I Just Can't For A While

Let's look at American changes from 2020 to now in laws. In the last 2 1/2 years!

I am kind of terrified by this

Original Comment: 

So, in reality, these are the triggers I see that would make me want to get the fuck out of Dodge.

1. Right to Marriage is overturned via Supreme Court

- This has not happened yet.

- Steps are underway to challenge the ruling

- Court has already overturned abortion because it was only 50 years old

2. Serious talk of "postponing the next election" occurs and / or legislation is introduced (my guess is this would occur - IF it occurs - due to a terrorist attack and we should "all come together).

- This did not happen as expected.

- New laws passed to make it MUCH harder to vote

- Losers no longer respect elections (annoying)

- Voters no longer respect elections (undemocratic)

- Supreme Court has turned Gerrymandering Decision to States

These are general warning signs and hitting a majority of these would tend to have me thinking of leaving:

1. Right to discriminate laws are passed and upheld by the Supreme Court

- Overturned Row v Wade which allowed female body autonomy!

- District Court Ruling but no Supreme Court Ruling: Outlawing anti-HIV drug PReP – which has saved thousands of lives

- per the court: compulsory coverage for those services violates their religious beliefs by making them.  "complicit in facilitating homosexual behavior, drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman." Note that in this case the “religious beliefs” are of the corporations with over 50 employees. You didn’t know corporations have religious beliefs did you?)

2. Any registry of Muslims is started up and advertised as a positive

- Not really happened, but they did outlaw visas for Muslim nations.

3. Newspapers are successfully shut down for negative press coverage

- Has not happened, but Florida is passing a bill to outlaw any negative comments about the state, or people, or policies. This will include bloggers, web sites and press – local or national.

There you go. That is my list of triggers per last night's discussion.

--------------------------The above was written in 2016--------------------------

These are new and things I never thought would happen.

A. Widespread censorship on Campuses

• 1. College Level
• a. Texas – nothing to make people uncomfortable.
• b. Florida – nothing to make people uncomfortable.
• c. Florida – no discussion of gay people in any grade
• i. Also Alabama, Arkansas

B. Banning books in public and school libraries

1. 40% of the banned books contain minority characters.

2. 21% address issues of race or prejudice

3. 40% books banned are LGBT books

a. Gender Queer (the story of a nonbinary and asexual person) banned in 41 school districts is the leader in banned books (I think it is the title).

4. Banned books include:

a. Beloved by Toni Morrison | Pulitzer Prize Winner

b. The Color Purple | Pulitzer Prize Winner

c. To Kill a Mockingbird | Pulitzer Prize Winner

5. Classics

i. The Great Gatsby

ii. Ulysses

iii. Brave New World

iv. Catch-22

v. The Grapes of Wrath

vi. 1984

vii. Animal Farm

viii. Slaugtherhouse-5

ix. As I lay dying

x. Farewell to Arms

xi. The Fellowship of the Ring (for Satanic content?)

xii. Harry Potter

xiii. For Whom the Bell tolls

xiv. I know why the Caged Bird Sings

xv. The Joy Luck Club (conflicts with values of the community?)

xvi. Moby Dick

xvii. Of Mice and Men

xviii. The Twelfth Night (Shakespeare 

6: The Disney move “Ruby Bridge” about the black girl that had to escorted to school. It will make 1 child sad, and think Blacks were not well treated.

 

C. Anti-Trans laws

1. Bathrooms by gender at Birth: Arkansas, Iowa, Tennessee
2. Report families who support their children must be reported and investigate by Child Protective Services; Texas
3. No gender care: Florida
4. Tennessee has proposed passed a bill providing no gender care for trans children AND adults as well
5. Kentucky voted by over 2/3s to override a veto and end trans support for children

D. Remove all mentions of sex, puberty, and menstruation until past grade 6. (Don’t Say Gay)

1. As puberty becomes younger – the median age of onset (and menstruation) is at 12. Anyone younger than that (that is 50% of girls who go through puberty) cannot learn about menstruation, even if they have started their periods.
2. Don’t say gay laws passed Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky (there they had to override a veto)
3. In April (23) Florida amended their law from 6th grade to 8th grade.

E. Reduce restrictions on child labor. (How the absolute fuck is this okay?!!!)

1. Remove need to for parents to approve work for 13-year-olds and up: Arkansas

2. Remove time restrictions (how long they can work) for 16- and 17-year-olds: Arkansas, Iowa 

a. Laws introduced but not yet passed (Mar23):, Minnesota, new Jersey

3. Remove safety requirements for children 13 years old and up: Arkansas; 

a. Laws introduced but not yet passed Mar23): Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri

4. Lower pay for children (called sub-minimum wage); Introduced: Nebraska, New Hampshire

 

F. More and more restrictions on Abortion

1. Idaho has outlawed travel out of state for an abortion (this must be unconstitutional)
2. 21 states have banned abortion since the Supreme Court said it was not the law of the country
1. 2ID, WY, ND, SD, WI, MO, OK, TX, AR, LA (Louisiana not Los Angeles), MS, AL, KY, IN, OH, WV 
3. One state has banned medicated abortions
4. Two states have outlawed travel to another state for an abortion (I don't think is constitutional, but who TF knows with this Supreme Court

G. More and more loosening of gun restrictions.

1. Supreme Court ruling overturned New York City’s restriction on concealed carry in the city, the Supreme Court based their ruling based on laws in place at the 2nd Amendments passing (1805 ish).
2. Ruling basis above led to:
1. Required New York to relax concealed carry laws.
2. Repealed ban against concealed carry of guns by people convicted of spousal abuse.
3. Repealed ban on gun sales to the mentally challenged.
4. Repealed ban on guns for felons.
5. Repealed ban on guns for people on the terrorist watch list.
3. Loosening of other gun laws
1. Florida passed a law permitting concealed carry without a permit.

H. Ignoring Mass shootings - even of children

1. 2020. Gun Violence
1. a. 610 mass Shootings
2. b. 1001 children under 11 injured or killed
3. c. 4159 teenagers 12 – 17 injured or killed
2. 2021 Gun Violence
1. a. 692 mass shootings
2. b. 1065 children under 11 injured or killed
3. c. 4065 teenagers 12 – 17 injured or killed
3. 2022 Gun Violence
1. a. 647 mass shootings
2. b. 995 children under 11 injured or killed
3. c. 5157 teenagers 12 – 17 injured or killed

H. Just mean and crazy shit

1. Idaho has voted to remove all tampon machines in public schools.
2. A principal in Florida was fired for showing a picture of Michelangelo’s David. It was seen as pornographic.
3. A school in Wisconsin banned the singing or a Dolly Parton / Mylie Cyrus that included the line “wouldn’t it be nice to live in paradise | where we’re free to be exactly who we are”. Yes, this is controversial in Wisconsin.
4. North Dakota and Minnesota both voted to stop school lunches for poor children. “It’s giveaway.”
5. 21 Republican Attorney generals sued the government so that they CAN discriminate against LGBT people and not give them food stamps. TWENTY-ONE States!!
6. Missouri has voted to defund ALL public libraries in the state. Apparently “show me” no longer means, find it in the library.

Scooter

I am writing this only to remind me that I can't keep a promise to myself. I am better with promises to other people, but I disappoint myself regularly. I should stop making myself promises.