RFK Jr., a disgrace to his family, a disgrace to humanity

In RFK Jr.’s first statement since becoming HHS Secretary, he applauded Trump dismantling USAID, calling it “a sinister propagator of totalitarianism and war across the globe.”

His uncle, President John F. Kennedy, created USAID 64 years ago.

What a disgrace to his family.

JFK speaks to USAID directors and deputy directors on the White House lawn, June 8, 1962. Robert Knudsen

“There is no escaping our obligations: our moral obligations as a wise leader and good neighbor in the interdependent community of free nations – our economic obligations as the wealthiest people in a world of largely poor people, as a nation no longer dependent upon the loans from abroad that once helped us develop our own economy – and our political obligations as the single largest counter to the adversaries of freedom.” –John F. Kennedy

 

About contraception and marriage — neither of which may continue to be your choice

We all take for granted the idea that we can use contraception and that we can marry whom we please.

Well, not so fast.

If the Trump Supreme Court and the Trump-Musk administrations have their way, you may no longer have the right to use birth control nor have the right to marry whom you please.

The Republican attack on contraception

For most of our history, contraception was whispered about.  In most states, it was illegal to manufacture, sell, use, or teach about contraceptive devices.   Under the Connecticut Comstock Act of 1873 it was illegal to use “any drug, medicinal article, or instrument for the purpose of preventing conception“.

In 1961 Estelle Griswold and Dr. Lee Buxton opened a clinic in New Haven to teach about contraception and provide contraceptives.  Griswold was arrested, found guilty, and appealed.  Her case went to the Supreme Court who ruled in Griswold v. Connecticut, 1965, that “marital privacy” is a protected right and contraception is a protected private matter — just as Roe v. Wade was based largely on privacy rights.

In his concurrence with overturning Roe, Justice Thomas wrote“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, . . . Because any substantive due process decision is ‘demonstrably erroneous’ we have a duty to ‘correct the error’ established in those precedents.”  According to Thomas, it is “erroneous” for people to have the right to contraception and Griswold was a mistake.

In an attempt to protect access to contraception, in July 2022 the House of Representatives passed the “Right to Contraception Act”.  EVERY HOUSE REPUBLICAN  VOTED “NAY”.

The same groups who worked for 50 years to overturn Roe are quietly working to overturn Griswold because they claim contraception is a “form of abortion” – they lie, it is not.

The right to marry whom you please

But it goes much deeper than Griswold —  let’s recall that another “right” that we take for granted hangs on the very thin thread of one or two votes in the Not-So-Supreme Court:  That is the right to marry whom we please.

Consider two cases:  Loving v. Virginia, and, Obergefell v. Hodges.

For decades, marriage between people of different races was illegal in the US, mainly in the Southern states.

In 1959, in Caroline County, Virginia, Richard Loving, a white man, and his wife Mildred Loving, a person of color,   were convicted of violating Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which criminalized marriage between people classified as “white” and people classified as “colored”. Caroline County circuit court judge Leon M. Bazile sentenced them to prison but suspended the sentence on the condition that they leave Virginia and not return. The Lovings filed a motion to vacate their convictions on the ground that the Racial Integrity Act was unconstitutional, but Bazile denied it. After unsuccessfully appealing to the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Lovings appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed to hear their case.

In June 1967, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Loving  v. Virginia that overturned their convictions and struck down Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act. The Court found that the law violated the Equal Protection Clause because it was based solely on “distinctions drawn according to race” and outlawed conduct—namely, that of getting married—that was otherwise generally accepted and that citizens were free to do.

Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015, is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court which ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. The 5–4 ruling requires all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Insular Areas to perform and recognize the marriages of same-sex couples on the same terms and conditions as the marriages of opposite-sex couples, with equal rights and responsibilities.

Griswold, Loving, and Obergefell HAVE NEVER BEEN WRITTEN INTO BLACK LETTER LAW.  We can use contraception, people of different “races” can marry, and same-gender marriage – all are legal because of SCOTUS decisions based on doe process and equal protection, both of which are enshrined in the 14th Amendment – which also enshrines birthright citizenship, which Trump has said must be removed from the Constitution.  Thomas and Alito wrote, when they overturned Roe v. Wade, that Roe was based on an error – the same “error” on which Griswold, Loving, and Obergefell are based.

Liberal gun owners confront Nazis, protect theater-goers in Howell, Michigan

Liberal Gun Owners protect theater goers watching a documentary about a local white supremacist at a Howell MI theater

Howell, Michigan:  The neo-nazis did show up and clash with the volunteer security.  Many on the left are realizing that police are not up to nor in to the job of protecting us.  Many on the left own guns and more are considering arming themselves. Given the state of affairs it’s not an unreasonable response because we’ve given white supremacists too much freedom for far too long to bully others into fearful silence.

The local paper details the most recent Howell incident here:  White supremacists return to Howell, clash with armed counter-protestors

The city of Howell Michigan has had a problem with white supremacy for a long time.  Some are trying to change that with films about Ann Frank and more recently a documentary about a local former White Supremacist.  Google Michigan KKK Grand Dragon Robert Miles for a deeper dive into the history of Howell and Livingston county.

It’s not just Howell, it also happened on an I-75 overpass the other day, about a dozen Neo Nazis put up flags and signs for oncoming traffic to view.  Only when locals started protesting and gathering did the police show up and monitor the situation.

In recent months members of my family have experienced extremely aggressive and threatening behavior from white adult males. In both cases (different cities) when the police learned who the aggressors were my family members were told by the police, they could do nothing to help.  In one instance, in front of witnesses where my family member had video evidence the police officer stated to a property manager who also was a witness “What do you want me to do about it?”. We are a white middle class family that has never run afoul of the law.  I cannot imagine if this is happening to my family what is happening with people of color and LGBTQ+ people.

The lesson here is the police are probably not going to protect you, especially against aggression from white males, neo-nazi or other wise.  One officer told my family member to get a gun and learn how to use it.  Fortunately we have hunters and members who are already very familiar with firearms, but we never imagined it being a first recourse!

Many gun groups and clubs are growing that support LGBTQ+ (especially trans people) such as Operation Blazing Sword, SRA and the Liberal Gun Owners Club are a few. Liberals with firearms experience are becoming instructors and those with the wherewithal are thinking about opening liberal friendly gun shops and ranges.

I’ll end this diary with what will probably be an extremely unpopular statement and that’s fine; the Democrats cannot afford to push any kind of gun control legislation at this time.

Now is not the time to push for gun legislation.

If you are considering your first firearm find a qualified instructor.  Learn about safe and responsible gun ownership and handling. Gun ranges often have a selection of different guns you can rent and try to help you decide which is best for you.   Most instructors and ranges are on the right, but most will not ask you why you want to learn to use a gun.  Keep it to yourself.  Watch a lot of YouTube videos about safe gun handling, go to the liberalgunowners subreddit and get comfortable with the terminology and community.

Here’s one of the Nazi assholes.

A white supremacist demonstrates across the street from the Historic Howell Theater during a screening of "Face of Hate" on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.

Notice he is carrying a Nazi flag and wearing a Confederate flag.  The flags of two losers.  Do we have to destroy them again?  I’m all for it.