“Red” States

Ron DeSantis Denying Truth Of African American History: A Whitewash Of The American Past!

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It is absolutely infuriating beyond belief that Florida under Ron DeSantis is denying the truth of African American history, and American history at large, in setting a new curriculum that whitewashes the truth of slavery, Jim Crow segregation, lynchings, and horrendous race riots in that state and elsewhere, causing mass destruction and death over the centuries.

To tell students that slavery “benefited” slaves by teaching them “job skills”, and that race riots saw African Americans both being victimized but also being perpetrators of the riots, is a bald faced lie, making Florida look worse than 1960s Alabama and Mississippi!

In the past, the Confederate myth perpetuated lies and racism, and finally in the 1960s and moving forward, the truth was being taught.

As a professor who has taught for a half century, I refuse to teach lies and mistruths, but imagine those who teach at all levels who are in danger of losing their jobs and professions over political interference by a governor, who seems as if he is George Wallace on steroids!

And Florida is setting the stage for other “Red” states to impose the same censorship and manipulation of the truth on students, which will undermine the future of a multiracial society, as nothing can be done to overcome the reality that in 2045, the white population of America will be less than half the nation, and already, non white groups are a majority of young people in many parts of the nation.

This does not bode well for the future of interracial cooperation, and Ron DeSantis must be opposed legally in court to work against this poison he is promoting!

What does this say about the truth of the treatment of Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, and native Americans, which also must be taught, and known by future generations!

The old saying is: “The Truth Shall Set You Free”!, and that must be the motto of all educators, and most specifically, American historians and journalists in this struggle against reality!

Gerrrymandered State Legislatures–Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Texas And Other Republican States!

Ronald 3 Comments

Gerrymandering of many state legislatures, particularly in “Red” states, has led to the movement to take away democracy.

This is particularly noted in Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, as those state legislatures take unprecedented action to strip voting rights, abortion rights, gay rights, and to reject any regulation of guns, despite consistent, every day, occurrences of gun massacres!

The “red” states are the centers of greater carnage than in “blue” states, which are totally the opposite of the “red” states on the major issues of civil rights.

Many state legislatures have become the center of autocratic leadership, such as Ron DeSantis in Florida and Greg Abbott in Texas, but also including many other states!

Marjorie Taylor Greene Promoting Secession Of “Red” From “Blue” States!

Ronald 2 Comments

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a true whacko, is promoting the idea of secession of “Red” states from “Blue” states.

She is clearly crazy, as she fails to realize that Blue areas are found in most states that are not rural–meaning urban and suburban areas–and so called “Blue’ States contribute much more to the national economic system than do so called “Red’ States.

The so called “Red” states are mostly rural, and in 2022, they are the poorest, most dependent on the redistribution of income primarily coming from wealthier, more urbanized and suburbanized “Blue” states.

The poorest states are almost completely “Red” states—West Virginia, New Mexico, Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Wyoming, Montana–with only New Mexico and Maine being “Blue” states based on state government control.

What makes America the nation that it has become is the diversity of America–the industry, the universities, the culture of varying groups who live in cities and suburban areas—not the isolation of “Red” rural America, which lives, in many respects, in the 19th century, while “Blue” America represents the 21st century!

Abortion Rights A Winning Cause When Americans Vote On The Subject

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The right wing extremist majority on the US Supreme Court may have ended Roe V Wade in June 2022, and many states, “Red” states, have worked to destroy a woman’s right to control their own bodies.

It is all very disconcerting, the lack of respect for women, and men would not tolerate if they were told, for instance, they had to get a vasectomy, so that they could not make every woman pregnant without personal responsibility of the man involved!

But when one looks at Americans voting on the subject of abortion rights, we find that those opposed to abortion lost in many state and congressional races in 2022, and that the rights of women were upheld consistently.

And in six states in 2022, there were ballot measures which insured abortion rights:

California, Michigan, and Vermont voted to insure state constitutional rights to abortion.

Kansas and Kentucky voted to reject ballot measures to take away abortion rights, and both states are generally “Red”, although the Kansas Governor, Laura Kelly, is a Democrat.

Montana voted down The Born-Alive Infant Protection act, and is also seen as primarily “Red”, although Senator Jon Tester is a Democrat in his third term.

So it is clear that there is widespread support for abortion rights, so the battle must go on!

Crisis Of Teacher Shortage, But Solution Is NOT To Allow Veterans Without Four Year Degree To Teach!

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There is a growing crisis of teacher shortage in the nation, and particularly in some “Red” States, including Florida and Arizona among others.

So the suggestion is to put veterans without a four year degree into the classroom, an idea that is totally lunatic in nature!

Would one put a veteran without a four year degree into the field of medicine, law, accounting and other fields and think they could perform the responsibilities of the position competently?

The reasons for massive teacher shortages are clear!

Teachers are not paid and given benefits in respect of their expertise and role in educating children.

Teachers are being told they cannot deal with the reality of history and science, and also of sexuality in the classroom.

Teachers are being controlled by right wing religious doctrine, and by school boards that have unqualified men and women who want to control the classroom curriculums, despite many of them having no education or expertise to do so.

Republicans want to interfere with libraries as well as schools, and in such an atmosphere, why would any principled educator wish to teach with such economic, religious, and psychological pressures?

This blogger and educator, in today’s environment, could not imagine going into the teaching profession, particularly under the college level!

As a result, many talented, educated, brilliant potential educators are being lost for future generations of students, and the ignorance and bias being promoted only promote inferiority in education in the short run, and the long run!

If Only Women Had Voted In The Presidential Election–Biden 462, Trump 76!

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The ultimate misogynist in the Presidency, Donald Trump, helped to defeat himself in the Presidential Election of 2020, by having massive margins of women of all colors vote against him.

So if only women had ben able to vote, Joe Biden would have won 462 electoral votes and 37 states, while Donald Trump would have won 76 electoral votes from 13 states, but actually losing two Nebraska votes of the five that state has.

The states Trump would have won are:

West Virginia
Kentucky
Tennessee
Alabama
Arkansas
Louisiana
Oklahoma
North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska
Wyoming
Utah
Idaho

This is amazing, meaning Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, all aspired to by Joe Biden but won by Donald Trump, would have gone to the Democrats if only women could have voted.

Additionally, such strong Republican “Red” states as Indiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, Montana, and even Alaska, and two districts, rather than one in Nebraska, would have gone Blue!

Fascinating Electoral Map Of Americans 18-40 Shows Bright Future For Democrats, Gloom For Republicans!

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The Atlantic Magazine has just published an electoral map based solely on American expected voters ages 18-40, known as Millennials (born 1980-1996) and Generation Z (1997-2012) with those born from 1997-2002 able to vote in the Presidential Election of 2020!

It is astounding in detail, as if it pans out and is true, it means a bright future for Democrats, and gloom for Republicans!

According to this electoral map, Joe Biden has 295 electoral votes locked up among those under 40; and 63 more likely; and 70 less likely but favored, for a grand total of 428 electoral votes!

Donald Trump has 49 electoral votes insured, with 44 other electoral votes highly likely, and 17 electoral votes undecided, so it would be a grand total of 110 electoral votes, or 93 insured, with Utah and Indiana questionable.

That last fact is shocking, as one would think Utah would be insured Republican, and Indiana as well, particularly with Vice President Mike Pence being from the Hoosier State.

The Biden states have dark blue for such states as Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, all four states having gone for Trump in 2016.

Interestingly, Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina, and Arizona are all medium blue, making them likely strongly Democratic by lesser amounts now and in the future, and all Trump states in 2016. Additionally, Virginia, which voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 is also medium blue.

Georgia, Texas, Montana, and imagine this, Alaska are all light blue, a good sign for the future as well! But so is Missouri, which few see as going back to the Democrats, after having lost their status as a “reliable” state to be with the winner, starting in 2008 and continuing through 2016. As much as the first two states listed are seen as long shots, the last three are even more so, in theory!

Looking at the Trump states, 15 in total, we have West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Oklahoma as strongest, while South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, North Dakota, Kansas, Wyoming and Idaho are weaker in support among young people.

So, in conclusion, 33 states for Biden, 15 for Trump, and 2 probably Trump but not certain, mirroring what seems to make sense for the national election, with the only real surprises being Alaska and Missouri, and possibly Indiana and Utah, in the estimate of this scholar and blogger!

The “Red State” Governors Presiding Over Major Disaster Because Of Refusal To Enforce Mask And Other Limits: The Downfall Of Trump Strongholds!

Ronald 16 Comments

What began as a primarily “Blue State” health crisis has now hit Southern and Western states, what are known as “Red States”, as hard, and in many cases, harder than New York and New Jersey and other states that vote Democratic.

The governors of these states, particularly Brian Kemp of Georgia, Ron DeSantis of Florida, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Doug Ducey of Arizona, can be blamed for this by their lax policies on dealing with the CoronaVirus Pandemic.

This is specifically the issue of face masks being mandated, and since they have not been, the disease has spread like wildfire, causing mass loss of life, and alarming increases in cases.

Donald Trump’s refusal to set a national standard is also causing this crisis, which will destroy the Trump reelection bid, but he has refused, as them, to promote a unified approach.

Donald Trump strongholds will see many Trump supporters dying, but sadly, also those who hate Trump and the Republican Party.

But the Republican Party will pay the price in the fall and in the future, as it now seems possible Trump will lose all of these four states, and also Senate and House seats.

People suffering and dying is not a winning strategy for the Republican Party, which could now be called the Party of Death, not of Life!

Joe Biden Should Seek To Win Strongly “Red” States, To Promote Democratic Strength, And Humiliate Donald Trump!

Ronald 3 Comments

There is a growing feeling of a Democratic “Tsunami” on the way on November 3, 2020, when the Presidential and Congressional Elections take place across the nation.

Indications are that Joe Biden is working hardest on convincing voters to support him in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the three “swing” states that Hillary Clinton lost by small margins.

If those three states switched from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, then the former Vice President would win the Electoral College.

But since there is no guarantee, it is important for Biden to work hard to win Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona as well, to allow for any slippage in the three states lost by Clinton by small numbers. So a lot of effort is going into winning those three states listed, as Biden is now comfortably ahead in all three, along with the other three.

If Joe Biden wins Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona it will be a massive victory, which is almost certain to insure that the Senate would go Democratic by more than the three minimum victories needed. And the House of Representatives would add to the Democratic margin gained in the midterm elections of 2018.

But the argument is why not also go for states that seem long shots–Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and Iowa, all of which would make Joe Biden a landslide winner by far?

And even further, why not try to win Kansas and Montana?

So if things go well, the Democrats could have the most massive victory for the Presidency since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and could be a sign of a Democratic majority that would be long lasting!

The total humiliation of Donald Trump would be a wonderful event to witness!

Pandemic Now Affecting Sun Belt “Red” States, Not “Blue” States, And Yet Trump Ignores It And Refuses To Wear Face Mask As Example To Americans!

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The COVID-19 Pandemic is raging in the Sun Belt, more furious than ever, the so called “Red” states, including Florida, Texas, and Arizona, while before it was more manifested in the Northeast and the Pacific Coast, so called “Blue” states.

But Donald Trump is ignoring the pandemic, which has killed 125,000 Americans in four months, more than World War I, or more than Vietnam and Korea combined!

He continues to refuse to set an example of the importance of wearing a face mask, and has, in a grievous manner, held political rallies in Oklahoma, Arizona and Wisconsin, and intends to do more such rallies, and is exposing thousands to the potential of spreading the virus.

This includes dozens of Secret Service agents, which demonstrates his lack of respect even for those who protect him!

Donald Trump is a total failure in this crisis, and will go down as responding worse than even Herbert Hoover in the Great Depression or James Buchanan in the pre Civil War years!