Herschel Walker and Abortion: Good for Me, But Not For Thee

One of the aspects of governing that drives me up a wall is the hypocritical belief that politicians can get away with certain behavior while the rest of us cannot.

Herschel Walker is the Republican Senate nominee from Georgia. For months, he has been towing the party line of being against abortion. Last week, it was revealed that back in 2009, he paid a former girlfriend to end her pregnancy. Walker also made a similar request to this same woman two years later. She decided against the procedure.

If Herschel Walker were a woman who had an abortion, he would have lost the support of the Republican party and voters. But because he’s a man, he can abet an infinite number of abortions and still win a seat in the US Senate, where he’ll strip women of their reproductive rights.

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) October 8, 2022

What bothers me (beyond my fear of what he may or may not do should he win the election) is talking out of both sides of his mouth. If he had admitted to the truth and stated that his views had changed since then, that would be one thing. But he continues to say one thing and do another. Anyone who follows American politics these days knows that this is par for the course from the right.

In short, these men (and some women) are all for a partial and/or total abortion ban. That is until a female in their life becomes pregnant and for any number of reasons, it cannot be continued. Then, they are all for it.

They can’t have it both ways. It is either against the law or up to the woman/pregnant person, their doctor, their partner (if they have one), and their creator (if this person has a specific religious belief).

Just another reason to vote for the Democrats come the Midterm elections next month.

Advertisement

Letitia James and Fani Willis may be the Ones Who Save Us From You Know Who

It has been said that where there is smoke, there is fire. If that is true, there has been smoke coming out of a famous NYC building owned by you know who for a very long time.

Earlier this week, New York state Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James announced that she has filed a lawsuit against he who shall not be named, and his three eldest children. In short, it claims that their namesake organization and its leadership have been committing financial fraud as a standard business model for years.

Of course, his response was a racist slur. Which we have learned over the years is par for the course.

When you type a nasty racist slur that starts with J and autocorrect changes it to "Peekaboo" pic.twitter.com/arm9sBtDUP

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) September 21, 2022

In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has pulled together a grand jury investigation. The purpose is to determine if he and his supporters violated state laws in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election.

Starts at 1:15

As pointed out in yesterday’s episode of the podcast The New Abnormal (which starts at 5:19), both James and Willis are African American women. I think it speaks to where this country is going politically. These women understand that if they don’t stand up for what is right and the rule of law, there is a chance that no one will.

The only way to shut down a bully is to beat them at their own game. The former President is a bully. Until it is made crystal clear that he and his cronies are not above the law, they will continue to act with impunity.

The Weight of Blood Book Review

Bullying is, unfortunately, part of the school experience. Though it may seem normal, the after-effects can linger long after we have grown up.

The new novel, The Weight of Blood, by Tiffany D. Jackson, was published at the beginning of the month. Essentially, it is a modern reboot of Carrie with the added weight of racism.

Madison “Maddy” Washington has been a social outcast for as long as anyone can remember. Raised by her fanatical Caucasian father in a small Georgia town, no one knows that she is biracial. That is until a storm reveals the truth and Maddy becomes an ever bigger target for the popular girls/school bullies.

When a video of this incident is leaked out, the administration has some serious explaining to do. The leaders of the student body (one of whom is Maddy’s tormentors) devise a plan to hold an integrated prom for the first time in the town’s history. Feeling guilty for everything that has happened, Wendy, the class President, knows that something has to be done. She asks her African American quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to the prom.

For the first time in her life, Maddy starts to believe that she will be like any other teenager. She does not know that her peers have one more trick up their sleeves. But they don’t know that she has a secret of her own, which could be deadly if and/or when it is unleased.

I loved this book. Jackson does an amazing job of being true to the original text while taking the narrative to another level. In adding racism to the already heightened story of a girl who is teased and humiliated by her classmates, she speaks of the short-term and long-term damage that both create.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. In fact, I would say it is in the top ten new books of 2022.

The Weight of Blood is available wherever books are sold.

The Lies Republicans Tell Themselves: Kevin McCarthy on Jan 6 & MTG on the Stand

We all tell ourselves lies. It is part of human nature. What it comes down to at the end of the day, is the effect the lies have. It is just for ourselves or will they create figurative ripples that also affect others?

Recently, two major figures in the Republican party once again proved that they are cowards, fakes, and liars.

In a leaked tape regarding the riot on January 6th, Kevin McCarthy spoke of his frustration with you know who. Now he claims that the statements on the recording are fake.

Meanwhile, Marjorie Taylor Greene has taken the stand to defend her comments in regard to that day. Voters in her home state of Georgia are looking for legal avenues to prevent her from running again. Her answers to the questions by the prosecutor were largely “I don’t know” or “I don’t recall”.

It is suspiciously curious that when forced to admit the truth, these people have either selective memories or profess that publicly verified remarks are untrue in one form or another. I know that no one is perfect, but, the reality they live in is not just their own. It has the power to affect the entire country not just in the present, but for decades to come.

Brian Kemp is an Idiot

In the era of Covid-19, it behooves us to listen to the experts. They tell us that for the sake of our health and the health of others, that we wear masks when we are outside.

In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive order that banned towns and cities from enforcing a rule that when outside, members of the public must wear a mask.

Brian Kemp is an idiot. I don’t know who is advising him, but whoever they are, their head is clearly in the sand. As of today, nearly 150,000 people in Georgia have been infected and over 3000 people are dead.

We are in the midst of a pandemic. The last thing we need is an idiot politician who refuses to prioritize the lives and the health of their constituents. But you can’t vote if your dead or intubated, right?

Just another reminder that we need to vote and remind those in the halls of power who they are responsible to.

Thoughts On the Fetal Heartbeat Bill

We all recognize that life is precious, especially the lives of our children. The problem is that we do not recognize or remember that our children grow within their mother’s bodies and it is the mother who is as important in the process as the fetus that is growing inside of her.

Yesterday, Governor Brian Kemp (R-Georgia), signed the Fetal Heartbeat Bill. In layman’s terms, abortion is allowed until a heartbeat of a fetus is detected. The problem is that that a heartbeat is detected within five to six weeks of pregnancy, when many women may not be aware that they are pregnant.

Without directly saying so, Governor Kemp has signed a law that bans all abortions.

I don’t know if the Governor or his team consulted with any doctors, but my heart of hearts tells me with that this is wrong. A woman’s right to choose is an unalienable right. The problem is that many still believe that a woman does not have the right to choose how to live her life (which extends to if and/or when she has a child).

While I understand the point of view of those who are pro-life, I disagree with them. If a woman has an abortion, for whatever reason she has it, that decision is between herself, her doctor, her G-d (if she belongs to a particular faith) and the father (if there is a father). Outside of that small circle, no one has the right to tell a woman what to do with her life or her future.

There is a Silver Lining: Thoughts On The Stacey Abrams & Andrew Gillum Losses

After more than a week of speculation and recounting, the votes in Georgia and Florida are in. Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum lost their respective gubernatorial races to Brian Kemp and Ron DeSantis.

Is it disheartening? Of course. Does it make me feel angry and frustrated that the men who won the elections are just another version of the same old politician? Yes. Especially given that Brian Kemp was Secretary Of State and was in charge of the elections while he was running for governor.

But the way I see it, there is a silver lining in spite of the results. There are flaws in our electoral process, but until the flaws are exposed, they cannot be fixed. Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum, in spite of their losses, have given hope to those who want to run for office, but are not the traditional candidate. The door has been opened and it will never close again. Women, citizens of color and members of the LGBTQ community now know that they can run for office and can create the diverse America that many of us know is possible.