We don't know the ultimate cause of this tragedy yet. But it's just fact that the Trump administration decided to freeze hiring even though we already had too few air traffic controllers. It's another reason not to treat government like a business, as Elon is trying to do.
If a Democrat fired 100 FAA employees and put a freeze on hiring air traffic controllers 8 days before an airport plane crash, there would be a right-wing and media frenzy for weeks.
They think they can buy America.
Setup lavish lifestyles for the judiciary.
Acquire political allegiance through their PACs.
Gobble up the 4th Estate.
Dangle million dollar lotteries for your vote.
What they cannot buy is your integrity.
They cannot buy your determination to preserve the American dream. For you and your loved ones.
They cannot stifle your compassion for the vulnerable amongst us.
They cannot silence your demands for justice and accountability.
This election is about whether America belongs to its people, or to unscrupulous billionaires and the politicians who do their bidding.
Voted early in Scott Co Ky library this morning. Long lines but moved quick. Like Lebron said, what are we even talking about here. Easiest votes I ever casted 🙌🏻
Gov. Walz: Trump likes to talk about manufacturing. The only thing he knows how to manufacture is bullshit. His presidency was an endless string of broken promises. Under him, you lost six plants. He gave tax breaks to the very companies that shipped auto jobs overseas
A Letter from a Bishop to You Via Me:
I get emails all the time from a bishop. (My girlfriend, Shelley, is a Lutheran bishop.) As bishop, Shelley oversees a synod of about 100 churches in the northwest corner of Washington state. (A bishop’s responsibilities are similar to those of a superintendent who oversees all the schools in a particular school district). While there are several families of Lutheran churches, Shelley’s a leader in what’s by far the biggest and most progressive branch, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (@ELCA).
In these times of angry politics, hard divisions, and hyper-political churches, I fear that when unchurched Americans think of a Christian, many think of the extremely conservative ones who play such a high-profile role in the right wing of our political landscape. While the term “evangelical” can apply to a broad range of Christians, the most politicalized have come to be known as “Evangelicals” in the US. These groups are generally fundamentalists (who take every word in the Bible literally) and Christian Nationalists (who believe Americans are exceptional in God’s eyes, are sure to fly the Stars and Stripes in their churches…and might even think God would recommend a certain Bible that comes with the US Constitution stitched into it).
On the other hand, the quieter wing of Christianity in our country (“Mainline Protestant” denominations like Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, and many others) tends to be more liberal. In these churches, women and gay pastors are commonplace, sanctity of life includes much more than a fetus, our Jewish and Muslim neighbors are welcome, and we understand that all people are children of God and, therefore, equally beloved. Sadly, while noisy and angry fundamentalists and Christian Nationalists grab the headlines and stoke the cultural wars that divide our country, the rest of us — who take “love thy neighbor” seriously — have been bullied out of the public eye.
Shelley sends a monthly “Letter from the Bishop” to the congregations in her synod — and during this election season, I wish all Americans could receive her November dispatch. It offers what I consider to be a truly Christ-like approach to the issues facing our country. As a Christian, Shelley’s message (which is more “love thy neighbor” than “what’s in it for me”) inspires me, and it will guide me as I vote in this election. And — as an American citizen who cares deeply for his country — I hope that, whether you consider yourself a person of faith or not, Shelley’s message will also bring a new dimension to your thinking as you prepare to vote.
From the Bishop:
Dear Beloveds,
As the election season is here, I have been doing some reflecting on what it means to vote as a Lutheran Christian. Please know that I am not telling you who to vote for in this election. It is not for me to tell you who to vote for. I mean, after all, God is neither Republican or Democrat, or even American.
But in saying that, I am not abdicating the responsibility that we have as Lutheran Christians who live in a country where voting matters. As children of God, we are called to vote beyond our own self-interest or individuality. As people who follow Jesus, we are called towards God’s vision of a just and mercy-filled world. As people who have received grace upon grace, we are called to stand against injustice, and to remind everyone that, in God’s eyes, every single person is loved and beloved.
So, here are a few thoughts and questions:
1. Jesus is all about loving one’s neighbor. Even when it’s hard. When he’s asked, “Who is my neighbor,” Jesus expands his answer. In Jesus’ stories and actions he constantly goes to those who are on the outside, those marginalized, those without status, and shows how they are loved by God – how they are, in fact, his neighbor.
As you vote: Who is your neighbor?
2. Throughout scripture, hospitality to the stranger is embraced. In the Old Testament, the command to welcome strangers is repeated 37 times. In Matthew, Jesus says, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
As you vote: Who is the stranger?
3. God’s will and God’s calling is towards equity and justice for those who have been silenced, oppressed, or harmed. As we hear in Isaiah, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow.”
As you vote: Who are the silenced, the oppressed, the harmed?
4. The eighth commandment declares that we are called to not bear false witness against our neighbor. This, of course, means not lying about another but seeking the truth. This means no name-calling or false accusations. But it goes beyond this. As Martin Luther tells us in his Small Catechism, we are to defend our neighbor, speak well of our neighbor, and explain everything in the kindest way.
As you vote: Who is speaking truth?
5. God created this beautiful earth and declared that we are both part of the creation and are also called to be stewards of it. As we read in the ELCA social statement called “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice,” we affirm that it is God’s intention for us to join in the healing and wholeness of creation.
As you vote: Who is caring for creation?
Dear Beloveds of God, there is so much more that could be written about the state of our country and what voting means. We could make this all complicated and intricate and difficult. But truly, it comes down to this: God’s love is unconditional and unending. Jesus came to this earth to show, to embody, to be God’s love for us and for all people. And so, knowing this, trusting this, believing this, we are called. We are called, as children of God, to show this love to the world. We are called to vote against hate. We are called to vote for God’s love. As we hear in 1 John, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear … We love because God first loved us.”
+Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee
Many don’t realize that the first people Hitler sent to his concentration camps weren’t everyday Jewish citizens, but his political opponents. So, when Trump rants about retribution, locking up his opponents, and giving them “very long sentences,” I can’t help but take him seriously… because history teaches us that is what fascist dictators do during their “Day One” period to consolidate their power. (After all, if you’re hellbent on staying in power but aren’t likely to win the next election, you can’t have your political opponents running around free.)
To keep fascism out of our lives, vote for democracy!
Amendment 2 would mean your taxpayer dollars can be funneled to private schools. In other states, "school choice" proponents have used vouchers to do just that.
Don’t let @KYGOP gaslight you into thinking that wouldn’t be the case here.