On Living In A Dichotomy...

...And Being A Good Citizen Nevertheless

Somehow I have gotten on a far Left mailing list or two (as in the ACLU and the SPLC).  I'm not sure how that happened; very possibly from my having signed environment-oriented petitions at liberal sites.*  And just to note that it is somewhat amusing to get, in the same snail mail delivery, a mailing from both the ACLU and the Koch Industries/'Americans for Prosperity'.  In any event: I have just received a mailing from the ACLU containing a '50-State Survey,' that really got my dander up, in a) its over-the-top Trump bashing, and b) its multiple-uttered charge of "baseless claims about voter fraud".  What???!!!

My responses:

PART 1 - DEFENDING FREEDOM IN CALIFORNIA    

Let's start close to home by asking you a few questions about the condition of civil liberties in your home state.

1. How concerned are you that the weeks and months ahead will see serious setbacks for civil liberties in California?

(My Response: 'Not Concerned At All,' with the added notation: 'depending on your definition, of course.')

2. Generally speaking, do you think the strength and vibrancy of civil liberties protections in California are better than in most of the country, about the same as in the rest of the country, or in worse shape than in most of the country?

(My Response: 'Worse in my state than in most of the country.')

3. And, thinking in more personal terms, how concerned are you that efforts by President Trump and others to undermine our civil liberties are directly impacting you and your family?

(My Response 'Not Concerned At All')


PART 2 - YOUR ISSUE PRIORITIES

Please indicate how concerned you are about each of the following threats to our fundamental freedoms.

1. Baseless claims about voter fraud sparking a new wave of voter suppression laws that make it harder for vulnerable voters to participate in the vitally important 2018 elections.  [I crossed out the word 'Baseless' & wrote in above it 'hah!,' and crossed out the word 'vulnerable' and wrote in 'illegal'.]

(My Response: 'Not Concerned At All)

2. The Trump administration launching a massive deportation force and ordering immigration raids based on racial and ethnic profiling that would target schools, hospitals, and churches and send thousands of immigrants into overcrowded and squalid detention centers.  [I inserted 'illegal' before 'immigrants'.]

(My Response: 'Not Concerned At All'

3. The Trump administration impacting millions of women's lives by making it easier for employers to use religion as an excuse for denying women employees [such as of 'The Poor Sisters of' wherever]  access to the birth control coverage they are guaranteed by law.  [I crossed out 'birth control' and wrote in 'abortion'.  And by the way, that 'law' is being changed, under constitutional review.]

(My Response Not Concerned At All')

4. Donald Trump abusing power and undermining the rule of law in ways that have a lasting negative impact on our democracy.   [I crossed out 'Donald' and inserted 'President'.]

(My Response: 'Not Concerned At All)

5. The Trump administration and emboldened extremists across the country escalating efforts to deny LGBT people their fundamental rights.

(My Response, in principle, with LGBTs and their government cohorts denying 'straights' their fundamental rights): 'Not Concerned At All')

6. Religious discrimination that includes the proposed Muslim ban imposing a religious test on refugees and others seeking to enter our country.  [A blatantly misleading formation of the matter.]

(My Response, again in principle: 'Not Concerned At All)

7. Are there any observations or concerns, specifically, that you would like to add about how our freedoms are at risk, either nationwide or in your community or state?

(My written-in response:) 'My 'freedom' to have my vote have any meaning whatsoever has been  eroded beyond repair - except by federal intervention in this state.'

PART 3 - STRATEGIES FOR DEFENDING FREEDOM

The following is a list of ACLU strategies for responding to the immediate threats our fundamental freedoms are facing.  Please indicate how important you find each of them.

1. Using lawsuits  and other forms of legal action to challenge the constitutionality of the government's actions and to insist that the courts demand adherence to the Constitution and the rule of  law.

(At last, something that I could respond to positively: 'Very Important')

But the rest of the items were back to the crap side of things.

At the end of the Survey, where they asked for my donation, I made it in the following way, by writing in:

'My right as an American citizen to have my vote have any meaning at all has been rendered meaningless by all the illegal aliens & other non-citizens who have been allowed to infest our voter rolls by the Democrat Party machine in this state.  What is the ACLU doing about that?  I'll tell you: aiding & abetting it.

'Bah!'

 (signed)

--
* And that's an interesting dichotomy in itself.  Environmental issues should by 'rights' be conservative issues, as in conservation.  But I understand that the concern has come about, in part, from the far Right's trashing of the environment, in the name of profit.  But "in part," because our erstwhile masters (as in the Trilateral Commission, pushing for carbon credits,' i/o/t paint a bullseye on everybody's chest) have used the 'environmental' issue of Global Warming/Climate Change as an inducement to get liberals on board their New World Order Express.  Thinking they are looking after Dear Olde Gaia; when what they are looking after in reality is the 'bottom line' for the corporate slave state aborning.  Our erstwhile masters would hope.
   But to continue.