The Ghosts of Paradise

Seeking human kindness

By Angela Brooks

Walking through urban landscapes, one can’t escape the zombies. These creatures shuffle down sidewalks, sometimes in various states of mental distress. Some push grocery carts packed with the detritus of their nightmarish existence. Others talk to invisible friends. They move to various locations in search of food and shelter. They linger in every space encampments, and we slide past them uncomfortable in our shallow existence.

The Changing Face of Homelessness

Homelessness is a national epidemic, a national shame, and a perfect metaphor for our throwaway society.

There are various reasons for this blight. Mental illness, addiction, poverty, and a lack of affordable housing are all contributing factors. Besides, the number of our heroic veterans who end up on the streets is equally quite disturbing.

Affluent enclaves are not excluded from the issue as; suburbia, beaches, parks, and commercial hubs fall prey to the problem. As we draw closer to the holiday season, thoughts about the less fortunate seem to resonate more strongly. Indeed, most of us know we are one paycheck away from oblivion.

Government and local agencies must do more to ensure the welfare of all citizens. Affordable housing, living wages, and mental healthcare are all viable solutions as opposed to the criminalization of the down-and-out.

In this election cycle, we hear very little from Presidential candidates on the issue perhaps if the zombies could give donations to campaigns, they would be the quite undead, no more.

The Edge Of Darkness

We have seen mass carnage in California, Texas, and Ohio roared xenophobic hatred

By Jose` Manuel Guzman

One of the proudest days of my life was the day I became an American citizen. I pledged allegiance to my newly adopted homeland, and, with a multitude of others, I basked in the shared reflective glory of that beautiful day. In my mind's eye, that memory would remain forever untarnished.

Enter Donald J. Trump.

We have a President who is entirely too comfortable trotting out racist tropes while pandering to a white nationalist agenda. People of color have become the designated villains. Immigrants, legal or not, is now the ‘Other,” not American. Baltimore and other racially diverse cities have derisively labeled, “infested.”

Four congressional women of color have been the target of Trump's race-baiting venom. The reference of America; Love it or leave it and “Send her back,” about one of the congresswomen who were not US-born. Minories and refugees dehumanized as evidenced by their often brutally harsh treatment at the southern border.

Immigrants are the lifeblood of America, as we are stronger because of diversity. The day I became a US citizen, I was keenly aware of the collective joy in the room, and, the prospect of new opportunities.

Trump has betrayed the idealism that is truly exceptional. The racist vitriol being injected in American body politics has real consequences. Minorities and people of color are uneasy as hate crimes increase. Kids and adult is being told, “to go back to your country.”

In her memoir, ”Becoming” former First Lady Michelle Obama is unforgiving in the fact that TRUMPS WILD “Birther” rhetoric placed the lives of her family in mortal danger. The unvarnished bigotry of Trump is a clarion call to those who would commit acts of violence in his name.

Racism and fear cynically being exploited for political gain. However, in this scenario, the soul of the nation becomes collateral damage. Unbridled hate will unravel the unique American mosaic, for most of us, 2020 can’t come soon enough. Shame on the political toadies, and societal leaders, who complicit in Trump's racism by nature of their deafening silence. America will survive this current maelstrom with renewed hope for all its people.

In the past weeks, we have seen mass carnage in California, Texas, and Ohio roared xenophobic hatred. Trump has to know his words have consequences, but in a strange twist of fate, he might very well unite the country he sought to rip apart.

RELATED TOPIC

Amoral, Erratic, Incompetent, Systematic undermining and acted in ways, Verbal incontinence

Women In The Crosshairs

Reproductive rights

By Angela Brooks

Women's rights as an issue will be an integral part of next years presidential campaign. Roe v Wade has been a matter of settled jurisprudence for generations of women. However, in recent times the debate has been resurrected as a cultural wedge issue.

The deadly game of attacking our reproductive rights and impacting access to healthcare has become political food for conservative Republicans in red states. Alabama and Georgia are just the latest states to institute draconian anti-abortion laws currently being challenged in the courts.

Alabama Judicial System

Georgia Supreme Court

The health of women should never be politicized. A life and death decisions about one's health are as deeply personal as it gets. Restricting access to safe and legal abortion would lead us into a time warp of back street practitioners and assorted quacks.

For the longest time, conservative ideologues have waged war on women's health with scant regard for real-life consequences. Minority women suffer high mortality rates. Groups such as Planned Parenthood offer a myriad of services other than abortions. Preventive cancer screenings and so much more often in underserved communities.

Women have vested interest in next year’s election. If Trump wins, he continues to pack the Supreme Court. And women's rights truly will be eroded.

Weak Democrats Are Blowing It

Speaker Pelosi has dithered on the impeachment issue

By Ola George & Theo Edwards

In basketball parlance for Democrats, the 2020 election should be a slam dunk. Trump is one of the most unpopular presidents in modern history. A buffoon and liar who has insidiously injected himself into the American body policy and is seemingly eroding the tenets of our democracy.

There is more than a nasty hint of collusion with Russia and the accompanying “Keystone Cop” cover-up.

The Mueller Report definitively outlines specific instances of obstruction. The report highlights the full extent of the president’s transgressions and provides a clear blueprint for Congress to impeach. And yet, the Democrats have once again brought a water pistol to a gun fight. They insist on playing by the Queensbury Rules while Republicans are back-alley fighters with brass knuckles in their back pockets.

Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi

Have Democrats forgotten Bush vs. Gore unbridled voter suppression tactics or Mitch McConnell’s theft of Obama’s Supreme Court pick?

Trump and his acolytes have made a mockery of the system. Witnesses have been told not to appear or testify before Congress. Documents requested have been denied, and Attorney General Barr has attempted to strangle the Mueller’s scathing indictment of the president’s conduct.

Speaker Pelosi has dithered on the impeachment issue and seems far too willing to sacrifice Congress’ constitutional responsibility on the altar of political expediency in order to win in 2020. Surely an impeachment inquiry would bring to light the full litany of Trump's transgressions to the public. It would bolster the Democrats chances.

At the time of writing this piece, Robert Mueller has decided to honor congressional subpoenas and finally testify. What took so long?

Does anybody doubt that if Obama a scintilla of Trump's shenanigans would have been publicly hung, drawn and quartered?

Democrats need to show some spine and stand up for Rule of Law. If Democrats do not stand for principle then, they, stand for nothing and our democracy truly is in jeopardy.

The Resistance Strikes Back

Women Midterm Elections

Reflects America at its best

I needed a little time distance to digest and absorb the ramifications of the November midterms. Many of you literally acquired PTSD after being bombarded by a myriad of political ads. Like many, I was genuinely concerned for the soul of the nation. The Trump Administration from day one has been beset with unprecedented chaos.

In 2018 each day our senses were assaulted by the dystopian nightmare of the Trump presidency. The White House has become a revolving door of disgraced and disgruntled officials. In addition, many of Trump’s inner circle are now convicted felons.

Domestically while pandering to his base Trump actively stoked the fires of government distrust and racial resentment. Summer brought us the migrant crisis and the soul-crushing spectacle of family separation and kids in cages. A shocked world was watching… Was this a new America recast in Trumpian fashion? The entire system of “Checks and Balances” was seemingly shredded reckless leader and a feckless Republican controlled congress that had abdicated its constitutional responsivities.

Overseas, Trump courted dictators while confusing traditional strategic allies and trade partners. The pillars of our democracy, an independent press, and judiciary and law enforcement all were all subjects to blistering political attacks. Lest we forget, the Mueller probe is the. “Sword of Damocles” that is an existential threat to the Trump presence. Against this backdrop of uncertainty, I braced for the midterms. Would my faith in the American people be decimated? Surely the nation had given into Trump fatigue and would rally to provide a check on a “mercurial“ President?

The rest is history, faith restored.

The GOP has yet to learn their lesson. After losing in 2012 a GOP autopsy concluded that in order to service the party would have to conduct significant minority outreach. They have failed miserably.

The view House reflects America at its best, stunning in its array of ethnic, gender and religious diversity. In contrast, the GOP fully embraced “Trumpism.” Voter suppression and racial resentment politics being the main stock in trade. The same old tired playbook.

2020 draws a little closer every day. I have renewed faith that people’s eyes are open and they can see that the Emperor has no clothes. It is clearly time for people of good will to stand up against bigotry and fight for the principles that make America so unique.

Immigration

Immigration

Photo Courtesy: John Moore/Getty Images

Dr. Jenkins is from rural Mississippi and has a passion for helping those who find themselves caught up in the current immigration quagmire.

VIDEO IMAGE COURTESY: Rev. Dr. Bill Jenkins, Christ Ministry Center

Under the leadership of Pastor Bill Jenkins, a United Methodist clergyman, Christ Ministry Center is part of the “Safe Harbors Network” an ecumenical humanitarian ministry. It is also a United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and a Church World Service Agency.

The Safe Harbors Network supports and guides churches, organizations, and individuals who are committed to sheltering “documented” refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers. “Documented” means they have legal papers provided by the U.S. Immigration Court providing legal U.S. residence until their court hearing. More on the Safe Harbors Network.

In a separate HuffPost article October 8, 2018, former Secretary of State Colin Powell criticized President Donald Trump for placing himself rather than the American people at the center of the nation. Powell justifies his assertion Trump has changed the read on the First Amendment of the US Constitution "we the people" to "me the president." As for immigration, "the world is watching," the former secretary of state warned. More About This.