/2023/02/06/the-climate-crisis-bidens-inflation-reduction-act/
(DIR) Post #ASQ82xMfIHzh2ESqg4 by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-07T01:14:08Z
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@stopgopfox @darwinwoodka @TonyStark I think part of it's just plain laziness. A lot of folks just turn on the Fox and let it run all day. I've been loving this new thing on Mastodon, following a few really good journalists, hooked up a couple of great substack accounts, and have several subscriptions to some good on-line mags; and building a good old fashioned, real book library. Rarely ever turn on the mass media tube anymore. The difference is I'm really interested and I care, but it takes a lot of work. Example, this weekend my focus was on climate change, and the Inflation Reduction Act - how much of that did you hear in the media during the last week with all the crazy balloon carnival?
(DIR) Post #ASQ9z9IlAciao5wxBg by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-07T01:20:35Z
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@stopgopfox @darwinwoodka @TonyStark For entertainment it was great. I thought is was funny as hell. But for developing a better understanding about what's really going on around here - a big fat zero.
(DIR) Post #ASSWEzFosfKjaQS4MS by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-08T03:27:20Z
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Stability over Chaos.A Nation in a New Age of Possibilities. Because the Soul of this Nation is STRONG.Because the BackBone of this Nation is STRONG.Because the PEOPLE of this Nation are STRONG.The State of the Union is STRONG.
(DIR) Post #ASUM6J2vJZct8eYsCG by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-09T02:06:53Z
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Just found this: Kamala Harris' full remarks in Atlanta at GA Tech today. It's 35 min's and I'm still working my way through it but it's on Climate Change, The Inflation Reduction Act, and Infrastructure so topics of great interest."The clock is not ticking, it is like banging," the vice president warned. "It is requiring us to move quickly, but there is so much to be excited about in terms of what we can do." - Kamala Harrishttps://www.11alive.com/video/news/local/full-remarks-vp-kamala-harris-speaks-in-atlanta/85-ec0bacd6-7232-4550-9cd4-256e3966b9b1
(DIR) Post #ASVeVKw1QFHOZKNWO8 by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-09T16:09:23Z
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@TonyStark Excellent article, Tony, on a horrible ruling and on Thomas' toxicity.Quoting:Instead of counseling “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” originalism instructs “If it’s still broken, you still can’t fix it”—a prescription for permanent crises in America, unsolvable in the present because they were not solved in the pastIn Bruen, the Supreme Court announced a strict new originalist standard for evaluating the constitutionality of laws regulating guns. A gun law is now valid only if it's “consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.” And even then, Thomas wrote for the majority, “not all history is created equal.” (This is how the Bruen court justified striking down a law that had been on the books for more than a century.) The elected branches must prove to the judiciary that a sufficiently analogous regulation existed roughly 230 yrs ago, when the 2nd Amendment was adopted, or potentially 155 yrs ago, when the 14th Amendment was adopted.
(DIR) Post #ASdtzRq7V25tNP0LRo by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-13T15:01:51Z
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Joe's Betting on America.All told the Inflation Reduction Act may spur $1.7trn in public and private investment, reckons Credit Suisse, a bank. The spending unleashed by it, the CHIPS Act and the infrastructure bill are “among the most significant investments that we’ve ever made”, Janet Yellen, the treasury secretary, declared last year.“In recent decades the focus became very narrow,” Ms Yellen explains to The Economist. For the past year she has been touting an alternative vision, which she calls “modern supply-side economics”. It emphasizes the beneficial effects of public investment—in training, social services, clean energy and the manufacture of certain goods. This agenda cleverly weds the aim of succoring mfg to several other goals, including reducing America’s emissions of greenhouse gases, limiting its dependence on imports of strategic goods and shoring up its technological lead over China.https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/02/02/americas-government-is-spending-lavishly-to-revive-manufacturing
(DIR) Post #ASgj0t09TwZLsx3m6q by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-15T00:41:48Z
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The Climate Book, by Greta Thunberg is now available in the US and Canada."I’m so pleased to share that The Climate Book is now available in the USA and Canada! I have gathered the wisdom of over one hundred contributors to highlight the many different crises we face and equip us with the knowledge we need to avoid a climate disaster." - Greta Thunberg
(DIR) Post #ASjrbeRvvlDOZjyaQK by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-14T17:03:53Z
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Drag Show BanningIt's a complicated topic to dive into, but the bottom line is that Republicans are using this issue to stir up anger among their base, in order to shore up support at the voting box.Fundamentally, it's a direct attack on the LGBTQ community. But they come at it from different angles, from gay marriage to 'protecting the children', from trans-gender identity to falsely labeling it 'obscenity.'From The Economist:"As many as 296 anti-LGBTQ bills are pending in statehouses across the country, according to the ACLU, an advocacy group. Public approval for gay rights is at an all-time high, but the backlash is also strong. In its official materials, the Texas Republican Party now calls homosexuality 'an abnormal lifestyle choice' and opposes 'validating' transgender identities."As an LGBTQ Ally I find these bills and efforts to silence and criminalize members and allies of LGBTQ for simply being themselves and expressing their creativity - appalling.
(DIR) Post #ASt4XKEUCaeIXgaq5Q by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-18T17:06:26Z
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Mental Health: Trends Among America's YouthThe CDC recently released the results of their "Youth Risk Behavior Survey" compiling data from 2011 - 2021. It's a comprehensive report including data on 29 variables from areas such as Sexual Behavior, Substance Abuse, Experiences of Violence, Mental Health, and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors.As seen from the graphic, many trends are not moving in a favorable direction.The details and overall message from this report is alarming.As a concerned American, there is much that we need to work on to reverse these trends. Republicans clearly do not want to help. Republicans consistently put up unqualified representatives, not as an attempt to improve any of these situations - but to Distract Attention from the Important Issues that need to be understood more deeply and dealt with more effectively.We must not fall prey to the Republican Politics of Distraction.Stay Informed. Vote Blue.https://thenelsonreport.vote/2023/02/18/mental-health-trends-among-americas-youth/https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_Data-Summary-Trends_Report2023_508.pdf
(DIR) Post #ASt4ZsfZ8cBtvQThEO by KentNelson@democracy.town
2023-02-18T21:21:49Z
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I recently posted a quote from The Economist describing Yellen's approach as "modern supply-side economics." This didn't sit well, and sent me on a quest to understand more about her and her approach.I've been impressed.Owen Ullman, in his book, Empathy Economics, about Yellen's life and approach, presents a different story. Yellen's record is full of examples where she has supported, and continues to support the economics of equality."If we are able to mitigate, if not fully reverse, the forces that have been driving inequality and denying access to opportunity, Janet will have proven to have been a very important author of that changing economic policy and the forces that are fighting against structural as well as political barriers." - WartellYellen also supports women in the workplace. As she explains, "the benefits of greater participation for women are clear and substantial."Biden did well to appoint Yellen for Secretary of the Treasury and we are lucky to have her.