Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of the Washington Post, announced on Wednesday that the newspaper will only publish opinion pieces that conform to his political ideology.
What this means is that they won’t publish any opinion but his. I guess that makes it an un-opinion section since it doesn’t reflect all sides. It is a not so subtle attempt to stifle any opinion he or this administration don’t agree with. To deny any opposition or opposing thoughts.
So much for free speech.
In response, David Shipley, the editor of the Washington Post’s opinion page, resigned. At least we know he has some integrity.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868. It was created to keep states from denying citizenship to freed slaves. This amendment is as relevant today as it was then as it also protects people from the whims of unscrupulous politics. To deny citizenship to anyone born in this country violates the constitution.
Fourteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment Explained
Section 1
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Section 2
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section 3
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5
The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
On January 6, 2001, a mob descended on the capital at the behest of Donald Trump for the sole purpose of stopping the ratification of the next lawfully elected president of the United States of America, Joe Biden. The world watched in horror as people assaulted police, vandalized and entered the capital unlawfully, and threatened members of congress and vice president Pence.
Let us not forget that this wasn’t “a day of love” as Trump is now calling it, and those rioters weren’t patriots. In fact, this was not a random or spontaneous event at all. Many of the participants came prepared with pepper spray, zip ties, and combat gear. These are definitely not the acts of peaceful protesters. Let’s also not forget how many hours passed before Trump, after watching this unfold on live tv, consented to text his people, and tell them to go home.
This convicted felon will soon be sworn in as our 47th president. He’s promised to pardon all the rioters in the first few hours of his presidency and retaliate against anyone who has ever opposed him. His cabinet choices are all people who will do his bidding, some of whom aren’t qualified for their positions.
Wake up America. It’s up to us to remember the truth and keep our history from being rewritten and our constitution intact.
Last Saturday I participated in Books and Brews at Union Craft Brewery.
I had a great time and met some wonderful people.
If you missed me, don’t fret, I’ll be at the Atholton HS Craft Fair on December 8, 2024 in Columbia, Maryland. In addition to my books, (including the last 2 print copies of Star Touched!) I will be selling “Be Who You Are” T-shirts and some special wolf and hummingbird necklaces.
We left Ullapool on August 6 after a nice breakfast.
The first stop was Culloden, site of the Battle of Culloden which took place on April 16, 1746. The Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) was defeated by the British army, ending the Jacobite uprising. In less than an hour, around 1,300 men were slain – about 1,250 of them Jacobites. Many highland clans were in the Jacobite army. After Culloden, the wearing of tartan and highland garb was forbidden, as was carrying weapons in the Highlands, and the Clan system was abolished.
There are markers for the clans that fought and died. They had to put a fence around the marker for Clan Fraser to keep the Outlander fans back.
Of course, I couldn’t leave the Highlands without seeing a wee Highland Coo.
After seeing The Stones of Stenness, Maes Howe, and Skara Brae, I didn’t think it could get better. But it did. We got to go to an active archaeological dig!
Ness of Brodgar covers 6.2 acres. Excavation on this Neolithic site began in 2004 and ended this summer. We were lucky enough to be there on the last open house before they closed the site. Isn’t that cool? Some of the structures were started around 3300 BC, but the there is evidence of activity way before that.
We made a brief stop at the Kirbuster farm museum. The Fire Hoose is from 1595. Note the stone roof.
Robert Stewart, half-brother of Mary Queen of Scots, became Earl of Orkney in the late 1500s. This is what’s left of his palace in Birsay.
But the real highlight of the day was the Ring of Brodgar
They don’t know much about Brogar, but they think it was built between 2600 and 2400 BC. It is older and bigger than Stonehenge. It may have been used to observe the moon.
36 of the original 60 stones have survived. The tallest is 4.7 meters tall.
The circle is 104 meters in diameter and is encircled by a 135-meter henge.
BTW, while I was there, an article came out about the alter stone at Stonehenge. Seems it wasn’t quarried from Wales as originally thought. It came from North Western Scotland Orkney area.
Wrapped up our last night on Orkney Island with dinner from the sea. Wondering what those things around the scallops are? They are the reproductive organs. Did you know that scallops are hermaphrodites?
