Tag Archives: second amendment

2nd AMENDMENT v. GERRYMANDERING

by

Photo by Tony Webster, Wikimedia Commons

SOME folks worry about the gov’t knowing where our guns reside.  Perhaps more importantly,  when the gov’t knows where your ballot — your party affiliation — resides, it’s no longer a SECRET BALLOT; and  it’s easy for parties to gerrymander, resulting in districts designed to be almost solidly R or D, by COLLUSION of both main parties, making it nearly impossible for voters to defeat an incumbent. That’s how the parties control us. The result :  career politicians are rarely removed from office, unless caught with pants down (or maybe not!) — and we suffer dictatorial anointing (by party bosses) of who gets to run for office.

Example:  those voters registered “independent” are in even worse shape in NY: the Independence Party has virtually no voice in nominating or choosing those who run in the main parties in NY. So, “independent” voters have abandoned their ability to nominate a candidate in what is arguably a more important balloting — the primaries — where potential office seekers are blessed-by and beholden-to party bosses.  Upstarts are scorned and obstructed by the parties, unless they are “players”. Would-be candidates must kiss the ring of the bosses.  Our Founders, especially Washington, Hamilton, and Jefferson, were very wary of “party spirit” (factionalism) which might divide the public, as discussed in President Washington’s farewell address.

In New York, voters tolerate this, although there is an effort to lobby for repeal of closed primaries which you could sign. We voters deserved what we got. (“He who snoozes loses.)   The pol’s knew we were asleep, and stole our voting franchise, so they could control the game!  What’s even worse: voters who want to switch parties to cast a ballot in a more interesting primary have to do so long before a contest becomes exciting. Recently, a cutoff date to switch was October 25, for an April primary! That’s designed by them to prevent people from exercising their choice in a timely fashion as a race heats up. Yep, more control by the pro’s. Not a free election!

Don’t all Americans deserve open primaries? (Currently only 19 US states have open primaries!) We must work to hide our affiliation. It’s time to take back the electoral process. We, the people want our voting power restored to full clout, by becoming states with Open Primaries. We want a truly independent ability to opt out of party affiliation, becoming undeclared, without surrendering our ability to vote in a primary of our choice. Our party affiliation must be invisible to government! That’s why it’s called a Secret Ballot — but it’s not secret if THEY know the address of your affiliation. And it’s not a free election if you can’t easily change affiliation to vote in the primary of your choice. Take back the power to choose! Demand an open primary for NY, or whatever state denies your independence to choose! (We need a revolution in balloting.) And it should include “ranked choice voting” so we are not resigned to “voting against” a candidate for fear of wasting a ballot on a very talented someone who “can’t possibly win”.

2nd-Amendment Crime Against Civil Society

by

The Buffalo News, 15 May 2022

Don’t dismiss this act as that of a sick person.  It’s an act of a sick society!  As a native Buffalonian, I’m wounded, and ashamed.  America is utterly intoxicated — drunk on false  “liberty”.  Mass shootings are now a daily event in America.  The Second Amendment, badly misinterpreted by a right-wing Supreme Court, is now understood to say that individual citizens have a right to own military assault weapons, when in fact the 2nd-A assigns the right to each state’s national guard: “A well regulated militia…”.   So where are these “regulations” from Congress on individual gun owners, when Republicans in Congress won’t raise a finger to control toxic gun policy — afraid of the gun lobby, afraid of losing their next election?  What have these elected officials done to defend America against gunner-bullies? — Nothing. They’re cowards.  They serve themselves.  And they deserve to be replaced.  A vote for any Republican is a vote for more daily mass-murder. (It’s ironic how Republican legislators, and their jurists, are so passionate about defending the yet unborn, while turning a blind eye to those neighbors who are already living next door.)

America is falling-down drunk on its own stooopid notions as to what makes for a free and civilized society.  Yeah, “Make America Great Again” by letting every drunken loon in the land own a basement full of assault weapons, extended clips,  and ammo.  Should we put metal detectors on grocery stores and churches, and all of us buy handguns and flack jackets so we can take down the next lunatic shooter?  Well, the white racists of the so-called white race deserve to be “replaced” along with those legislators who pander to them.  It can’t come soon enough.  (Today I’m ashamed of my pale caucasian face.)
.
Psalm 75:1   We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks to you! We proclaim how great you are and tell of the wonderful things you have done.
2   “I have set a time for judgment,” says God, “and I will judge with fairness.
3   Though every living creature tremble and the earth itself be shaken, I will keep its foundations firm.
4   I tell the wicked not to be arrogant;
5   I tell them to stop their boasting.”
6   Judgment does not come from the east or from the west, from the north or from the south;
7      it is God who is the judge, condemning some and acquitting others.
8  The Lord holds a cup in his hand, filled with the strong wine of his anger. He pours it out, and all   the wicked drink it; they drink it down to the last drop.
9  But I will never stop speaking of the God of Jacob or singing praises to him.
10 He will break the power of the wicked, but the power of the righteous will be increased.
[Good News Translation]
.
. . . where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  (2Cor3:17 kjv)
Amen.