Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?
I’m pretty keen on recycling paper, plastic, glass.
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Monthly Archives: June 2023
No Welcome For Bigots
I was at the protest yesterday, in front of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (https://www.amrevmuseum.org/) against the “Moms For Liberty” having the audacity to come to Philadelphia for their “Joyful Warriors Summit.” There will continue to be peaceful protests, primarily by the LGBTQ+ community, to let them know they don’t scare us, and that we’ll resist them every step of the way.
My Novel, “Soldier Of The Cross.”
Hemperiffic Card
thegtsf.org
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?
I’ve eaten a lot of good foods in my day, there’s no particular one thing.
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?
I don’t worry about that. I wear what fits, what I can afford, and if it look good on me. I don’t worry about designer labels.
How important is spirituality in your life?
My religion is important to me, as a source of faith, community, and guidance.
The Mason Missile, June 26, 2023
Greetings, Americans!
We celebrated Juneteenth, the new federal holiday, commemorating the day, June 19, 1865, when Union general Gordon Granger, who established his headquarters in Galveston, Texas, announced to the enslaved people there that they were free, under Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. News of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Lincoln on January 1, 1863, did not reach the enslaved people of Texas until then. That’s an old story; if you have any rights or liberties; people in power make damn sure you don’t hear about them. (https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth)
This is why so many proto-fascists, like the ones congregated inside the Republican Party, are trying to prevent people, especially school kids, from learning the real story about our nation’s history; they prefer a sanitized, propagandistic version, like something you would see in a commercial for an insurance company. Do they really think they can hide, forever, the history of race and racism in this country, along with the existence of LGBTQ+ people, or the history to the Labor movement in this country? Do they think that by not talking about, or reading about, these issues, and using the force to the state to do it, will make these problems go away? Do they even know these issues, or people affected by these issues, exist in real life? Is willful ignorance, enforced by police, the only weapon they have? Sure looks like it.
All this is coming to Philadelphia: the “Moms For Liberty,” one of the many Astroturf organizations, concocted by right-wing billionaires to keep the people at war with each other, will hold its “Joyful Warriors National Summit,” June 29-July 2, at the Marriot Hotel on Market Street in Philadelphia. Among the featured speakers will be Republican presidential candidates like Donald—you know, that guy—Ron Desantis, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy. (https://www.momsforliberty.org/summit23-speakers/)
One of the speakers in particular that caught my attention is James Lindsay, author of the book Race Marxism: The Truth Behind Critical Race Theory And Practice. Yes, it’s about the right-wing’s favorite big scary thing they scare their kids with at bedtime. (https://jacobin.com/2022/03/james-lindsay-race-marxism-book-review-crt-liberalism) This reminds me of the Nazis of Germany, before they attained power; they campaigned against what they called “cultural Bolshevism,” a shorthand way of attacking what they called the evil influence of Jews (MY peeps!) on the arts. Do these right-wing-dings even have any idea what this horrific thing called CRT for short? Have they read ANY damn thing by the scholars on this subject—which, as I’ve said for the millionth time, is taught to law schools, and not, NOT, in Kindergarten.
I myself have risen to this challenge, and have purchased the book Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed The Movement, published by the New Press. (https://thenewpress.com/books/critical-race-theory) I’m going to read the essays of the great scholars of CRT, such as Kimberlé Crenshaw, Cornel West, Neil Gotanda, Gary Peller, and Kendall Thomas; will the maniacs who howl about it do the same? Doubt it.
(By the way, I purchased this book through my favorite local bookstore, A Novel Idea On Passyunk (https://anovelideaphilly.com/); I urge you to support locally-based businesses, particularly bookstores.)
Trump and Desantis continue to draw to their events all manner of neo-fascists, anti-Semitic and white-nationalist goons and thugs, and don’t doubt for a minute they’ll crawl out of the woodwork and spread their terror in Philadelphia. We must come together to stand up to these pricks, non-violently of course, and let them know they WILL NOT intimidate us. In the Second World War, our ancestors crossed an ocean and landed in foreign nations, fighting and dying to defeat fascist oppression; we mustn’t fail to do so this time, it would be an insult to their memory and sacrifice. All we have to do is go downtown to resist them.
Stay safe, stay strong, and stay together! Slava Ukraini! America will be free! Bye!
My Novel, “Soldier Of The Cross.”
Hemperiffic LLC
hemperifficllc.com
thegtsf.org
How do you practice self-care?
I’m keen on reciting affirmations, meditation, and just chilling at home.
How do you waste the most time every day?
My favorite waste-of-time is sitting and reading a book with classical music on.
Honoring Traitors?
A new Republican talking point is making the rounds: restoring the names of Confederate generals to US military bases, after they have been changed to names other than the traitors who disregarded their oath to the United States and fought to destroy it, to maintain their precious system of chattel slavery.
One such base is Fort Liberty, near Fayetteville, North Carolina, home of the 82nd Airborne Division and of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Republican presidential candidates Mike Pence and Ron Desantis have announced they would restore the base’s former name of Fort Bragg, after the Confederate general/traitor Braxton Bragg. At the Republican state convention in Greensboro, Desantis announced, “It’s an iconic name and iconic base, and we’re not gonna let political correctness run amok in North Carolina.” (https://www.cbs17.com/news/political-news/ap-politics/biden-heads-to-north-carolina-to-push-clean-energy-agenda-and-promote-order-aiding-military-spouses/)
Pence said, later in the convention, “We will end the political correctness in the hallways of the Pentagon, and North Carolina will once again be home to Fort Bragg.” (https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/06/12/gop-hopefuls-vow-scrap-fort-liberty-return-confederate-namesake-fort-bragg.html) (https://www.cbs17.com/news/north-carolina-news/former-vice-president-pence-to-nc-republican-convention-u-s-requires-new-leadership/)
What’s it about? Is it a pander to the racist-white supremacist elements in North Carolina (which also move within the religious-right elements)? Pence tends to bring up his religious background in discussing policy, such as his stance against abortion, and the usual Republican fears of “woke”-ness and “left-wing social justice” (such a scary thought!)
It’s the old Republican playbook from back to Nixon, the old “southern strategy” of using race and racism to divide working-class and low-income people against each other, and to motivate the religious right, the party’s most faithful voting bloc. Plus, throw in hate against LGBTQ+ people, transgender kids, and drag queens, totally distorting who they are and what they’re about, and that’s the Republican strategy; plus, these factions overlap, like a Venn diagram.
Also, the whole idea of honoring Confederate generals by naming Army bases after them-the same men who declared war on their own country for the sake of slavery upon another race, so they can reap the benefits of their enforced and brutal labor, is repulsive. Plus, Braxton Bragg has been considered by military historians as about the WORST general in the Confederate army. (https://www.npr.org/2020/06/13/876440554/opinion-lets-rethink-the-names-behind-forts-benning-and-bragg) This at least shows where the Republican Party would lead us, IF we allow them back into power-I said IF.
My Novel, “Soldier Of The Cross.”
Hemperiffic LLC
hemperifficllc.com
thegtsf.org
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?
Spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce, yuuummm!