Slava Ukraini!
This message of support for Ukraine’s sovereignty from me, one among millions of like-minded Americans, is brought to you by Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays. Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/02/19/one-liner-wednesday-if-i-didnt-laugh-id-cry/
It’s still the Gulf of Mexico.
*****
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/02/12/one-liner-wednesday-i-dont-learn/
Vote for Democracy #33
In the midst of the vindictive, mean, immoral, unconstitutional, illegal under both national and international law, threatening, and insane beginning of the Trump administration, millions of Americans have mobilized to oppose Trump and his actions and, we hope, to limit the damage to people in the United States and everywhere in the world; we appreciate the support from all our friends and allies and I personally want to thank my Canadian friends who have reached to me in solidarity.
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/02/05/one-liner-wednesday-i-dont-understand/
The movie version of Mary Poppins starring Julie Andrews came out when I was very young, so I grew up with the songs from it.
“…a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…”
There is not enough sugar in the world to help those of us in the US cope with the beginning of this second Trump term.
It’s bitter however you experience it.
Those of us who read or read commentary on Project 2025 feared this was coming and tried to prepare but that doesn’t stop it from being awful and hurting lots of people.
Various lawsuits and public pressure and government employees and elected officials demanding their rights have blunted a few things – and caused the administration to back down on a couple of pronouncements – but the efforts to rest all power in the president – well, this president – and a handful of billionaires is underway on a lot of fronts.
I can’t possibly stream of consciousness the whole picture, but will illustrate the meanness, callousness, and vengefulness of Donald Trump by referencing his reaction to the horrible plane/helicopter crash at Reagan National Airport.
The loved ones of the people killed and the grieving public needed condolences and reassurance that there will be a thorough investigation to avoid this kind of accident in the future.
Trump railed against DEI, Presidents Obama and Biden, Biden’s Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and others, totally without cause.
Of course, he didn’t acknowledge that he had forced resignations or fired the top leaders with the FAA and other entities that deal with such accidents.
It’s a bitter spill to swallow.
We’re not looking for a spoonful of sugar.
We are going to do everything we can to help protect and console those in need, each in whatever way is available to them.
This is my little sliver of that effort this morning.
*****
Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week is “spoonful.” Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/31/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-1-2025/
Vote for Democracy #32
Under the United States Constitution and laws, Congress appropriates funds and the president and executive branch spends those funds as Congress has directed – and Trump and his administration need to do this or resign because they are breaking their oaths to uphold the Constitution.
*****
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays and/or Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/29/one-liner-wednesday-jusjojan25-the-29th-snowy-walk/
Vote for Democracy #31
Remember Project 2025, the lengthy document spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation to lay out plans for the “conservative president” they expected to be elected and which mirrored Trump’s Agenda 47 and the Republican party platform? Many public policy experts and commentators wrote about its extreme views and the impact it would have on Americans if implemented.
While Trump was on record as supporting it and many of its authors were former members of this administration, when it was more widely publicized in the media during his presidential campaign and proved to be massively unpopular with the electorate, he disavowed it.
Much of the flood of executive orders and administrative actions launched last week are in line with Project 2025, though, and people who were involved with its creation are coming back to the White House, although some, like Project 2025’s chief architect Russell Vought, nominee to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget, must be confirmed by the Senate.
Trump is still insisting he knows nothing about Project 2025.
Unbelievable.
*****
I’m posting this early in the day before I head to the hospital for my angiogram. I hope to get an update on that out tomorrow. Meanwhile, join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/27/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-27th-2025/
Vote for Democracy #30
Those who are visiting here because of my participation in Linda’s Just Jot It January would be forgiven if they thought that Top of JC’s Mind is primarily a political blog.
I swear that it is and will remain an eclectic blog with personal, health, poetry, climate, music, and political posts, along with anything else at the top of my mind.
It’s just that, given where the United States is right now, political issues are smack in front of us all the time.
ALL THE TIME!
I had started a series well before the November, 2024 election called Vote for Democracy ’24 and was numbering the main posts that were part of the series. I’ve now renamed the category Vote for Democracy and am subtitling the posts with the number. (At least for now. Subject to change.)
As expected, the Trump administration has begun its term with a flurry of executive orders, most of them straight from the Project 2025 playbook. I’ve been heartened to see major non-profit organizations and state attorneys general filing legal challenges to the executive orders in an attempt to shield as many people and worthwhile programs as possible.
There is no way that I could address the huge range of issues here. I’ve decided that my role will be to highlight certain issues to raise awareness. It will be my little drop in the ocean of love, protection, and respect for people and planet. (Please forgive the very mixed metaphor. I’m super tired today.)
I hope you will drop in from time to time to see what is top of mind for me. I also hope that you will keep on reading truthful sources of news and information. I promise that I will post information that I can verify and will correct any errors that I may make. Of course, when opinions are expressed, they are my own but have been grounded in facts.
The truth matters.
For those in the US – and elsewhere – who are looking for non-corporate, truthful coverage of what is happening here, I suggest Marc Elias’s Democracy Docket, especially for voting/election issues, and Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen’s The Contrarian.
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays and/or Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/22/one-liner-wednesday-jusjojan25-the-22nd-ill-try/
At noon yesterday, Rebecca Solnit convened a live online event entitled “The Way We Get Through This Is Together: Celebrating Community.” It was much more uplifting than watching the inauguration. You can view it here.
Join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/21/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-21st-2025/
Vote for Democracy #28
The Equal Rights Amendment
There is always a flurry of activity in the last few weeks that a president is in office, with various declarations, awards, pardons/commutations, executive orders, rules, and other summations being offered and Joe Biden has been actively engaged in this.
On his last full day in office, I’d like to highlight one in particular, the declaration that the Equal Rights Amendment is the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
I’ve been waiting for this for my entire adult life.
When Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, it put a time limit on its ratification by the states, 38 of which had to vote in their legislatures to reach the constitutionally required three-fourths of the states. However, this limit was not part of the amendment itself. In 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA, so it should have been recognized and added to the Constitution at that time. Lawrence Tribe and Kathleen Sullivan explain all the legalities in this piece in The Contrarian.
Many legal scholars and organizations have been working on this issue. In particular, I would like to raise up Carrie Baker, a distinguished faculty member at my alma mater, Smith College, for her legal and journalistic skill in advocating for the ERA.
I have no doubt that there will be a flood of lawsuits, claiming that the Equal Rights Amendment is not in effect, either because of the original Congressional advisory deadline or because several states have said they want to rescind their ratification. However, states have never been allowed to rescind ratification and amendments remain open for ratification in perpetuity. For example, Mississippi did not ratify the 1865 13th Amendment abolishing slavery until 1995 and their vote wasn’t certified until 2013.
I hope that having the Equal Rights Amendment in the United States Constitution will help protect the rights of everyone, especially women and girls. This is especially important now when some states are denying health care to women and even trying to restrict their ability to travel.
When new democracies form around the world and the United States is assisting in writing constitutions, the US insists that equal rights for women be included. It’s fundamental to civil and human rights. I’m glad that it is now part of our Constitution, which should strike down discriminatory state laws. It will also align with many of our state constitutions that already include equal rights in regards to gender.
With so much else going on in the United States and the world right now, this momentous news has flown a bit under the radar. I’m hoping that it will be embraced and followed by all the people.
Its text is very simple. The 28th Amendment states:
Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Yes!
Join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/19/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-19th-2025/
Joanne Corey 