Ideals.

Trump gave a lying speech about immigration. Undocumented immigrants are never collectively terrorists. We know that undocumented immigrant border crossings have gone down for the past 10 years. Most heroin that comes into America comes by legal borders of entry. The shutdown continues and people are hurting. These people in federal government jobs deserves to be paid money. While this is going on, airport security could be compromised as other problems can arise (like the FDA now furloughed their workers which can harm the health of people. Now, this shutdown could lead to more evictions from HUD-subsidized homes). Trump's proposed wall makes no sense and we have to be about our business to help humanity. I disagree with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for rescinding an award they planned to give to Angela Davis, because Angela Davis defends Palestinian human rights. Defending the humanity of Palestinian people is not anti-Semitic and Davis has also fought the prison industrial complex for decades. Many brave Jewish people are also in favor of Palestinian liberation too. Governor of Tennessee Bill Haslam gave clemency recently to Cyntoia Brown (who was a victim of sex trafficking). She will have a August 7, 2019 release, plus 10 years of supervised parole.

Also, we have to refute white racist talking points. One is that we have a growing amount of crime bigger than decades ago. The truth is that America has a growing amount of people of color while the crime rate is going down nationwide since 1980. Racists think schools are typically filled with weapon-carrying delinquents and gang members, but even as schools and the country have become less white, weapons possession on campus (and in general) has dropped among youth, of all colors. As the annual report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety, demonstrates (in its 2017 edition, released in 2018) this decline in criminal behavior/victimization held for all racial and ethnic groups, and was visible in city, suburban and rural schools in equal measure. So, when you see oligarchs and the racists attack black people and other people, realize that they are the enemies of freedom, democracy, and justice. In our diversity, we can find unity in fighting for our human rights.

The government shutdown harms the most vulnerable in society. Many of us are blessed with thousands and sometimes millions of dollars in savings. Many of us have insurance. Many of us don't have to worry about homelessness and lax educational or lax job opportunities. Yet, there are others in society who experience massive poverty and homelessness. These human beings deserve our compassion and our respect. In this society, some people want to malign the poor, but I won't. We will treat our neighbor with dignity and with respect 100 percent period. Now, millions of Americans could have their food stamps cut from the SNAP Program or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is one way on how the poorest of Americans buy food. 39 million Americans need food stamps to survive. The average monthly benefit is $245. Now even this minimal aid stands to be withdrawn—partially in February and completely in March—if the government shutdown drags on.



The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has furloughed approximately 95 percent of employees in Food and Nutrition Services, the office that oversees the SNAP program. So as USDA workers go without pay, food stamp recipients’ benefits may also be slashed. Also, small businesses could take an economic hit from the shutdown since these businesses need low income customers to increase their productivity. SNAP policies are harsh and cruel now. This continued shutdown prolong suffering among many people. Trump is stubborn for a wall since he's a xenophobe when his ancestors were German immigrants. He's a hypocrite since he slanders undocumented immigrants when many in his administration by been legally proven to be overt criminals and liars. Trump is a habitual liar and hopefully this shutdown can end soon, so people can get to work and receive their benefits. This is why we need a stronger social safety net, so Americans can achieve a high standard of living that they deserve. Internationally, we want human beings to be free too from poverty and injustice. We believe in the Dream.


Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Helen Baylor. She is now 65 years old and she was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She worked with Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, and Stevie Wonder. By the 1970's, she worked with Chaka Khan as well. She later became a born again Christian and made gospel music for years and decades. She released her first gospel recording on Word Records in 1990 and her first five albums all hit the Top Ten of the U.S. Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, with the most successful being 1995's The Live Experience, which reached #1 on that chart. Her testimony has been inspirational and her life is a great lesson of the perseverance of human souls.
I wish Sister Helen Baylor more blessings.

By Timothy