First Amendment Rights

One Month Of Donald Trump: Radical, Revolutionary, Abusive, Authoritarian Threat On American Democratic Tradition! :(

Ronald 43 Comments

Today marks one month of the second, nonconsecutive term of Donald Trump in the Presidency.

Public opinion polls show Trump “under water”, and he stands out in a very negative way as radical, revolutionary, abusive, and authoritarian, and a threat to the continuation of the American democratic tradition.

It is also shocking how the Republican Party has “sold its soul” to Trump, repudiating their past views on domestic and foreign policy!

The “Blue State” governors, the news media, and the courts are resisting Trump and his right wing Fascism at this point, but the question is how successful they might be, and what if Trump refuses to obey courts, and decides to start direct violent action against his critics in the states, in Congress, and the news media.

Would he use the military to defy the First Amendment?

This is a moment of soberness and reckoning, as the near term future looks gloomy, but the battle and the fight must not be abandoned!

“Unitary Executive” Is Term For Dictatorship And Plutocracy!

Ronald 26 Comments

With “Project 2025” now in effect during the Donald Trump Presidency in his second, nonconsecutive term, the term “Unitary Executive” is now officially the rationale for Trump asserting himself in an authoritarian manner!

This is a direct attack on the history of the Presidency, and if not challenged effectively, it means we are under a dictatorship and plutocracy, with billionaires, led by Elon Musk, but also most of the Cabinet members and other advisers around Trump, being in total control of domestic and foreign policy.

The federal courts, so far, are challenging this reality, but the question is whether the Supreme Court will assert itself with its present membership, when cases arrive at the Court in the future.

The News Media also is, courageously, making clear the threats to all Americans by this new “GILDED AGE” mentality.

And the Democrats in state governments and many in Congress are also making clear they will not sit on the sidelines as the basic concepts of American democracy are under attack.

But with growing public demonstrations developing across the nation by average citizens, the question is will the Trump Administration abuse the rights under the First Amendment—Freedom of Speech, Press, and Assembly—and use violence to suppress popular opinion and outrage at the revolutionary changes being brought about against our entire constitutional history!

Trump’s recent statement–“He who saves his country does not violate any laws”–is an alarm bell in the night, and must be resisted, as America does not have or need a King or dictator!

America has a system of “checks and balances”, and Donald Trump must be controlled in his powers for the good of the nation and its future!

Donald Trump’s Attack On News Media And The Free Press

Ronald 3 Comments

Donald Trump has declared war on a free news media, and is clearly out to do whatever he can to suppress truth and facts.

Trump and his party in Congress has threatened to take away the public support of National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

He has launched lawsuits, or threatened such, against CBS, ABC, and major newspapers.

The Pentagon under Pete Hegseth has replaced major news media with work stations from the most substantial organizations to those with far less reputation and expertise.

So the following have been denied frontline status—NBC News, the NY Times, National Public Radio, Politico, CNN, Washington Post, and The Hill.

They are being replaced by: NY Post, Breitbart News, Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, One America News Network, Newsmax, and the Huffington Post, with all but the latter being right wing media sources.

These actions are designed to create an “obedient” news media that will inform the American people what propaganda Donald Trump and his administration want to be promoted as facts and truth, rather than actual reality, but it will not work, as a free press will defy Trump’s attempts to destroy the First Amendment!

The Ignorance And Naivete Of Millions Of Americans About Immigration And Isolationism

Ronald 6 Comments

The ignorance and naivete of millions of Americans about immigration and isolationism is extremely depressing and counterproductive!

America is a nation of immigrants, and for so many Americans to wish a curb on immigration, and not be concerned about the possible deportation of undocumented immigrants who have not been arrested or convicted, is stunning.

The importance of immigration is misunderstood, as the economy will be horribly damaged if mass deportation occurs, and there will be massive inflation, and shortage of workers to fill many jobs across the economy.

And for Americans to think isolationism, and ignoring of aggression by authoritarian governments is not our concern, makes clear their total lack of knowledge of World War II and the Cold War.

Of course, Republicans want to promote ignorance and naivete in order to gain and keep power, so the concept that history needs to be sanitized for the future generation is highly disturbing.

It is deja vu all over again, as Donald Trump returns to power to do more damage on human rights, the economy, national security, and so many other areas of policy.

America is reaching the lowest level of education and knowledge of the masses, and that is a guarantee of the destruction of American democracy, if allowed to succeed over the next few years.

So all those who care about America and its future must do everything possible legally to thwart the evil intentions of the Trump Presidency, including court suits, and courageous journalism, and the American people utilizing the First Amendment rights of speech, press, assembly and religion free of government intervention!

Civil Liberties of Speech And Press Under Attack By Trump!

Ronald 2 Comments

It is extremely alarming that Donald Trump is mounting an attack on the basic civil liberties of the First Amendment, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Trump has launched lawsuits against major news organizations, both print and electronic, and major players in social media, including Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook most prominently, are bowing to Trump, and agreeing to stop monitoring the truth level of published material, afraid otherwise of being prosecuted.

And the Washington Post publisher, Jeff Bezos, who is also owner of Amazon, would not allow an endorsement of Kamala Harris by the journalism staff, and the same with the Los Angeles Times.

The most powerful and wealthy oligarchs of technology, including Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Elon Musk, also the three wealthiest billionaires in the world, are sacrificing the freedoms of all of us for their own selfish, and ego centered protection.

So Disinformation is now in, propaganda and lies, rather than truth telling, a very dangerous move toward authoritarianism!

Trump Threatens News Media And First Amendment: Alarming Development!

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Donald Trump has been critical of news media for years, due to their reporting of his antics and illegalities and immoralities.

But recently, he has indicated his intention to shut down critical news media if he is returned to the Oval Office.

This threat to the First Amendment and freedom of the press is highly alarming, and no decent person should think that it is acceptable that he could go ahead and try to shut down the press, both print and cable!

Trump has issued threats against such reputable sources as the NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and PBS among others.

In his world, only right wing media, such as FOX NEWS CHANNEL would exist, and yet even that network has come under attack from him during his Presidential campaign.

If Donald Trump is returned to the White House, the nation will be in the grips of an authoritarian Fascist regime, so it cannot be allowed to occur!

Religion Does Not Belong In Public Education!

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The Louisiana legislature recently enacted a law requiring display of the Ten Commandments in all public schools from nursery schools through public universities.

This is unconstitutional, and promotes a narrow Christian view of religion, when there are many other religions that are not considered in enacting such legislation.

The law is against the Bill of Rights, specifically the First Amendment, which makes clear total separation of church and state as a major principle of the Founding Fathers.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups have brought suit to prevent the enforcement of this attempt at promoting theocracy in public education.

The only way that religion is, rightfully, in public education is to teach about the various religious beliefs in an objective, and elective, high school and or college course, but not as theocracy, but as part of world history or Philosophy!

Donald Trump’s Full Scale Attack On The First Amendment, While Endorsing No Limit On The Second Amendment, A Danger To America

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Donald Trump has mounted a full scale attack on the First Amendment freedom of speech and press, while endorsing no limit on the Second Amendment, despite the recent Las Vegas Massacre, and is therefore a danger to America.

If it were left up to Trump, many cable TV channels, such as CNN and MSNBC, would be denied licenses to operate, but thankfully, no such mechanism exists to suppress the First Amendment.

Also, Trump wishes to suppress freedom of speech for National Football League players to protest the treatment of African Americans and other minorities by police.

And he seems to think that everyone MUST stand for the flag and the National Anthem, while the Supreme Court has declared that the flag need not be obeyed, and in fact, can be burned in protest, something much more extreme than bending the knee for the flag.

The case on this is Texas V Johnson (1989), with Justice Antonin Scalia, certainly the most conservative Justice in a century, writing the majority opinion.

What Trump is doing was denounced by principled conservative Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who has been against Trump from before the election. He said yesterday that Trump is violating his oath of office by refusing to defend the Constitution, which includes the Bill of Rights, and that Trump had, therefore, committed an impeachable act.

Trump sounds more like Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, or other totalitarian dictators than the leader of a democracy, and he is a clear and present danger to all Americans, as a result.

The possibility of moving toward impeachment is starting to grow, as Sasse joins Senator Bob Corker in warning against the threat that Trump clearly presents the nation.

Trump seems to be unraveling, as reported by journalists who have contacts within the staff of Donald Trump, reminding us of the last days of Richard Nixon.

But if anything, Richard Nixon was far less dangerous than Donald Trump is, as Trump has been collaborating with Russia, while Nixon understood the threat presented by Russia.

Also, Nixon was not out to destroy all domestic reform of the previous hundred years, as Trump is in the process of doing, with ObamaCare, the environment, consumer legislation, and government regulation of business.

And Trump is also out to destroy the Iran Deal, go to war with North Korea, and destroy all areas of our foreign policy with other nations.

So the need for prompt action, before Trump must be wrestled for control of the nuclear codes, is real!

Police Brutality at University Of California-Davis Against Peaceful “Occupy” Demonstrators: Must Be Condemned And Prevented From Happening Again ANYWHERE!

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The shocking action of police at the University of California-Davis against peaceful, nonviolent “Occupy” demonstrators, utilizing pepper spray into their faces, debilitating them, and sending eleven to the hospital, must be condemned by all decent citizens, and prevented from happening ever again ANYWHERE in America!

The police involved must be fired and prosecuted, and the Chancellor who allowed these actions needs to resign!

The right wing is spreading the myth that the “Occupy” demonstrators at Wall Street and in hundreds of other demonstrations all over America are a bunch of bums, drifters, drug addicts, and petty criminals, and that there are widespread crimes, property damage, and sexual activity taking place. Also, it is being claimed that these are just people who want a handout, and don’t want to work.

This is an outrage to attack Americans who have become victims of the Great Recession, and that is most of us in some form, who wish to use their First Amendment rights to call for action against the one percent who control the economy and dominate the national income, with greater stratification than at any time in American history.

If the police and law enforcement authorities are going to react like the Southern states acted toward civil rights demonstrators in the 1950s and 1960s, then there is the danger of a much more violent action, which would be highly regrettable, and is no solution to the issue.

The “Occupy” demonstrators all over the country include students who see no future with their skyrocketing education costs and lack of job opportunities; senior citizens who have seen their pensions and 401 Ks decimated; middle class homeowners who have been foreclosed on, after losing their employment; veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, who have few opportunities after sacrificing for their country; and every day average Americans who insist on a sense of fairness and equal opportunity for all, not just the wealthy and corporations!

If mayors and college administrators decide to use police in a forceful way against peaceful demonstrators, they should be forced out as working against American traditions of the right of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition for the redress of grievances!

And those conservative talk show hosts who condemn these demonstrators and condone police violence against them need to be boycotted by all decent Americans, who are tired of their backing of the wealthy and the corporations!