The effect of her red meat

In 2018 the residents of Florida voted to permit felons to vote once they had served their sentence. This, of course, didn’t please the GOP in control of the legislature. They passed a law that says all fines, fees, and court costs must be repaid before voting rights will be restored.

Hunter of Daily Kos reported federal judge Robert Hinkle struck down the law.

Hinkle based much of the ruling on the “staggering inability” of the Florida government to administer their own requirements, noting in blistering language that due to inadequate records it had proved impossible for both the state and outside researchers to even identify the precise amounts most of the plaintiffs and other state felons were supposed to pay before their voting rights were restored; it also could not identify which penalties were assessed for felonies, for misdemeanors, or in absence of a guilty verdict at all.

In summary: Released felon: “How much do I owe?” State: “Um, we can’t figure it out.”

Hinkle also ruled if the state could figure it out it would be an unconstitutional poll tax.



A few days ago I had pondered when conservatives and the GOP started heading down the road that gave us the nasty guy who delights in seeing American citizens die from a virus. David Neiwert doesn’t talk of the starting point, but does discuss an important step along the way.

He was prompted by Meghan McCain, part of the never-Trump wing of the GOP, who said don’t like Trump? Blame Obama. Neiwert reminded her (and us) that the important step I mentioned was her father John choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008. Palin was tied with right extremists and brought the red meat to the campaign. She also made the word-salad famous, a style the nasty guy also tends to use. Though Palin lost others in the GOP noticed the effect her red meat had on voters.



Matthew Sittman of The New Republic discussed RR Reno, editor of First Things, (and quoted in Kos). Reno said that masks are cowardly. “It’s a regime dominate by fear of infection and fear of causing of infection. Both are species of cowardice.”

That is the kind of strange thinking we’re up against. We wear masks not out of cowardice, but out of love. We don’t want the other person to get infected and perhaps die.



In another post Hunter reported that cell phone location data shows that many protesters against stay at home orders drove a long way, sometimes across state lines, to attend those protests. Which is a great way to spread the virus.



Ida Bae Wells of the 1619 project tweeted:

Really unbelievable that as we approach 100,000 deaths *with* social distancing measures and shutdowns, now millions of Americans are deciding that they’re tired of the pandemic so more deaths is a sacrifice they are willing to make. This is American exceptionalism as death cult.

Tevye of the Kos community recently discovered a story from last Thanksgiving and wanted to highlight and praise people were didn’t get enough attention the first time around.

Daniel van Amstel was in the process of being adopted by a gay couple. So when the substitute teacher of his fifth grade class were asked what he was most thankful for it was obvious – getting his forever family of two dads.

The teacher didn’t like that answer and berated Daniel. Three of Daniel’s classmates, Sophie, Demi, and a third girl not named, stepped in as much as they could. Sophie kept trying to engage the teacher to deflect what was being directed at Daniel. Demi and the other girl headed to the principal’s office, in spite of threats from the teacher. The principal acted quickly and school security ushered the teacher out, with a clear statement she would never work in that school or district again.

One could forgive Daniel for remaining silent during his ordeal. He didn’t want to jeopardize his adoption. A big thank you to the girls for a demonstration of advocacy and solidarity.



What to do if you have a baby to be baptized in this time of personal distancing? Priests with water pistols!