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Mar 24, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

The mental and emotional cost of hearing trump’s name every hour all day long in the news is enough to break many of us. Stay strong Robert. We need your cheerful, positivity.

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I just want to share this. Meet Grace Linn. Be Grace Linn. https://twitter.com/NikkiFried/status/1638901417992765441?s=20

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As you might expect, your reporting of the new "laws" in Florida and Georgia make my blood boil, and my heart break. Mostly I'm so incredibly angry, but also very concerned for those most affected on those states. It's unconscionable. Every single election, including those coming up in Wisconsin, are a chance for us to send a message! Grrrrrr!

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Please let us refrain from promoting the Republican fiction that they support “biblical” marriage, explaining their opposition to marriage equality as due to it not being “biblical” and therefore against the will of God.

Support for same-sex marriage is rapidly growing across the country. Republicans are pretty much split 50/50 on the issue which has the support of over 80% of Democrats. Majorities of most religious groups also support it with evangelical Protestants and Latter-day Saints lagging. But it doesn’t matter what the majority thinks or wants if your opinion comes directly from God, does it?

Here’s how it works in reality. A person harbors their personal sense of morality. They then project that onto their image of God and mentally reverse the transaction claiming that their own idea is divine.

Here is a sampling of what the Bible actually says about marriage.

Marriage shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women. (Gen 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5.)

Marriage shall not impede a man’s right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed. (Deut 22:13-21)

Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden. (Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Ezra 9:12; Neh 10:30)

Since marriage is for life, neither the Constitution nor any state law of shall permit divorce. (Deut 22:19; Mark 10:9-12)

If a married man dies without children, his brother must marry the widow. If the brother refuses to marry the widow, or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law. (Gen 38:6-10; Deut 25:5-10)

In lieu of marriage (if there are no acceptable men to be found), woman shall get her father drunk and have sex with him. (Gen 19:31-36)

Of course, none of the self-righteous Republicans who will provide no other reason for opposing same-sex marriage other than its supposed biblical endorsement supports any of these scriptural examples.

A “bigot” is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices claiming them as absolute truth, especially one who exhibits intolerance and animosity toward members of a group. Bigotry may be directed towards those of a differing sex or sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, nationality, region, language, religious or spiritual belief, political alignment, age, economic status or medical disability.

Legend has it that the first Duke of Normandy refused to kiss the foot of the French king Charles III, uttering the phrase bi got, borrowing the Old English equivalent of our expression by God. Bigot was used by the French for the Beguines, members of a Roman Catholic lay sisterhood. Frome the 15th century on Old French bigot meant “an excessively devoted or hypocritical person.” Bigot is first recorded in English in 1598 meaning “a superstitious hypocrite.”

If you deny this to some of your fellow citizens, and provide no justification other than self-righteous hypocrisy, there is a word for you.

Basically, Republicans support strong protections for bigots. But we must not echo their claims of biblical authority. Their bigotry is their own and we must make them own it.

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As a Swedish citizen I take for granted American agencies are able to access all information about me that American companies are collecting, without any legal protection whatsoever. Since I am gradually learning that there is no justice in the US, this is as frightening as with China, in the new world of big corporations.

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excellent post. Three observations:

1. Fuddy Duddy oldster I may be, but apart from its security implications, banning Tik Tok is something that will benefit one of the failings with current American culture. It is wildly popular with pre-teens and teens. They spend HOURS on it. And from observations of my own grandchildren, and those of friends with that age children and grandchildren, it has taken the place for many bright kids of plain old reading. This in families where the parents read themselves a lot. That effect in itself is not a valid reason for banning, but I can't help but think the extra time those kids will now have could turn some back to the satisfying and whetting of curiosity of y'know, books. (I know there are a lot of other factors lessening the interest in reading, but having at least one go away would help.) A ban, however, might well lead to divestment of the Chinese ownership of the platform.

2. I may be wrong, but I understand that the actual statute for Don't Say Gay specifies grades 1-3. If that is so, how is Florida getting away by extending that by regulation alone? The GOP certainly howls about any possibility that the federal government might exceed its statutory authority in making regs. How will the supremes react if they whop student loan relief on that particular ground?

3. Keep an eye out on Florida House Bill 1421, the most godawful anti-trans bill I have yet to see. It isn't before the full house, but is moving towards it.

By the way, here is a poem-ette I composed late tuesday, with a little help from my friends:

Good-bye Lardy Tuesday

Who could hang a perp on you?

Now we wait for every new day

Never going to miss you.

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Robert Hubbell does what so few politicians, journalists, religious leaders, corporate CEOs and American citizens in general are loath to do: admit when they have made a mistake. A lot of Americans took the Golden Haired demagogue's bait in 2016, and now in the aftermath of his disastrous criminal tenure as president, most won't acknowledge their error so as to not lose face and disturb their fraught perception of reality. Hubbell by contrast, comes right out and says that he bought Trump's bullshit about being arrested last week and upon realizing he had been duped again by the pathological liar, vowed to learn from his mistake. If we had honest leaders in this country like Hubbell who stood in the light of truth without fear or the tendency to influence other peoples' perceptions with guile and subterfuge, we'd have a functional democracy. There is a word to describe human beings like Robert Hubbell--the word is "honorable." It's too bad we don't have more people like him running the country.

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The most horrible part of the multi-state GOP attack on LGBTQ people is that the pendulum was already swinging in favor of the open acceptance of the lifestyle of LGBTQ throughout American life. If a Don't Say Gay attitude becomes acceptable, what of all the people who have already revealed their preference? Now the anti-gay/transgender vigilantes have easy pickings, don't they? The DEI policies of companies that felt compelled to publicize their acceptance of all personal lifestyles will be pressured otherwise. The school-aged children who felt safe to be open about who they are won't be able to hide anymore and will fear being targeted. This is a horrible thing that is being invited to hurt so many more people than before gay rights found safety in America. They were promised safety, took a chance to be themselves, and now what? Talk about confusing! Talk about danger!

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Back to Merrick Garland for a moment. I find it interesting that it's the foot soldiers in the hard right driven insurrection attempt who are getting their comeuppance and going to jail. Like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. But it seems like the big shots like Eastman, Giuliani, Don Jr, and Michael Flynn are not paying a price. And, I suspect, Mike Flynn is, irony of ironies, still getting his government pension while he seeks to over-throw that same government.

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I would like to recommend the book, "Transforming: The Bible & the Lives of Transgender Christians" by Austen Hartke. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36234500-transforming It is excellent.

I bought two copies of this book for our church's library. I attend a United Church of Christ, probably the most progressive of all the protestant denominations. If you are looking for an "organization" to join to fight Christian Nationalism, I suggest you check us out. The denomination is very active in the social justice movement, as well as LGBTQ+ rights. In our church we say at the beginning of service, "No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here." We say it every Sunday, and we mean it. (One UCC pastor that I know is married to an atheist.) As an evangelical once said in a derisive tone, "Those UCC folks will take anybody." To which we say "Yes, absolutely!"

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Dear Robert … First, thank you for your mention yesterday that TonytheDemocrat was still asking for postcard writers. I thought their deadline had already passed.

Good news!!! #1

I immediately wrote to my fridayaction.org team for another round of writing - right away 1/3 emailef back “Yes! “ I expect more yesses today. Also, at least 1 person on my team was doing fridayaction WI phone banking last night. #2 Thank you for mentioning the nationwide rallies against big banks support of climate destruction by funding of fossil fuel companies instead of transitioning their support of green energy. We had a poignant, passionate and well attended demonstration in Northampton where CHASE bank is attempting to open a new branch in the center of town. We were one of more than 100 such denonstrations nationwide! Multiple climate justice groups were involved., Third Act for activists over 60 and up included. Your moto totally applies!!! Thank you!!!

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Mar 24, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

"Ancient Judaism Recognized a Range of Genders. It’s Time We Did, Too." From the NY Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/18/opinion/trans-teen-suicide-judaism.html

As a Jew who didn't know this, I found it very interesting reading. The Christian version of the Bible is not the only version.

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Mar 24, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

More on addressing climate change: "We know what to do, and we have the solutions we need to do it, so the biggest problems are political. They’re banks, politicians, financiers and the fossil fuel industry itself. We don’t need any magic technology to defeat them, just massive civil society willpower set in motion." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/24/ipcc-report-we-must-stop-burning-fossil-fuels?fbclid=IwAR3bYT9lElFwW-yIuaNbn9VxKc9HMdcUtgZbHibIoBEIfZ1lh4EDenqfKWM

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Keep doing what you do Robert!! I so appreciate your intelligent and even handed discussions. Christian nationalism is a pox on this country and you are right to call it out.

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Mar 24, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

About China's national intelligence law that Robert has quoted, also beware of computers made in China. Lenovo, a high quality brand, has been subject to this law since it went into effect. I was doing work in China at that time, and when it was time to buy a new laptop, chose a non-Chinese brand, will never buy one again. It's no joke.

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Mar 24, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

"Don’t let Tucker Carlson or Ron DeSantis tell you otherwise."

I don't let (T)ucker Carlson or Rhonda Santis tell me ANYTHING. ;-)

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