Question for Kansas City Public Television

You have someone named Vickie Diaz-Camacho telling us how great KCPT is in your advertising but you can't get an Hispanic or Latinx person on "Week In Review" every week?

Seriously?

No More Racist City in the US Than Kansas City, Missouri

Lonnie McFadden asks an excellent very legitimate question on the PBS program, "Bird: Not Out of Nowhere."

Who had more to do with Kansas City-- Bird, Charlie Parker or Winston Churchill? But who has a statue on the Plaza? A city divided. Literally divided. Badly, badly divided. We need to fix that.

The Republican Party Rebuttal to President Biden's Speech This Week

The Republican Party's response to President Biden's speech to Congress this week was given by Senator Tim Scott of South Carolins. He is Black, in case anyone doesn't know that and he said America isn't racist.Really, Senator Scott?

--Black Americans are far more likely to be stopped by police than white Americans, --far more likely to be arrested than white Americans, --more likely to be charged than white Americans, -- more than 3 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans, --more likely to be found guilty than white Americans, --more likely to be sentenced to jail or prison than white Americans, --once sentenced, they get dependably longer sentences--for the same crimes--as white Americans. But not racist, you say?

Republicans Were Already Suppressing American Votes Back in 2012

Check out this memory I found today from back in 2012.

None other than a former GOP Party Chair Jim Greer revealed the details of conversations his fellow GOP colleagues had about changing election laws to suppress youth and minority voters that would "never vote Republican." And now, as we know, it's gotten much, much worse, their vote suppression work and efforts.We must vote them out. We must vote them all out. And to do it, we have to, have to stop vote suppression, on the state and federal level, both.

The Unbelievable Irresponsibility--and Scariness--of Missouri's Senator Josh Hawley

Missouri's Senator Josh Hawley voted today--was, in fact, the only US Senator--who voted AGAINST a bill to curb anti-Asian hate crimes. That's bad enough. He wrote this today, this evening, explaining his vote: "My big problem with Sen Hirono’s bill that Senate voted on today is that it turns the federal government into the speech police - gives government sweeping authority to decide what counts as offensive speech and then monitor it. Raises big free speech questions."

What the absolute hell? This is the man who was all for "free speech questions" when people wanted to attack our nation's Capitol and overturn our nation's election but all of a sudden, when we want to make sure people don't do Asian hate crimes, he's against these "free speech questions." Seriously, he is frightening. The only person, the only Senator who voted against a crimes bill against Asian hate crime at a time when this ugliness is increasing. In a nation of more than 325 million people, how do you not have--and believe in--government? That he is part of the government and at the highest levels of it yet he does not believe in it. Stunning. Frightening. Scary. Seriously.

Quote of the Day -- On Kindness. And Hope

“I'm so tired of waiting, aren't you, for the world to become good and beautiful and kind?” —Langston Hughes

Did You Hear What Our Senator Hawley Voted Against?

Seriously, Missourians, did you see what our own Missouri Senator Josh Hawley voted against?

How do you even do that? At any time in a nation's history, how could you vote against a bill that would punish any hate crime, against ANY group? And then, especially now, when we, as a nation, are experiencing MORE very racist crimes against Asian Americans. #VoteHawleyOut

What Passes for Republican Party Voting Logic

We can't stand for this, America. It's truly un-American.

This political party and its leaders are so bad, so poor and so unpopular with the majority of Americans, they've decided the only way the can get and/or stay in government office is to disenfranchise fellow Americans. This must end. This cannot stand. We must stop vote suppression. End racism. End white supremacy.

Quote of the Day -- Racial Obscenity Edition

"In America, it's safer to be a white man, overthrowing the government than it is to be a Black man doing anything." --Middle Age Riot.

Thanks, Republicans!

Republican Party Vote Fraud

Yes, by all means, Republicans, let's talk "vote fraud."

If the only way you can get elected or re-elected in your political party is to make sure fewer of your fellow citizens vote, something is seriously wrong with your political party and your ideas and goals and work. Stop vote suppression. End racism. End white supremacy.

Quote of the Day -- Cancel Culture Edition

"Cancel culture is when you lose an election and change the law so the legislature can cancel the will of voters in future elections." --Alex Cole @acnewsitics #EndVoteSuppression

On Whose Side Will You Stand?

Republicans Threatening Our Democracy, State by State

Americans the nation over need to understand just what Republicans are doing or are trying to do, state by state, statehouse to statehouse, including Missouri and Kansas. Stop vote suppression, folks. We're under attack here and it's coming from fellow citizens, from Republicans and their Republican Party. They're attacking our votes, our elections, the election process and Democracy itself, all for their own political party. Their ideas and goals and candidates are so patently, reliably bad they have to do this, disenfranchise fellow Ameericans in order to get and stay in office. It is an assault on Democracy and certainly un-American. Contact your representatives and tell them this will not, this cannot stand. Stop vote suppression. Also, pass the For the People Act. It truly is for the people.

From the "From Their Own Mouths" File

Breaking today, this morning, in the last half hour.

The Republican State Lawmakers Association today issued a statement asking all Republicans to wear masks and get vaccinated. “Otherwise, our efforts to suppress Democratic votes will be more than offset by losses of Republican voters,” the statement says, dated April 1. --Robert Reich @RBReich

The GOP Just Now on Guns, Voting and America

God help us, folks.

The only thing this doesn't also show is their racism. Oh, and their love of power. Over all else.

Only One Political Party In the Nation This Bad

What kind of horrorshow political party is so patently, provenly, repeatedly bad and unpopular for its citizens it has to actually disenfranchise those fellow citizens in order to get into and/or stay in office so they all stay in power? There's only one in the USA.

Yes sir and ma'am, it is the Republican Party. Republicans. The GOP. Greedy Old Poops. #VoteThemOut

Quote of the Day -- Timely, Sunday, "Good Book" Edition

"I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink." Matthew 25:35

*While supplies last, not valid in Georgia, other restrictions may apply. --Antione Jackson @JacksonAntione, Replying to @atrupar Thanks, Republicans! You racist, power hungry, un-American stooges.

What Happened This Week In Georgia

Seven very white men get in a room---under a picture of a slaveholding plantation, no less---to sign a very racist government bill that actually disenfranchises fellow Americans all the while also literally locking out a Black female legislator so she can't watch the bill be signed.

Only in America. Only with Republcians. #EndVoterSuppression #EndRacism

What Took Place in Georgia Yesterday

And understand, everyone, vote suppression is un-American. Patently.

Know, too, it's been reported there have been 253 laws proposed in 43 different states to disenfranchise fellow Americans. This must not stand. This cannot stand. End voter and vote suppression, America.

Democracy Died Yesterday in Georgia

From Heather Cox Richardson last evening: "...Tonight, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia signed a 95-page law designed to suppress the vote in the state where voters chose two Democratic senators in 2020, making it possible for Democrats to enact their agenda. Among other things, the new law strips power from the Republican secretary of state who stood up to Trump’s demand that he change the 2020 voting results. The law also makes it a crime to give water or food to people waiting in line to vote. The Georgia law is eye-popping, but it is only one of more than 250 measures in 43 states designed to keep Republicans in power no matter what voters want....

The story today is not about coronavirus vaccines, or border solutions, or economic recovery, because all of those things depended on the election of Joe Biden. If the Republicans get their way, no matter how popular Democrats are, they will never again get to direct the government." This bill in Georgia does the following things: 1) severely limits ballot dropboxes, 2) curtails early voting in all-important run-off elections, 3) allows for unlimited ballot challenges by right-wing activists, 4) gives the gerrymandered GOP legislature the ability to take over local county election boards, and 5) makes giving food and/or water to people in lines, waiting to vote, a crime, among other things.