The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Right To Vote

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

As I write this, civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis is being laid to rest in Atlanta, Georgia. Lewis fought his whole life for the African Americans’ right to vote. “In March 1965, a 25-year-old Lewis, then chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, led hundreds of protesters on a march…to draw attention to the need for voting rights for African Americans across the South.”[1] Fifty-five years later, that fight is still being waged.

The Selma to Montgomery march that Lewis led was instrumental in passing the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In 2013, however, the Supreme Court’s landmark Shelby County v. Holder decision gutted critical elements of the 1965 Act, thus allowing states to enact discriminatory voting laws.

Last December, the House passed a bill that would restore those vital sections of the law. And this week the House honored Lewis by renaming that bill the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.[2] But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked the Senate from considering the bill.[3]

In May, the Democratic-led House passed a coronavirus relief act that included $3.6 billion to bolster 2020 election security during the pandemic. Once again, McConnell rejected the measure. He and his Republican colleagues don’t seem to care about securing Americans’ right to vote. Their latest relief proposal doesn’t include one penny to protect this November’s election, despite Trump’s predictions of massive election fraud.

Still, McConnell had the gall to stand before Lewis’s casket and proclaim, “History only bent toward what’s right because people like John paid the price.”[4] McConnell knows it’s right to restore voting rights and fund election security, but he’d rather protect his Senate Republican majority than the people’s right to vote.

There’s no question that the pandemic will make this year’s election more difficult. While a great number of people will want to avoid the polls and vote by mail, many states as well as the federal government have not taken any steps to accommodate them. Some states even greatly increased the problem in their primary elections by significantly reducing the number of polling places.

In McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, for example, officials reduced the number of polling places outrageously from 3,700 to fewer than 200.[5] With Republicans in charge in a plurality of states, their strategy seems to be to limit the number of actual voters, particularly African Americans, to increase their chances of winning.

So, what can we do? Since Republicans only play hardball, we need to convince Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats that they must play hardball as well. Call Speaker Pelosi and your Democratic Congresspeople ( 202-224-3121) and urge them to make the $3.6 billion for election protection in their relief bill non-negotiable. Tell them that the right to vote is sacred and they must force McConnell to bring the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to the floor for a vote. Tell them they owe it to the legacy of John Lewis.

The future of our democracy depends on all Americans being able to cast their ballots and every vote being counted. We can’t afford to lose this fight. Pass this blog on to your friends and colleagues. Urge them to call as well.

Also, contact one of these organizations to learn how else you can help protect our elections and save our democracy:

Vote Save America (https://votesaveamerica.com/)
Voter Protection Corps (https://www.voter-protection.org/)
Arizona Advocacy Network (https://www.azadvocacy.org/)
Fair Fight (https://fairfight.com)

Bruce Berlin

With editing by Margaret Lubalin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.facingsouth.org/2020/07/john-lewiss-final-fight-restore-voting-rights-act

[2] https://www.aol.com/urgent-essential-john-lewiss-death-172520491.html

[3] https://thehill.com/homenews/house/509160-james-clyburn-to-propose-renaming-voting-rights-bill-after-john-lewis

[4] https://www.marketwatch.com/story/pelosi-mcconnell-praise-john-lewis-as-late-congressman-honored-at-capitol-2020-07-27

[5] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/kentucky-slashes-polling-places-voting-rights-mcgrath-booker-lebron-james/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: The Election Is About Us!

Posted on July 26, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

While anti-Trump sentiment is strong and growing, that by itself may not be enough to defeat the president in November. The Democrats could lose again unless Biden gives Americans a good reason to go to the polls and VOTE FOR him. And, there are more than a few good reasons.

Biden’s job is to convince the American people that voting for him is a vote for thwarting authoritarian government and overhauling American democracy. That if you support his campaign and vote for him, you will be voting not only for decency, fairness and strong, knowledge-based leadership, but also a government that cares about, serves and respects all people.

A Biden administration will enforce equal justice under the law. It will support affordable healthcare for all, economic fairness and reforming policing practices. Plus, so much more regarding what concerns most Americans.

Our job is to protect the election process and get out the vote. We need to do whatever we can to ensure everyone who wants to vote can, and that all votes are counted. We also need to produce a massive voter turnout that leaves no doubt who will be America’s next president. And, it’s time we all got to work.

In last week’s post I noted that the election is about saving our “tattered democracy” and “our rights as citizens.” In fact, the election is about us. How much do we Americans really value our democracy? And, how hard are we willing to work from now until election day to protect our country from authoritarian rule?

If you agree, let’s get to work. We all need to get involved now before it’s too late.

Here are just a few of the many organizations already engaged in saving our democracy and voters’ rights issues. Reach out to one or more of them. If we all volunteered some of our time and made a donation, we could make a huge difference.

Vote Save America (https://votesaveamerica.com/) provides information about where you can volunteer, donate, and get involved where you are needed most.
Voter Protection Corps (https://www.voter-protection.org/) works to ensure that all eligible voters can register, vote and have their votes counted.
Arizona Advocacy Network (https://www.azadvocacy.org/) is fighting against voter suppression tactics and advocating to modernize outdated election rules that keep citizens from voting. It supports meaningful voting rights, ballot access, and political decisions driven by voters instead of money. Arizona is an important swing state.
Fair Fight (https://fairfight.com) promotes fair elections in Georgia – a battleground state – and around the country, encourages voter participation in elections, and educates voters about elections and their voting rights.

Encourage your friends, neighbors and others to help out as well. Pass this blog post onto them.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: People Power Can Win the Election

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

With less than four months before the election, the time to get involved is now. Even if Joe Biden was not your first, second or even third choice for president (He wasn’t in my top three either.), you cannot let that get in your way of taking action to rescue our country.

This election is really not about Joe Biden and whether he’s progressive enough, or fill-in-the-blank enough. Rather, the election is about saving our country from four more years of Donald Trump’s disastrous presidency and a Mitch McConnell-controlled, Republican Senate. If we fail to do whatever we can to oust Trump and his cronies, thus allowing them to run the country for four more years, what’s left of our tattered democracy will be destroyed. Additionally, our rights as citizens will be greatly diminished, or worse.

Many of us feel hampered by the need to quarantine due to the coronavirus. Others are feeling helpless in the face of Trump’s pervasive corruption, lies and fear mongering. What can one person do in the midst of the pandemic that can really make a difference?

The two most powerful forces in politics are money and people. We watch in disgust as big bucks unduly influences acts of Congress on a routine basis and often policy decisions in the White House as well. Nevertheless, together we had the people power that helped end the Vietnam War. Together, we had the people power that gave the LBGTQ community equal rights. When enough of us work together, the American people are very powerful. And, together, we have the power that can throw Trump and his gang of sycophants out of office in November.

Right now we can exercise our power from the comfort and safety of our own homes. And all we need is our phones. Here are a few suggestions of how you can use your phone to help win the election and save the country:

Call your friends and neighbors. If they don’t already get it, explain to them how critical this election is to — our safety, our healthcare, our children’s future, the makeup of the Supreme Court, the air we breathe and the water we drink, our immigrant families, our way of life as Americans, and practically anything else we can imagine. Then, urge them to get involved in the elections. Ask them to go to https://votesaveamerica.com/ and volunteer.
Pick a swing state where a Democratic challenger can beat a Senate Republican. If you live in New Mexico, for instance, Arizona or Colorado are two nearby states that have competitive Senate races that Democrats can win. We can help take control of the Senate away from Mitch McConnell and put it in the hands of responsible leadership. Contact a voting rights organization in states (for example, Arizona Advocacy Network at https://www.azadvocacy.org/) and volunteer to assist in their efforts to protect voting rights and defend clean elections.
Contact the campaign of a Democratic Senate challenger in any state with a winnable race and offer to make phone calls advocating that voters support the Democratic candidate. Former astronaut Mark Kelly (https://markkelly.com/) has a very good chance in Arizona as does former Governor John Hickenlooper (https://hickenlooper.com/) in Colorado.

These are just a few of the ways you can help save our country. The more of us who jump in, the more powerful we are and the more likely we will win in November. So, let’s get to work. Our country needs us now!

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: RepresentUs Comes to New Mexico

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

On Tuesday, July 7, New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics (NMMOP) became RepresentUS New Mexico, a state chapter of the national organization RepresentUs. Over 70 people attended the virtual launch. Sen. Tom Udall, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Mayor Alan Webber all spoke adding their support to this momentous occasion.

RepresentUs is a national, non-partisan, nonprofit organization that “bring(s) together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass powerful anti-corruption laws that stop political bribery, end secret money, and fix our broken elections.” (See www.represent.us.)

We believe this shift is a natural fit since our newly revised mission and goals closely align with those of RepresentUs. It marks the beginning of a new era in our efforts to revive democracy that NMMOP has been championing since its inception four years ago. By taking on the mantle of RepresentUs New Mexico, we are placing the fight against political corruption front and center.

RepresentUs New Mexico will continue NMMOP’s work with American Promise to promote a constitutional amendment limiting the influence of money in politics. Additionally, joining RepresentUs will sharpen our focus on rooting out the political corruption that Big Money perpetuates as well as give us greater resources to accomplish this goal.

Clearly, this is a huge undertaking. But RepresentUs has a plan that is already working to end political corruption. It has drafted a model anti-corruption act that has been adopted in a number of states. Here’s a brief informative video that explains how it functions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTP4uvIFu5c#action=share.

RepresentUs New Mexico’s mission is to promote ethical government that adheres to the Constitution, respects the rule of law and serves the public good. Our goals are to:

Enact a campaign finance amendment to the U.S. Constitution that establishes the government‘s authority to impose reasonable limits on campaign contributions and expenditures, and to require full disclosure and transparency.
Enact Lobbying reform at the federal, state and local levels so that all of us are fairly represented, and the “revolving door” between government and wealthy organizations or individuals is closed.
Eliminate the rigging (gerrymandering) of congressional and state representative districts so that every citizen is fairly and equally represented.
Protect and enhance the right and ability to vote and ensure that every citizen’s vote counts equally.
Enact anti-corruption, ethics and conflict-of-interest laws.
Establish public financing for all federal, state and local elections.

For RepresentUs New Mexico to succeed, we need you. We must build a large and strong team of volunteers, supporters and directors to achieve our goals. If you are interested in joining our team and helping us lead the way to real political reform, please go to our website, nmmop.org, (which we are using until we finish building a new one for RepresentUs New Mexico). Please let us know you want to help by clicking on the “contact us” button at the top of the home page.

Imagine what we can accomplish together: a fairer, more just New Mexico and the revival of democracy in our country.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Will Senate Republicans Stick With Trump?

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Just prior to Pres. Nixon’s resignation in 1974, Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) fumed to his colleagues: “There are only so many lies you can take, and now there has been one too many. Nixon should get his ass out of the White House—today!”[1]

On August 7 of that year, Sen. Goldwater and two other Republican Congressional leaders went to the White House and told President Nixon he had lost the support of his party and had to resign.[2] The next day the president resigned. Will history repeat itself this year?

As of early April, Trump had made 18,000 false or misleading statements since becoming president.[3] If the latest accusation of Trump’s lying is true, I believe it just may be “one too many” for many Congressional Republicans.

According to the New York Times, Trump was briefed in March about Russian military intelligence paying the Taliban bounty to kill U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and has yet to take any action against Russia.[4] While the White House has denied that Trump was “verbally briefed,”[5] it has not denied that the information was in the president’s daily intelligence reports. Since it is common knowledge that Trump does not read these daily intelligence briefings,[6] we have to ask ourselves: How can Trump be fulfilling his most sacred presidential responsibility of keeping Americans safe if he is not staying up to date with his intelligence reports?

Can Congressional Republicans actually put up with such an unconscionable failure of duty from their president? Will they continue to stick with Trump?

I can think of only one thing worse for Republicans than losing the White House this year. And that would be losing control of the U.S. Senate. Maintaining a majority in the Senate would allow Republicans to rein in a President Biden, just as they did President Obama in the last two years of his administration. If the Republicans increasingly fear standing with Trump will cost them control of the Senate, they could decide that ditching the president is in their greater self-interest. With 87% of Americans dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country and only 19% of Republicans satisfied in a recent poll,[7] Senate Republicans might just conclude that their only hope of saving their own skins is abandoning Trump. We can only hope.

Contact Republican senators. Go to https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact for their phone numbers. Call and urge them to stand up to Trump.

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/01/22/trump-impeachment-watergate-barry-goldwater-101836

[2] https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Decoder/2014/0807/Richard-Nixon-s-resignation-the-day-before-a-moment-of-truth#:~:text=Forty%20years%20ago%2C%20a%20Republican%20delegation%20led%20by,support%20in%20Congress.%20The%20next%20day%2C%20he%20resigned.

[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/14/president-trump-made-18000-false-or-misleading-claims-1170-days/

[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/russia-afghanistan-bounties.html

[5] https://news.yahoo.com/trump-not-verbally-briefed-russia-231006318.html

[6] https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-looks-at-charts-in-intelligence-briefings-2020-5

[7] https://www.people-press.org/2020/06/30/publics-mood-turns-grim-trump-trails-biden-on-most-personal-traits-major-issues/#national-satisfaction-drops

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Do Your Part

Posted on June 27, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Lately I’ve been struggling. Surely, I am not alone. Many others are wrestling with their consciences as well. On the one hand, I want to escape from the tsunami of chaos and pain that our country is enduring right now. At the same time, I feel a degree of guilt that I’m not doing enough to help alleviate the suffering and eliminate the injustices. Does this sound familiar?

I know that doing something, almost anything, that provides aid to those in need or supports the overhaul of our failing system can make a difference. If nothing else, it will make me feel better. If that’s not enough to motivate me to get off my butt and get involved, then my knowing that what I do will help relieve someone’s distress and/or advance the country toward a more equitable society should do it. If I’m not contributing in some way to the solution, then, as they say, I’m part of the problem.

While there’s an immense amount of work to be done to repair the harm and get the country on track, we cannot allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task at hand and become immobilized. Rather, I believe we need to pause, go within and examine ourselves, as well as the big picture.

Let’s ask ourselves: Where can I be most effective? What can I do that best utilizes my abilities and resources? And, how can I do it without getting burned out or despondent?

The truth is it’s up to all of us to abolish racism, reduce income inequality and fix our corrupt political system, among other pressing issues. Feeling guilty that I’m not doing enough only gets in my way of steping up and taking positive action. Making you feel guilty that you are not doing your part only isolates us from each other. We need to come together, work for the greater good and get the job done. Below are just a few of the many organizations which would love your assistance in accomplishing these goals.

And, as Jon Stewart poignantly observed in a recent New York Times Magazine interview,[1] we must address ‘why’ we are plagued with racism, police brutality, and a two-tiered society:

“(The) root of the problem is the society that we’ve created that contains this schism, and we don’t deal with it…

“It’s white people’s lack of being able to live up to the defining words of the birth of the country that is the problem.

“(The system) is incentivized for conflict as well as for corruption…which is money from large sources pouring into a place not to help, but to gain control…We’ve got a (expletive)-up permanent campaign system with too much money in it.

“What’s broken is the legislators’ ability to address the issues inherent in any society.”

Clearly, we have a number of systemic issues we must address as a nation if we are to begin to heal the country and move forward. Unfortunately, our current national leadership has no intention of doing this. Part of our job, then, is to install new leadership in Washington which understands these critical matters and has the courage and foresight to take them on.

At the same time, each of us must find the resolve to help stop the bleeding and rebuild our country. Here’s just a few suggestions of organizations you can contact to learn how you can help, or to obtain assistance for someone in need: New Mexico Government Assistance (https://www.newmexico.gov/i-need-assistance/), Black Lives Matter (https://blacklivesmatter.com/), New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics (http://nmmop.org/) which recently became RepresentUs New Mexico, Common Cause New Mexico (https://www.commoncause.org/new-mexico/) and Retake Our Democracy (https://retakeourdemocracy.org/).

Bruce Berlin

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/15/magazine/jon-stewart-interview.html

The Struggle for the Soul of America: What Are We Called To Do Now?

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

I’ve just finished reading One Blade of Glass, Henry Shukman’s Zen memoir. An associate Zen master, Shukman is the leader of the Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe. His book is helping me be more present in the moment.

The other day I was hiking in Mineral Hill near Las Vegas, NM. Sitting down to rest, I experienced a Zen moment in the midst of a pine forest. My body resonated with the slender trees swaying in the wind. I sensed a kinship with the majestic granite boulders surrounding me. Like the timeless forest, I was present and very alive.

I felt a million light years away from all the madness of our “civilized” world. The current state of our country can drive me crazy, if I let it. Being in nature allows me to maintain a more balanced perspective, a calm centeredness. I find it helps to step away from the insanity of our planet, seemingly on the brink of disaster.

As much as I am grateful to escape from the chaos, I feel some responsibility for how we got here, as well as where we go next. Whether actively involved or passively watching on the sidelines, I believe we all have some accountability for the state of our country, and we each play a role in determining how and where the country shifts and turns going forward.

At the same time, letting go, being in a Zen mindset, allows me to be more fully immersed in life, from dancing with the pine trees in the forest to combating corruption in government. Being present and engaged, I empty my mind and become open to the all-encompassing present.

It may sound pretty simple, but it’s not. Our monkey minds are always thinking, always wanting something, so busy we have a hard time being present in the moment.

And look where it’s gotten us. Rioting and killing each other in the midst of a deadly pandemic, with an unstable, autocratic president in charge. A really terrible movie, which tragically has come to life.

Isn’t it time we turned the page? What if we were quiet and went within, as the Coronavirus has given us the opportunity to do, and took a real hard look at our present moment?

In our quiet, inward perspective, what are we being asked to do? What is our highest calling at this moment when so many Americans, as well as multitudes around the world, are suffering? How can we heal our country when it’s so deeply divided? What can we do to lift up those our nation has left behind? How can we overcome fear and rekindle love and respect in our country?

This is the present moment we find ourselves in. Can we take it all into our hearts and follow our inner wisdom? Do we have the courage to act now for the good of all the people?

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Will the Republican Party Go Down With Trump?

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

What will it take for Republicans in Congress to denounce President Trump’s lies, abuses of power and downright corruption? Or, is it just too late in the election cycle for such brave pronouncements?

Recently we have seen a number of former military brass and Republican cabinet members speak truth to power. But only Sens. Murkowski and Romney in the Republican controlled Senate have broken ranks with Trump. While many other Republican members of Congress quietly agree with the generals and their two Senate colleagues, their fear of Trump’s retribution appears to be stronger than their love of country. It seems they would rather remain silent and see our democracy shattered, than reject Trump’s authoritarian rule and be primaried by a Trump sycophant in their next election bid.

More and more Republican heavyweights like former Pres. George W. Bush and Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.),[1] who served as Bush’s ambassador to the Vatican, are renouncing Trump. Yet, almost all congressional Republicans appear to be too scared of the bully in the White House to abandon the president, protect the Constitution and maintain their honor. At this point, it seems the only thing the Republican Party stands for is Trump, and, of course, lowering taxes for its wealthy donors.

With the election less than five months away, the Party appears to have given up on its options. At this point, it is stuck with Trump. Those who can no longer stomach the president are jumping ship. If the Trump destroyer sinks in November, will the Party go down with its captain?

According to Jessica Taylor, Senate editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, the answer is “yes”: “Ultimately Senate Republicans’ fate will be tied to Trump…”[2] And, Trump’s approval ratings are sinking fast. He’s down 10 points in just the last month to 39% in the latest Gallup poll.[3] In fact, Trump has become an albatross around the necks of a great many Republican candidates.[4] While anything can happen between now and the election, the odds of the Democrats gaining control of the Senate are clearly improving.

Another indicator that the Democrats’ chances are increasing is fundraising. The New York Times recently reported that the “Democrats raised substantially more money than Republicans did in the first quarter (of 2020) in the most pivotal congressional races.”[5]

That’s not to say the Democrats will have an easy time of it this fall. As I’ve noted before, the Republicans ability to interfere with the voting process will play a major factor in the election. Trump and the Republicans will do whatever they can to win. Voter suppression, closing numerous polling places, voter purges and challenging voters at the polls are just some of the tactics they’ll use to hamper Democratic turnout.[6]

While the tide is turning in the Democrats favor, we can’t take anything for granted. We all need to pitch in to ensure a huge voter turnout as well as a fair election.

Now is the time to get involved. Join the fight for free, fair, and secure elections at https://fairfight.com/ or the Voter Protection Corps at https://www.voter-protection.org/.

To learn how to help get out the vote, go to https://www.nonprofitvote.org/nonprofits-voting-elections-online/helping-people-vote/.

Together we can, and we will, revive democracy in America.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/republican-voters-against-trump-wont-vote-125230045.html

[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-11/trump-s-slipping-polls-make-gop-holding-senate-more-daunting

[3] https://news.gallup.com/poll/312572/trump-job-approval-slides.aspx

[4] https://trofire.com/2020/05/28/data-proves-trump-is-poison-for-republicans-running-for-office/

[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/25/us/politics/trump-election-briefings.html

[6] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/18/republicans-are-serious-about-voter-suppression-heres-how-stop-them/

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Make America Safe for All

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

Cracks in the Trump firewall are finally appearing. Though rare for the military to publicly oppose a president, earlier this week Gen. James Mattis, Trump’s former Secretary of Defense, stated that he was “angry and appalled” at the White House’s use of military troops to disperse peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd.

Mattis was outraged that troops would be ordered “to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens – much less to provide a bizarre photo op (Trump holding a bible in front of St. John’s Church in DC) for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.”[1]

Later that day, Retired Marine Gen. John Allen said President Trump’s threats to use the U.S. military on protesters “may well signal the beginning of the end of the American experiment.” Allen believes our Constitution is under attack. He was particularly struck by Trump’s claim to be “an ally of peaceful protesters” as he removed those peaceful protesters to clear the street for his blatantly political maneuver.[2]

Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as other military leaders, are also criticizing the president. Mullen wrote, Trump “laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.”[3]

Even a few Senate Republicans are speaking out against the president’s actions. Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse objected, “But there is a fundamental — a constitutional — right to protest, and I’m against clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo op that treats the word of God as a political prop.”[4] And, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) explained, “I don’t think militarization is the answer to the anxiety and fear, the distrust … that we feel right now. It is not the response.”[5]

Other Republicans are standing up to Trump as well. The Lincoln Project(https://lincolnproject.us/), was organized by major Republican figures,including attorney George Conway, the husband of Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway, to defeat Trump and Trumpism in November. Republicans for the Rule of Law has a similar goal. (https://www.ruleoflawrepublicans.com/) Contact these organizations and learn how you can help.

While some Republican officials and military leaders are beginning to speak truth to power, only the people are taking action and protesting Trump, his authoritarian administration and racial injustice. Where is Congress?

Why haven’t Republican and Democratic lawmakers responded to the people’s cries for equal justice under the law? Where is the funding for greater police oversight and the victims of the government’s racial abuses? And, why hasn’t Congress withheld funding from the Trump administration until it works with Congress to protect all Americans?

We, the people need to demand Congress act. It’s past time for Congress to stand up for our First Amendment rights. To enact legislation to protect all Americans against police brutality and racial bias. Those legislators who are unwilling to support and protect the American people against the Trump administration’s bigoted and unjust measures must be voted out of office this November.

Call your representative and senators ((202) 224-3121) and demand they take action to deal with these issues. See https://fundersforjustice.org/organizations/ for organizations you can support that are working on police accountability and racial justice. Let’s work together to make America a safe place for all its people.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

(1] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/james-mattis-denounces-trump-protests-militarization/612640/

[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/retired-marine-general-john-allen-trump-military-beginning-of-the-end-america-152143340.html

[3] https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/06/trump-commanders-esper-mullen-miller.html

[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/us/trump-republicans-protesters.html

[5] https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/500726-trumps-vow-to-deploy-military-faces-gop-pushback

The Struggle for the Soul of America: Hate in America

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Author: Bruce Berlin

While our country is deep in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, another long-term, deadly infection has raised its ugly head once again. The police killing of an unarmed, black man, George Floyd, is just the latest example of the pervasive American curse of Hate.

We can no longer call the recurring killing of unarmed black men the use of excessive police force. The truth is these are hate crimes. In 2014, the shooting and killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, by police officer Darren Wilson shocked the nation. In 2015 alone, the police killed over 100 unarmed black people, the great majority of them male.[1] The risk of being killed by police if you are a black male is almost three times as great than if you are white.[2]

Still, hate in America is not limited to racial bigotry. Immigrants, gays and lesbians, Jews and others have continuously been subjected to hate crimes. Today it’s gotten to the point where one’s political affiliation can make you the target of hate. Recently, a man in a Cowboys for Trump video proclaimed that “The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.”[3] While the man goes on to say he really only meant killing the Democratic agenda, if that’s the truth, he could have just said that. Clearly, he was inciting hate.

Then, none other than our bigot-in-chief, Donald Trump, retweeted this video on his official Twitter account, stating, “Thank you Cowboys. See you in New Mexico!” While hate in America certainly preceded Trump, he has done a great deal to foment and condone hate and bigotry in our country. In fact, Trump appears to be creating a “hate movement” to further his re-election prospects.[4]

A few months ago, after a Sikh temple in California was sprayed with white supremacist and neo-Nazi graffiti, Trump targeted leading Democrats and the Sikh community. He retweeted a doctored image showing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer wearing a turban and hijab while standing in front of the Iranian flag.[5]

Why is there so much hate in America? And, more importantly, what can we do about it? Studies have shown that fear underlies hate. A certain segment of our population feels threatened by those who are different from them:

“The research has shown that many dominant group members, often white Christians in the countries studied, express fear of immigrants in their nations. In particular, respondents have voiced fear of immigrants changing their cultural, political, and economic way of life.”[6]

This same phenomenon occurs whether the difference is racial, sexual preference, religious or whatever:

“People who hate tend to think, feel and behave from an “in-group” versus an “out-group” mentality….The “ins” use the “outs” as scapegoats for the social, economic, and political woes of the community….The underlying insidious presence of contempt and disgust – a deep dislike for the other who is considered unworthy of respect.”[7]

According to Psychology Today, “The change in our behavior as a society can only be sustained if we challenge the underlying beliefs and assumptions that maintain this toxic behavior.”

As always, it is up to us, the people, to speak out. We must stand up for our American values of inclusiveness and compassion. Let Trump and his bigoted followers know that we will not tolerate their hatred.

Call the White House to register your objection to Trump’s hateful rhetoric at 202-456-1111, or email at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/. See https://fundersforjustice.org/organizations/ for organizations you can support that are working on police accountability and racial justice.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

[1] https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/unarmed

[2] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/after-ferguson-black-men-and-boys-still-face-the-highest-risk-of-being-killed-by-police

[3] https://www.theroot.com/trump-shares-video-claiming-the-only-good-democrat-is-1843732030

[4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/07/18/trump-is-leading-hate-movement-world-is-watching/

[5] https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-sikh-center-california-nazi-graffiti-1482045

[6] https://theconversation.com/the-psychology-of-fear-and-hate-and-what-each-of-us-can-do-to-stop-it-113710

[7] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anxiety-fear-and-hate/201803/the-psychology-hate