52 Thoughts | Enough

Are we terrified enough yet?

Last week my family and I headed north, to a cottage on a lake just over the Michigan border. We planned to disconnect, get back to nature and focus on each other for a low key vacation. We did that and it was a nice trip. 

But even in the middle of nowhere, I couldn’t escape the tragic news that filled my facebook feed day after day. 

On Monday, I read of our humble little town’s Fourth of July parade and the float of men holding machine guns, passing out 10% coupons alongside candy for children. People were terrified.

On Tuesday, I read of young people witnessing and filming the murder of a black man asking What did I do? What did I do?

On Wednesday, a women livestreams the aftermath of her boyfriend being shot by police during a traffic stop.

Days later five police men are shot during what was otherwise a peaceful protest.

Last month I sobbed while watching the news after 49 gay men and women were gunned down in a nightclub.

Enough hate crimes, enough mass shootings, enough systematic racism, enough gun violence and enough with the “thoughts and prayers” and social media hashtags. They’re a good place to start, but if we want safety, peace and equality in this country, we, meaning you and me, the stay at home mom, the young career woman, the empty nester, the college student, WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION.

I’ve spent the last month feeling sad and angry, unsure of what I can do and if it will make any difference. If we all sit on the sidelines, we can be sure things are not going to change for the better.  So where do I start?

Get organized. Research before you vote. VOTE. Treat people who might look or love differently than you with compassion and kindness. Educate yourself. Do not underestimate how their lives are significantly more difficult than yours just because of the color of their skin or the people they love. If you have the means, use your dollars to support victims’ families, campaigns against gun violence and organizations striving for equality, like the NAACP and The Human Rights campaigns. 

ORGANIZE 

One group I’ve learned a lot from is Moms Demand Action. It’s opened my eyes to my own state’s laws regarding gun control, who I can contact, how to write letters to our government representatives, asking local businesses if they’ll ban guns on their property, etc. It’s made me feel like I can be a part of a solution. Your local chapter should have similar resources for you. 

DO YOUR HOMEWORK 

Months ago I did a recap of the policy stances of different presidential candidates, but next up I’ll be looking into my local elections. Indiana is doing a BAD job on guns (my big problem are war-time weapons like semi-automatic guns) and I don’t want to see them during the local parade or at city parks (both legal!) I don’t want them near places children play or where people drink alcohol. But that’s something our state laws allow, so I need to know who supports those laws and who is working to amend them to ensure my safety.

VOTE

In November, I’ll vote for candidates with gun sense, who champion gay rights and who acknowledge the huge race and class separations in our country and are working towards changing them. Voting is a hiring process and you’re the boss. Let’s elect people who aren’t bought by the NRA and who listen to the voters. Even if you’re not excited about our presumptive presidential candidates, do not sit on the sidelines, especially for your state and local elections!! I’ll never stop reminding you that 100 years ago, women didn’t have that privilege. You do. Don’t waste it. 

Guys, I don’t have this figured out, but I’m heartbroken and terrified and angry and I cannot stand for any minority - black people or any people of color, gay people or any religion to be targeted or treated less than the human beings they are. I can’t turn on the news to another mass shooting, or hate crimes or of black people being shot by police. I can’t deal with little kids accidentally shooting their siblings. I just can’t let this happen and go on with my life as if it hadn’t.  I think it’s fitting to share one of my favorite quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., especially when we’re feeling so small and helpless.

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. 

So I’ll talk about inequality and gun sense and I’ll act on it.  I hope you will too. I’ve had enough. 

52 Thoughts | Vote!

It’s an election year, which means I’m likely to lose half of my followers as I start to get excited about who I’ll vote for…. except this year, I’m an undecided voter! I’ve chosen my key issues and researched what the top candidates in both parties have to say.

I urge you, woman to woman, please vote. Our gender had to fight very hard to be seen as real people, capable of making informed decisions, and not to let our fathers and husbands speak for us. That was less than 100 years ago. It’s easy to look at the big political machine and throw your hands into the air because there’s a lot of BS floating around.  But your vote matters, even if you’re in a “Red” or “Blue” state that you think could never go the other direction. It’s happened. It happened in Indiana 8 years ago. 

I’m looking for candidates to address the following issues: gun control, health care (specifically for women and children), marriage equality, the environment, and education. Please research issues that are important to you. I’d like to minimize any bias, so I’ve gone directly to the candidate’s official websites and copied and pasted their exact words. It’s time to stop trusting the biased media and find the answers for yourself!

Some candidates did not address these issues on their websites, so in those cases, I have listed their stance as not readily available. Four out of five of the candidates did NOT have a search feature on their sites. If you see something that I missed, shoot me a link and I’ll be happy to update accordingly.

UPDATE: This post is comprised of answers that the candidates campaign websites supplied. When something is missing, WHY? Shouldn’t this information be easy to find in one place (especially the place the candidate has created to share their views in their own words?) The positions should be on campaign websites and presented in a way that doesn’t confuse voters. It’s not always like that, which is worth noting.

Let’s briefly meet our candidates and hear their campaign slogans! Click through to visit their official websites.

 

Issue | Gun Control 

Clinton 

• Strengthen background checks and close dangerous loopholes in the current system.
• Hold irresponsible dealers and manufacturers accountable.
• Keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, domestic abusers, other violent criminals, and the severely mentally ill.
  

Cruz 

• When citizens cease to have the right to defend ourselves, we cease to be free. And now, more than ever, as radical Islamic terrorists seek to attack Americans on our own soil, Americans’ right to protect our families and communities is all the more critical to our safety and freedom.
• Ted Cruz has been a tireless defender of the Second Amendment. From successfully protecting law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights at the Supreme Court to defeating legislation that sought to take away this right, Ted Cruz has always championed Americans’ right to keep and bear arms.

Rubio 

• Voting to block the Manchin-Bloomberg expansion of background checks
• Fighting to defund the Department of Justice’s radical “Operation Choke Point” and other federal attacks on law-abiding gun manufacturers and dealers
• Pushing to bring fundamental Second Amendment rights back to D.C. residents
• Protecting the Second Amendment rights of veterans and their families
• Standing against any federal attempt to ban commonly owned sporting rifles and standard capacity magazines
• Pushing to make concealed-carry permits function like drivers’ licenses, so gun owners’ constitutional rights don’t end at state lines
• Opposing U.S. involvement in the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty
• Working to expand opportunities for sportsmen on federal land

Sanders 

• Not readily available on campaign website
  

Trump 

• Enforce The Laws On The Books
• Fix Our Broken Mental Health System
• Defend The Rights of Law-Abiding Gun Owners

Issue | Health Care

Clinton 

• Defend the Affordable Care Act and build on it to slow the growth of out-of-pocket costs.
• Crack down on rising prescription drug prices and hold drug companies accountable so they get ahead by investing in research, not jacking up costs.
• Protect women’s access to reproductive health care.
  

Cruz

• Fought to take away taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood.

Rubio

• Marco is committed to the full repeal of ObamaCare and to replacing it with consumer-centered health reforms that expand coverage and lower costs. Ending this failed law will be an urgent priority of his administration.

• One of the first votes Marco took in the Senate was to repeal ObamaCare, and he has fought to replace the failed law ever since.

• In addition to supporting the full repeal of ObamaCare, Marco has voted to specifically repeal harmful components of the law, including its devastating cuts to Medicare Advantage, the job-killing medical device tax, and restrictions on patient-centered care, including new taxes on FSAs and HSAs.

• Marco was the first to warn of a taxpayer bailout of the insurance industry in ObamaCare, and introduced legislation to stop a bailout. His efforts recently saved taxpayers $2.5 billion.

Sanders 

• We must ensure all Americans can access the health care they need regardless of their income.
  
• We must stop forcing working Americans to choose between bargaining for higher wages or better health insurance.
  
• We must get our runaway health care spending under control by eliminating waste and focusing on our patients.
  
• We need a system that works not just for millionaires and billionaires, but for all of us.
  
• Americans should not have to fear losing their health insurance if they lose their job or change employment
  
• We must ensure those making over $250,000 per year pay their fair share in taxes.
  
• Under Bernie’s plan, the typical middle-class family would save over $5000 per year on health care.
  
• We need a system that prioritizes the health of working-class families over the profits of insurance companies.
  
• We need to streamline our health care system to provide the best health care to all patients, not just the richest.
  

Trump 

• Not readily available on campaign website

Issue | Women’s Issues

Clinton

• Ensure equal pay for women.
• Defend women’s health and reproductive rights against attacks.
• Fight for paid family leave and affordable child care.
  

Cruz

• Fought to take away taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood.

Rubio 

• Not Available on campaign website

Sanders 

• Fight for pay equality for women.
  
• Expand and protect the reproductive rights of women.
  
• Only nominate Supreme Court Justices who support Roe V. Wade and the reproductive rights of Women
  
• Make quality childcare and Pre-K available to all Americans
  
• Increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020.
  
• Raise the tipped minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2023.
  
• Provide at least 12 weeks of paid family leave, 2 weeks of paid vacation and one week of paid sick days to American workers.
  
• Expand the WIC program for pregnant women and mothers and infants.
  
• Make Healthcare a right. 
  
• Expand Social Security
  

Trump 

• Not readily available on campaign website

Issue | Climate Change and Clean Energy 

Clinton 

• Create good-paying jobs by making the United States the clean energy superpower of the 21st century.
• Set national goals to have half a billion solar panels installed across the country by 2020 and generate enough renewable energy to power every home in America within 10 years.
• Launch a Clean Energy Challenge to partner with states, cities, and rural communities to deploy more clean energy, boost energy efficiency, and take other steps to cut pollution, protect public health, and save families money on their electric bills.
  

Cruz

• Another vital reform to unleash economic prosperity is adopting an energy plan that embraces the Great American Energy Renaissance.
• We need an all-of-the-above energy approach that embraces the bountiful resources in this land — from oil to natural gas to ethanol.
• We need to open up abundant and affordable gas and electricity resources.
• Cruz will approve the Keystone Pipeline, and other similar infrastructures, and empower the private sector to create good-paying American jobs.
• We must harness our nation’s energy resources and remove federal impediments to energy exploration, development, and trade.

Rubio 

• Marco will undo the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Rule, that will dramatically expand federal control over ponds, ditches and streams.
  
• Marco will fight the establishment of a cap-and-trade program or carbon tax, which would act as a new national energy tax on agriculture producers. In addition, Marco will push for other reforms to unleash American energy production and bring down energy costs for farmers.
  
• Empower States and Tribes to Control Onshore Energy Development Within Their Borders
• Rewrite the Obama Administration’s Flawed Five-Year Offshore Drilling PlanImmediately Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline
• Immediately Lift the 1970s-Era Ban on Crude Exports
• Expedite Approval of American Natural Gas Exports
• Defend U.S. Interests in International Climate NegotiationsBolster the Energy Security of U.S. Allies
• Conclude TTIP Negotiations Without Restrictions on Access to U.S. Energy Exports
  
• Create a National Regulatory Budget to Limit the Power of Unelected Regulators
• Stop President Obama’s Carbon Mandates
• Expose the True Costs of Environmental Litigation to Taxpayers
• Simplify and Improve the Environmental Review Process
  
• Reform Our Outdated Higher Education System to Support Energy Jobs of the Future
• Facilitate Private-Sector-Led Development of New Technologies
• Overhaul the Tax Code and Cut Taxes for Business of All Sizes
  

Sanders

• Reclaim our democracy from a billionaire fossil fuel lobby
  
• Accelerate a just transition away from fossil fuels
  
• Invest in clean and sustainable energy
• Revolutionize our electric and transportation standards
• Lead the international community to solve climate change and prevent international conflict.

Trump

• Not readily available on campaign website

Issue | Marriage Equality & LGTBQ Rights

Clinton 

• Ensure full federal equality for all LGBT Americans.
• Support LGBT kids, parents, and elders.
• Secure affordable treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS.
  

Cruz 

• Marriage is a sacrament between one man and one woman, it has strengthened societies for millennia, and we must uphold the truth of marriage.
• Extreme leftists — activist judges, the Obama Administration, and academic elites — are trying to extinguish these most fundamental, God-given rights.
• Ted Cruz will preserve life, marriage, and the family, and he has the record to prove it. If Ted is elected president, he will instruct his Attorney General to investigate Planned Parenthood on day one.  And rather than enacting policies that tear down these pillars of our society, he will work to restore a culture of life, marriage, and family.
• Introduced legislation to protect the right of states to define marriage, without intrusion by unelected federal judges.
• Defended Texas’s marriage laws when a state court attempted to recognize a Vermont civil union.

Rubio 

• Promote a Marriage Culture by speaking out for traditional American values and against the decline of marriage
  

Sanders 

• Sign into law the Equality Act, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, and any other bill that prohibits discrimination against LGBT people.
• Work with HHS to ensure LGBT Americans have access to comprehensive health insurance which provides appropriate coverage and do not have to fear discrimination or mistreatment from providers.
• Continue the great work of the State Department’s Special Envoy for LGBT Rights and ensure the United States helps protect the rights of LGBT people around the world.
• Advance policies to ensure students can attend school without fear of bullying, and work to reduce suicides.
• Require police departments to adopt policies to ensure fairer interactions with transgender people, especially transgender women of color who are often targeted by police unfairly, and institute training programs to promote compliance with fair policies.
• Bar discrimination against LGBT people by creditors and banks so that people will not be unfairly denied mortgages, credit cards, or student loans.
• Veto any legislation that purports to “protect” religious liberty at the expense of others’ rights.

Trump 

• Not available on campaign website

Issue | Education (Early, K-12, College)

Clinton 

• Invest in early childhood programs like Early Head Start.
• Make high-quality education available to every child—in every ZIP code—in America.
• Ensure that teachers receive the training, mentorship, and support they need to succeed and thrive in the classroom.
• Ensure students with disabilities have the resources and support they need throughout their school years.
• Ensure no student has to borrow to pay for tuition, books, or fees to attend a four-year public college in their state.
• Enable Americans with existing student loan debt to refinance at current rates.
• Hold colleges and universities accountable for controlling costs and making tuition affordable.
• Ensure that every 4-year-old in America has access to high-quality preschool in the next 10 years.
• Provide child care and scholarships to meet the needs of student parents.
  

Cruz

• Not readily available on campaign website

Rubio

• Institute School Choice Reforms by:
  

1. Creating a national school choice scholarship program
2. Ensuring parents have the ability to send their children to school that best suits their educational needs

• Get the Federal Government out of K-12 Decision-Making by:
  

1. Prohibiting federal mandates on curriculum or standards for states and local educational agencies
   
2. Protecting student privacy from misuse by third-party vendors or other non-education related entities
   

• Support Innovation in K-12 Education by:
  

1. Supporting virtual learning, home schooling, and blended learning opportunities for K-12 education
2. Promoting better learning opportunities for students with disabilities

• Simplify Existing Incentives to Help Students Pursue Higher Education
  
• Equip Students and Families with Information Necessary to Make Informed College Decisions
  
• Reduce Burden of Student Loan Debt by Establishing Automatic IncomeBased
  
• Repayment
  
• Reform Outdated Accreditation System to Accommodate Non-traditional Education
  
• Invest in Student Success
  
• Modernize Higher Education System to Fit 21st Century Economy
  

Sanders  

• Make tuition free at public colleges and universities
  
• Stop the Federal Government from making money on college loans. 
  
• Substantially cut student loan interest rates.
  
• Allow Americans to refinance student loans with today’s low interest rates.
  
• Allow Students to use need-based financial air and work study programs to make college tuition free
  
• Fully paid for by imposing a tax on Wall Street speculators
  

Trump

• Not readily available on campaign website
  

Writing this post was so eye opening - as in, it really scared me to think some of these people could be elected!  If you also care about the above issues, I really urge you to dig deeper and read more about the person you believe is best to be the President of the United States. Do not stand by and let history happen without being a part of it. Read the websites, get informed, VOTE!