One of my cousins here in Hawaii sent me this YouTube with excerpts of Governor Pritzker's State of the State Speech in Springfield, Illinois.
But there were 2,000 who came in opposition to the Nazis. I don't recall hearing about them after that.
I guess this is a lesson in not being quiet when you see something wrong happening.
Governor Pritzker also addressed all the pain and difficulty suffered by those in need who were impacted when programs like Meals on Wheels experienced cuts. Art volunteers for them. I'm wondering what will happen in Hawaii.
There are so many drastic cuts happening now impacting millions of people who are most in need.
POSTSCRIPT:
When I sent Gov. Pritzker's video to my friend, Myra she texted how much she liked the Governor saying:
"Tyranny requires your fear, your silence, and your compliance."
"Democracy requires your courage."
Thank goodness for the few bright lights not kowtowing to the onslaught.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bright light today. The governor's speech was awesome.
ReplyDeleteKay! I am so proud of you! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMore power to the voices of sanity.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay. I shared that video.
ReplyDeleteI like that statement by Pritzker. I think I'll put it on a sidebar of my blog.
ReplyDeleteGovernor Pritzker's comments have been all over social media. I have shared again and again. Wise man with good ideas and a great way of presenting them. We need more like Governor Pritzker.
ReplyDeleteWe are in terrible times.
ReplyDeleteThis sort of thing always seems like the classic "Trolley Problem" where there is a runaway train heading down the tracks and you are at the switch and can direct it down one track where there is one person that will die or the other track where there are five people will die. Which track would you send it down? Likewise, we are faced with the same dilemma now with our country's spending. Do we stop supporting one government program now that harms some people or do we wait until nobody will loan us money and we default on every program we spend money on and cause tens of thousands of people to die by our reckless spending? Greece comes to mind as a classic example where after they were forced into austerity measures due to deficit spending and unable to get loans to carry on, deaths dramatically rose. When I visited last year, 14 years later, 50% of the stores were still shuttered and dark. I'm pretty certain I don't want to see that outcome befall our country.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your opinion, Ed. You know how I value knowing another point of view even if I don't agree with it. That "Trolley Problem" is understood. But so is "Throwing the Baby Out with the bath water."
DeleteArt worked for over a couple of decades with the EPA in Chicago and knows the value first hand of the work this agency does. Trump initially said 65% of the EPA work force was going to be fired. Then he changed it to 65% of the budget. Many of the people Art worked with are aghast.
Art also said that he agrees there are areas that need to be evaluated to reduce the deficit, but the "Devil is in the details." You can't just fire people carte blanche or take away federal grants without carefully understanding what is valuable and what can be let go.
What's happening now with this administration goes beyond all this. It's building discrimination against transgender, women and people who are not white, poor and born Americans. Dismantling DEI programs are all part of this.
I'll stop here.
Forgive me for my upset, but I have family members and friends who are suddenly impacted terribly by what is happening with this administration.
You have every right for being upset Kay. I too have friends and family effected by what is happening as well. I agree that the way it is being handled is not the best way of going about things. I think I read somewhere that we could get rid of every program except for Medicare, Social Security, Defense spending and interest payments on on our debt and only JUST balance our budget. I'm of the belief that we need to go through these organizations and do a heavy pruning, which will inflict a lot of pain on many people, but we are also going to have to adjust how we fund the four above mentioned entitlements/parts of our budget as well which affects everyone in some form or another. I'm not sure what is the best way to do it. The only thing I'm sure of is that we will all be affected in painful ways if we ever do balance our budget.
DeleteI think tax cuts for the rich have contributed to USA problems. It is ridiculous. People need jobs. People pay all their working lives into Social Security, and Musk is going to take that money. I fear for those whose livelihoods are being axed, and tariffs are going into Musk and your presidents' coffers. It's not going to help. You cannot 'prune' by using 20-something programmers. It takes a forensic economist to do it without hurting anyone.
DeleteTrump has violated our trade agreement, just like Russia did with the Budapest Memorandum. Canada will never trust the US again.
All it takes is for us not to be fooled or afraid. Stay human, stay aloha, stay aware. For sharing this Kay. Aloha from townside
ReplyDeleteRallying is being done. People have to get behind it.
ReplyDeleteI am in the final stages of a really bad cold. A couple of weeks ago, I had a slight cold, lasted a day or two and didn't involve any coughing. This time around, it was major with snot galore (sorry for graphics), coughing through the night and then that uncontrollable coughing that seems to do nothing except leave me out of breath. Since I am into natural healing and did not go to the doctor for antibiotics or drugs, I probably suffered more than I would have with medical intervention but I am now at the tail end of this worst cold that I have ever had, and my lungs and sinuses are probably clearer than they ever have been.
ReplyDeleteTrump is like a severe cold that will have people gasping for air. He is vindictive, egotistical, heartless, and manipulative. And yet, he has a following who thinks he has the answers to make America great again even if it means they lose their jobs, homes, and lifestyle. He has managed to hold the Republican party hostage. He doesn't have to play nice because he is in his second term. He has acquired the most unusual and possibly unqualified bunch of heads of government agencies and given them his blessing to do as they see fit.
He is purging, unilaterally. God help us get through this madness.
We need more governors and senators and congressmen and other leaders to speak out. We need more citizens to watch real news and pay attention to more that the price of eggs. This is going to be a long battle, and some, especially those losing jobs and health care and food assistance may not survive.
ReplyDeleteFascinating, both the post and the discussion that follows. I am reading articles in the Canadian Press that are downright terrifying about just what could happen if the present level of careless cutting continues. Yes, both the US of A and Canada have heavy loads of debt and should not have. I think most caring and informed citizens would agree. But the dismantling of programs should be done with care and with skill, not with a chainsaw by men who cannot understand how their glee is toxic.
ReplyDeleteSince St. Louis is right on the border of Missouri and Illinois JB Pritzker was often talked about on the local news.
ReplyDeleteIllinois is doing an outstanding job of resisting Magats.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Skokie at that time and recall it quite well.
ReplyDeleteLove him and both Joshes (Josh Green of Hawaii, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania!)
ReplyDeleteIt is shocking. We are gobsmacked here in Canada. DOGE doesn't know what it is doing. It is shameful.
ReplyDeleteAnd for all those who voted for the orange felon, they should realize how much help put all of you in debt. Something like $7 million per weekend trip to Mar-A-Lago. Plus the tax cuts for the very rich from his first term.