With yesterday’s ruling the Supreme Court made clear what has always been obvious: freedom of religion in America only applies to Christianity.
There has Never Been a Political Solution to Fascism
Last evening, as I was trying to enjoy the last of the weekend, I came to a scary reality. I tried pushing it away. For a time an entertaining baseball game and fatigue helped me forget. But this morning it’s back with a sobering vengeance.
Naming Good Things From This Weekend
For those of us who care about civil rights it has been a difficult three days. For those of us who follow politics, it has been a frustrating three days. For those of us looking for hope, the last three days have been difficult. So, I think we should take a few minutes to name good things that have happened this weekend.
Democrats Fail Their Voters
One of the most basic truths about American politics is one that doesn’t get enough attention. Republican voters are far more loyal to the Republican Party than Democratic voters are to the Democratic Party.
The Constitution was Designed to Deny Most of us Rights
Now that Roe V. Wade has been officially struck down, we need to have a true discussion about the constitution. The truth, as much as many don’t want to admit it, is that the six conservative Supreme Court justices are faithfully following the intent of the so-called founding fathers. As a lawyer, coming to this reality has crushed my spirit. Still, it’s better to acknowledge and work to overcome the truth than it is to continue hoping for a fantasy America that was designed to never exist.
You are Accommodating Your Discrimination, not Me
The most important mantra from the disability community is nothing about us without us. Yet, our civil rights have largely been established by people without disabilities, who have forced their lack of respect for us and their inability to see us as their equals (whether they realize it or not) as the primary motivations for the few rights we kind of have.
The Political Myth of Left Extremism
In reading news coverage of the Senate’s bipartisan deal to “address” Americans being randomly killed at schools and grocery stores by people using military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, I got angry. Senators on both sides of the manufactured and corporate-controlled political isle are presenting their cowardice as an incredible breakthrough that will upset extremes on both sides.
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Let’s be clear: on the issue of people being murdered at schools and grocery stores, the so-called left-wing extremists believe people shouldn’t have access to weapons that have been designed specifically to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time.
The right-wing extremists believe basically anyone should have access to any gun at any time, regardless of criminal record, mental health status, and with no regard for the danger posed by specific weapons and/or the purpose for which the weapon was designed.
Only in a society as broken and dysfunctio`nal as America, could these sides both be credibly presented by politicians as the same kinds of extremes. In a society that even pretended to value life, it wouldn’t be normal to see people murdered at school, shopping, and going to church.
The corporate-controlled duopoly created the myth of left extremes so they could equate them to the right-wing extremes most people rightly object to as a way of manipulating too many people to accept that commonsense is an extreme.
The idea that someone’s right to own any weapon, no matter how dangerous, is akin to the right of children to attend school without the fear of being murdered is truly absurd. Writing that made me laugh and raised my blood pressure.
As long as the corporate-owned political parties and the corporate-owned media are successful at portraying commonsense and reality as left-wing extremism, there is no chance of a bill that isn’t best used as toilet paper being signed into law.
I Got a New Job
As the title says, I got a new job. I’m still with the city of Portland, but I will soon be working for Parks & Recreation.
Reviewing the Mantis
The Mantis is a braille display produced by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). For those who don’t know, a Braille display, in its simplest form, shows users the text displayed on a computer or mobile device in braille. In my view, the Mantis is the best braille display for a professional.
Personal Updates for May First 2022
This post has updates about Mr. Rogers, sports betting, exercise, a new job search, and hoping for spring.
Mr. Rogers
It has been more than a month since Mr. Rogers died. I miss him so much. I still find myself talking to him sometimes. When I’m upset about something, I still wish to hold him and listen to his purr.
That little guy was such a big part of my life. I’m having to learn new ways of doing things that once involved him. I know I’m getting there. I know it will keep getting easier. But the pain of his loss still stings.
I’m certainly not ready for a new cat. With the uncertainty in my life, it’s not at all the right time for me to think about getting a new animal. But thanks to Mr. Rogers, I really have become a cat and dog person. I could not have had a better pet for me than my beloved Mr. Rogers.
Sports Betting
A couple of weeks ago, I started legally betting on sports. So far, I’m only betting on baseball and hockey, and my bets are limited to the money line. That means I’m not betting on point spreads. I’m simply deciding which team I think will win and betting on them to win.
So far, I’m down twenty dollars. That means I have lost 20 of the dollars I initially deposited. I’m not expecting to make a second income gambling on sports. But betting does add another layer of interest to the games. And I think there is a chance I will learn to get pretty good at it.
That being said, if I ever lose the entire amount I deposited I will quit. I know my limits. If I can’t learn to be pretty good at betting, I will stop betting.
Exercise
I’m not meeting my exercise goals every day, but I am meeting them most days. I will admit that I have lowered the number of movement calories I need to hit that goal. Still, they are higher than the default setting for my age and weight. To compensate, I increased the amount of time working out I must do to close that ring from 30 to 40 minutes. In order to meet my goals, I must have a good 40- minute workout. For now, I’m happy with where my goals are and how often I’m meeting them.
A new Job Search
It really is time for me to find a new job. I’m not at all feeling like I can do the job I want to do and that community deserves to have someone do. I’m not sure I can find a job in the field of accessibility that will satisfy me, because I’m not sure any entity that may be hiring actually wants the job done well. But I need to keep trying. I know what I could do in the right situation.
I also know few entities are even interested in hiring someone to do the needed work of creating more accessibility. So, I may have to find work in a different field. I’m open to that. My first priority is to find something that enables me to feel like I’m making a real difference. I may not be able to meet that goal and stay in the accessibility field.
I couldn’t talk about a new job search without acknowledging that starting a new job search causes a bit of anxiety. I know I’m going to face discrimination. I know I’m going to have a hard time finding something that will satisfy me and provide me a good salary and benefits. But I can’t continue doing what I’m doing.
So, I’m opening myself up, again, to facing the possible frustrations that are present in every search and those unique to someone who knows they will face extreme discrimination. When you’re literally the only person like you in a workforce of roughly 6,000, you are always aware of the difficulties people like you face in finding work.
Hoping for Good Weather
Portland just finished its rainiest April ever. The beginning of May also looks rainy. I’m so tired of the rain. I really love being outside, playing ball, and enjoying sunshine. I can’t believe it’s May first and we still haven’t turned on the air.
Given the extremes the world is facing from climate change, I’m thinking the summer will be even hotter than last year. The extremes are a sad sign of how much damage humans have done to the planet. Still, I’m ready for sun. Let’s not have too much so that it’s not safe to enjoy what we get.
Conclusion
That’s what I have for now. I hope everyone is well.