I'm hesitant to share local news that reflects my increasingly parochial life interests, but it seems like we're living in a microcosm of U.S. politics right now. Keep in mind that the news...
I'm hesitant to share local news that reflects my increasingly parochial life interests, but it seems like we're living in a microcosm of U.S. politics right now.
Keep in mind that the news story's events are occurring after the U.S. near-coup to keep Donald Trump in power. Whether it's a last gasp of backwater backlash, or the confident acting out of a stoked and willing fascist base, only time will tell.
For some background, Grand Traverse County's Board of Commissioners is 5 - 2 Republican/Democrat, in a county (pop. 90,000) where the populace votes roughly 50/50 Republican/Democrat.
Gun rights are a prior political fault line, in a region where a very liberal small city's preferences conflict with the surrounding rural community's gun sports, hunting culture, social conservatism, and overt racism.
Refuse to fund the county nursing home pension plan (two Republican board members have conflicts of interest in private nursing home ownership);
Defeat a requirement that board members self-identify conflicts of interest; and
Give themselves a 150% raise.
Local reporting illustrates the blithe impunity the most stridently "conservative" members (also the president and vice-president of the board) take for granted. Both of them have given audience to the Proud Boys, and spoken of them with praise subsequently. This is a problem with the Michigan Republican Party at large, but it's reflected on all scales, and allows the worst extremists to operate with impunity.
I want to make two particular points here:
Pay attention to your local politics as well as the national and global issues that occupy your Internet newsfeed. Sometimes they mirror and magnify national or global issues. It's our duty as citizens in a democracy to encourage responsible, competent policy makers and weed out the inept or corrupt. Every exceptional (for good or evil) politician starts a career with their immediate community; that's where your vote has the greatest impact.
Local news matters - it's worth your investment of money and time to help keep your community informed about the decisions of the people governing them, and pay attention yourself.
The local Indivisible group is working hard to remove the commissioner who brandished his semi-automatic rifle in a public meeting, and is asking the president of the board to resign as well. With a Republican legislature and courts in the state, though, it's unlikely that any legal proceedings will succeed.
Please do keep sharing. I've been out of the state for many years, and it's interesting to look back in on it and see what it's like from the other side. This is the part that's so infuriating....
Please do keep sharing. I've been out of the state for many years, and it's interesting to look back in on it and see what it's like from the other side.
With a Republican legislature and courts in the state, though, it's unlikely that any legal proceedings will succeed.
This is the part that's so infuriating. It's like, do you give a shit about your country and your state, or just about your stupid political club? WTF?
A 9-year-old Louisiana student was suspended after a teacher reported seeing a gun in the boy's bedroom during a virtual class. Edgewater, NJ school called police after sixth-grader had Nerf gun...
That sounds like my county in California. I'm sure Americans, and (hopefully not) non-Americans have seen the national headlines out of here, but it's the same thing. We're even experiencing...
Grand Traverse County's Board of Commissioners is 5 - 2 Republican/Democrat
That sounds like my county in California. I'm sure Americans, and (hopefully not) non-Americans have seen the national headlines out of here, but it's the same thing. We're even experiencing something of a blue shift with the heavy Latino population and an increasingly Democrat-voting Asian population, but our county leadership doesn't reflect our county's demographics, at least politically. No guns have come out (this is California, after all), but this has highlighted a pretty big issue with the lack of down-ballot voting, and our headline-making lunatics running the asylum, as it were, in the coastal cities and smaller more suburban cities where we're seeing the racist protesting and anti-vax activities.
The truly infuriating thing is that these yahoos ran unopposed in the last election. It's long been a source of my cynicism about the Democratic Party establishment that they can't be arsed to...
The truly infuriating thing is that these yahoos ran unopposed in the last election. It's long been a source of my cynicism about the Democratic Party establishment that they can't be arsed to field or fund candidates at the city and county level. They're still not contending in "red" territory, and that contributes to polarization.
I'm hesitant to share local news that reflects my increasingly parochial life interests, but it seems like we're living in a microcosm of U.S. politics right now.
Keep in mind that the news story's events are occurring after the U.S. near-coup to keep Donald Trump in power. Whether it's a last gasp of backwater backlash, or the confident acting out of a stoked and willing fascist base, only time will tell.
For some background, Grand Traverse County's Board of Commissioners is 5 - 2 Republican/Democrat, in a county (pop. 90,000) where the populace votes roughly 50/50 Republican/Democrat.
Gun rights are a prior political fault line, in a region where a very liberal small city's preferences conflict with the surrounding rural community's gun sports, hunting culture, social conservatism, and overt racism.
In the most recent meeting, the BOC voted to:
Local reporting illustrates the blithe impunity the most stridently "conservative" members (also the president and vice-president of the board) take for granted. Both of them have given audience to the Proud Boys, and spoken of them with praise subsequently. This is a problem with the Michigan Republican Party at large, but it's reflected on all scales, and allows the worst extremists to operate with impunity.
I want to make two particular points here:
Pay attention to your local politics as well as the national and global issues that occupy your Internet newsfeed. Sometimes they mirror and magnify national or global issues. It's our duty as citizens in a democracy to encourage responsible, competent policy makers and weed out the inept or corrupt. Every exceptional (for good or evil) politician starts a career with their immediate community; that's where your vote has the greatest impact.
Local news matters - it's worth your investment of money and time to help keep your community informed about the decisions of the people governing them, and pay attention yourself.
The local Indivisible group is working hard to remove the commissioner who brandished his semi-automatic rifle in a public meeting, and is asking the president of the board to resign as well. With a Republican legislature and courts in the state, though, it's unlikely that any legal proceedings will succeed.
Please do keep sharing. I've been out of the state for many years, and it's interesting to look back in on it and see what it's like from the other side.
This is the part that's so infuriating. It's like, do you give a shit about your country and your state, or just about your stupid political club? WTF?
A 9-year-old Louisiana student was suspended after a teacher reported seeing a gun in the boy's bedroom during a virtual class.
Edgewater, NJ school called police after sixth-grader had Nerf gun during Zoom class
Authorities are defending their decision to send two school resource officers to a Colorado home where a 12-year-old Black boy pointed a gun that turned out to be a toy at a friend during an online class they were taking together.
We hold children with toy guns to a higher standard of behavior than adults with real guns.
Man, this is pure viral meme gold. Straight to the Indivisible list.
That sounds like my county in California. I'm sure Americans, and (hopefully not) non-Americans have seen the national headlines out of here, but it's the same thing. We're even experiencing something of a blue shift with the heavy Latino population and an increasingly Democrat-voting Asian population, but our county leadership doesn't reflect our county's demographics, at least politically. No guns have come out (this is California, after all), but this has highlighted a pretty big issue with the lack of down-ballot voting, and our headline-making lunatics running the asylum, as it were, in the coastal cities and smaller more suburban cities where we're seeing the racist protesting and anti-vax activities.
The truly infuriating thing is that these yahoos ran unopposed in the last election. It's long been a source of my cynicism about the Democratic Party establishment that they can't be arsed to field or fund candidates at the city and county level. They're still not contending in "red" territory, and that contributes to polarization.
The number one thing I hate about being a gun owner... is other gun owners. What an asinine manouver.