THREAD📌
Trump is inciting violence in the US. It is blatant and overt. When I reported on the #RNC2020 I explained that highlighting accused felons like the McCloskeys who threatened a pastor-led demonstration with assault weaponry was a tacit permission to act similarly.
Over the weekend in #Portland and the previous weekend as well, there was a caravan of several hundred cars of Trump supporters with survivalists paramilitary and others attacking protestors. This was a highly organized event. The intent was to intimidate and terrorize.
My biggest concern is for November: Will these semi-military folks be patroling the polling places in cities like mine that Trump has already targeted.
Trump is also stoking this violence so he can keep maintaining that only he can solve the problem that of course he created. Trump also would like an excuse to exert his own presidential powers--control the protestors and show Americans it is he who can rescue them.
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OMG. This @ABC special #OnTheBrink with Diane Sawyer and @rachelvscott is absolutely gutting and should make everyone enraged that women are being subjected to this.
Termination committees are being convened to determine whether women deserve an emergency medical abortion. Insanity.
One woman was sent home with bleeding and fever and pain because she wasn't sick enough to be treated. She ended up hemorrhaging into the toilet and is rushed to the hospital, she is put on life support.
#OnTheBrink
Hollywood podcaster "reporting" on Hamas and the IDF from L.A. while real journalists like myself are covering the actual conflict. Yet folks like his narrative more--even as they blame "the media" for real reporting: They don't like what we tell them and how awful it is.
In reality IDF has razed northern Gaza and Netanyahu told hostage families his priority is attacking Gaza, not rescuing the 160 hostages still held. Thousands are demanding Netanyahu's resignation.
Pay more attention to people like @AlonLeeGreen, actually in Israel and doing real work.
Now I am flat out sobbing. Vivian Silver was such a remarkable person. So dedicated to making the world better. Oct 4th she was leading a peace march--she founded Women Wage Peace. Oct. 7 she was abducted by Hamas from a closet where she was hiding.
Vivian Silver worked constantly with/for people in Gaza. She drove Gazans to Israeli hospitals. She fought for wage increases. She was dedicated to a two state solution and put herself out there every day. She embodied tikkun olam.
May her memory be a blessing and a revolution.
Last night I read this lovely post by @LibyaLiberty who so generously opened her a space to people who disagree with her on Israel-Hamas and it was such an aspirational post. And I already admired Hend who I have followed for years and who I am fortunate follows me.
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Hend is doing a better job of living her faith than I am. She blesses people all the time. She challenges people without being too sharp or too harsh. I am failing Jesus every day because I am in a state of rage over the complexity and the clarity of this war.
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My wife was Jewish. Half my family + hers are Jewish. I have family anr friends in Israel. What happened Oct. 7 was horrific. Undeniably. What is happening in Gaza is horrific. As I said to Hend Thursday night, I guess I thought EVERYONE could agree killing kids is wrong, no matter whether they are Jews or Palestinians. I was wrong.
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Elijah McClain was a young sweet Black man with disabilities. He played violin. He loved cats. He was murdered horribly on camera and we all witnessed it. Another of his killers went free Monday because people with disabilities and young Black men are always suspect to police.
More than half of all victims of police killings are people with disabilities. Black men are 7% of the population and 40% of victims of police violence. The intersection of disability and Blackness raises the odds of being a victim. It's a crisis. namiillinois.org/half-people-ki…
Thr policing of Black disabled bodies is a constant in America. Elijah McClain is just one such tragic, unnecessary victim. americanprogress.org/article/unders…
The list of MSM journalists of longstanding who have given Trump a pass is disturbingly long. Every time a new one is revealed, the same people get outraged and the same people don't care. Yet the books get sold,the ratings go up. Which means a lot of that outrage is for show.
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No one gets cancelled. Rather the opposite: they get advanced to new positions and to better book deals. Legacy media and access journalism are inseparable. No one stopped watching Chuck Todd, they just complained about him.
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Anyone who has ever watched Kristen Welker before Sunday knew she'd never ask hard questions (as I predicted) because she never has. But she brought in other access journalists like Peter Baker to tell her it was okay and in fact necessary.
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