Mildred Robertson
Friday, November 26, 2021
Justice in America; It’s Complicated
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
How Biden’s Build Back Better Legislation Will Affect You
Democrats Push for Social Change
Mildred Robertson
All politics is local. That may
not be clear from the hoopla occurring in Washington, D.C. over President Joe
Biden’s “Build Back Better” (BBB) initiative. But this bill is packed full of
benefits that will transform North Carolina, and other states across this
nation for years to come. We are talking about historic investments in child
care, affordable housing, education, and health and family home care that will recreate
our economy around today’s realities.
We no longer live in an agrarian
society where generations of family members live together to provide support
for the young and the old. Our reality today generally requires a two-family
income. That means families are left to grapple with child care and elder care,
while both parents hold down full-time jobs. Not only must earned income go
toward childcare and eldercare, but the costs for caring for our loved ones are
exorbitant.
The North Carolina Democratic
Party states that the average annual cost of child care for a toddler is
$8,746. BBB will ensure that access to high-quality child care will consume no
more than 7% of a family’s income. In North Carolina, that could affect close
to 630,000 young children. Not only will this bill help with child-care costs,
it will fund universal, high-quality preschool for children throughout the
nation. Through BBB, more than 154,103 children ages 3-4 years old will gain
access to North Carolina’s existing preschool program.
While addressing quality-of-life
issues for families in this country, BBB also takes direct aim at the housing
crisis. The NCDP says more than 600,000 renters in North Carolina spend more
than 30% of their income on rent. Homeownership, they say, is out of the reach
for many families. BBB addresses both these issues by expanding rental
assistance and focusing on increasing the supply of high-quality affordable
housing.
Other issues this bill addresses
is the need to expand health care coverage and lower costs. The bill will close
the Medicaid coverage gap while reducing premiums, making insurance more
accessible and affordable. That translates into 388,000 uninsured individuals
who will gain coverage in North Carolina alone. NCDP says that 229,100 North
Carolinians will, on average, save hundreds of dollars per year on insurance.
Additionally, “Build Back Better”
will support long-term family care needs and will cut taxes for workers and
families. It is estimated that the extended Child Tax Credit increase will
become permanent and will provide a tax cut of up to $1,500 for 593,000
low-wage workers in North Carolina.
So as you weigh the importance of the Washington beltway chatter about
the Biden administration and his “Build Back Better” program, I encourage each
of you to examine how these cutting-edge policies will affect your daily lives.
I believe the bill is transformational. I believe it positions America to be on
the cutting edge of social, business and political innovation for the coming
millennia. And I really do think it will make America better.
So ignore the chatter. Talk to
your local legislators, read your local newspapers. Do your research. I believe
you will find that BBB will help create a better life for you today and for generations
to come.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Kyle Rittenhouse: Murderer or Martyr?
By Mildred Robertson
Today we watched
baby-faced Kyle Rittenhouse bawl on the witness stand like the child that he
is, as he recounted the tragic day that he shot and killed demonstrators
in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It is said that Kyle’s tears seemed to move some of the
jurors who probably sympathized with him because of his youth. They may be weighing his actions based upon
his adolescence. They may be thinking that no one his age should have had to
make the decisions he made that night. And
they are right, because Kyle Rittenhouse should not have been there.
The fact is, Rittenhouse crossed states lines,
illegally armed himself, attended a MAGA rally, and went to the protest looking
for trouble. He found what he was looking for. Rittenhouse murdered two people and
wounded another.
He claimed it was self-defense. It is hard to argue
with his claim, because the folks who could rebut his testimony about purported
threats to his safety prior to the shootings are dead. He claims he was
threatened by the first person he shot, after which other protestors pursued and threatened him and became his target.
While the defense has done a less than stellar job
of bringing it out in court, Rittenhouse set in motion the events that led to
the fatal shootings when he decided that he would become a vigilante
peace-keeper during the unrest in Kenosha. It is my belief that he went to
Kenosha in order to do just what he did. He wanted to be famous, and he has
achieved that goal. Since the murders, he has been praised by the MAGA crowd as
a hero and martyr.
Whether found guilty or not, he was no hero. Rittenhouse
was at a place he should not have been, carrying a weapon he should not have
had, taking actions he should not have taken. He did not live in Kenosha, and
police had already called curfew. So when Rittenhouse illegally drove to
Kenosha (He had no driver’s license),
to participate in the unrest, he was wrong. When he strapped on an AR 47 long
gun loaded with 223 full-metal jacket ammunition, he was wrong. When he entered
a cordoned-off area of town through police barricades he was wrong. When he
failed to heed police announcements to vacate the area due to curfew he was
wrong.
No one knows whether Anthony Huber or Joseph Rosenbaum
threatened to kill Rittenhouse that fateful night. They are dead and cannot
speak for themselves. The third victim, Gaige
Grosskreutz, who was armed and pursued Rittenhouse after the shootings, says
that he had his hands raised, yet Rittenhouse still shot him. But the fact is, these events were set in
motion by Rittenhouse himself and his actions. It was he who precipitated the
events that led to the death of two human beings, and the injury of another.
While watching the proceedings today, it is clear
that the judge is inclined toward the defense, openly displaying his disdain for
the prosecution. It appeared that at every turn, he took the opportunity to
chastise the prosecution, while giving leeway to the defense. Let us hope that
the jury looks at the facts, and not his youth, or his white skin to determine
his guilt or innocence. Let us hope that the justice that would be meted out to
a black protestor in the same circumstance will be afforded to Kyle Rittenhouse.