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Linda Mitchell, KCMO's avatar

Firstly, I hope, Dr. HCR, that the apparent hacking of your FB page (I got the notice through FB yesterday) has been solved, but I fear you'll have to remain forever vigilant because the forces pitted against rational thought, facts, and science will never stop when someone is making progress in educating and enlightening people. So it is kind of a reverse compliment: you are worthy to be attacked because you are making a real difference. Brava and hang in there!

Secondly, I live in KCMO and my mayor just did a great interview on NPR's Morning Edition that clarifies just how political the decision of Barr and Trump (because Barr is definitely the "brains" behind this new push to attack Democrat mayors--who are also mostly PoC and Black) is. We are having a rise in violent gun crime--homicides and gun woundings--that has been trending up since last summer. One of the reasons why is the number of firearms flooding into our city from other states and regions. As Mayor Lucas said, "These are not your granddaddy's firearms--these are modern weapons coming illegally into the city into the hands of gangs." He added that he would LOVE for the Dept of ATF to come in and start dealing with the problem of illegal firearms. Controlling the commerce in weaponry would be much more helpful than sending in the Brownshirts. But, of course, this administration and Republicans in general (including the idiot Mike Parson who is governor of Missouri) won't admit that firearms are the problem. They want to make this a race issue--which Mayor Lucas also pointed out.

Thirdly, I am mourning the transformation of REAL notions of liberty in the USA into this hellish combination of egotism, selfishness, and infantilism. I have not heard or read anyone reiterating FDR's 1941 proclamation that what America strives to accomplish are the four most important freedoms: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion (REAL freedom not this nonsense spouted by people like Pompeo and Brownback), Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear. These need to be reiterated, shouted, and proclaimed to combat the appalling rhetoric coming from the Trumpianistas.

Sorry: this was a long post.

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S Ohle's avatar

I keep thinking back to early interview with Steve Bannon (2017) on the power of a Machiavellian strategy, gaslighting and fear. The only strategy Trump has left it to paint the Democrats as the absolute enemy that he can save the US from. We have to fight lies with truth. We have to fight violence with non-violence. We have to fight inhumanity with humanity. We have to fight greed with community.

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