"I respect and love every person who offers respect and love in return, regardless of their age, caste, color, creed, culture, ethnicity, gender, language, or nationality, and inclusive of people with disabilities or neurodivergence; those living with mental illness; those in larger bodies; individuals struggling with addiction; the formerly incarcerated; the unhoused; and those experiencing dementia or cognitive decline. Each is human, fully worthy, and deserving of my respect and love. There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us. My abhorrence of “White-Wing” hate speech does not diminish my unwavering support for—and defense of—the U S Constitutional First Amendment right to free speech. My lifelong disgust with male homosexual behavior does not diminish my current political, legal, or principled commitment to the civil rights and human dignity of queer people. My rational, logical, and evidence-guided rejections of the imaginary, delusional, mythological superstitions of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism do not diminish my defense of the civil and human rights of Muslims, Christians, and Jews. My utter contempt for white racists (and their complicit, cowardly, silent enablers), who espouse hate, lies, fear, and racism, does not diminish my respect and love for my outspoken anti-racist allies who share the same white skin tone as their racist brethren. The sorrows and horrors of mass shootings do not diminish my unwavering support for—and defense of—the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, a right that I exercise responsibly. There are four boxes used to neutralize White Christofasism, and they are necessary for the security of a secular and free social democracy: the soapbox, the ballot box, the jury box, and the box of ammo. It's best to use it in that order, but out of order, if you must." I choose to live by mutual respect, fairness, and empathy, measuring my actions by their impact on others and by standards I would accept for myself. I acknowledge the limits of my control, act decisively where my choices matter, and apply reason and experience to tell the difference. I exonerate myself from guilt and self-punishment over past, present, and future mistakes, recognizing error as part of being human rather than evidence of personal failure. I maintain zero regrets, I learn, and move forward. From that foundation, I commit to compassion, forgiveness, and kindness—starting with myself.
The US Conservative Supreme Court appears likely to uphold state bans on transgender athletes.
"Respecting women’s sports and respecting transgender people are not opposing values—but fairness matters. Trans women represent a very small percentage of elite athletes, yet women’s sports exist precisely because sex-based differences in strength, speed, and power are real and measurable. When those differences are ignored, cisgender female athletes are harmed—through lost scholarships, displaced podium spots, reduced safety, and the erosion of hard-won competitive protections.
Notably, trans women do not attempt to compete against cisgender men in strength- and speed-dependent sports, because those physical advantages are decisive; this underscores that the issue is biology, not malice or intent. A serious, adult conversation must protect inclusion without sacrificing the integrity of women’s sports, because denying biological reality in the name of progress ultimately undermines the very women these categories were created to defend."
I am an atheist, guided by reason & logic. I accept only what can be demonstrated. Observation, measurement, and reasoning— verified independently—are the standard. I'll entertain any claim, no matter how strange, if the evidence supports it. But the more extraordinary the claim, the stronger and more rigorous the evidence must be." Advocate for human rights, animal rights, environmental stewardship, equity, and equal justice for all. An Avid Reader, a world traveler, a Deep-Sea Diver, a Saxophonist, a retired Biochemist in research and academia, and a Democratic Socialist. Racism and White Fragility have been exposed. All gods, religions, and faiths are myths and delusions. Science is our friend.
When the American empire finally collapses, historians won't be stunned by the greed of the elite; they'll be stunned by the loyalty of the poor. The working class didn't just vote against their own interests. They worshipped the billionaires robbing them. They slashed their own benefits, gutted their own healthcare, and cheered while the rich wrote off private jets as tax deductions. Not because it helped them. But because they were told it would hurt someone else. And that, right there, is how you rig a democracy without even breaking a single law.
White America, this one’s on you.
About 85% of Black people voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in this election.
Of white people, who comprised 71% percent of voters, a majority – 57% – voted for Donald Trump.
The way Black people showed up in this election brings to mind Nikole Hannah-Jones’ belief that “More than any other group in this country’s history, [Black people] have served, generation after generation, in an overlooked but vital role: It is we who have been the perfecters of this democracy.”
There’s no doubt voting shifts in some communities of color must be studied so we can learn from them.
But an outsized portion of the post-presidential election analysis has focused on what Black people, and Black men in particular, did not do.
Concentrating on that at the expense of the white majority vote, which decided the election, is pure misdirection. The majority of white people re-elected a purveyor of hate, racism, misogyny, division, xenophobia and chaos.
Why does this clarity matter? Because without it, even well-meaning white people fail to appreciate how we got here – and the honesty and accountability required to respond. I’ve been inundated with outreach from well-meaning white friends expressing dismay at the result. Many understand something terrible has happened – but fail to appreciate that the root cause is white supremacy, and that this election was largely about the preservation of it.
“This level of vote was not because they were worried about grocery prices. They were worried about white privilege, white status, and sent the message that a multiracial democracy is fine as long as they’re at the top,” Melanie L. Campbell told The New York Times.
Without this clarity, the responsibility for addressing our challenges, as it too often is, will be assigned to Black and other people of color to solve a problem we did not create and cannot fix – certainly not by ourselves.
Republican Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming voted with former President Trump's conservative's agenda 93% of the time; but in 2024, when Liz Cheney threw her support behind the Black Asian Female Democrat, Vice President Kamala Harris for President, she showed the world that you can indeed be a conservative American patriot without being a flag-waving white supremacist. Shocking, I know! It turns out you don't have to be a member of the RetrumpliKKKan Cult to love your country or Jesus, for that matter. Cheney’s bold move was a reminder that principles actually matter, even if that means stepping out of line with the cultish masses.
If the ReTrumliKKKans are not a cult, why not support a Conservative American patriot that is aligned with the non-hate issues that the snake oil salesman is selling?
On the flip side, Cult-45 RetrumpliKKKans continue their parade of grievances, where the real fun begins. Some of these fine folks, trapped in their delusional and miserable realities, have found a curious outlet: hiding behind the comforting blankets of "patriotism," "Christianity," "family values," and other shiny buzzwords (Tea Party, Proud Boys, etc) that sound respectable in public but don’t hold up under scrutiny. They might even believe their own hype! After all, nothing screams "freedom" quite like voter suppression, white nationalism, and good ol' fashioned bigotry. God bless America, right now, don’t get me wrong—I’d totally join the MAGA circus too. That is, of course, if it weren’t for a few tiny inconveniences like white supremacy, anti-Black racism, and the fact that their version of "freedom" conveniently leaves out half the country. Oh, and who could forget the charming little issues like the electoral college, election denial, income inequality, and the for-profit prison industry? Honestly, if they could just tone down the whole "authoritarian, xenophobic, climate change-denying, misogynistic, theocratic dystopia" thing, I might reconsider.
On the flip side, Cult-45 RetrumpliKKKans continue their parade of grievances, where the real fun begins. Some of these fine folks, trapped in their delusional and miserable realities, have found a curious outlet: hiding behind the comforting blankets of "patriotism," "Christianity," "family values," and other shiny buzzwords (Tea Party, Proud Boys, etc…) that sound respectable in public but don’t hold up under scrutiny. They might even believe their own hype! After all, nothing screams "freedom" quite like voter suppression, white nationalism, and good ol' fashioned bigotry. God bless America, right now, don’t get me wrong—I’d totally join the MAGA circus too. That is, of course, if it weren’t for a few tiny inconveniences like white supremacy, anti-Black racism, and the fact that their version of "freedom" conveniently leaves out half the country. Oh, and who could forget the charming little issues like the electoral college, election denial, income inequality, and the for-profit prison industry? Honestly, if they could tone down the whole "authoritarian, xenophobic, climate change-denying, misogynistic, theocratic dystopia" thing, I might reconsider.
The Dangerous Reality of White Christian Nationalism Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. This video partners with @PFAWdotorg, a progressive advocacy organization that inspires and mobilizes Americans to defend freedom, justice, and democracy from those who threaten to take them away. Find more information about how you can fight white Christian nationalism at peoplefor.org/white-christian-nationalism-explained. If you’re interested in learning more about white Christian nationalism, the history of the religious right, or anything else I mentioned here, these books are some of the biggest sources / inspirations for this video: The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, Samuel Perry and Philip Gorski (2022) Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Fractured a Faith and Corrupted a Nation, Kristin Kobes Du Mez (2020) American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy, David Corn (2023) Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories, Mike Rothschild (2023)
To donate to People For the American Way Foundation, go to: peoplefor.org/ResistWCN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yri7mhxTZrg&list=PLY49eSVGEAoZsRT7pbr3HaoLzZkiUpJh_
Americans United for Separation of Church and State https://www.au.org
The Freedom from Religion Foundation https://ffrf.org
During MINDFULNESS meditation (non-judgmental awareness of thoughts, emotions, and sensations), I experience SELF-TRANSCENDENCE (consciousness beyond ego or personal identity), PRESENCE (fully inhabiting the moment without distraction or conceptual overlay), and INNER PEACE (a grounded calmness and absence of mental agitation), while my CONSCIOUSNESS explores and investigates the nature of awareness itself, I experience AWE as a deep emotional response to beauty, vastness, and interconnectedness.
If you’re interested in learning more about white Christian nationalism and Christian fascism, the history of the religious right, or anything else I mentioned here, these books are some of the biggest sources / inspirations for this video: The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, Samuel Perry and Philip Gorski (2022) Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Fractured a Faith and Corrupted a Nation, Kristin Kobes Du Mez (2020) American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy, David Corn (2023) Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories, Mike Rothschild (2023) To donate to People For the American Way Foundation, go to: peoplefor.org/ResistWCN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yri7mhxTZrg&list=PLY49eSVGEAoZsRT7pbr3HaoLzZkiUpJh_
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