Hypocrisy Prevails

With the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, we see how hypocrisy and sociopathy prevail in the United States. Trump and McConnell did not even wait 24 hours after the passing of iconic hero Ruth Bader Ginsberg to announce they would rush through the appointment of a new justice.

Well, 8 days before the election and the diagnostic, sociopathic GOP appointed Barrett to fill RBG’s seat. Another slap in the face of Democracy and such bitter hypocrisy. In 2016, eight months before the election, President Obama tried to appoint Merrick Garland as a Supreme Court Justice, only to be blocked by the King of Hypocrisy, Mitch McConnell. McConnell stated that, “he would consider any appointment null and void.”

The people of the United States should be outraged as we witness this hypocrisy and the implications now of a right wing activist Supreme Court– a court that is supposed to be a part of a system of checks and balances. Sadly, we can not differentiate between the Senate and the Supreme Court who do the bidding of the quintessential sociopath, Trump.

We now see the opportunity to turn back civil rights back by 100 years. As a queer man, I worry for myself and husband; I worry of all immigrants; I worry for all women; I worry for all of us who need health care; I worry for all people with targeted identities, as this is the last grasp for white supremacy to ensure that white, heterosexual, cisgender, able bodied, Christian men sustain power and create an apartheid nation.

VOTE! Vote McConnell out. Vote Graham out. Vote Collins out. VOTE!

Thank you, Amy Cooper.

Dear Amy, thank you for being your racist authentic self, for you have helped to be an ugly reminder of why white people need to sustain some heavy lifting towards equity and antiracism work. Amy, your actions clearly displayed how white supremacy works and sustains itself in the United States, and how it has worked this way for over four hundred years.

Amy Cooper deliberately called the police to report a lie about a black man–a lie she knew would garner her the support of the police to uphold white supremacy. Amy knows how racism works and how the system of racism works in the United States. Consequently, what is revealed by Ms. Cooper’s actions is the very ugly truth of what it means to be black in the US. Sadly, Ms. Cooper’s behavior has only been encouraged and modeled by, what I hope is the, Last Confederate President. Trump has praised Nazis, displayed horrific homophobia, and modeled unacceptable racism! While this cruelty/sociopathy plays well with his base, it is no longer selling in a country that knows it can do better and is tired of be divided by the Great Man Baby!

On a side note, forgive me readers for my extended absence and thank you for the cards and texts of support. I’m afraid the cancer has spread again and alas, we are running out of options. As I face my mortality and reflect upon who I am and what my character says about me, I am compelled to try to keep up with the blog again. Given the last month, my motivation can at times override my pain. I want to leave the world better than how I found it.

It is imperative that everyone understand the definition of racism, Defining Racism in the United States: A Starting Point. Yes, that means that there is no such thing as reverse racism. Understanding the definition allows us all to change the system and reflect on Micro level, Mezzo level, and Macro level racism. I hope it also underscores why we have to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Notice, it does not say only black lives matter. While I agree that all lives matter, I want to call attention to the fact that black lives are being intentionally impacted disproportionately by murder, as are native lives. For me, it is like “all buildings matter” while one of the buildings is on fire, but we only devote resources to the building NOT on fire.

I am so grateful for all of the protests throughout the country, especially all of the action being taken during the pandemic, COVID 19, although it is particularly disconcerting to live in Portland and be attacked by the Federal government because we hold different views from Trump. I only hope we can sustain this energy until we change the systems that reinforce racism and white supremacy. This is especially tragic when we have a complete void of leadership of how to navigate a pandemic, but rather we witness a petulant liar — don’t forget to drink your daily dose of bleach boys and girls. I must confess that when I learned that Trump has COVID, I did send my thoughts and prayers to the COVID Virus.

As Sweet Honey in the Rock says in Ella’s Song: “Until the killing of black men, black mother’s sons, is as important as the killing of white men, white mother’s sons.”

Finally, for this post, please register to vote and demand a mail in ballot, as Trump did.

P.S. Thank you readers for being so patient with me. Sadly, I still have cancer and it is worse than just a year ago, but I remain hopeful and I remain in a place of gratitude! With great love, Michael.