Remove jurors who violate their oath

An open letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts

Dear Justice Roberts,
I hope you would agree that juror misconduct is a serious issue which challenges the integrity of our judicial system. When jurors, for example, violate their oath to give impartial justice, such jurors *must* be removed from court proceedings. Is this not the legal standard?
At least two jurors in the Trump impeachment trial over which you are presiding have frequently and flagrantly violated their oath by posting pro-Trump, pro-acquittal messages and videos on their social media pages throughout the trial. These are my state's senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. I have heard and/or seen evidence of other GOP senators violating the standards you set forth, such as no cellphones and no reading material, however I am going to focus on Cruz' and Cornyn's misconduct. I follow both senators on social media and have been appalled at how both have been dismissive of the prosecution while fawning over the defense.
Numerous constituents, including myself, informed Cruz and Cornyn, in comments attached to such posts, that they were violating their oath as impartial jurors and needed to stop. They persist.
Justice Roberts, our democracy is on the line. We must have jurors who understand and follow their duty to be independent and impartial jurors. We need jurors who respect you and the impeachment proceedings much more than Cruz and Cornyn have shown.
We also, frankly, need a chief justice who will hold senators to account for their behavior. Cruz, Cornyn, and any other senators who refuse to abide by their oaths should be removed from the jury.
Thank you for your attention.

Don't overlook Puerto Rico earthquakes

Rachel Maddow made (as usual) an excellent point at the beginning of her show tonight about how we must hone our skill to follow and respond to multiple stories simultaneously. She was speaking of the upcoming impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump and the military crisis between us and Iran, intentionally started by one Donald J. Trump. Yet another story unfolded throughout the day which also deserves our attention. Puerto Rico is suffering a series of earthquakes and is still not over the devastation of 2017's Hurricane Maria. The island also has a huge bond debt which makes paying for emergency needs and repairs even more difficult.

I fear the earthquakes will get little attention and that Puerto Ricans will not get the help they need for two reasons besides the national trumpian distractions above. One, the natural disaster getting most of the world's attention right now is the wildfires in Australia. These are catastrophic and heart-breaking. We have all seen the images of burned koalas and terrified joeys (baby kangaroos.) Celebrities and regular people are pitching in money, meals, and even mittens to help the Australian people and wonderfully diverse wildlife. As they should. Yet that leaves little room in public spotlight for Puerto Rico's unfolding series of natural disasters. After all, it is hard to compete with koalas as an Instagram-able icon. Still, this image from Punta Ventana (Window Point) shows the destruction of a Puerto Rican landmark.

The second reason I fear Puerto Rico won't get needed aid is the Trump administration's deplorable record in this area. Remember when he threw paper towels in a post-hurricane visit to San Juan and then could not stop (still can't) insulting San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto? Or the spa day federal medical personnel gave themselves while thousands of Puerto Ricans were hurt, sick, and dying after the hurricane? Good times. One reason the island is still struggling to recover after Maria is the Department of Housing and Urban Development intentionally left Puerto Rico out of funds dispersal that Congress mandated. Also the difference between how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deals with mainland natural disasters vs. its Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico response is infuriating, as this study analysis shows.

FEMA's initial response to this week's earthquakes sadly does not show much hope for improvement this time around. Puerto Rico's Gov. Wanda Vazquez declared a state of emergency for her island and requested FEMA also declare one, as this would open opportunities for federal funding. FEMA is "considering" the request. Considering?! The emergency is ongoing. In mainland natural disasters, such declarations are virtually automatic. Sometimes an emergency is declared even before the disaster strikes, as when a hurricane looms offshore.

Puerto Rico is an American territory. They are us. The island struggles with debt, compounded natural disasters, and a president who acts cruelly to their needs and their leaders. They deserve better than to be overlooked in a time of duelling crises. Want to help? Charity Navigator presents this list of trustworthy groups working toward disaster recovery in Puerto Rico.
Update Jan. 9, 2020 from CNN. Federal disaster declaration has been granted.

Stop accepting gun culture ubiquity

Gun culture is everywhere. That needs to change if we want mass shootings to end in this country. If we want our children to live through their school years. If we want to go to places of worship without being shot at or attend a music festival and come home alive. If we want to drive on our nation's highways without bullets through our car windows. Or a holiday football watch party at a friend's house. If we want to go to the store or the movies.
Speaking of movies, I went to see "Little Women" the other day. In addition to the usual local ads for tire change places and day spas, was an ad for a gun shop. They were not promoting handguns and hunting rifles. They filled the screen with assault weapons and silencers. Seriously.
Then there are the gun shows, one held just a few weeks ago in my fairly small town. I know because of the billboard advertising it literally cast a shadow over the high school where I often substitute teach. Far too many schools - Sandy Hook, Parkland, Santa Fe, Savanah State, Columbine, Virginia Tech,  Jonesboro, just to name a few, have had deadly shootings on their campuses. Savanah State has had two. Security Baron's website includes this chart on school shootings from 1999 to 2019. What startles me most is how many of these I had forgotten or was learning about for the first time. And I thought I kept up with these things.
So what do we do?
Contacting elected representatives may seem like a lost cause as so many of them are beholden to the National Rifle Association. It is important, though, to continually remind Electeds that their duty is to their living constituents, not the death industry.
We can also make feelings known to businesses and organizations on either side of the gun issue.
Here is the text from an e-mail I just sent the owners of my local theater:

"Hello,
I was disturbed by an on-screen ad for a local gun shop's assault weapons and silencers before a recent "Little Women" showing at your Bastrop location. This is normalizing the death/gun culture and has no place in a family entertainment center. Usually your theaters have ads for innocuous local businesses like gift shops, car repair places, or a day spa. Focus on these, please. Promoting weapons of use only to mass murderers is harmful to my community and the culture at large. It is a (pardon the phrase) "trigger" to survivors of gun violence. It makes purchasing such weapons seem as banal and harmless as changing one's tires or getting a mani/pedi. It can also implant or encourage a mass murder fantasy in especially disturbed/angry members of your audience.
I like going to the movies. I do so for escape from the darkness around us all, such as mass shootings.
Please be mindful of who you sell ads to and what they promote.
Sincerely....."

We can also support and encourage businesses who stand up to the gun lobby, such as Dick's Sporting Goods, whose owner decided after the Parkland shooting to stop selling guns. His business is thriving.
We do not have to just accept gun culture and the death it brings daily. We can and must call it out, fight against it, and stand with those who reject and renounce it.