Matt Gay, NFL Player, to Wear Anti-Bullying Cleats

Matt Gay is a professional football player and a kicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This week he will wear antibullying cleats Sunday in the team's match against the Indianapolis Colts.

The sartorial activism is tied to a National Football League campaign, My Cause, My Cleats, in which players, for one game each year, decorate their shoes in a manner that links them to a cause.

Gay's advocacy for antibullying efforts is inspired by his youth in Utah, where he was bullied due to the "gay" association of his last name. “I got bullied and teased all the time for my last name and things like that."

https://www.advocate.com/sports/2019/12/06/nfl-player-matt-gay-harassed-name-will-wear-antibullying-cleats?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sports&fbclid=IwAR1aYr8Twk6QmLD-HML-py49ewi8DVkJZfsOPJz7hqQnF2P64wkdoipDzuM

Megan Rapinoe Urges Male Soccer Players to Get Involved with Racism and Sexism

U.S. women's national team captain Megan Rapinoe has urged male superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to do more to tackle issues such as racism and sexism in modern football.

Rapinoe, 34, was presented the Ballon d'Or award, the female version on Monday after winning the World Cup, Golden Boot, and Golden Ball in July.

Rapinoe challenged Ronaldo, Messi and Ibrahimovic to follow her lead and be more active against problems in the sport.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usaw/story/4005760/megan-rapinoe-calls-on-lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo-to-help-in-fight-for-equality

The DeVos Family is Heavily Invested in the Student Loan Industry

People on the top of our hierarchies who have much more than their share work hard to make sure it stays that way.

Billionaire Education Secretary Betsy DeVos this week proposed handing over the federal government's $1.5 trillion student loan portfolio to a "stand-alone government corporation," a move observers condemned as a corrupt ploy to strip the next president of the ability to cancel student loan debt.

"This very much appears to be a Betsy DeVos scheme to block the next president from unilaterally forgiving federal student debt, which she is well aware a president could do without Congress," The Intercept's Ryan Grim wrote in a series of tweets late Wednesday. "The DeVos family is heavily invested in the student loan industry and this is just flat-out corruption."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/05/flat-out-corruption-devos-accused-scheming-stop-next-president-canceling-student?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3CdkM7gj56n-PvMMWIBmO8MINzrX1gFdL9Kv9aZfCBq-OBTp63y3WSASs

Church Shows Holy Family as Caged Separately

Karen Clark Ristine, a senior minister at the Claremont United Methodist Church, posted on Facebook figures depicting Jesus, Mary and Joseph could be seen placed in cages in the nativity scene. 

Ristine described the Holy Family as “the most well-known refugee family in the world” in the post on Saturday.

“Imagine Joseph and Mary separated at the border and Jesus no older than two taken from his mother and placed behind the fences of a Border Patrol detention center,” she continued, adding: “In the Claremont United Methodist Church nativity scene this Christmas, the Holy Family takes the place of the thousands of nameless families separated at our borders.”

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/473608-california-church-depicts-holy-family-in-cages-as-family?fbclid=IwAR2b-nrr4Vwl9DUV_jdgIau86eJ3pDFYKqsH8MpE-g79Dgg3Sk11G2Q6qRA

Rhodes Scholars from US - Very Diverse Group

The Rhodes Trust has announced the diverse class of American students who will study at the University of Oxford beginning next year as Rhodes Scholars.

 

Collectively, the 32 winners mark the third consecutive year that the majority are minorities, and nearly half are first-generation Americans.

 

"This year's American Rhodes Scholars—independently elected by 16 committees around the country meeting simultaneously—once again reflect the extraordinary diversity that characterizes and strengthens the United States," Elliot F. Gerson, American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust, said in a statement. 

 

At least 21 of the 32 recipients identified as women, the most ever in an American Rhodes class. It's worth a note that the scholarship, which was founded in 1902, wasn't open to women until 1976.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/25/us/rhodes-scholars-us-2020-trnd/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1ISdMBLcR5PMZU5UDxarc7oeBAEo4Z596L8b-tRYag0JPuLqsQQbm0xmc

Girls Win All Five Top Prizes for Middle Schoolers in STEM

In the 2019 Braodcom MASTERS Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars) competition, all of the top five winners were female. 

The five winners were chosen from 30 finalists selected from 2,348 applicants in 47 states by a panel of distinguished scientists, engineers and educators. This year, 60% of the finalists were female—a first for the competition. That's an encouraging sign for the STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field, in which women are still underrepresented.

https://www.upworthy.com/girls-won-all-five-top-prizes-in-national-stem-contest-for-middle-schoolers?fbclid=IwAR1Jnh2u0Zsj6imj-V8o28JHShRLyzWL4NvoeNwbL7ALy6LT-YmXGEWjbTg

Chief Standing Bear Honored in National Statuary Hall

 Nebraska replaces its statue in the National Statuary Hall with a native leader Chief Standing Bear. 

At the dedication ceremony Wednesday, which included Ponca tribal leaders and members of the House and Senate, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said it was an honor to recognize “one of the most important civil rights leaders in our country that almost nobody knows about.

“And we hope to be able to correct that today and tell his story,” Ricketts said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/09/20/civil-rights-leader-almost-nobody-knows-about-gets-statue-us-capitol/?fbclid=IwAR21nbTtzL2z45hpdYsCBNo9dgT1MT1SU9KEOAPJeiNHJmPouRJV3Tl3TOI

Hierarchial God Sends Hierarchical President

Typically, people who profess a deity who supports hierarchies will find people who also support hierarchies to be "Sent from God."

Energy Secretary Rick Perry said in a portion of an interview released by "Fox & Friends" this past weekend that he believes President Trump is the “chosen one.”

"God's used imperfect people all through history. King David wasn't perfect. Saul wasn't perfect. Solomon wasn't perfect,” Perry said in the clip.

“And I actually gave the president a little one-pager on those Old Testament kings about a month ago and I shared it with him,” he continued. “I said, 'Mr. President, I know there are people that say you said you were the chosen one and I said, 'You were.’ "

"I said, 'If you're a believing Christian, you understand God's plan for the people who rule and judge over us on this planet in our government,’ ” he added.

Amazing what hierarchy supporters will do to build and maintain their hierarchies.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/471868-rick-perry-says-trump-is-the-chosen-one?fbclid=IwAR0nvz3i27JsZOqAFywfqzhDbrpfWbsC7P4WA2dkXN0yFUi2Y7js_ZbUZwI

DeVos Gives More Rights to Sexual Assault Attackers

People who want to exert power and control over others are expected to be given more rights to do so by the Department of Education.

Betsy DeVos's The Department of Education is expected to finalize rules changing the process of how schools and universities handle sexual assault claims following the publication of the agency's initial proposal earlier this month.

A plan released earlier this month by the agency would allow accused students the right to cross-examine their accusers at a hearing and narrow what the agency described as “overly broad definitions” of sexual harassment.

The plan represents the Trump administration's replacement for the Obama administration's changes to sexual assault guidance for schools and universities, which DeVos rolled back in 2018.

Critics of the plan say that the changes give too much power to accused students and set up sexual assault victims for confrontations with their attackers at hearings.
 
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/472013-devos-expected-to-give-more-rights-to-those-accused-of-sexual-assault?fbclid=IwAR3yNGKn8fKSlDXm1xFqU85uVWzjn8vXYzmDvmj37ZB8aNKOD2tGoz-zoT0

Colin Kaepernick on Alcatraz Island for UnThanksgiving Day Event

Colin Kaepernick is on Alcatraz Island to join Native Americans protesting the “genocide” they say is represented by Thanksgiving Day.

Indeginous people and supporters occupied the island off the coast of San Francisco between 1969 and 1971. Since then, there has been an annual sunrise gathering to highlight the deadly, destructive impact on indigenous people of the arrival in America of European colonizers more than 400 years ago.

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was seen on video receiving two eagle feathers from a Native American elder before delivering a brief speech at the UnThanksgiving Day event.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kaepernick-unthanksgiving-day-alcatraz-native-american-celebrations-kneeling-nfl-player-a8074596.html?fbclid=IwAR0fBOfZYHxNtEBiJtr3xrzxkcn-0JjVd3Qn_HblfKX31sljrpdvqlkGpKE

American Don't Want Religion in Politics

Religion in this country is built around hierarchies, at least the ones who claim that they can determine what is right for other people, and claim their deity says so.

In hierarchical religions, "man" is not made in the image of God, but God is made in the image of a man on top of a hierarchy.

While Americans largely have a positive view of the role of religion in public life, they overwhelmingly want religious institutions to stay out of politics, a new survey from the Pew Research Center has found.

Sixty-three percent of U.S. adults believe churches and other houses of worship should "keep out" of political matters. When asked if religious institutions should endorse political candidates, 76 percent say no. And a plurality of adults—at 37 percent—believe that religious groups already have "too much" political influence.

https://www.newsweek.com/religion-democrats-republicans-politics-pew-poll-1472207?fbclid=IwAR3PiSLuejKyEVY-UrE6AM0A7ZLQaRmZ9ZCupc2uPoAX0WBLeriA4Gou05M

All-Woman Space Walk Breaks Another Glass Ceiling

NASA is setting another milestone today, with astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir conducting the first all-female spacewalk.

In what the space agency billed "HERstory," the four men aboard the International Space Station remained inside the orbital outpost, as Koch and Meir stepped outside to replace a broken battery charger.

Not quite ready for the historic day, and still depending on more typically male-sized suits, the historic spacewalk has been months in the making. It was originally supposed to happen in March, with astronaut Anne McClain joining Koch. But the station was short one functioning, medium-sized spacewalking suit, the right size for both women. Koch went instead with colleague Nick Hague.


https://www.npr.org/2019/10/18/771224479/2-american-women-astronauts-venture-out-for-first-all-female-spacewalk?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR1uBvzcEobT-cKyUCOeM_lnL_9ixdaP64X5FE3hfiVL-Dd2sFFXq1GSBsU

"Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President"

Are leaders of our hierarchies finally being so blatant in their top-of-the-hierarchy actions that we are as a country going to hold them accountable?

Retired Adm. William McRaven argued in an op-ed Thursday that President Donald Trump  "destroying" the United States, warning that the future of the country is "in peril" if Trump is not removed from office.

In a op-ed for the New York Times, McRaven, former commander of U.S. Special Operations, wrote  "Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President." He argues that Trump is launching "assaults" on U.S. institutions: "on the intelligence and law enforcement community, the State Department and the press."

He speculates that the US military may have trouble finding recruits as young Americans do not trust Trump which may impact trust of future presidents. 

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/466369-former-special-ops-commander-our-republic-is-under-attack-from-the-president?fbclid=IwAR05uMrfwTdTAZ0Jx-3kcwHxExGAEnItBCffXdkJEMoFIYP-S8WQtiGeSbg

Hispanic Women: Future of American Economy

CNN Business reports that Hispanic women are the future of the American economy. An article by Lydia DePillis, states that the share of Latinas starting college right after high school has now surpassed that of the general population.

When Latinas do have children, they are more likely to be single mothers — which means they control all of their household spending, as opposed to just part of it when they're raising kids with a partner.

Hispanic people overall accounted for $1.5 trillion, or 10.4% of total US buying power in 2018, according to the Selig Center at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business. That's a 212% jump from 2000. Over the same time period, the buying power of the broader US population grew at less than half that rate. By 2060 the Census Bureau projects that Hispanic people will make up 30% of the population under age 35. 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/02/economy/equal-pay-day-hispanic-female-wage-gap/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1ow_r6I9sljzRZtgNjAx6gSWgWfXFU-Jw52GM_cT-Y8ITTDKeGcbXcmLo

Republicans Believe the Top of Their HIerarchies Without Question

In a new study by Monmonth University, four in ten Republicans clearly will not accept the truth about Trump's dealings with Ukraine, and that only four of ten Republicans believe that Trump mentioned Biden in his call with Zelensky. Typical of people who will follow whatever the top of their hierarchy tells them to believe, whatever Trump says they believe.

The article goes on to say:

"How can so many Republicans say he didn't? Because Trump has conditioned them to not believe things that are, quite literally, right in front of their faces."

 

"Stick with us, Trump told a group of veterans last July. "Don't believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news. ... What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening."

 

When you consider that the American President actually told people that "what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening," this poll finding doesn't seem so unbelievable. The primary work of Trump's candidacy -- and his presidency -- has been to erode the idea that objective truth exists. This is an administration that said the words "alternative facts" with a straight face. And a President who has misled or lied more than 12.000 times in his tenure in the White House. 

 

Trump and the Republicans have got the privilege of the top down pat.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/02/politics/donald-trump-ukraine-transcript/index.html

Gender Neutral Dolls are Marketed by Mattel

Mattel is releasing what it claims is the world's first gender neutral doll.

The doll can be a boy, a girl, neither or both. The company is hoping its launch on Sept. 25 redefines who gets to play with a toy traditionally deemed taboo for half the world’s kids. 

The product features a series of kids who go by various pronouns—him, her, them, xem—and the slogan “A doll line designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in.” With this overt nod to trans and nonbinary identities, the company is betting on where it thinks the country is going, even if it means alienating a substantial portion of the population.

https://time.com/5684822/mattel-gender-neutral-doll/

Rice University Band Celebrates Pride at Anti-gay Baylor Game

The Village People's "YMCA" was the song played by the The Marching Owl Band of Rice University while waving dozens of Pride flags during the halftime show of a football game against Baylor University, a Baptist school with anti-LGBTQ policies, reports the Houston Chronicle reported. The band members also joined in a formation to spell "Pride" on the field.

After learning Baylor had denied an LGBTQ student group, Gamma Alpha Upsilon (GAY), formal recognition and privileges, including funding and the ability to reserve space for meetings, the band decided to incorporate the display of Pride into it's program.

https://www.advocate.com/youth/2019/9/24/rice-university-band-performed-pride-antigay-rivals-halftime-show?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=youth&fbclid=IwAR15cVn_fHKFniYXcnEh1VU87x2cTght_pBHRN0kIq4uFFauyynCK2xcpfc

Will Hierarchy-Backing Republicans Prevail in 2020?

For decades, the underlying views of the Republican party have centered around keeping hierarchies alive and well, no matter the hierarchy. Whether it be sexual orientation, gender, race, country of origin, cis-or-trans gendered, religion, doesn't matter. Republicans are on the side of keeping the hierarchy strong. Consistently.

If the elections are fair, and Republicans don't succeed in ousting our fair election process even further, which is a big if considering the incredible ways they have invented to circumvent fair elections, Trump as the top of the Republican ticket in 2020 as of now has a way to go to get into office again.

A new national poll finds that former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, California Sen. Kamala Harris and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg all lead Donald Trump by significant margins in potential 2020 matchups. Biden is ahead of Trump by the most (16 points, 54% to 38%), while Buttigeg is up by the least (9 points, 49% to 40%).

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/31/politics/trump-democrat-matchups-analysis/index.html

Keeping Hierarchical Control in Texas

Today, as series of gun laws in Texas will loosen gun restrictions. Texas has had four of the ten deadliest shootings in modern US history.

The mostly white male gun supporters, who are losing their absolute position on top of our nation's hierarchies, are intent on using violence or the threat of violence to keep their position. Worked with slaves and domestic violence against women, as well as killing off American Indians, and murdering members of the LGBTQ community.

Violence has always been a key control tactic for hierarchies. 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/01/us/texas-new-gun-laws-trnd/index.html

Apparently Straight Pride Parade Was Mostly Men with Trump Themes

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex  (D-N.Y.) on Saturday called out participants in Boston's "Straight Pride Parade," suggested the gathering should have been called the "I-Struggle-With-Masculinity" parade.

"For men who are allegedly so 'proud' of being straight, they seem to show real incompetence at attracting women to their event," Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet accompanied by a video showing marchers. "Seems more like a 'I-Struggle-With-Masculinity' parade to me."

The video Ocasio-Cortez linked to showed mostly men walking along the street waving American flags and holding signs that said "Make normalcy normal again." Other signs and floats expressed many messages that echoed Donald Trump's  rhetoric. One float carried signs that read "Drain the swamp," "Secure America's borders" and "Trump 2020."

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) denounced the parade on Twitter., asking the people of Boston to ,  "continue to turn our backs on hatred."

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/459554-ocasio-cortez-mocks-boston-straight-pride-parade-as-a-i-struggle-with

Texas Republican: No Need for Gun Laws, Pray for Protection Instead

If you support free reign gun access, it is terrific if you can devise a deity who supports you. After all, with hierarchical religions, Man is not made in the image of God, but God is made in the image of a man on top of a hierarchy.

Republican Matt Schaefer, a Texas Republican state representative, posted on Facebook Saturday that he opposes stricter gun laws and that people should instead be "praying for protection." Being a Republican, most likely he sees his deity as one who supports hierarchies.

With his God on his side, does he think that only people who Republicans support will be spared?

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/01/politics/texas-state-rep-praying-for-protection-shooting/index.html

Last Supper Modified to Reflect Trump as "Chosen One"

The New York Daily News has created a rendition of Leonardo da Vinci's depiction of the biblical story of The Last Supper, includingTrump's retinue of Vice President Mike Pence, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos., First lady Melania Trump and two of Trump’s closest White House advisers ― his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.

Pictured are hamburgers and soda cup on the table. 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-york-daily-news-donald-trump-king-of-israel_n_5d5e355be4b0b59d256f61e8?utm_campaign=hp_fb_pages&utm_source=main_fb&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063&utm_medium=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0DGTlsjQekPMEQr-fKslzqro11vy7Jmss-6SmWFF_0Q-iElRnXzMrEnio

Portland, Oregon Farm Created Rosy the Riveter Corn Maize to Promote Gender Equality.

A Portland, Oregon farm has created a Rosy the Riveter Corn Maize to Promote Gender Equality, as a special dedication to the Women's World Cup Soccer Team.

The Sauvie Island farmers at Bella Organic farm, pumpkin patch, and winery are using corn to promote gender equality.

"We have felt strongly about this for a long time but it can put you in a vulnerable position to take a stance on a social issue, partly because there are always some people who are mean and sometimes even scary if they don't agree with you," marketing director Sofia Kondilis says. "So it took us a while to decide but we decided it was too important to not do it."

https://www.wweek.com/sports/2019/08/25/a-portland-farm-created-a-rosie-the-riveter-corn-maze-this-year-to-promote-gender-equality/?fbclid=IwAR307wkshQI5zUW7MSCGWNvLRmi0wamqA3Uxa2eu4peehO_yXIhyxxJvhXs

Keep US On Top of World Hierarchy, No Matter What: Republicans and Greenland

Republicans are so keen on keeping our hierarchies alive, that they will even support Trump's idea to buy Greenland. And they think the United States should be on top of a world hierarchy, and the interests of our country should Trump everyone else's self interests.

Republican Senator from Arkansas, Tom Cotton, stated that "The acquisition of Greenland would secure vital strategic interests for the United States, economically benefit both us and Greenlanders, and would be in keeping with American — and Danish — diplomatic traditions," the lawmaker wrote in The New York Times.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/458832-gop-senator-defends-trump-idea-to-buy-greenland?fbclid=IwAR1FsY95MYM0g_xbWC5TaXxSvgqsx4r8xV3WijMBDISyDGgFQcZw4syecag

Trump: Rich People Make Better Americans

The Trump administration has unveiled new rules that could deny visas and permanent residency to hundreds of thousands of people for being too poor. Supporting the wealth hierarchy, other attributes don't count.

This new rule was introduced by the notorious Stephen Miller, the Trump administration’s lead on immigration policy.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-immigration-green-card-visa-us-poor-residency-a9054551.html?fbclid=IwAR2ONseoAMZRcMGliyPJOgIeThhOdrDguDGgCykQP20Oz0NDDGJrP9wdh1c

Biden: "Poor Kids are Just as Talented as White Kids"

Does Joe Biden believe that white kids are high enough on our country's hierarchies that they aren't poor? He stated that, "We have this notion that somehow if you’re poor you cannot do it. Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids."

Yes, he later corrected his statement, but gosh, how did he come up with the original statement in the first place? 

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/456813-biden-in-iowa-poor-kids-are-just-as-talented-as-white-kids?fbclid=IwAR0_zpNFlQrFq_DtLVRZXYVXHSBQdHiGPWuh32bDPUv_YSEXViMtkXRfW4g

Trump Uses Language to Push People Down the Hierarchy

USA Today states that Trump has used words like "Invasion. Aliens. Killers. Criminals." over 500 times in his rallies, attempting to push people whom he misrepresents down our hierarchies.

An analysis of the 64 rallies Trump has held since 2017 found that, when discussing immigration, the president has said “invasion” at least 19 times. He has used the word “animal” 34 times and the word “killer” nearly three dozen times.

Together, Trump has used the words "predator," "invasion," "alien," "killer," "criminal" and "animal" at his rallies while discussing immigration more than 500 times. More than half of those utterances came in the two months prior to the 2018 midterm election, underscoring that Trump views immigration as a central issue for his core supporters. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/08/08/trump-immigrants-rhetoric-criticized-el-paso-dayton-shootings/1936742001/?tangent&fbclid=IwAR2z9FvkydOno3-hZhyVMzlxpr1EC02m6EjybKri9vO08_pmTyNO-gq0zQs

CEO - Better Chance for a Jeffrey or Michael than a Woman

Want to become a CEO of a major company? Your chances are greater if you are named Jeffrey or Michael than if you are a woman. 

Two Jeffries and two Michaels became CEO's in America's top 250 corporations; only one single woman did. These findings were reported by Fortune, citing the "New CEO Report" for 2018 by Feign Advisors. 

Our gender hierarchy is still running strong.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/female-ceos-jeffreys-fortune_n_5d194e34e4b03d61163dab5f?guccounter=1

Peak White Male Privilege - Trump and Johnson

Emily Peck asks in her HuffPost article, "Is there no limit to what rich white guys can get away with?"

Donald Trump and Boris Johnson certainly give us a bird's eye view to the privilege that people on the top of our hierarchies have, and also have the ability to exploit.

"We’ve known for a long time that men — especially rich white men — are held to different standards than everyone else, but never has the difference been so nakedly clear."

"Could you imagine a woman or man of color getting away with any of that?" Of course not, they  never could. 

"Johnson and Trump are extreme examples of what male privilege lets guys get away with," said Jennifer Lawless, a politics professor at the University of Virginia.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-boris-johnson-male-privilege_n_5d39ff8ee4b0419fd339f939?fbclid=IwAR23l3VUq8c42NKDuXKyT3Xbd
Utsx23Rx3raLK8UqrzQIjjNXeMK9kuFhck

Trump-Supporting Miss Michigan Loses Crown

Miss Michigan 2019 Kathy Zhu, a Trump supporter, was not allowed to compete in further pagents for “offensive, insensitive and inappropriate” social media posts.

Zhu, 20, tweeted Thursday what appeared to be a screenshot of an email she received from Miss World America officials, who told her she was dismissed from being a pageant participant.

“So you're telling me that it's now just a fashion accessory and not a religious thing?” she tweeted, according to the Detroit Free Press. “Or are you just trying to get women used to being oppressed under Islam?”

In a second incident, the Free Press reports, Zhu replied to a Twitter user in a comment saying: “Did you know the majority of black deaths are caused by other blacks? Fix problems within your own community before blaming others.”

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/453961-miss-michigan-winner-stripped-of-title-over-offensive-posts

Virginia Democrats, If Trump Comes, We Aren't

Trump has supported, not supported, and then again supported his followers in their "Send Her Back" chant. As the Hierarchy-Leader-In-Chief, he knows that supporting the hierarchy is the highest priority.

Virginia Democrats are taking this in consideration when refusing to attend a celebration of the 400th anniversary of representative government at Jamestown.

"We will not be attending any part of the commemorative session where Donald Trump is in attendance. The current President does not represent the values that we would celebrate at the 400th anniversary of the oldest democratic body in the western world,” the Democrats said.

“We offer just three words of advice to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation: ‘Send Him Back,’” added the statement from Virginia Senate Democratic Leader Dick Saslaw and Caucus Chair Mamie Locke along with House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn and Caucus Chair Charniele Herring.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/454000-virginia-democrats-vow-to-boycott-event-if-trump-attends-invoke-send-her

Racist Republicans Like Trump More After Attacks

As an indication of just how hierarchical the Republican Party has become, here are the results of poll showing that Republicans support Trump in his racism.

"A new poll indicates why GOP members are reluctant to chastise the president. Although a USA Today/Ipsos poll found that a majority of people, 68 percent, saw Trump’s tweets as offensive, there was a stark partisan divide: 93 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of independents found the tweet offensive, while only 37 percent of Republicans did, according to the poll, which was released on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 57 percent of Republicans said they agreed with Trump’s tweets, while only 7 percent of Democrats agreed.

"Only 45 percent of Republicans found telling minorities to “go back where they came from” to be a racist statement, which starkly contrasts with the 85 percent of Democrats who think that way."

Republicans are obviously very, very Clueless at the Top of their hierarchies.

https://www.vox.com/2019/7/17/20697721/trump-racist-tweet-polling

Republicans - Their Leader Can't Possibly Be Racist

Nicholas Kristoff does a great job of pointing out that people who place themselves on top of hierarchies are terrific at passing on any responsibility to the people who are calling out the hierarchy.

"But the question put to Congress this week was a resolution properly condemning the presidential tirade. It was grotesque to see Republicans who had been mute at presidential bigotry suddenly protest that the backers of the resolution violated rules of decorum.

"Really? We’re left again with the question: How can members of the party of Lincoln today protest the label of racism, but not the racism itself — in a man who for 45 years has shown himself to be a racist from his mandible to his metatarsals?"

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/opinion/donald-trump-racist.html

This Pink-Haired Lesbian is My Hero

"Under stern social rules, women are constantly criticized for not presenting as “proper,” formal, or gentle enough. We are pigeonholed into traditional household, “caretaker” roles, or seen as rude and mean when we disapprove of something. We are afraid to make mistakes, and we are groomed to fear what other people will think of us if we do.

"Rapinoe gives me hope that more women, including myself, will worry less about others’ opinions and worry more that topics often treated like taboos in mainstream platforms — such as the LGBTQ+ community, sexism, and political opposition — are addressed head-on.

"She is exactly the person we need to show how women can defy the systems limiting us and inspire other women to be fearless in expressing our opinions."

 -Carmina Hachenburg, Philadephia Inquirer

https://www.inquirer.com/news/megan-rapinoe-soccer-women-world-cup-equal-pay-gender-gap-20190717.html

My God, Rapinoe's Attitude Felt Good

"Feminism is not, we know, about women simply aping men’s bad behaviour, but there was a context for Rapinoe’s 'rudeness'. It was a correction to every shuffling, downward-looking, unequal-pay-earning posture adopted by women through the ages. Certainly, a woman who is not only a lesbian but is openly so, unapologetically strutting about in the limelight, had an almost medicinal effect on a culture traumatised by the bigot in Washington. Not even Trump could get away with calling this woman a loser."

"Rapinoe’s detractors on Twitter called her attitude monstrous, a piece of egotism that took away from the team. For many women watching, however, her intent was clear. Rapinoe’s win and her subsequent attitude to winning was, in fact, purely one for the team. My God, it felt good."

– Emma Brockes, The Guardian columnist

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/12/megan-rapinoe-us-football-women-trump

Hierarchy in Sports - West Virginia Suggests No Money for Men's World Cup Until Equality

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia introduced a bill Tuesday that would order the federal government to stop providing funding for the 2026 Men's FIFA World Cup until the United States Soccer Federation agrees to equal pay for its men's and women's national teams.
 
"No federal funds may be appropriated or otherwise made available to provide support for the 2026 World Cup, including support for a host city, a participating State or local agency, the United States Soccer Federation, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), or the Federation de Football Association (FIFA), until the date on which the United States Soccer Federation agrees to provide equitable pay," the bill reads.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states/story/3897533/senator-no-equal-payno-public-26-wc-funds

Brandi Chastain - Statue Honoring 1999 World Cup Team

A statue of Brandi Chastain in celebration of her 1999 World Cup penalty kick was revealed today in Pasadena, California, complete with her very famous sports bra out for all to see after she ripped off her jersey.

The cause of controversy, her sports bra out for all to see started a movement of women who were proud to be fit, and proud to dress in ways that included not hiding their fitness.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brandi-chastain-statue-rose-bowl-pasadena-california-commemorates-1999-womens-world-cup-team/

Smithsonian: Gay/Straight Alliances at Schools Reduce Suicide Rates for All

Friendships between gay and straight students benefits everyone, according to a study from the University of British Columbia.

In Canadian schools with gay-straight alliances, students were less likely to be discriminated against, had lower odds of suicidal thoughts and had fewer suicide attempts—regardless of whether they were gay or straight.

“We know that LGBTQ students are at higher risk for suicide, in part because they are more often targeted for bullying and discrimination,” Elizabeth Saewyc, lead author of the study and professor with the UBC School of Nursing. “But heterosexual students can also be the target of homophobic bullying. When policies and supportive programs like GSAs are in place long enough to change the environment of the school, it’s better for students’ mental health, no matter what their orientation.”

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/simply-having-gay-straight-alliance-reduces-suicide-risk-all-students-180949462/?fbclid=IwAR3ZxkP5yuV2fHA4AEUWscjPZflQIF8ol6tTSKS_XS6_f8syFOLRfnD5nPM

ABA President Carlson Condemns Child Detention Centers

The American Bar Association (ABA) has joined a growing list of organizations condemning  conditions at detention centers holding immigrant children, calling them violation of law and "common decency."

"The American Bar Association is appalled by credible reports of hundreds of children being held in unsafe and unhealthy conditions in violation of federal and state law, court settlements and common decency," ABA president Bob Carlson said in a statement issued two days ago. Carlson said that the conditions directly violate the law that requires children be released to Health and Human Services within 72 hours.

https://thehill.com/latino/450308-american-bar-association-condemns-conditions-at-migrant-child-detention-centers-as-a?fbclid=IwAR1OCS7m9WEIMiUHTRn9a9cz1L6MDh1_Te6MwWgHFNfg5iY_4R5z-uJc1zI

NIH Director Will No Longer Participate in All-Male Panels

The director of the National Institutes of Health will no longer participate in all-male panels,
Francis Collins said  "it is time to end the tradition in science of all-male speaking panels."

A report by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine identified a key role for scientific leaders to play in combating gender harassment and disparities in women's visibility in science.

"Too often, women and members of other groups underrepresented in science are conspicuously missing in the marquee speaking slots at scientific meetings and other high-level conferences," Collins said in a statement.

"Starting now, when I consider speaking invitations, I will expect a level playing field, where scientists of all backgrounds are evaluated fairly for speaking opportunities. If that attention to inclusiveness is not evident in the agenda, I will decline to take part."
Collins challenged other scientific leaders to take a similar pledge.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/448152-nih-director-will-no-longer-participate-in-all-male-panels?fbclid=IwAR2dvtqyxMeWVaZ8DwuxnZUrd7W0u678OqW6iNt5ASgm_m-Kh8eTUnQeE2c

NASA Names Street in Front of Washington D.C. Headquarters - "Hidden Figures Way"

NASA honored the women of "Hidden Figures" this week by renaming the street in front the space agency's Washington headquarters Hidden Figures Way! The "Hidden Figures" book and film tells the story of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan, three members of NASA's "human computers," a group of female mathematicians who provided the reams of hand calculations that NASA needed to design satellites and spacecraft and plan launches before the computer age.

The new street name was unveiled at a dedication ceremony attended by the families of Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson, as well as Margot Lee Shetterly, the author whose book "Hidden Figures" brought the stories of these pioneering African American mathematicians to light.

Michigan Flies Pride Flag for First Time

Even though Republicans and their leader Trump are trying hard to deny and denounce Pride in LGBTQ citizens, Michigan has flown Pride flags outside the George W. Romney building, the main office of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), for the first time in history.


https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/448754-pride-flags-fly-outside-michigan-state-build-in-historic-first?fbclid=IwAR2a6LhVntNxo8E7PyDZX0N8WEYp5HxeIbeiUjwBOmwB34geg7Mxf_Oeb7A

Hold Gun Industry Accountable for Their Products

Talking about holding a group accountable who has been shielded by the top of the hierarchy - white men building hierarchies using guns!!

House and Senate Democrats introduced legislation this week they say will allow victims of gun violence to sue gun manufacturers.
 
The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act aims to repeal federal protections blocking firearm and ammunition manufacturers, dealers and trade groups from most civil lawsuits when a firearm is used unlawfully or in a crime.

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/11/731650947/democrats-introduce-bill-allowing-shooting-victims-to-sue-gun-industry?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3cFFs_MxJOy1km8kAhnWamm_PdtZ_bKQ1cTE98sdP2EFDkZumpDkZY0F8

Domestic Violence – Most Common Killer of Women Around World

As men try to keep their position on top of the gender hierarchy by dominating women, the United Nations has revealed that 87,000 women were murdered last year, and over half were killed by intimate partners or family members.

The most dangerous place for women is in their homes. Every hour, six women are killed by someone they know. 82 percent of intimate partner homicide victims are women.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/domestic-violence-most-common-killer-of-women-united-nations_n_5bfbf61ee4b0eb6d931142ac?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000050&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9sbS5mYWNlYm9vay5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANjO0mOQUdVSO41_zWNs8YBR7MeiGpQQov2_p2XvUp5hr2SuoIYjGNGVtAgh3cGN1nhJE7nqXomh_pUOOcG73_Bz8AfCocUKI7zsdM2FrncqmTRcUBYOZIwAqSrQ04tnt-hD_AXy19m-_nhsWIHmb_m4DV8-3roTYjzr1UVHogFA&fbclid=IwAR3_hPeB1Y4Be9_1z4TjNdPfHfTmMBhw87g6n74rk5yWnI-RrbfaAzrrBhw&guccounter=2

Harriet Tubman $20 Bill – How Does the Trump Adminstration Keep Coming Up With the Ridiculous

Racist and slave owner Andrew Jackson is obviously the preferred American for the Trump Administration.

Harriet Tubman — former slave, abolitionist, “conductor” on the Underground Railroad — will not become the face of the $20 bill until after President Trump leaves office, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said yesterday.

Ms. Tubman will be shelved until at least 2026, and if out then, the bill will not be in circulation until 2028.

It is amazing how many ways the Trump administration can find to try to further its agenda of building hierarchies with their white, hierarchy-building, able-bodied, Christian, cis-gendered, heterosexual, U.S.-born men (WHACCHUM) on top.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/us/harriet-tubman-bill.html

Alabama Denies Children's Cartoon "Arthur" as the State Supports Many Hierarchies

Alabama Public Television has decided it won't show an episode of the children's show "Arthur" because is features a same-sex marriage.

Premiering on May 13 in the 22nd season of the show, "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone" will not be shown because programming director Mike McKenzie say that parents might find it inappropriate, because their children are too young, or because of other beliefs.

Are children too young to see another option of marriage between adults, that of heterosexual marriage? What about the beliefs of families and children who support or are a part of a same-sex marriage?

But when you put yourself on top of a hierarchy, this one the sexual orientation hierarchy, no one matters to you but heterosexual people like you.

There is a link to the show available for viewing.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/21/us/arthur-alabama-public-television-trnd/index.html?utm_medium=social&utm_content=2019-05-21T17%3A06%3A07&utm_source=fbCNN&utm_term=link&fbclid=IwAR00dKDTCczWS7c4_W9Wdr3QCGdHOtAMBF063DfjWiTqcjl5gxnm2xFzGss

Right-wing Muslim Hater Voted Out of Australian Parliament

In Australia, some people who insist on staying on top of our hierarchies are being held accountable.

Following the New Zealand mosque shootings, a right-wing Australian senator who said Muslims were the "real cause of bloodshed" has failed to keep his seat in the country's latest elections.

Queensland's Fraser Anning has been voted out of his Senate seat in the Parliament of Australia. Shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand left 51 dead.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/444465-australian-lawmaker-who-blamed-muslims-after-new-zealand-mosque?fbclid=IwAR1Cz-RNcasGe9Q091nWZ1PUqowUeNPHBIDWrKIzkDJPU6c26q8nN0FVRbA

Leslie Jones - Great Commentary on Alabama Abortion Law

When women have a choice, women have freedom. Watch Leslie Jones on SNL!! It's Great!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tMhwbN84gU&feature=share

Men Exploit Women All Over the World in Sex Trade

Why is it men who exploit women in the sale and force of sex? Why do women not do the same to men? When are men going to stop insisting that their top-of-the-hierarchy privilege that they have assumed to be theirs for so long allows them to think that women are born to be at their service?

North Korean women and girls are being trafficked and sold into the sex trade in China, similar to other parts of the world. They are forced to endure systemic rape, sexual slavery and cybersex trafficking.

"The profoundly patriarchal society means many women are ashamed of the abuse they experience and feel unable to demand accountability - deciding not to speak out because of feeble law enforcement and support services."

In other words, men are allowed to do anything they want to women.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-korea-china-sex-trade-rape-slavery-abuse-trafficking-a8921481.html

High Leveled Female Athletes: Kiss of Death from Sports Structure for Being Pregnant

In an opinion piece by world-class athlete Alysia Montano, we learn that female athletes who are pregnant often lose their endorsements and health insurance, while of course male athletes can have children and not skip a step in earnings or health insurance.

In yet another example of how women are penalized for having children, Nike is mentioned among others who claim to support female athletes, and have been known for touting mothers, they do not support women who are in the process of having children. The United States Olympic Committee and USA Track and Field can spot their health insurance support if women become pregnant.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/12/opinion/nike-maternity-leave.html

25 White Men Decide on Alabama Abortion Law - Typical of the Top

People on top of hierarchies insist that they have the right to make rules for everyone else.

Such is the case with Alabama, where 25 white men have passed the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, even giving rapists more rights than the women they impregnate.

Typical top of the hierarchy, they think they have the right to rule over the lives of everyone else.

When women obtain the majorities in legislatures, wouldn't it be fun to pass laws about men's bodies, and they won't have a say at all.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/15/alabama-abortion-law-american-views-abortion-poll-pro-life-pro-choice-republicans-catholic-heartbeat/3678315002/

Trump to Speak to National Anti-Gay Organization

Donald Trump is again making his homophobic views known loud and clear.

The US president will become the first sitting president to address social conservative activists and elected officials at the Value Voters Summit in Washington DC on Friday.

He is apparently hoping that people who see themselves on the top of a major hierarchy will vote his way whenever he climbs on top and promotes people on top of any hierarchy. He hopes they will all stick together.

 
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-anti-lgbt-address-hate-group-summit-meeting-first-president-us-homphobia-a7997401.html?fbclid=IwAR1QIBjUv7klaPFU_aTxoVRNi1itIh8GymxfYWMPgsiCNq8HQYZTqsjojKg

Organized Religion Affiliation Dropping

In our country, many times the phrase "man is made in the image of God" is not the truth. In reality, "God is made in the image of a man on top of a hierarchy." As hierarchies are declining in the United States, so are the desire of people who have to commit to hierarchical views of religion.

With supporters of Donald Trump claiming to have the corner on God's views, it is no wonder that so many people are turned off by what they view as the hypocrisy of so many religious institutions.

According to a new Gallup poll, only 50 percent of Americans said they belong to a church, synagogue, or mosque, which is an all-time low. Between 1937 and 1976, the average was 70 percent or higher, was 68 percent in the 1970's through the 1990's. Since 1999, the drop-off has seen a 20-point decline.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/439478-us-church-membership-hits-all-time-low?fbclid=IwAR1iCzoFKRpwtGEg-wHYRGyM-v51Yj24hO04axfKxs_muTpcbVd3gNGD_8g

Animals Bring So Much To Our World

A police dog, Raider, was present in the courtroom when the children of David and Louise Turpin described their lives in their home in Perris, California. The yellow Labrador is a facility dog with the Corona Police Department. Unlike other police dogs, he is highly trained to provide companionship without being a disruption in a work environment.

Humans have had a history of putting ourselves on top of a hierarchy of creatures on earth, and greatly pushing others far down. As we value what others can offer, new opportunities arise for everyone.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/19/us/turpin-children-court-emotional-support-dog/index.html

Trump Ordered Braile Removed Because No Blind Person Would Ever Live in Trump Tower

It is not just the race, gender, religious, immigration hierarchies that Trump promotes, but also the able/disabled hierarchy.

“Get rid of the [expletive] braille. No blind people are going to live in Trump Tower,” Trump shouted, according to Barbara Res who led the construction of Trump Tower. “Just do it.” as he demanded the architect remove the braille from the elevator.

“Trump is really not all that different now, but the stakes are higher,” Res wrote. “The ‘just do its’ are getting done. And they are not directed at carpenters and painters or fan magazines. Now they’re about alienating allies, cozying up to dictators and employing dangerous nonsensical economic tactics.”

https://thatoregonlife.com/2018/05/pilot-butte-drive-in/?fbclid=IwAR3N7KTQjfWR-kN03gNgwg0Hm02NqKEhhuWiYz_V6MynNmNciCjLrsOVhLk

Yo Yo Ma Plays at the US - Mexico Border

As part of an event to celebrate the relationship between the two border cities: Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Yo Yo Ma played his cello in a park near the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, one of the bridges that connect the United States and Mexico.

"As you all know, as you did and do and will do, in culture, we build bridges, not walls," Ma said today. I've lived my life at the borders. Between cultures. Between disciplines. Between musics. Between generations."

Here's to his efforts to recognize that hierarchies can't survive when we honor diversity in our nation and abroad. 

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/438788-cellist-yo-yo-ma-plays-bach-along-the-us-mexico-border?fbclid=IwAR00EMpJxZ0W2ckQtYgTmdPwqKuhddRGh_euEqwf5zxQixqqQupFIrSeyAE

Morehouse College To Accept Trans Men

Beginning in 2020, Morehouse College, a historically black all-men's school in Atlanta, will begin admitting transgender students who identify as men.

Spelman College, a private historically black all-women's school also in Atlanta, in 2017, adopted a similar policy.

While people who support hierarchies are working hard to put up barriers to transgendered persons, we see progress in spite of them.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/13/us/morehouse-college-transgender-policy/index.html

Trump Rally Locations Spark Hate Crimes

Scholars from the University of North Texas have reported that “counties that had hosted a 2016 Trump campaign rally saw a 226 percent increase in reported hate crimes over comparable counties that did not host such a rally.

Though stopping short of claiming causation, the researchers acknowledge “The Trump Effect” in public schools, in which young people mimic Trump’s abusive words and actions against their peers.

When asked whether he thought he should tone down his language, Trump responded, “I think my language is very nice.”  His policies have mostly targeted the poor, undocumented immigrants, trans people and people of color.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/03/hate-crimes-risen-226-areas-trump-held-rallies/?fbclid=IwAR0PP_nIPrKG5qYMtPklZ90p8tHE5jn4VZSz_rzVjfopgUFSEk9CzotSsb4

A New Kind of Leadership

"I've never seen such leadership," Oprah Winfrey said during a speech at the Women in the World summit in New York City, according to The New Zealand Herald. "The prime minister is a woman who has such courage in her convictions and has set a global standard for leadership with her response."

"Fifty murders could have brought even more destruction but instead led to a portrait of the Prime Minister displayed across Dubai's tallest building with the word 'peace' shining above it,” she continued.

As long as strong hierarchy supporters run the United States, we will not be able to challenge the leadership by white men who want to have guns most everywhere in our society. White men (we mostly see white, heterosexual, able-bodied, native-born, cis-gendered men at the gun shows) are very used to controlling how and where they desire, and guns appear to be a big part of their scheme. 

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/438525-oprah-praises-new-zealand-prime-minister-for-response-to?fbclid=IwAR33oViK9rtQbkU3qBTEkNimDkP2Mje17RV28wxPHPtJ9YJiMK4KQEdVXuE

Leadership Claims of the Top

So often we allow those at the top to claim to have positive attributes that they do not possess, and let them get away with it. Those who want to support the hierarchy ignore or turn their heads when discrepancies are pointed out, rationalize them away, and blindly follow their programming to follow the top.

Just imagine an African American woman or a Muslim getting away with making these statements and actions.