Shell_Seas
Shell_Seas's JournalBeyond Pornography: A Prelude To Broader Digital Surveillance?
How Texas's age verification law signals a slippery slope for privacy rights.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/beyond-pornography-a-prelude-to-broader
Pornhub, the largest online pornography platform, and serveral other pornography websites disabled access to Texas today. This comes after Ken Paxton sued Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo. Paxton accused Aylo of failing to implement “reasonable age verification methods” on Pornhub and other adult sites that it owns.
In the fabric of American freedoms, the First Amendment stands as a beacon of protection for free speech, casting its light across the broad spectrum of expression, from the political to the personal, and yes, even to the realm of sexually explicit material.
The Supreme Court rulings have affirmed that consenting adults possess the freedom to engage with sexually explicit material. This legal stance underscores a fundamental respect for personal autonomy and the right to access information and expressive content without undue interference.
What’s happening in this case isn’t about pornography; it’s about the First Amendment.
Will Texas Ever Turn Blue? Here's What The Data Tells Us:
Debunking the 'Texas Will Never Be Blue' Narrative.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/will-texas-ever-turn-blue-heres-what
Yesterday, I posted a map I made on 270toWin on Twitter, which caused interesting reactions and a few ongoing debates. I made every toss-up state blue, Texas and North Carolina blue and asked, “What do you think?”
Some people pointed out my map was “wishful thinking,” while others rejoiced at Texas’s blueness. However, two groups of people wanted to let me know, “Texas will never be blue.” Those two groups were Democrats/Liberals who aren’t from Texas and Texas Republicans.
They’re wrong. Texas will be blue, it’s inevitable, it’s only a matter of when. And the data back it up. So, let’s talk about it.
Far-Right Republicans Want To Ban Democratic Chairs In The House
At Stake In 2024: The GOP's latest power play to silence Democratic voices.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/far-right-republicans-want-to-ban
Since the beginning of time, chairmanships of Committees in the Texas Legislature have been based on seniority. That was one of the things that set the Texas legislature apart from the chaos in DC and the way DC was run. But in the 87th Legislature, now disgraced Representative Bryan Slaton crafted the idea that because Republicans were in the (slim) majority, Democrats should have no political power in the House.
Slaton managed to catch the attention of the nazi-aligned group Defend Texas Liberty PAC and the cash from West Texas billionaire Tim Dunn. They adopted Slaton’s partisan idea and began pushing it out through the other nazi-aligned legislators, like Tony Tinderholt and Brian Harrison, until the GOP grassroots began pressuring House leadership not to appoint Democratic chairs over committees. As a consequence, Democrats held fewer chairs in the Legislature last session than in sessions before. It still wasn’t good enough for them.
They are trying to oust Speaker Dade Phelan because he has given chairmanships to Democrats.
Going into the 2024 election, the far-right has made banning Democratic chairs a campaign priority.
The Texas Democratic Primary Runoff Races
Election season is far from over, and some Democrats will have to head back to the polls in May.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/the-texas-democratic-primary-runoff
While the Republican side is awash with dozens of runoff contests, the Democratic Party faces only a few runoff races. Despite the smaller number of contests, these Democratic primary runoffs are still important. These races will determine who will challenge the Republican incumbents and vie for open seats in a state on the verge of flipping.
Texas Republicans' Hard Right Turn
Election Aftermath: The radical transformation of Texas' Republican Party.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/texas-republicans-hard-right-turn
I’ve been watching the Texas Legislature for over a decade, and while I have seen a few knock-down-drag-out Republican primary races in Texas, nothing prepared me for the bloodbath we saw last night.
Nine Incumbent Republican House members lost their seats. Eight more incumbent Republicans were forced into runoffs.
Moreover, the Republicans running against the incumbents are further right: Christian Nationalists, bigoted, homophobic, xenophobic, racist, sexist, and, in many cases, criminals.
Potentially, in May, we may have 17 brand-spanking new fascists in the Texas House, ready to write laws to control your life, body, freedom, and pursuit of happiness.
The Morning After: What The Hell Happened Last Night?
From Dusk Till Dawn: The GOP's Embrace of Trumpism in Texas.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/the-morning-after-what-the-hell-happened
On Monday, I said, “It’s important to remember that primary turnout doesn’t dictate November turnout.” That’s true, and Democrats need to keep that in mind when analyzing the primary results. Republicans did show up in the primary election in higher numbers than Democrats. But all of their leadership was heavily invested in the primaries and ousting the last few sane Republicans.
Of all the takeaways from the 2024 primary elections, the biggest one should be this: Texas Republicans are Trump Republicans. As terrible as it sounds, over the next several months, Democrats and non-voters in the Lone Star State are going to have to have a come-to-Jesus moment and accept that their neighbors hate them and want to do them harm.
Trump won big in Texas, and so did Trumpism. While in other states, we’ve seen Trump barely win 60% - 70% of the primary vote, he won 77% here in Texas. And that’s considering that probably 5% of Nikki Haley’s voters were Democrats.
Texas Early Voter Turnout Report
If you haven't voted yet, don't forget that Super Tuesday is tomorrow.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/texas-early-voter-turnout-report
In 2020, well-meaning folks were sure Democrats would “flip the Texas House” based on primary election turnout. However, it’s important to remember that primary turnout doesn’t dictate November turnout. That matters in 2020, and it matters now.
Primary elections are intra-party contests where political party members choose candidates for the upcoming general election. These elections often attract a more engaged, ideologically driven subset of active voters in their parties’ processes. The general election is where candidates from different parties compete against each other. The electorate in general elections is broader and more diverse, including the party faithful who vote in primaries and more moderate and independent voters who may skip primaries but participate in general elections.
I lead with that because I know how easy it is for Democrats to feel discouraged in Texas. But you shouldn’t feel discouraged. You should feel motivated to keep pushing on. We can’t give up, even when we appear defeated (we aren’t).
Ector County Republican Party-Aligned Group Calls For Lynching Of Brown Mayor
Violence in Odessa: A dangerous turn in local politics.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/ector-county-republican-party-aligned
Over the last month, violence between Ector County Republicans has reached peak levels. There have been multiple Republican-on-Republican incidents, and at least one has led to a police report and a press conference from county officials. While researching the incidents and trying to understand what happened, I came across a Facebook page called “Odessa Accountability Project.”
This morning, they made a Facebook post calling for the lynching of the brown Republican mayor. I only came across this post because the Ector County Republican Party shared it. In fact, the Ector County Republican Party has shared nearly every post of the Odessa Accountability Project for months (maybe longer).
The exact verbiage used was, “Mayor Javier Joven should be shot or hung from a tree.”
Shot or hung from a tree.
Abbott Plays Politics And Fundraises As Largest Fire In Texas History Decimates Panhandle
Governor Abbott's Week of Priorities: Campaign trails over crisis management.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/abbott-plays-politics-and-fundraises
Most of you could never be convinced that Governor Greg Abbott has ever acted in the best interest of Texas and Texans. However, after his behavior this week, everyone should know that he only cares about playing politics.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has now burned 1.1 million acres (at the time of writing this) and has thus far claimed two lives. Not only is this fire the largest in Texas history, but it is also the second-largest-ever fire in all of America.
You would think the Governor would be at a command center, giving press conferences, deploying the National Guard, and ordering additional resources to combat this unprecedented disaster. Instead, his response has been notably absent, highlighting a disconnect between his actions and the urgent needs of his constituents.
This fire started Monday. What has Abbott been up to since then?
Texas Legislature Targets LGBTQ Studies, Signals Women and Ethnic Studies Are Next
While Representative Brian Harrison's immediate target is LGBTQ studies, which he could file legislation to ban in the 89th Legislature, his language also encompasses Gender and Ethnic studies.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/texas-legislature-targets-lgbtq-studies
In democratic societies, the bedrock of educational institutions is their unwavering commitment to fostering critical thinking, nurturing open debate, and encouraging the exploration of diverse ideas. This commitment not only enriches students’ minds but also prepares them to engage constructively in the broader societal discourse, ensuring the vibrancy and resilience of democracy itself.
Representative Brian Harrison has positioned himself at the forefront of an authoritarian approach to reshape the academic landscape in Texas universities. Since Harrison is running unopposed, we can almost certainly bet on seeing him push in the 89th Legislature bills to ban LGBTQ studies; Harrison’s hateful language doesn’t stop there.
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Member since: Thu Aug 11, 2016, 03:03 PMNumber of posts: 3,333
