Religion and Politics 2024: It's Personal

 By Mildred Robertson

I am a lifelong churchgoer. I joined Log Providence Missionary Baptist Church when I was 8 years old, although I was 15 when I actually accepted Christ as my personal savior. So, it is safe to say that religion has informed many of my decisions throughout my life. To those who have known me since childhood, I acknowledge that I did not always heed the religious doctrine I was raised in. But as I look back over my life, I see those are the times when things did not go well.

For that reason, I believe each of us should seek a higher power in making our personal life decisions. For me, that is the role religion should play in politics...each individual's personal decision. So it is painful as I watch people purporting to embrace God's calling on us to live an upright life to weaponize His Word for their own personal gain.

Case in point, North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson who identifies as an evangelical Christian and has preached at congregations including Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville, North Carolina. This self-designated born-again Christian has a history of anti-black, antisemitic, anti-women statements prominently posted on Facebook throughout the years. In fact, most of the public positions he holds are anti-humanitarian. During a June 30 speech at White Lake church in the small town of White Lake North Carolina he said,

"Some folks need killing! It’s time for somebody to say it. It’s not a matter of vengeance. It’s not a matter of being mean or spiteful. It’s a matter of necessity! When you have wicked people doing wicked things, torturing and murdering and raping. It’s time to call out, uh, those guys in green and go have them handled. Or those boys in blue and have them go handle it.…"

This is just a small sample of the hateful, vile statements made by this MAGA gubernatorial candidate who runs neck-and-neck with his Democratic opponent, current North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. He and other MAGA acolytes continuously call on the name of God, while spewing ungodly hatred and promoting ungodly violence. It is this kind of religious fervor that gave birth to the murderous Crusades, the Salem Witch Hunts, and many other horrors perpetrated in the name of God. I am sure God himself is horrified.

The King James Version of the Bible, 2 Chronicles 7:14, tells us that God said: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Read full chapter

I have struggled as I watched the broadcast news, which I now tend to turn off after about 15 minutes of dispiriting commentary, bad news, and handwringing. It has become clear to me that there is only one way America will be all right after November 5th. That is if EACH of us turns down the volume on all the noise about age, mental capacity or criminality, gas prices, guns, border wars, women's rights, and equal rights...all important and relevant issues for the upcoming election. But as we turn down the volume on all these weighty issues that none of us can handle on our own, we must TURN UP the volume on our communication with our own personal Higher Power. We must hear that still quiet voice that will give us direction if we only listen.

When you go in the voting booth on November 5th, (and please go, no matter how disheartening the seeming outcome) TURN UP THE VOLUME on your personal guide. Listen to your heart...that is where He speaks. Because religion is not a NATIONAL process. It is a personal one. If we really ARE God's people, he will speak to us...he will guide us, and if we follow his direction, He will heal our land.

Supreme Court Creates Existential Threat to Democracy

 By Mildred Robertson

In a blog published June 22 I opined that: "While the Court labors under a cloud of suspicion regarding its integrity and which cases it took up and why; America’s future hangs in the balance. This nation stands on the precipice of disaster if the Supreme Court does not show the same kind of strength and integrity we have witnessed across this nation, as state courts held rioters, insurrectionists, rebels, and even would-be kings responsible for their actions."

Well, we no longer stand on the precipice of disaster. We are now tossed into the breach!

On Monday, the Supreme Court gave unprecedented power to the United States President...power that in the wrong hands can destroy the democratic foundation upon which our nation has stood since July 4, 1776. The Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump is partially immune from prosecution for efforts to overturn the 2020 election. They found that Trump cannot be prosecuted for "official acts" taken in office but could be liable for illegal private conduct. The ruling ended in a 6-3 ruling on ideological lines with Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissenting. 

An impassioned dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor said this ruling left her with "fear for our democracy." I share her fear as we face an upcoming election where polls have the racist, sexist, criminally indicted Donald Trump running neck-and-neck with President Joe Biden. She, Kagan, and Jackson envision a grim outlook for U.S. democracy. Sotomayor wrote, "In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."    

Jackson also paints a grim picture of this nation's future, stating, "If the structural consequences of today's paradigm shift mark a step in the wrong direction, then the practical consequences are a five-alarm fire that threatens to consume democratic self-governance and the normal operations of our government."

The first ember of the coming blaze threatening to burn our country to the ground is the criminal election fraud case against Trump. That case will now be sent back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan who must rule on whether the criminal charges brought against Trump by special counsel Jack Smith pertain to official acts performed as president or were private conduct subject to prosecution.  This will undoubtedly delay the trial until after the Nov. 5 election. The result is a victory for Trump, the presumptive nominee for the Republican presidential candidacy. This decision insulates him during the election, but also literally gives him a "get-out-of-jail-free card.  

So, it behooves all of us who believe in democracy to let our voices be heard during the November 5th election. No one should sit this one out. 

If I were creating the perfect candidate, Joe Biden would not be my creation. But I do believe that I share similar values with him. He will do his best to do what is right for America. He is a decent human being who will choose right over wrong.  I trust him, and I believe that history will look favorably upon his administration.

None of those things can be said for his opponent. 

The democratic party has not always done ALL that it should to make this a more equitable society. Nevertheless, Joe Biden and the Democratic party offer the best hope for America to maintain its freedom. A protest vote will be heard by few, but felt by many. 

No one is coming to save us from the existential threat of a Trump-led Republican majority.  Not the courts. Not the DOJ. Not the Congress. We must save ourselves. 

We must vote like our freedom depends on it...because it does.

So, Joe Biden Had a Bad Day

 By Mildred Robertson

Okay. President Joe Biden looked a little shaky during the June 27 debate. Was it disappointing for those who support a strong, democratic government?  Absolutely!

But does it mean that we must accept the leadership of a convicted rapist and felon who promoted an insurrection against the federal government? Absolutely not!

As we examine the optics of this debate, it is clear that President Biden was not having a good day. It also was clear that the format smoothed Trump's rough edges so we did not see the wild-eyed lunatic that normally shows up at rallies, speeches, and on Trump Social Media. But the lies were still there.

For instance, Trump’s rhetoric on abortion was patently absurd, and filled with lies. Clearly, doctors are not aborting babies at nine months and up to days after birth. That would be called murder. He denied having had relations with Stormy Daniels, which a jury of his peers found to be false.  While his affair is of no one’s concern but his and Melania’s, the FACT that he paid hush money to keep that knowledge away from voters during the 2020 election is everybody’s business.

As voters mull over the pros and cons of each candidate, I hope they bear in mind that Joe Biden has done a lot to bring America out of the ditch into which Trump drove us.

• He took meaningful steps to clean up the COVID mess left by his predecessor.  
• He drove down prescription drug costs.
• He actually PASSED an infrastructure bill.
• He signed an executive order to allow citizenship for spouses of Dreamers.
• He stood up to Putin’s aggression and provided support for Ukraine despite rabid Republican opposition.
• He has attempted to moderate the conflict in the Middle East, though challenges still exist. They would exist for any president. Atrocities on both sides make it difficult to throw one's support totally to one side or the other.
• He proposed meaningful border legislation that was killed by Trump and his sycophants.
• While gas and food prices are high, America still leads the world in terms of financial stability. Economic indicators are moving in a positive direction even as corporate greed pushes prices as high as the market will allow. (That’s known as capitalism.)
• He supports a woman’s right to choose.

While Joe Biden promises to spend the next four years working to continue to improve the plight of Americans, from young people seeking relief from student debt to those seeking to buy new homes, his opposition is still stuck in the past, whining about a win in 2020 that was outside his reach. 

Trump LOST that race, yet he still wants to canonize the rebels who stormed the Capitol, urinated in its hallowed halls, and threatened to hang Mike Pence. He yearns to be a dictator, if only for one day, (wink-wink). He promises tax cuts to the wealthy and continues to denigrate Black Americans by claiming that he will win their votes because of his mugshot. His promise to them…the return of “black” jobs…whatever that means.

So am I somewhat disheartened, yes, but not in despair.  I believe the majority of American voters are astute enough to know that a 2^nd Trump presidency would be catastrophic. It would isolate us from world leadership and launch our democracy on a path to destruction.

We have begun the hard job of recovery from the four years we suffered under Trump’s leadership. I do not believe our democracy could bear the burden of four more years of that corrupt administration. So when you enter the voting booth, think about whether this country’s foundational democracy is important to you. If it is, you must VOTE BLUE.

THE SUPREME COURT PROBABLY WON’T SAVE US

 By Mildred Robertson

The Supreme Court is rushing toward its final days in this term, with much left to be decided.  With little more than a week to go, several high-profile cases remain to be heard, including cases that could reshape our nation’s laws ranging from gun control and abortion rights to social media issues. The Court actually upheld a law that bars domestic abusers from possessing firearms…a rare victory for gun control advocates, but short-lived, as the Court also ruled that a bump stock does not make an AR a machine gun, even though it can discharge as many rounds as one.

A Court that boasts a 6-3 conservative majority has yet to issue rulings on the abortion pill and some gun rights issues. Of course, the most high-profile case coming before them is the Donald Trump immunity case, where Trump argues that former presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts they took in office. They also are considering the indictment he faces on charges of election interference. He argues that the previous rule held that former presidents can’t be sued in civil cases for what they did in office. But the Court has yet to weigh in on criminal immunity. He hopes that the Court will give him a get-out-of-jail-free card. By taking on this case, the Court gave Trump a win by making it next to impossible for the case to be brought against him before the election, even if they ruled that he is not immune from prosecution.  

The Court has yet to decide on whether hundreds of insurrectionists who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, should be prosecuted and jailed for obstruction charges related to their attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden as the duly elected President in the 2020 election. That is a charge also faced by Trump for obstructing an official proceeding. The Court’s decision could invalidate more than 330 January 6 prosecutions…including Trump’s.

An example of the type of accused insurrectionist who might be cleared is Joseph Fischer who texted his boss before the January 6^th insurrection to tell him that he might need to post bail.  He allegedly warned that the protest at the US Capitol “might get violent.” It is also alleged that he said, “they should storm the capital and drag all the democrats [sic] into the street and have a mob trial.”

According to the Justice Department, it was Fischer who allegedly yelled “charge,” on the day of the insurrection before running and crashing into a line of police inside the Capitol. Video footage cited by the Justice Department shows at least one officer on the ground following Fischer’s assault, after which he was forcibly removed. The FBI identified Fischer based on a Facebook post that he posted showing him inside the Capitol on January 6.

Fischer has yet to be tried because the criminal proceeding has been tied up in appeals after a Trump-appointed trial judge ruled that one of the criminal laws with which he is charged must be narrowly interrupted.  The case, Fischer v. United States, is now being reviewed by the Supreme Court. The statute says that anyone who obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding or attempts to do so commits a serious federal crime and can be imprisoned for up to 20 years.  The Justice Department has charged approximately 330 January 6 defendants with violating this statute during the insurrection.  Among the accused…Donald J. Trump.

While the Court considers issues such as abortion rights, guns, homelessness, and environmental issues, scandal looms over two of the Court's conservative majority members. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was caught on tape stating that he questioned whether a compromise between the left and the right is possible. According to audio posted by liberal filmmaker Lauren Windsor, Alito said “One side or the other is going to win…there are differences on fundamental things that really can’t be compromised.” This leads us to wonder whether Justice Alito can make an unbiased decision in any controversial case. This issue is magnified when you see Alito entangled in a community controversy over flying the American flag upside down above at least two of his residences. Flying the flag in that manner is both disrespectful and an indication of allegiance to the insurrectionists.

Then, there’s Clarence Thomas who has received financial perks from billionaire Harlan Crow that he failed to declare publicly. Now, he acknowledges he should have disclosed the free trips. He amended his financial disclosure for 2019 stating that he “inadvertently omitted” the trips on previous reports.

While the Court labors under a cloud of suspicion regarding its integrity and which cases it took up and why; America’s future hangs in the balance. This nation stands on the precipice of disaster if the Supreme Court does not show the same kind of strength and integrity we have witnessed across this nation, as state courts held rioters, insurrectionists, rebels, and even would-be kings responsible for their actions.

It is my prayer that the Court holds the line and protects democracy. If it does not…YOU are the last line of defense.

You must vote for this country’s future. You must support the candidates who put country before party, who put citizens above businesses, and who put freedom and justice above anarchy.

It is up to you…because NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US.

Men of Southeast Raleigh Fight for Community's Legacy

 By Mildred Robertson

It was a simple event held at the John Chavis Memorial Park Community Center in Southeast Raleigh. Chavis, which has a rich legacy of service to African Americans in Southeast Raleigh, was a fitting location as brothers of "The Men of Southeast Raleigh" escorted senior mothers being honored by the Chavis Seniors in a Mother’s Day Tribute organized by Joani Craven and Sarah McNeil. The group of active seniors meets every Thursday for crafts, games, and fellowship. The men served as escorts for the three seniors recognized at the event.

Anthony Pope, coordinator of "The Men of Southeast Raleigh" says the group was pleased to be invited to participate in the event by long-time friend Joani Craven. He even recognizes Craven as the one who inspired him to organize the group. “Joani and I grew up together and have lived in the same community all our lives,” he says. It was when he retired in 2021 that she pressed him to start the organization, which began with just 3 men. By the time they held their first meeting, the enrollment had expanded to 20 men. Their current membership includes about 70 individuals most of whom are highly engaged in projects supporting Southeast Raleigh.

Members were primarily born and raised in Southeast Raleigh. “We practically grew up together, lived in the same communities, and went to the same schools,” says Anthony. So, the members are invested in the vitality of this community. His fond memories of growing up in Southeast Raleigh were the catalyst for taking on the task of maintaining his beloved community’s legacy. “As I think back to when we grew up, the community embraced us.  Everybody's parents were our parents,” says Pope.

The goal of the organization is to gather men from the community who exude courage, confidence, and class and who are committed to preserving the legacy and history of Southeast Raleigh. The group is involved in activities both social and political that affect the Southeast Raleigh community.

One of the main issues that trouble Pope is the gentrification that is swallowing up property in the area. He tells his own story of how gentrification impacted his ancestral home. His mother owned a home in Southeast Raleigh since the late 80s. When he took over the property in 2011, he gutted and refitted it, doing most of the work himself, with help from friends. Property taxes on that home at that time were approximately $450-$500 per year.   But with all the new construction in his neighborhood, even without any further renovations or improvements his home property taxes skyrocketed to $4,092.  From the time his mother purchased the home in 1986 to the present, the value of the home had soared to $538,000. That jump in valuation is based on the new construction of townhomes that have sprung up in his neighborhood priced at $1.4 million, none of which have been sold. The homes are priced outside the reach of the moderate-income homebuyers who historically populated the area. They also over-inflate the land value of long-time homeowners in the area, resulting in exorbitant property taxes.

That is the plight of Southeast Raleigh. “Our community is disappearing because people can't pay their taxes, particularly the elderly. They don’t know you can ask for a waiver,” says Pope. 

To support homeowners in the areas, the Men of Southeast Raleigh have begun to hold sessions to teach people how to appeal their property valuations. The first session, which attracted about 30 people was held on April 15 at historic Martin Street Baptist Church which sits in the heart of Southeast Raleigh. A second meeting held on April 29 attracted approximately 100 people interested in lowering their property taxes.

The group is trying to inform as many people as possible about ways to get tax relief. “These properties have land that is more valuable than the houses that sit on them. I plan to plead my case on my property taxes and want to help other people do the same,” says Pope. He says that families who have lived in Southeast Raleigh for years are being priced out of the market by exploding property taxes that put their homeownership in jeopardy. That’s why his group’s efforts aim to help save families' homes by showing them how to reduce the property tax burden.  Pope says that the more people raise the issue, the more the city will be forced to examine it.

If you want to learn more about “The Men of Southeast Raleigh,” or wish to join the group visit the website at https://www.menofsoutheastraleigh.com/ or contact Pope at popea19783@gmail.com.

William Barr's Presidential Choice: Chaos and Horror, or Liberalism

 By: Mildred Robertson

The New York Post recently reported that former Attorney General Bill Barr characterized the Trump presidency as a horror show filled with chaos.  He adds, however, that he still will support Trump over Biden in the 2024 election. He reasons that “the real threat to democracy is the progressive movement and the Biden administration.”  

This is the most illogical statement I have ever heard from someone who is supposedly learned. Barr is saying the "chaos and horror" of a Trump presidency is superior to one that has improved the country, built roads and bridges, improved unemployment, strengthened healthcare, and aided in reducing student debt.

Come on now. This is partisanship gone awry. 

While Barr openly criticizes Trump for his handling of the documents case, noting that Trump puts his ego above his presidential duties and describes January 6th as a travesty, he still rails against the liberalism that accompanies a Biden presidency. He chooses chaos and horror over liberalism.

 What!

Barr is only one of many former Trump high-ranking administration officials who criticize the twice impeached, criminally charged, civilly convicted ex-president. His former administrators characterize him as an impulsive leader who disregards advice and lacks adult sensibilities. That includes former Defense Secretary James Mattis, former Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton, former White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, former Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert, and the list goes on and on.

But unlike Barr, many of Trump’s former administrative officers say they cannot back him for a second term. Chief among them is former Vice President Mike Pence. During a Fox interview on March 15, 2024, Pence said he would not support Trump during the upcoming election. Pence stated that as he sought the 2024 presidential election, “I made it clear that there were profound differences between me and President Trump on a range of issues.” Pence said that Trump’s agenda is at odds with the conservative agenda he supports, and by which they supposedly governed during their tenure in office.

In light of the exodus of high-ranking officials from Trump’s camp, it is even more puzzling that Barr would endorse Trump in the 2024 presidential election. An article in the New Republic authored by Hafiz Rashid Barr quoted Barr as saying in June 2023, “Should we be putting someone like this forward as the leader of the country, leader of the free world?”

The answer to that question in 2023 was NO!  It is still “no” now.

We cannot let partisan polarization as exhibited by Barr and others like him destroy our democracy. It is unfathomable that a political leader could recognize the destructiveness of a candidate yet continue to support that candidate based on party loyalty.

When you balance America’s future with a choice between horrific chaos and progressive liberalism, the choice is clear. Whether you are Republican, Democrat, or Independent, horrific chaos should never be the choice.

A Third-Party Vote is a Vote for Trump

 By Mildred Robertson

America is faced with a major threat during the 2024 Presidential Election. Third-party candidates may throw the country into a quagmire as they muddy political waters.  If these candidates attract enough votes in the general election their candidacies could ensure that neither major party candidate can win in the Electoral College. That would throw the election into the House of Representatives, where the Republican legislators will most assuredly elect former President Donald J. Trump.

Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. seems to be the largest threat because he has gained ballot access in Utah and is poised to qualify in six more states, including three battleground states.  It is highly unlikely that he or any third-party candidate could secure the presidency, but they could have a significant impact on the election outcome by diverting support from candidates Donald Trump (Rep.) and President Biden, (Dem.)

In early March Kennedy Jr.’s campaign announced that it collected enough signatures to put him on the ballot in Nevada. He recently qualified for the Utah ballot and the American Values super PAC supporting his candidacy also claims to have the signatures to secure his spot on the ballots in Arizona, Georgia, and South Carolina.  According to a November Siena College poll of voters in six battleground states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin), slightly more Democrats than Republicans (18% versus 16%) would back Kennedy Jr., indicating he could draw more votes from Biden than Trump.

The other two third-party candidates seeking the presidency are progressive Cornel West and Green Party’s Jill Stein. Stein is blamed for siphoning votes from Hillary Clinton in 2016 in Florida and was on the ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan which led to Hillary’s ultimate defeat in the Electoral College. (Note that Clinton actually won the popular vote by 2.9 million.)

It is presumed that without Kennedy Jr., West, and Stein on the ballot, Biden could beat Trump by four points. However, these third-party candidates change that math. The Quinnipiac poll and the December Reuters/Ipsos survey found Trump’s lead over Biden widens to five when Kennedy Jr. is on the ballot. A January Harvard CAPS-Harris poll found Trump would expand his lead over Biden from six to eight points with Kennedy Jr. on the ballot.

Clearly, these polls are changing daily as more voters tune in to the election and begin to make their decisions about who they will choose to lead this nation. Currently, Biden and Trump are in a statistical dead heat. One of the two will be elected president on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

So as voters plan how they will vote and for whom, it is important to weigh the value of a third-party vote. If a candidate from neither major party appeals to you just know that making a third-party choice is still a choice for one of the two of them. It is unlikely…almost impossible for a third-party candidate to win. But it is almost certain that a third-party vote is a vote for Trump. Look back to 2016. The evidence is clear.

If you are just looking for an alternative with your third-party vote, you won’t get one. You will just get Trump.

Don’t waste your vote.