Lake Erie Is Not A Toilet (But The Supreme Court Most Certainly Is)

 

It's a brave new world... One where a woman in the state of Texas no longer has control over her own body. I touched upon the threats against a woman's right to choose in my piece A Matter of Control. It was written about the influence Brett Kavanagh could have on the Supreme Court in regards to Roe v. Wade. Was I prescient or not? 

I suspect we'll be talking more about this subject for a long time to come. Read more about what we should do next in this article:  It's Time For Abortion Activists to Push a Federal Abortion Rights Law.

And now a look at how we're all being "controlled" in a different way... Controlled by the abuse of our natural resources such as our drinking water. Lake Erie is perhaps the biggest poster child of neglected gems of nature--and so easily ignored.

 Lake Erie Is Not A Toilet

photos and words by C. A. Matthews

It's not everyday that a world class professional golf tournament comes to your town. When it happens, you have to make the most of it. 

The city of Toledo was fine with hosting a super spreader event during the COVID-19 pandemic, so they opened the proverbial doors to the LPGA's Solheim Cup, along with the tens of thousands of fans it attracts. 

Golf fans who don't believe in wearing face masks I couldn't help but notice.  In return, the fans didn't take much notice of our lovely banner as they hurried past us to enter the private country club.

Yours truly holding up one end of the banner. Photo by Mike Ferner

The Lake Erie Advocates (formerly known as the Advocates for a Clean Lake Erie or ACLE) raised a large sum of money to put up billboards throughout the city and also to have two large banner signs printed to promote the message of how Toledoans are tired of their drinking water being put at risk by the toxins caused by blue-green algal blooms. Can you imagine not wanting massive amounts of animal wastes from large-scale factory "farms" (or CAFOs) flowing into the streams and rivers and then into Lake Erie, the source of the Toledo area's drinking water as well as 11 million+ other human beings living along its shores?

So the brave activists of LEA took position with two large banners outside the front gates of the Inverness Golf Club. An estimated 100,000 visitors were predicted to come into town for the week-long golfing extravaganza. Surely the banners would be seen and the message understood, right?

But, like I said, the predominantly upper-middle class white golf fans from out-of-town didn't seem to be too bothered about poisonous blue-green algal blooms on Lake Erie. Some of the bored looks I caught from passers-by unfortunately only reinforced the stereotype of the rich white suburbanite who lives in a "golden bubble"of affluence (not effluence), choosing to remain happily oblivious to the environmental harm their mega-consumption of meat causes. 

I'm certain they drink nothing but bottled water whenever they come into an area like Toledo. Well, either that or champagne.

The morning's activism wasn't a total loss. I did meet and chatted with a very nice fellow activist. Harold told me that he had attended every day of the Solheim Cup so far (since the beginning of the week) proudly holding his Black Lives Matter sign. His upbeat attitude and energy was a real inspiration. As he stood outside the front gates of the venue, I noticed he generally received good responses to his sign. Only one sour-faced woman stopped and scolded him with a "Shame on you--it's All Lives Matter!" taunt. I returned her taunt with a short explanation that I'm sure she didn't listen to, but at least I tried to set her straight. Harold just smiled at her. I'm sure he's heard it all before and takes it in stride.

In all fairness, I'm not a golf fan (or of any sport really). I wasn't even sure this location or event was the best place for banners dealing with such a serious topic as water pollution, saving our beloved Great Lake, or animals' rights. But the enthusiasm of activists like Harold who show up day after day gives me hope that maybe some of our message might get through to the crowds of well-to-do golf lovers. Perhaps some will even do a quick Google search about what we meant by factory farms and why there was a glass of "green Kool-Aid" on our banners. (It's a glass of slimy blue-green algae-tainted water actually. Yum.)

I try to keep a positive attitude, but it is hard when you see so many people not wearing masks during a deadly pandemic rushing past you while trying not to make eye contact (or banner contact). If a person doesn't care about taking precautions to keep his neighbor safe (by wearing a mask during a pandemic at a crowded sports event), then would they really care about keeping our water clean and shutting down CAFOs? Do they care at all about Lake Erie except as a possible place for their next yachting adventure? It remains to be seen.

No matter how much the golf fans hide behind their red, white and blue outfits, I-phones, and Rolex watches, it won't stop those who care about our shared environment and their neighbors' health from trying to get the word out. The Lake Erie Advocates know time is running out, and they're not giving up. 

We can't keep dumping massive amounts of animal poop into one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world and expect to get away with it. An increasingly warming climate is only enabling algae blooms to explode across the lake surface. Human beings are turning Lake Erie into a massive toilet, one that we might find is impossible to clean someday. 

Take that warning and flush it down your golf club bags, fans!

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Texas' 6-Week Abortion Ban & Bounty has gone into effect.

Extreme anti-abortion lawmakers, led by Greg Abbott have passed one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country (TX SB8). Texas SB8 is a 6-week abortion ban and puts in place a vigilante bounty in place to criminalize those who help or intend to help anyone obtain an abortion outside 6 weeks. As a Texan, let me tell you right now that Texas is not okay. This will hurt people in need of abortion AND ALSO those that support them, young activists, abortion providers, and potentially anyone that speaks out publicly to support people who need abortions in the state.  Most people do not even know they are pregnant until they are at least 6 weeks! Only about 10-15% of abortions happen before 6 weeks. That means “6 week bans” are effectively total abortion bans. The addition of incentivizing vigilantes to “turn in” people who help or intend to help someone get an abortion outside of the 6 week period is extreme violence. This law gives anyone - a neighbor, distant relative, abusive partner, or even a stranger from out of state — the ability to sue someone for having an abortion in civil court AND collect $10,000 for each successful claim. This is one of the most heinous anti-abortion laws in history, it will cause extreme harm to Black, Latinx, Indigenous, low-income, young and rural Texans who already face tons of barriers to accessing abortion. Texans deserve better.

In this critical moment, we need the support of people across the country who believe that people should be able to get the healthcare they need without shame, unnecessary restrictions, or outside interference. What is happening in Texas today might happen in your state tomorrow. We know this ban will be the blueprint for bans across the country. Unless we do something about it. You can help by sharing information and taking action. Look to those in the state to lead. Support Texas abortion funds, providers, and practical support organizations. Donate money, follow them on social media, signal boost their requestions.  Visit Needabortion.org for real time updates on abortion access in TX Talk to your friends about what is happening in Texas and share this video on your social media.   In Solidarity, Jazmin Gonzalez (they/she) Digital Campaigns Manager P.S.  While we’re happy to stay in touch via email, social media is another fantastic way to keep stay in the loop. Click here to follow us on Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and even TikTok  *** Amazon continues to feel the heat in Alabama. Last month the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Amazon unfairly tampered with the union vote in Bessemer, Alabama.1 The NLRB found that Amazon used their power to bully the postal service into putting a mailbox at the workplace in Alabama, which may have caused workers to feel Amazon could see when and how they voted -- and fear retaliation from Amazon. This is just further proof that Amazon has too much power, and is abusing it to undermine workers' rights. On Labor Day, one way we can fight back: urge Congress take bold action to break up Amazon and make it easier for workers to join a union. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to break up Amazon and make it easier for workers to organize! ADD YOUR NAME Amazon isn't just a tech giant, it's a global behemoth with tentacles gripping nearly every part of daily life. And Amazon workers, especially Amazon warehouse workers, feel the squeeze the most. Amazon warehouse working conditions are notoriously bad. So much so, the National Council of Occupational Safety and Health named Amazon one of the most dangerous employers in the country.2 On top of that, during the historic heatwaves earlier this summer, Amazon warehouses pushed workers to their physical brink, without providing air-conditioning. But the tide is turning. Activists are speaking out and demanding Amazon be held accountable. In Alabama, that might mean a new worker union election. But we can't stop there. Amazon has proven time and again that they have too much power and influence, and use it to undermine their workers and their right to a safe workplace. So now it's time for Congress to step in. Together we can raise our voices and pressure Congress to take action to break up Amazon's monopoly and make it easier for workers to organize. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to break up Amazon! Thank you for taking action, Tihi and the team at Demand Progress DONATE Sources: 1. Vox, "The Amazon union drive isn't over yet," August 3, 2021. 2. Futurism, "After Deaths, Amazon Lands on List of Most Dangerous Employers," October 18, 2019.

A Matter of Control

The System Will Collapse...

Some days I hear a another world breathing, too. Other days, I despair I won't live long enough to see this new world, let alone experience it. Our corrupt system of government takes away our ability to control our lives and make our own choices. When will the system collapse, and how will We the People deal with its collapse? Let's address these and other questions as we consider America in 2018 and what's at stake in this life and death struggle for control.

None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. --Goethe

A Matter of Control

by C. A. Matthews

While weeding the garden, I contemplated the recent nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. How is this latest Trump-sympathizer being put forward as our next justice a part of what has been happening since January 2017? How is Kavanaugh a symptom of the underlying disease of corporatism/fascism in our corrupt system? Where does his particular pathology fit in with the current sociopathic nature of American governance?

I pulled hard at a stubborn weed that wouldn't let go of its hold of the soil, and it all suddenly became clear to me. Kavanaugh's nomination is  a sign of the establishment's need to be in control of every aspect of our lives--from the pre-cradle to the grave and every stage in between. We the People, that is, we the working and poor classes, are "weeds" that need pulling and controlling. The oligarchy will use every technique from brute force to chemicals to contain and eliminate us at will. Allow me to explain.

Some of the biggest chatter on the web is the likelihood of Kavanaugh helping to overturn the landmark case of Roe. v. Wade. With just one Supreme Court ruling, women could find themselves in back alleys seeking abortion care once again. No doubt, the death rate of women of child-bearing years will
rise. Incidents of suicide and self-harm by women could increase--particularly by those who have been impregnated through rape or incest. Women with serious health concerns could die in forced childbirth. The number of child abuse and neglect cases could also climb because, more than likely, there will be no funding increases for social safety nets that feed and assist these children and mothers. Overnight, helpful programs such as WIC, SNAP, Medicaid and HUD housing allowances could disappear--the current administration proclaims that it will cut them all.

The eventual upshot of a Kavanaugh Supreme Court could mean an America  flooded with women with children they simply don't want and can't afford.  (It might even lead to a booming black market in baby sales and/or child sex trafficking.)  Considering the Trump's administration's attitude toward the poor, it doesn't seem probable a right-leaning court would support laws forcing fathers to pay their fair share of child support, either, as ultra-conservative males generally demand the right to do as they please. In a post-Roe v. Wade America, the economic, social and emotional burdens all fall primarily upon struggling-to-survive women. 

Women without the right to exercise control over their own bodies will find themselves trapped, thwarted in continuing their education or training and unable to travel to search for better employment, because they will be tasked as sole providers for their offspring. They will be stuck on the lowest rungs of the career ladder, receiving the lowest rates of pay, working jobs without benefits or upward mobility. Additionally, these stressed and desperate women would be at high risk of addiction and alcoholism to deal with their pain.

What a perfect way to control women! What a perfect way to control the ninety-nine-percent by forcing them into a perpetuity of hand-to-mouth living! The motivation behind fascists' determination to overturn Roe v. Wade makes sense to me now. It's not because they actually care about babies or children. If they did, they'd increase spending to SNAP benefits, education, health care and related programs, but they do not. The fanatical right is fine with the vast majority suffering because it simply wants to use the "abortion card" as a way to keep the poor in their place. 

After all, a rich woman can travel and pay whatever it takes to terminate a pregnancy. Wealthy women did this before Roe v. Wade became law, and they'll continue to do so afterward. Don't be swayed into thinking"pro-life" is a moral stance. It's not. The one-percent will continue to enjoy safe abortion care elsewhere. No one can tell a person with more-than-adequate financial resources what to do with his or her body, right?  Anti-abortion activists are better labeled "pro-birth" or "pro-control,"  as in controlling others (mainly the poor) through denial of their human right of choice.

I've learned that Judge Kavanaugh is not a friend of the environment, either.

He'd encourage fracking and mining to occur in all of our national parks, monuments and forests. He would take the side of Big Oil, Big Coal and Big Agriculture when it came to cases involving the contamination of our drinking water. He would rule against too much regulation that forces factories to clean up the exhaust coming from their smokestacks and limiting the toxic sewage they dump into our lakes and streams.

Once our natural resources are gone or ruined, We the People won't even have a nice place in which to relax and admire nature. The rich can always enjoy the majesty of the mountains and the grandeur of the ocean elsewhere on the planet. The struggling will be stuck staring at blown-off hilltops and strip-mined mud puddles left behind by uncaring capitalists.

https://youtu.be/GDTpkEKav5o

What a perfect way to control and break the spirits of the ninety-nine-percent! We'll be too sick from pollutants in our water, our food and the very air we breathe to protest. How can we fight against the rich and powerful if we're weak from malnutrition or illness? How can we take on the elites if we're dealing with depression from simply having nothing of nature's beauty nearby left to admire? How do we grow stronger if we have zero access to health care because capitalists cut our benefits or raise private insurance premiums to astronomical levels? How can we fight back if we are discriminated against because of previous health conditions while the right-wingers simultaneously dismantle the ACA and outlaw Medicare and Medicaid?

The pieces of the puzzle fall into place quickly now. With Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's intentional weakening of our public schools, the oligarchy will have  poorly-educated, mindless drones to work dead-end jobs--drones who can't think clearly enough to reason their way out of their dismal situations. Those who try to better themselves with a college education will find themselves enslaved to overwhelming debt and skyrocketing interest rates on their student loans. (Ka-ching! Ka-ching! The banksters are drooling even now.)

Willing to take any work available to pay off their debts, the poor are often too afraid to speak out against workplace safety hazards and injustices, such as sexual harassment and abuse. Outlawing unions and collective bargaining will further weaken the workers' abilities to exert pressure against unfair labor practices.

End result? The one-percenters tighten their grip on every aspect of the ninety-nine-percent's lives. The mega-wealthy take complete control. We are their puppets, to use and abuse for their pleasure. They will milk us for all our savings and then some. They will take our homes and lands away from us through unregulated banking practices, foreclosures and eminent domain to exploit as they like. Goodbye unwashed masses cluttering up the planet!

Access to abortion care, access to health care of all kinds, access to a good education, safe food, clean air and water, access to rest and relaxation in our national parks, freedom from unjust laws and banking practices--they're all interrelated. It's a matter of control. The one-percent have it, flaunt it, and will do anything to prevent us little people from having it.

Time to stop the excuses! We must take control of our lives. We the People must fight for our rights as human beings and demand to be treated as such. We must stop Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination and shut down the fascist state before it's too late. Vote, protest, call, text and write your representatives regularly and encourage others to do the same. Wake up your neighbors and get your metaphorical pitchforks and guillotines sharpened, if not the real deal... Because if the rich aren't going to play nice, then why should we?

***

Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B., sums up the hypocrisy in the "pro-life" movement:

    "I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don't? Because you don't want any tax money to go there. That's not pro-life. That's pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is."

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This short video is a perfect example of our blog topic two weeks ago, how humor, satire and parody can take down a tyrant. Check out Michelle Wolf's "ICE Is"  and see if you don't agree. Comedy cuts through the bull and gets to the heart of the matter. https://youtu.be/dNF6sVurAuI

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Take Control of the Corrupt System!

The Revolution Continues has set up an easy way to donate to the cause of keeping it ad-free. Three years without obnoxious ads (that many news sites have to cover costs) has been great, but the editor does have to pay for internet, electricity, etc., out of her own pocket, and she would like to be able to pay her contributors in the future.

Please consider donating a buck, $5, $10 or $100--any amount you can share with us to keep this progressive site going without those awful ads is appreciated. Help us become a strong alternative voice protesting against the corrupt establishment and its paid-off corporate mouthpieces. Give to TRC today. Thank you.

You can donate via Paypal at http://paypal.me/camatthews 

Power to the people and not the corporations!     

 ***

From Credo:

Mitch McConnell wants to fast-track Brett Kavanaugh's nomination before October. That is an outrageous timeline.

If McConnell gets his way, there will be no time to review the more than 1 million pages of documents from Kavanaugh's career, including important records from his time as White House staff secretary under George W. Bush. It is common practice to release these kinds of documents. The Senate reviewed all of Justice Elena Kagan's documents from her time in Bill Clinton's White House before confirming her. But Republicans are so committed to steamrolling this process and handing Trump the Supreme Court that they are opposing the release of Kavanaugh's records.¹
 
CREDO is joining Daily Kos, Demand Justice and other progressive groups in calling on the Senate to release Kavanaugh's records and give ample time for review before his confirmation hearings. Will you sign the petition?

Tell the Senate: Don't fast-track hearings on Brett Kavanaugh. Release and review his records before holding confirmation hearings. Click here to sign the petition.

Republicans don't want to release the records, so they are trying to downplay Kavanaugh's five and a half years as staff secretary in the George W. Bush White House. In that key role, he gave final approval to Bush's controversial "signing statements" that Bush used to circumvent laws passed by Congress, including laws about torture and national security.² There is even a question of whether Kavanaugh lied under oath about his involvement in deciding Bush's torture policy during his confirmation hearing for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2006.³

Kavanaugh has the longest paper trail of any nominee in history. It's one of the reasons Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to discourage Trump from nominating Kavanaugh.⁴ It will take significant time to thoroughly review Kavanaugh's papers, and more controversy about his record is likely to emerge.

Earlier this month, two Republicans joined Democrats to block Circuit court nominee Ryan Bounds over his racist writings from college.⁵ If a judicial nominee's college writing matters, then Kavanaugh's career writing and his time as a key adviser to Bush absolutely must be examined before he is given a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. We have to pile on pressure to make sure that every member of the Senate – starting with the Senate Judiciary Committee – reviews all of Kavanaugh’s documents, emails and paperwork before the confirmation process continues.

Tell the Senate: Don't fast-track hearings on Brett Kavanaugh. Release and review his records before holding confirmation hearings. Click the link below to sign the petition.

https://act.credoaction.com/go/23606?t=7&akid=29459%2E9999572%2EWVLewg

Thank you for speaking out,
Kaili Lambe, Organizing Director CREDO Action from Working Assets

Add your name:

References:

1. Ali Rogin, "Senate Republicans clash with Democrats over access to Kavanaugh's White House records," ABC News, July 25, 2018.
2. Laurie Kellman, "Kavanaugh denies role in detainee policies," The Boston Globe, May 2, 2006.
3. Michael Kranish, "Kavanaugh’s role in Bush-era detainee debate now an issue in his Supreme Court nomination," The Washington Post, July 18, 2018.
4. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Martin, "McConnell Tries to Nudge Trump Toward Two Supreme Court Options," The New York Times, July 7,2018.
5. John Bowden, "White House formally withdraws Bounds nomination after McConnell cancels vote," The Hill, July 24, 2018

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Here is a simple truth — no one in our country should be sitting in jail just because they are poor.

Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Right now, there are over 700,000 people in county or city jails — sixty-five percent of them, more than 400,000 people, have not been convicted of a crime. Many are locked up simply because they cannot afford bail.

Let me be clear. The United States of America has criminalized poverty and that is not acceptable.

That is why this week I introduced the No Money Bail Act in the Senate to stop this horrific practice.

Will you join me and sign up as a Citizen Cosponsor of the No Money Bail Act?

The United States has a broken criminal justice system. We have over 2 million people in jail, more than any other nation on earth, and they are disproportionately African-American, Latino, and Native American. We spend $80 billion a year keeping people behind bars, money which could be used for education, job creation and affordable housing.

The decision to put someone behind bars should never be decided based on how much money a person has, or what kind of mood the judge is in on a given day, or even what judge the case happens to come before. In a country where we pride ourselves on the principle “innocent until proven guilty,” we should not be keeping hundreds of thousands of people locked up before they have actually been convicted of a crime simply because they can’t afford bail.

Those who can’t afford bail, even when they are innocent, face punishments that could impact them for the rest of their lives. After spending weeks in jail, many lose their jobs and have trouble finding new work after they are released. With a loss of income, they aren't able to pay their rent and may find themselves homeless. They may even lose custody of their children. And they were not guilty of any crime other than being poor.

The No Money Bail Act is simple. It ends the use of cash bail in federal courts. At the same time, it works with state and local governments to end this broken and destructive system in every area of the country.

The time has come to end "debtors' prisons" in the United States.

Will you join me and sign up as a Citizen Cosponsor of the No Money Bail Act?

Four words are engraved on the front of the Supreme Court: Equal Justice Under Law. We are very far from that ideal today. Let’s fight for this legislation to bring us one step closer.

Let’s get to work.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

ADD YOUR NAME

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Pence's Family Business Cost Taxpayers Over $20 Million In Environmental Cleanup. Make Them Pay Us Back! Sign Now The family business of Vice President Mike Pence, Kiel Bros Oil Co, went under in 2004. While the company made millions for the Pences, it left a trail of environmental wreckage and dangerous chemicals behind.Almost a decade and a half later, the cost of cleaning up after their contaminated waste has exceeded $22 million and counting. But Pence's family business isn't taking responsibility for the damage they caused and the cost it incurred. That burden is falling to the tax payers. It's time to let Mike Pence know: We demand you fully reimburse the public for the fallout from your reckless business practices. Pence and his Republican Party claim to loathe government spending and love "personal responsibility," using that ideology to deny millions of Americans lifesaving healthcare, food assistance, and housing — among other things. But when it comes to cleaning up their own messes, somehow it's the tax payers responsibility. We think it's time for the Vice President to take a little personal responsibility of his own. Add your name to demand the Pence family pay back the tens of millions of dollars that taxpayers have paid to clean up their toxic mess! Thank you, Ellen B. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. We can't let wealthy families like Pence's poison our environment, then abdicate all responsibility for their actions. Please, sign the petition today, then share with your friends to help us demand accountability!