Sabbath reflection on Trump and redemption

As a Christian, I don’t like to think of anyone as being beyond redemption. The White House’s current occupant, however, presents a bit of a challenge to this ideal. But it is not an unsurmountable one.

The Donald, just as anyone, could conceivably have a conversion experience. But what then? A conversion means a true turning away from one’s past indiscretions. The Donald would need a neck brace for such turning. The church in medieval Europe knew what to do with deposed tyrants, pretenders to the throne, and other royals who had grown too big for their noble britches. Such were banished to monasteries or nunneries, to live the remainder of their days in acts penance and contemplation.

That is what The Donald (now Brother Donald) would need to show true contrition. Exile in a monastery. A distant monastery. Without wi-fi, helicopters, or a golf course. In a cell hewn from stone. The location, location, location? Er…. Not central; rather, the monastery’s furthest borough from fellow monks and the dining hall. There he could better focus on working out his redemption.

Vocational work is part of the monastic experience. The type varies by the monks’ ability. The intellectuals write, theologize, translate texts. Clearly Brother Donald would not be suited for this. While God can change one’s heart, the brain is another organ entirely. And the Great Jehovah is not the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. So Brother Donald would be best suited for other work to keep his tiny and newly pious hands busy. He is good at salesmanship, we must give him that. However, the abbot would have to clear any sales presentations for honesty and integrity. OK, so that option is out. Simple, manual labor it is, then.

Regardless, the rest of us could move on while Brother Donald toils quietly, to tweet no more.

Here ends this revenge fantasy of a church history nerd.

Demand end to easy weapon access

Fifty nine people (so far) have been confirmed dead in last night's massacre on the Vegas Strip. They were slaughtered by a white man shooting multiple high-power weapons from his hotel window. Hundreds more lie injured in hospitals.
Cue the "gun debate."
Gun enthusiasts will doubtless ask us to "reserve judgement" and "wait until all the facts are in."
The facts are in and have been for a long time. Our country's obsession with easy access to heavy weaponry is killing us. Gun ownership needs to be regulated and licensed. Period. High-capacity magazines need to be banned. Period.
The usual litany of praying for those injured while praising the bravery of first responders is playing out on TV screens across the country. The talk of "coming together after a tragedy" is unavoidable. Congress has already held its obligatory "moment of silence" while being careful to not offend the gun lobby.
Meanwhile the security expert talking heads discuss how to better "harden soft targets." No. We need to harden access to weapons.
TV news cameras proudly pan the seemingly endless line of people waiting hours in the hot Nevada sun to donate blood, while local businesses contribute food and beverages to sustain those donors. Numerous candlelight vigils and prayerful gatherings are planned for the coming days and nights.
I am tired of the waiting.
I am sick of the dying.
Talk, blood, food, and candles are not the answer. They are just temporary salve.
We don't need salve. We need rage.
We don't need moments of silence. We need loud.
If this grotesque year in politics has taught us anything, it is that each of our voices matter, if raised long enough, loudly enough. We need to use those voices now, not to repeat past cliches, not to indulge in resigned fatalism, but to insist our state and federal representatives take action on reasonable gun control.
Demand change. Demand it now. Keep on demanding.

Help Puerto Rico NOW

Hurricane Maria caused massive devastation to Puerto Rico. So far the federal response has been less than stellar. That needs to change immediately.
Millions of Puerto Ricans are without things as basic to life as drinking water. All are without power. Even hospital generators have run out of fuel, causing patients to die.
This is unacceptable. Our fellow Americans need life-saving assistance, lots of it. Now.
Trump's tweet count last week was NFL - too many to count; Puerto Rico - zero. He did finally fire off a few tweets in Puerto Rico's direction this week. And these were every bit as mature, statesmanlike, well-informed, and empathetic as we have come to expect from 45.
Yes, they were that bad.
He whined.
He whined about the "big ocean" between America and Puerto Rico.
We have big boats and rather impressive planes, if I am not mistaken. Use them to ferry aid rather than honeymoooning Mnuchins.
He whined about Puerto Rico's debt to Wall Street. That's rich, given that Trumpadore is in a sea of red ink himself, mostly to foreign banks as US ones got tired of his welching on his IOUs. Among those he owes millions to - the American taxpayers of Puerto Rico who got stuck with a $33 million tab for one of his numerous failed business ventures.
He whined about the infrastructure. Yes. It's bad. Fix it.
San Juan's mayor, Carmen Yulin Cruz has been on TV for days begging for help. She told Rachel Maddow last night of her frustration with federal officials requesting she send "memos" instead of acting quickly to supply her needs.
This is not the time for memos, or red tape, or tweets. This is the time for action.
The Republicans are always complaining about "government regulations." One shipping regulation which needs to be lifted right now is the Jones Act. This prohibits foreign ships from picking up and delivering products between US ports. It was waived for two weeks earlier this month to help move fuel more efficiently to help Texas and Florida after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma respectively. (The back story on the Jones Act and its impact on Puerto Rico can be found in this article from PBS' website.)
The Trump administration needs to remove barriers so aid can reach Puerto Rico. And the whining needs to stop. I've given up on this president ever being presidential, but can he at least pretend to be human? That would be awesome.

Once more, up the hill, Sisyphus

Sisyphus was a Greek mythological figure condemned to roll a boulder up a hill, only to see it roll back down. Then he would have to roll it right back up again.
Those of us fighting to keep the Republicans from destroying the Affordable Care Act may be forgiven for feeling a bit Sisphusian. We keep beating back "repeal and replace" only to have the GOP send it tumbling down the hill again. They are obstinate. We have to out-obstinate them, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many times we have to roll the same boulder back up the same hill.
With Sen. Susan Collins announcing her "no" vote tonight, it looks like the Graham/Cassidy version of  "repeal and replace" is dead. But various versions have appeared dead before, only to rise again.
Let's keep calling, faxing, visiting until this thing is buried, with a stake in its heart and its zombie brain severed from its zombie body, to mix monster metaphors. Throw in a few sun beams and silver bullets for good measure. Maybe a gallon or two of holy water.
We Resisters could use some reinforcements. New boulder pushers are welcome to join the effort. It actually does not take much time to make a big difference. It just takes a lot of us each doing something.
Here's all you need to do. Call your senators. Tell whoever answers the phone you oppose Graham/Cassidy. You don't need to explain or justify your view. They just want a constituent tally. They will likely ask your zip code so they can see where support and opposition are coming from. That is all. Your job is done. Thank you! Of course if you want to call the DC office as well as the state office closest to you, that would be great. Use this page from Common Cause to find out who represents you and how to contact them. Phone and fax numbers come right up. Hitting the "more" hyperlink calls up that government officials social media links.
Eventually we *will* bust that boulder up into harmless pebbles or build a wall around that sucker so it can't go anywhere.

Let's get the Cabinet to remove 45 via 25th Amendment

Hello all,

Getting the trump Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment seemed like a long shot a few months ago. It still may be, but is definitely worth the effort. I think of it like the Chilean mine disaster. They developed two tunnel plans and set both in motion. The Mueller investigation is the first tunnel out of the darkness that is the trump presidency. The 25th Amendment is a second tunnel.

I have compiled this list of Cabinet contacts in the hopes we will all try to convince members of 45’s Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, declaring him unfit for office. I have included names, titles, Twitter handles, mailing addresses and phone numbers where available. Some agencies use a “contact us” form and I have included a page link where possible.

Let's all contact these folks by as any many means as possible to convince them to do the moral thing, the patriotic thing and evict trump from the White House now!

Please feel free to share and also let me know of any corrections, clarifications, and additions.

Cabinet
Vice President Michael R. Pence @VP
c/o White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC, 20500

Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson @Secy_State_US
The Honorable Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520

You can also use this hyperlink:
https://register.state.gov/contactus/contactusform

Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin - @stevenmnuchin1

Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220
General Information
(202) 622-2000
"send a message to the secretary" form: https://www.treasury.gov/connect/Pages/Message-to-the-Secretary.aspx

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Secretary of Defense James Mattis (can't find a Twitter handle)

Jim Mattis
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
703-571-3343 (general DoD line)
ed. note: Mattis is out as SecDef.

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions
ed. note: Sessions is out as AG
"contact us" form
(select "messages to the attorney general" toward bottom of "general topic" pull-down menu) https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice
Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
The Department may be contacted by phone at the following:
Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555
Department of Justice Main Switchboard: 202-514-2000
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Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke - @SecretaryRyanZinke
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240
Phone (with employee directory): (202) 208-3100
ed. note: Zinke is out as Interior Secretary

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue - @SecretarySonny
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
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Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. - @WilburRoss
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20230
Main phone line: (202) 482-2000
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Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta - @SecretaryAcosta
Secretary of Labor
S-2521
200 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20210
Please note that all mail to the Department of Labor goes through a security process that may delay the delivery of mail by two to three weeks, including normal mail timing. This security process may cause slight damage to mailed items. (The previous is from the Department of Labor's own website. I recommend sending postcards to minimize mail security problems)
E-mail: executivesecretariat@dol.gov; phone: 202-693-6000

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Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price - @SecPriceMD
ed. note: Tom Price is out as HHS secretary
E-mail Address: Secretary@HHS.gov
Phone Number: 202-690-7000
HHS Headquarters
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

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Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Benjamin S. Carson, Sr. @SecretaryCarson

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street S.W.,
Washington, DC 20410
Telephone: (202) 708-1112
TTY: (202) 708-1455

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Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao Twitter: @SecElaineChao
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
United States
Phone: 1 (202) 366-4000

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Secretary of Energy James Richard "Rick" Perry - @SecretaryPerry
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave. SW Washington DC 20585
202-586-5000

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Secretary of Education Elisabeth Prince DeVos @BetsyDeVosED
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202

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Secretary of Veterans Affairs David J. Shulkin - @SecShulkin
US Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave,
Washington DC 20420

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Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen
The Honorable Kirstjen Nielsen
Secretary of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

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White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly
c/o White House (see top of list)
Ed. Note: John Kelly is out as chief of staff

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U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer @USTradeRep
600 17th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20508
Phone: 202-395-7360
Email: contactustr@ustr.eop-gov (your message will be directed to the appropriate office)

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Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats @ODNIgov
Main Address:
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511
Phone Number:
1-703-733-8600

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Representative of the United States to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley @nikkihaley
Contact us form: https://usun.state.gov/contact

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Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney @MickMulvaneyOMB
The Office of Management and Budget
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20503
Information and Directory Assistance: 202-395-3080

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Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel
By postal mail: Central Intelligence Agency
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C. 20505
By phone: (703) 482-0623
Open during normal business hours.
By fax: (571) 204-3800
(please include a phone number where we may call you)

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Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt @EPAScottPruitt (also on Instagram and Pinterest)
Ed. note: Scott Pruitt is out as EPA administrator
Phone: 202-564-4700
Environmental Protection Agency
Office of the Administrator
Mail Code 1101A
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460

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Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda E. McMahon @SBALinda
US Small Business Administration
409 3rd St., SW
Washington DC 20416

Say it with me - 'Nazis bad'

Just watched with utter revulsion 45's woefully inadequate response to rallying nazis and their deadly vehicular terrorist attack in Charlottesville today. Even from trump, I wanted to be able to expect a little more than blaming "many sides" and a call for "law and order." We all know what "law and order" means in trumpland.
Apparently 45 is incapable of uttering "Racism is bad" or even "Nazis bad." How about "I renounce white supremacy?" He was *directly* asked to do that at this press event. He refused.
I will repeat that. The so-called president of the United States of America refused to condemn white nationalism.
So he owns it.
"We are all Americans first" sounds way too much like "America first," the code phrase for xenophobia, for hatred of anyone who is not of white lineage and English-speaking. The language trump used about violence and safety sounded to me like the "American carnage" fear mongering from his inaugural address.
The white supremacists/nationalists are emboldened by trump, emboldened enough to march with torches, spew hatred, assault clergy leading a peaceful counter-protest, then kill and maim bystanders with a car.
And trump does not condemn them. Instead, he praises the police and National Guard, who reportedly failed to adequately keep white supremacists and counter protesters apart and prevent violence, particularly in the early hours of this event. The difference between police response to white supremacist rioters in Charlottesville and Black Lives Matter protesters last year in Ferguson is beyond striking.
Now we have neonazis within the administration. The White House should not the axis mundi for white nationalism. The previous two sentences should never need to be written.
Together we must make such statements unthinkable again.
This presidency must end. Any hope that 45 would "grow into" his role or that taking the oath of office would some instill sober judgment into his character was misguided.
Since he can't say "Nazis bad," he needs to say "I resign" or America needs to say "You're fired."

An open letter to the Secretary of Education

Dear Secretary DeVos,
I was distressed to read that you feel civil rights violations and sexual assault case handling should be scaled down. You also seem reticent to protect our nation's LGBTQA children and teens.
This nation has a troubled history when it comes to civil rights. We have come far but must move forward much farther still. Our public education system is a key battle ground for that fight. Might I respectfully suggest you review, for example, African Americans' long and painful journey toward educational justice in this country? Forward progress must be maintained yet your policies would take us backward. That is not acceptable.
Individual cases must be pursued - aggressively. Broader systemic problems must also be addressed. If you want to look at from a utilitarian/efficiency perspective, solving systemic issues can ultimately reduce the number of individual cases.
If you truly feel that ensuring *all* of America's children receive a quality public education and are kept as safe as possible from discrimination and sexual predation, I recommend you step down. Then someone willing to fulfill all duties of the secretary of education can assume that role. Our nation's children's education is too crucial to entrust to anyone not fully committed to the task.