Vote - Why?

Please Vote. 

Each vote from your community is important to how elected representatives and city/county officials gauge needs and services; attention and representation. It puts you and yours on the "oh, yes we do matter," map.

Whatever your opinions, beliefs, or positions are, Vote. 

2020 taught us that we are a divided nation. That is a powerful lesson that our elected must learn and act responsibly to represent. If not, we do need to remove them. 

Every vote from every perspective has to matter to those who work on our behalf and with our tax dollars. 

We have to work together to bring them back to bi-partisan collaboration. We have to impress on them that they were elected to work for this democratic nation's citizens; not for their own deepening pockets, biases, and selfish gamesmanship among political parties. 

Make truth and democracy matter.

Protecting everyone's right to vote ensures your own vote is protected

Protect all efforts to ensure EVERYONE'S Right to Vote without limitations designed to discourage or prevent safe and reasonable access to vote. It is the only way to protect our democracy and the rest of our freedoms. The 2020 election demonstrated that access to voting made a huge difference in the number of voters. It sent us all a message about how divided we are and inspired both sides to engage in this democracy.

Driving one side or the other back into the "why bother, my vote doesn't count," cave won't ever make this an honest, real, free democracy. My parents lovingly cancelled each other out at each election. Yet, they both strongly believe in their positions and the importance of their vote. They taught me to understand that perhaps my vote will be cancelled out. Yet my vote still counted in the message about the numbers voting that every candidate, politician, or government official got as he/she considered their agenda or their next campaign.. The numbers matter. I'm out there and I expect my interests, even if in the minority, to be recognized and attended to just as the majority's are.

Maybe I won't get all I wanted. Maybe I won't win.

I'll try again next time.

There are too many important issues out there for me to give up. The environment, free speech, a woman's rights to her own health decisions, ending systemic racism...I could go on. Of course I could. Those who know me know I could. So could you...

Protect the vote for all. Vote. Voice your concerns. Work for change that betters all of America. Selflessly.

Don't Tell Me Donald's Con Hasn't Taken Lessons from Adolf

(Wikimedia Commons, Tom Pennington/Getty Images via JTA)

Early on in our experience with Donald Trump, critics suggested a comparison to Adolf Hitler and many accused them of hysterics and instigating more trouble.

Yet, we know that Hitler had the platform and that the longer and louder he repeated his lies about innocent people, the more others joined him in fear that otherwise something might happen to them. We know that such hateful propaganda attracts those who ignored. When they buy in, suddenly they are in the in group.

Yesterday, we saw four years of lies culminating in the actions of believers following the con man they trusted. That comparison rings sadly true now, especially since Trump's followers are predominantly white and fearful of their fellow citizens of color.

Trump has goaded them for his own selfish reasons; without a care in the world what might happen to these people who believe him and acted on his behalf. He has put them at risk indifferently. And he has shown us how propaganda can divide a country and its people to the harm of us all.

We should all thank our higher power and the U.S. Constitution for giving us the right to decide who leads us and who must leave the office January 20. We haven't learned all of the lessons but we are getting a very serious education if we are paying attention.

 

We can't trust them, yet we vote for them

Auchter's Art: It's all just fearmongering

Michigan Radio, 8-28-20

Fear is the best sales tactic there is. Every marketeer knows it, every reality show star knows, and every politician knows it. And they are afraid --- of their opposition. So afraid that they don't trust us to listen to the messages we want most: what are they going to do to serve their constituents' needs and protect this democracy. What are they going to do to return to a bi-partisan collaboration for the good of the country rather than blatant McConnell declarations to protect the Republicans and screw the Democrats while we watch. We're in a reality show between two competitors and they've forgotten the audience is their electorate.

They are so afraid that we won't listen to their messages of what they will do that they have both surrendered to over-the-top made-for-television dram-edy scripts about how heinous their competition is. And that's the information they want us to take to the polls on election day. Fear made for TV, where everything resolves itself with the hour.

Lying, misleading, or omitting information are all unethical forms of communication. They intend to harm listeners and impact their actions in a biased fashion --- usually the pocketbook. That's at stake here but so is our health, our equal protection under the law, and our democracy.

So again, we are left probably voting for the lesser of two evils rather than two candidates of integrity with solid plans to advance the goals of this nation. Or maybe not voting at all.

We can't trust the information any of the candidates are putting in their attack ads. Please do your own homework, fact check and use unbiased sites such as FactCheck.org.

Vote like your rights and freedoms depend on it. FactCheck. org.

So Much Shame on the Trump Administration

If I were one of the president's handlers (employees earning salaries on behalf of the citizens of this nation) this week, I would be completely devastated by his insane and blatant criminal assault on peaceful protesters acting within the law including curfew and exercising their FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH AND PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY! 

Further, I would be totally humiliated by his arrogance and utter tone deafness as he walked through the crowd he assaulted to hold up "A Bible" in front of a church that did not welcome his photo op. Reminded that only moments before, in a live press conference he said he was "pro protesters." 

There is so much shame on this administration, on everyone doing his bidding.

JOHN AUCHTER / MICHIGAN RADIO

Dear Police Chief: A Template

In case you need a kick start for writing your own letter(s).

Sheriff Chris Swanson, Genesee County, MI, Inside Edition, 6/1/2020

June 4, 2020

Chris Swanson, Sheriff

Genesee County Sheriff's Department

1002 Saginaw Street

Flint, MI 48502

Dear Sheriff Swanson,

Thank you and please extend my thanks for all of the officers and staff who acted to protect protesters’ free speech and their safety over this past week. Thank you also for your honest and direct position on what happened to George Floyd. Putting citizens first in Flint and Genesee County is the community attitude I know this area to exhibit. I continue to be so proud of Flint as we band together in times of need. You have built trust with weekend that other departments around the country struggle so hard to deserve.

I am a Flint resident who is active in civil rights activities in this area, in particular those to end systemic racism.

With that said, I am reaching out to law enforcement leaders to ask them to revisit their department’s founding charge: “To Protect and Serve,” and asking them to go back to these roots with their fellow officers and department staff as they interact with their citizens in need.

Please remind officers that we are not enemy combatants and the role of the military is not the role of the law enforcement.

Could we please shift the approach to citizens from “guilty until proven innocent” back to “Innocent until proven guilty?”

Could we please act first to protect and serve rather than find guilt?

I am reminded of 12-year-old Tamir Rice who held a toy gun and was shot by a police officer within seconds of exiting his police car. Not even asking Tamir’s name or determining what the situation was. Or Stephon Clark of Sacramento who was shot in his grandparents’ backyard with a cellphone in his hand. No attempt by the police to determine his name or relationship to the property and occupants first.

Swanson and Resident, Newsweek, 6/1/2020

Could we please stop profiling our citizens of color as potential criminals?

Clearly, of all of the citizens and undocumented residents of the United States, more are decent hope-filled human beings than criminals. As human beings, don’t we then deserve the presumption of innocence, even without the law that promises to guarantee us that right. That guarantee along with too many U.S. promises of equity have failed miserably to ensure that if “All Men are created Equal” then we are all indeed treated equally.

I know the focus at this time turns to de-escalation strategies once protests turn to riots and that is certainly appropriate. Prior to the protests themselves, could we remind police officers that while they are empowered, that power does not extend to appointment as Judge, Jury and in too many cases, executioner?

Please use transparency as you move forward with commitments to alter training and enhance community relationships. Involved citizens on boards, committees, or commissions that would track your department’s achievements toward the actions you’ve committed to. Those actions focused on eliminating systemic racism within your department and among the individuals representing it. Let your citizens be the watchdogs of your actions as you act to rebuild trust with your citizens.

Finally, your department interacts with many other law enforcement and health entities that are also challenged by embedded system-wide racism and the attitudes bred by such cultures. Please challenge these entities as well, especially as you hand-off your detainees, to “protect and serve,” to “do not harm,” as these “innocent until proven guilty” citizens and others risk victimization all over again to racist indifference, neglect or violence.

Police Departments, I believe, have the power to effect change well beyond their own structures and employees. They have the potential to drive the entire legal system to change its racist laws and treatment of parties of color before the courts.

Thank you for your consideration of my suggestions.

Sincerely,

Donna Ullrich

Flint Citizen

Detroit Free Press, 6/1/2020

So Ullrich, What Can I Do?

Forbes Magazine, Lisette VoytkoForbes Staff, 6/1/2020

1. Write, text, email, snail mail, post a banner on the lawn of the police department, whatever it peacefully takes to remind your city police , county sheriff's , or state police departments to remind them that their charge at founding was to Protect and Serve.
Citizens and police are not enemy combatants. The police are suppose to be who we turn to and trust in times of law related need.

Encourage the police to abandon the attitude that everyone they stop is guilty until proven innocent.
Remind them that they are not the Judge, Jury, and Executioner of punishment --- including executions.
Be the Watch Dog and let them know you are watching for real change of attitude and actions.
Demand that they call out other legal systems that they work with to abandoned these attitudes and acts of racism and hate as well. This is systemic change.
If the legal system changes it will force change in other systems to do so as well.

Here's a very easy way to start to make a difference. Let's overwhelm our police departments with our voices of concern.

2. If you are ready to give making a difference a try so we can truly achieve Justice, Equity, Peace find the groups in your community that are working for equal rights, violence reduction, the end of systemic racism. 
All of these grassroots groups are starving for volunteers to help them achieve change. And if you can't lend a hand, make a donation. A Google search will help you find your local groups. Your United Way office will have such groups on their radar as well as other non-profit resource centers.

Those of you who are in the Flint area, consider joining two long-working groups for ending racism and violence in our community. If you're nervous about taking your first steps, these two organizations are perfect for you. All programs begin from a place of peace and service.

WOW Outreach has worked for 20 years to reduce violence through a wide variety of community programs and events that start with our young people. Join us. We need your help as volunteers. Check out WOWOutreach.org

Neighborhoods Without Borders has been around 10 years and works to end systemic racism by sponsoring programs to help break down the walls of fear between races and cultures within our community. Monthly programs look at the history of Flint and the contributions of the many ethnic groups that built this community. Other programs help us cross those borders through learning about what we don't know or understand so that we can eliminate those walls of fear. Check out our Facebook Page: Neighborhoods Without Borders - Flint.

Small steps make a big difference.