A Better Deal to Protect Our Democracy. CONGRESSMAN DAVID CICILLINE.

Dear David, 

Too many Americans feel that Washington is hopelessly out of touch with their priorities. President Trump promised to fight for the forgotten American, yet Republican-controlled Washington continues business as usual, rewarding the wealthy, privileged and well-connected at the expense of middle class and working families. 

Look no further than Congressional Republicans’ and President Trump’s agenda: billions in tax cuts for the rich, massive giveaways to special interests and the full-frontal corporate assault on workers’ rights and consumers’ protections.

Democrats, on the other hand, have a plan - A Better Deal for Our Democracy - to take power back from the special interests and give it to the American people. With this agenda, we are committing to advancing critical reforms to empower voters at the ballot box, bolster our nation’s ethics laws and overhaul our broken campaign finance system. Specifically, the Better Deal for Our Democracy will:

1. Empower the American Voter to Ensure Responsive Government. We must protect every citizen’s right to vote, safeguard our election infrastructure from hostile actors and put an end to partisan redistricting. 

2. Strengthen Our Nation’s Ethics Laws to Fight Special Interests. We must end the revolving-door in Washington and rein in the influence of high-powered Washington insiders, lobbyists and big-money donors – and the special interests that are driving Washington’s agenda. 

3. Fix Our Broken Campaign Finance System to Combat Big Money Influence. We must break the stranglehold on our democracy by wealthy and well-connected campaign donors by empowering everyday Americans and ending the scourge of unaccountable “dark money” unleashed by Citizens United. 

More information on A Better Deal to Protect Our Democracy is available here . 

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT, THEN MAKE A STAND.

As Donald Trump continues an agenda of Persecution, many Americans are missing the True Dangers that will become a reality if he gets his way.

To Defeat this Assault on the CONSTITUTION, AND COMMON DECENCY, THE FOLLOWING MUST be ACKNOWLEDGED AS TRUE:

1)  Donald Trump is a Symptom of the REAL PROBLEM, NOT THE CAUSE.

2)  Many of his Supporters consider "RIGHTS" TO BE GUARANTEES THAT PROTECT ONLY
THEM.

3)  Often, these same Supporters will claim that anything they do or say must be allowed by
Law, so THEY CAN FULFILL A DIVINE MISSION THAT MUST TAKE PRECEDENCE
OVER EVERYTHING ELSE.

4)  "THE ENDS JUSTIFIES THE MEANS" is an essential part of the Fanaticism that grips many
Americans, when it comes to certain issues.

5)  THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE RELIGIOUS FAITH ALONE IS ENOUGH TO SET LEGAL GUIDELINES THAT MUST BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT QUESTION.

6)  CONTRARY TO WHAT THEY MAY SAY PUBLICLY, SOME AMERICANS WOULD
GLADLY LIVE IN A TOTALITARIAN STATE, AS LONG AS IT IS SET UP TO GIVE THEM
POWER AND PRIVILEGES OVER EVERYONE ELSE.

7)  TO MANY AMERICANS, SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES ARE NEGOTIABLE, AND CAN BE ACCEPTED OR REJECTED REGARDLESS OF THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES.

8)  History, to some Americans, should BE REWRITTEN OR IGNORED, DEPENDING ON THE
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMAGE IT CREATES.

We will look closer at this list in future posts.

FEATURE ARTICLES. CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING- FIGHTING THE WRONG BATTLES. PT 4.

Now that we have Set Standards for how EVIDENCE WILL BE ACCUMULATED AND EVALUATED, EVERYTHING IS READY FOR A REASONABLE AND VALID DEBATE, WITH THE RULES OF LOGIC AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD SHOWING THE WAY TO JUDGMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS THAT MUST BE ACCEPTED BY ALL, RIGHT?

Unfortunately, all too often, the Arguments of One, or even both sides of an Issue, are just there to DISGUISE THE TRUE PURPOSE FOR DEFENDING A CERTAIN CONCLUSION OR JUDGMENT.

If the Motives of One Side IS COMPLETELY SELF-SERVING, WITH A PRIORITY TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO, THE DESIRE TO CREATE CONFUSION, HOSTILITY, PREJUDICE etc, WILL WORK TO CHANGE THE DEBATE FROM A SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION OF A SPECIFIC PHENOMENA, TO AREAS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER.

A Few Things to Remember:

-  BEING ELECTED, APPOINTED, OR IN ANY WAY SELECTED TO HOLD A PUBLIC OFFICE, DOES NOT GUARANTEE EXPERTISE IN ANY SUBJECT OR DISCIPLINE.

-  IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF  PhDs, MDs, JDs, AND OTHER RECOGNIZED AUTHORITIES ARE HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY, AND WILL GIVE AN UNBIASED AND WELL REASONED OPINION ON A SUBJECT RELATED TO THEIR FIELD. HOWEVER, THERE ARE A FEW WHO IGNORE HONOR AND TRUST TO FURTHER THEIR OWN INTERESTS, OR WHO FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE FAULTS IN THE ARGUMENTS THEY HAVE PUT FORTH, DUE TO HUBRIS AND AN UNWILLINGNESS TO EVALUATE THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS WITH THE SAME DEDICATION THAT THEY WOULD USE TO JUDGE OTHERS.

-  LOGIC AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD DO NO CHANGE ACCORDING TO EDUCATION, ABILITY, OR PREVIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS. THE DEFINITION OF AN INVALID OR IRRATIONAL ARGUMENT IS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE.

-  BEING AN ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERT IN ONE FIELD, DOES NOT MAKE SOMEONE AN EXPERT IN ALL SUBJECTS FOR WHICH THEY GIVE AN OPINION.

WHAT CAN WE DO?  LOOK FOR PART 5.

Not everyone’s privacy is respected, but we respect yours. Joanna Ewart-James, Freedom United.

VIEW Dear David, At Freedom United, we know all too well how many people in slavery are denied their basic right to privacy. Exploited live-in domestic workers may be forced to sleep in bathrooms or kitchens without any private space of their own. Trafficked laborers may be forced to sleep in overcrowded rooms, sharing mattresses with other workers. Survivors have reported being monitored by their traffickers on trips to the hospital – or even trips to the bathroom – to prevent revealing their situation or attempting escape. We strongly believe that everyone’s privacy should be respected. As such, we have made updates to our Privacy Policy to ensure we continue to uphold our values of transparency and consent. With the new data protection laws coming into force today in the European Union, we have updated our policies. We have not changed how we process your information, but rather the way in which we explain how we use this data and how you can manage it. Here are the key updates to our Privacy Policy:   Transparency: We have edited the policy to make it easier to understand what personal data we collect and how we use it. Control: We’ve explained the control you have over your information and how we communicate with you. This includes an updated email preferences page, so you can more easily opt in or out of communications. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): We’ve added a section regarding the rights of users located in the European Union, as required under the law. You can read the full Privacy Policy here. Have questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us. We are so appreciative of your support as we work to ensure everyone's privacy is respected and protected.  In determination, Joanna and the Freedom United Team VIEW NOW