Kansas shooting victim's wife asks the question in every immigrant's mind

A poignant article from CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/01/us/kansas-shooting-wife-post-trnd/index.html

On the dreadful night of Wednesday February 22nd 2017, I lost my husband — my soul mate — my friend and my confidante. He was a source of inspiration, a support system not just to me but to any and all he got to know. He always had a smile for every one, respected all especially his elders. His passion was to constantly innovate in the the aviation industry. Here in America, he commenced is his career at Rockwell Collins, and he worked On Flight Control System especially on Primary Flight Control Computer that would change the way flights work with improved performances. He dedicated his life to this development. There were days he used to come home to have only dinner and leave for work again - only return around 2 or 3 in the morning. He was very happy at Rockwell and liked living in a small town like Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But we decided to move from there to a bigger city so that I could get a job and be able to pursue my dreams, as he was able to do for himself. Kansas was our instant choice, and we moved here with a lot of dreams. We built our dream home, which he painted, and installed the garage door. Doing any kind of work on his home gave him immense joy. This was the home that he had built to – for us and any kids we would have- was our first step to starting our family. It’s so unfortunate that this dream of ours is now shattered. All of this, because of one person, who did not think of the impact his deed would have on the victim’s family.

I will now ask same question — On what basis we decide a person is good or bad, and of course, it’s not based on the color of your skin. So what decides that? Many times, these issues are talked about for a few weeks and people tend to forget about them afterward, but the fight must go on towards eradicating hatred from the minds of people. So what is the government going to do to stop hate crime? Lastly, to answer the question that is in every immigrant’s mind, DO WE BELONG HERE? Is this the same country we dreamed of and is it still secure to raise our families and children here?
-Sunayana Dumala

Something fun and upbeat!

What could be better than celebrating the spring equinox (or Easter) with a nice chocolate EASTER BILBY!

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Isn't he just the cutest little guy you ever saw?

Here's the link to the article, and environmentally conscious people will be happy to note that part of the proceeds are going to support endangered species.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/easter-bunny-bilby_us_58abd157e4b0f077b3ed51a6?

I just made a very depressing post on a thread started by Nance Greggs. So I thought...

I'd make up for that by a more positive post, this a share from an email my cousin Cynthia sent.

Trump is (inadvertently) making America Great (again).

> 1. Unprecedented levels of ongoing civic engagement.

> 2. Millions of Americans now know who their state and federal representatives are without having to google.

> 3. Millions of Americans are exercising more. They're holding signs and marching every week.

> 4. Alec Baldwin is great again. Everyone's forgotten he's kind of a jerk.

> 5. The Postal Service is enjoying the influx cash due to stamps purchased by millions of people for letter and postcard campaigns.

> 6. Likewise, the pharmaceutical industry is enjoying record growth in sales of anti-depressants.

> 7. Millions of Americans now know how to call their elected officials and know exactly what to say to be effective.

> 8. Footage of town hall meetings is now entertaining.

> 9. Tens of millions of people are now correctly spelling words like emoluments, narcissist, fascist, misogynist, holocaust and cognitive dissonance.

> 10. Everyone knows more about the rise of Hitler than they did last year.

> 11. Everyone knows more about legislation, branches of power and how checks and balances work.

> 12. Marginalized groups are experiencing a surge in white allies.

> 13. White people in record numbers have just learned that racism is not dead. (See #6)

> 14. White people in record numbers also finally understand that Obamacare IS the Affordable Care Act.

> 15. Stephen Colbert's "Late Night" finally gained the elusive #1 spot in late night talk shows.

> 16. "Mike Pence" has donated millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood since Nov. 9th.

> 17. Melissa FREAKING McCarthy.

> 18. Travel ban protesters put $24 million into ACLU coffers in just 48 hours, enabling them to hire 200 more attorneys. Lawyers are now heroes.

> 19. As people seek veracity in their news sources, respected news outlets are happily reporting a substantial increase in subscriptions, a boon to a struggling industry vital to our democracy.

> 20. Live streaming court cases and congressional sessions are now as popular as the Kardashians.

> 21. Massive cleanup of facebook friend lists.

> 22. People are reading classic literature again. Sales of George Orwell's "1984" increased by 10,000% after the inauguration. (Yes, that is true. 10,000%. 9th grade Lit teachers all over the country are now rock stars.)

> 23. More than ever before, Americans are aware that education is important. Like, super important.

> 24. Now, more than anytime in history, everyone believes that anyone can be President.

When people begin fleeing OUR country so they can be free, there's something really

wrong and really unAmerican going on. When I saw this picture of Canadian Mounties rescuing people who were fleeing from ICE, I felt really bad inside.

Here's the article:
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/18/1635256/-I-ve-been-angry-I-ve-been-sad-I-ve-been-disappointed-But-I-ve-never-been-ashamed-until-now

Here's the picture:
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CURSE FUCKING TRUMP AND HIS NAZI ASSHOLES. WE'RE ABOUT TO GO INTO ANOTHER HOLOCAUST. RESIST.

Trump Administration May Mobilize National Guard Troops To Round Up Unauthorized Immigrants - HP

This is absolutely chilling. Shit.

The roundups are about to begin.

Here's the link to the article, excerpt below: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-national-guard-immigrants_us_58a71356e4b037d17d271bcb?

Letter I just sent to US Representative Ken Buck

I thought you'd like to see, and I urge you all to write your own representatives about voting the Resolution of Inquiry presently making its way through committee.

Dear Rep. Buck,
I am deeply concerned that we may have elected a madman to serve as our president. His behavior and the behavior of his senior staff since he took office has been far outside the pale of normal. Yes, I can understand differences in politics, in ideology, but this man Trump seems to have little intelligence, poor decision making skills and very few boundaries. Take the recent Mar-a-Lago incident where he had an impromptu foreign policy strategy session in a restaurant in front of people who had no security clearance, and lit his documents with someone's cell phone flashlight. How many of those sensitive documents, we must wonder, were photographed?

In addition, it appears Trump is making money off several of his executive orders, particularly the oil pipeline one in ND. He has tweeted support for his daughter's clothing line - an act bordering on illegal, and his spokesperson Kelly Ann Conway openly marketed his wife's clothing line on national television. How is this even acceptable?

Now, we find that the entire administration, from Trump on down, seems to have been in contact with Russia throughout his campaign. His National Security Advisor was forced to resign due to this illegal contact, and now it appears that both Trump and Pence knew all along. What kind of a circus is this?

Again, Representative Buck, you and I haven't always seen eye to eye on policy, but I respect you and your office. Now I'm asking, no IMPLORING you to do something about this horror. Rep. Jerrold Nadler of NY has introduced a Resolution of Inquiry.

When this Resolution of Inquiry comes up for a House vote in a few days, I formally ask that you, Representative Buck, vote for inquiry. It is clear to me that our president is unfit for office. Let's take care of this now, as the Constitution allows, before this administration lurches into some disaster we cannot so easily clean up.

Sincerely, etc.

Letter urging my Senators not to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.

I thought I'd share this with you all. It was one of those Daily Kos petitions. Here's what I wrote:

Dear Senators Gardner and Bennet,

I urge both of you, on behalf of the people of Colorado and the Constitution you've both sworn to protect, NOT to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court.

Here's the problem. President Obama, as was his duty under the US Constitution, forwarded a nominee, Merrick Garland, to the Senate for confirmation to the Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, you in the Senate did NOT do your duty under the Constitution and confirm Garland.

This is my problem with Gorsuch. He is not Garland. It was Obama's duty; Obama's turn to nominate and you should have confirmed his choice Merrick Garland.

Do not compound this miserable failure of the US Senate in fulfilling its BASIC JOB by confirming Gorsuch. Bring back Garland and confirm him instead.

Sincerely, and respectfully,


PS. I posted another set of letters to these US Senators on the same topic and as yet neither have answered. I urge all of you to write your US Senators about this. Because, hey, as long is the Supreme Court nominee is NOT Merrick Garland, then s/he should NOT be confirmed.

I just sent this letter to one of my Senators, Cory Gardner. I thought I'd share.

Dear Sen. Gardner,

I watched for 8 years as Republicans in the Senate and House steadfastly OPPOSED EVERYTHING Obama said or did. So, here's the deal. I'm among hundreds of thousands pressuring Democrats in the Senate to filibuster ANY Supreme Court nomination Trump EVER puts out. Because our president, Obama, forwarded Merrick Garland to you in the Senate for confirmation, and you did NOTHING. So, you know what - what goes around comes around. Be advised Democrats like me will urge our elected officials to oppose everything Trump comes up with or forwards - fight tooth and nail against everything you try to do. You want gridlock??? Great. You got it. That is if I can have anything to do with it. Yes, we are THAT divided. Trump isn't MY president and in my opinion is NOT a legitimate president. Clinton got 2.7 million more votes than Trump but the electoral college, which was created in the first place to help us avoid electing an unstable and amoral man such as Trump, did not vote as they should have.

Though I know you will disregard my letter because you have plenty of hard right people on the eastern plains so you can feel safe ignoring me, I am asking on my behalf as one of your constituents that you NOT vote to confirm the Trump nominee. Not because he's good or bad, but because you FAILED to uphold your constitutional duty to confirm Obama's pick, so you should not get to put anyone on the bench.

On other issues:
- DON'T allow the EPA to be undermined. Climate change is an existential threat to our species.
- If Trump finances his border wall with a tariff on Mexican goods, the American people will end up paying for it through higher prices charged for those goods; you DO know that, don't you?
- Why is the WH Chief of Staff, Bannon, allowed in high level security meetings, and the people who SHOULD be attending these meetings are partially barred?
- Why won't Trump release his taxes, and why aren't you alarmed about his many conflicts of interest, the nepotism and him allowing Bannon to attend high level security briefings?

I was born here in the USA. I've lived nearly 60 years here, and I am appalled that the people who supposedly represent my interests in DC have allowed this great nation to fall so far, so fast.

Regards,