By Blue Bronc, a Trail Mix Contributor
“Sargent, Bradley, you are no longer fit for duty. Turn yourself in to the OD (officer of the day) for dishonorable discharge”
“Sir. Colonel sir. What is going on? I was fit for duty yesterday.”
“You are a disgrace to your uniform and must be treated as the degenerate you are.”
“Sir. Colonel sir. Yesterday I was not a degenerate, I was your best troop.”
“Sargent – do not question me. Your Commander in Chief is very afraid that if you were near him and he grabbed for your pussy he would grab a dick”
“Sir. I am not a dick”
“Sargent D, the CiC does not know that. He just wants to know when he grabs a pussy, there is a pussy there. He does not want to be turned on by a big penis”
“Yes sir. My first name is Dorothy, not D.”
And, so the military gets used to having their buddies discharged because the Commander in Chief, the President of these United States, is afraid of men and women who were born with a brain that was outfitted with the wrong bodies.
What to do? As an Air Force veteran who is transgender I must be true to my life. The man has to be impeached.
Trump has gone so far over the line that a real Congress would have impeached him and tossed him and his mob into jail a long time ago.
While the Republicans figure out that they will not be reelected if they stay with the homophobe (he is too stupid to realize transgender has nothing to do with sexual orientation) the rest of America looks at these fools and laugh. They need to see that telling the president to go to hell is the best way to keep America strong.
How many Transgender patriots have died protecting America? That is like counting how many angels have died protecting our country. It is important to understand that being transgender is a forever issue. We have been around from the start (Revolutionary War). Research and analysis shows trans and gay is common in all life forms.
I can say many of us have offered our lives to protect America. Many in the Seals and Special Forces are trans or gay. Many of us have died protecting America. And, many of us will fight for our country, even when the CiC wants to remove us from our desire to protect America.
It is not our bodies or who we are that is important. What is important is that we are willing to fight all enemies “foreign or domestic”. If the president is compromised by the Russians, we have to consider that.
Everyone who joins the military has one thing in common: They must swear-in by repeating the enlisted or officer Oath.
The Oath of enlistment is something that every service member must promise and adhere to for his/her entire military career. From the Oath, you can see that you will be defending the Constitution – not a person. Discipline and accepting orders is sworn to. Finally, you vow to face the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) should any disputes arise.
The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
The Oath of Office (for officers):
“I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.”
Understand that the UCMJ allows for ignoring orders from the president if those are not legal orders!
The United States military is not a “social” experiment. We are a team.
More Posts by Blue Bronc
bbronc, thank you for that and other honorable service done for us here and for u.s. as a whole.
wapo: With Priebus out, Trump moves still further away from the Republican establishment
is this the first step to setting up his own party? and if not to be named the party of trump (POT-ty party) or the don john party what other label will he give it?
Alexandra petri:
Priebus, sashay away
Does President Trump think he needs to fire someone every week in order to maintain viewership?
I thought this was just a bad joke about how the presidency was like “The Apprentice,” but after the last two weeks I am genuinely concerned that he thinks this is the way to govern.
[….]
The good news is that the Trump White House will soon consist entirely of generals, reality TV villains, people who call themselves “Mooch” and “Mad Dog” with straight faces, empty cans of Four Loko and big tufts of hair that have not slept in more than 72 hours. A fine group to have running any country, if you don’t care what happens to the country
[….]
It is not as if the clowns are running the circus, because I think clowns possess competence and you have to get a certification before you can become a clown.
The entire administration is now just a series of scorpions asking for rides across rivers. And we’re only six months in.
Thank You for this Post, Blue Bronc. I am thankful we have good people like you around.
I needed several days to get over the demoralizing effect that SFB caused. I cannot begin to imagine being on active duty sitting in a hole with bad guys trying to kill you and have your commander in chief state you are not good for the military. At least there are many Republicans (big R) who stated they did not support purging the military of trans people. Due to the short attention span of SFB he may never get around to putting together the necessary documents to proceed any further. Also, there are bills in the hopper that would prevent a purge, I have hope for those.
This is a matter I hope Senator McCain involves himself with. Don’t mean to be disrespectful, but some people have done their finest work when they realize time is limited.
last thread I mused “all these generals (even tho ret.) in wh and agencies, not too long or too hard to march in martial law and or military coup or install dear leader as emperor”…. looks like others are thinking same-ly. have a feeling this is just another chapter in mr. bannon’s book.
the hill:
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) slammed President Trump’s decision to appoint Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly as his new chief of staff on Friday, saying the appointment “militarizes the White House.”
“By putting Gen John Kelly in charge, Pres Trump is militarizing the White House & putting our executive branch in the hands of an extremist,” Lee tweeted.
and a tidbit in another story from the hill:
One White House official noted to The Hill that Bannon’s relationship with Kelly goes back a decade and that the chief strategist was instrumental in bringing the general into the administration in the first place.
in case you couldn’t read the quote in above picture of mr abandon, here it is as quoted in the new Yorker:
“I’m a Leninist,” Steve Bannon told a writer for The Daily Beast, in late 2013. “Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal, too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.”
Nice column, BB…….
Mr. Bannon……Every now and then a screwball nutcase gets into some position or another of power……but they usually don’t last too very long, and bring down ruin on the heads of their supporters.
Mazeltov, Bannon…….Bad luck to ya……(with all due respect)
a fun bit of gossip from michael moore about you know who
the wrap:
He also shared that he and Trump shared an agent — CAA’s Ari Emmanuel — and claimed to have overheard a phone call from Trump to Emmanuel in which the “Celebrity Apprentice” star suggested announcing a run for president as a gambit to get a better salary for the NBC reality show — or a counter-offer from another network.
“He just found out that NBC was paying the hosts of other reality shows more than him, like Gwen Stefani on ‘The Voice,’” Moore claimed. According to Moore, Trump told his agent: “I’ve been thinking about running for president. The networks would see how hugely popular I am.”
“Even when he was running, didn’t you feel, Does he want this job?” Moore asked. “Does he want to live in a majority-black city? The penthouse of the White House is the second floor.”
powerful piece, BB. think you’re right that this stupid idea might not get beyond his twitter machine, but even so, just knowing that’s how your commander-in-chief feels about you is plenty demoralizing
and Bannon is a Leninist like Im a brain sturgeon.
BB – Thank you for your service. I’m so sorry this is happening. Notice Prez SFB & his worthless spawn didn’t serve.
patD – I fear Kelly. I heard him on a Sunday show awhile back & he seems like he’s owned by Trumpco. He’ll carry out orders no matter how severe. Not good.
On a lighter note, Spicey may dance on DWTS. Now I’m just looking for distractions.
if Spicerous goes on DWTS I’ll not watch it with double the determination with which I already don’t watch it.
bb, a very well-written and emotional read for me. The commander-in-thief is demoralizing, on purpose. He is stealing everything decent. As patd noted in the her 8:32am comment, the trumpence junta continues. The rnc getting squeezed-out of the wh after all that collusion, data fixing and complicity — from the brown-noser cabinet meeting —
“On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr. President, we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that you’ve given us to serve your agenda and the American people,” Priebus said. “And we’re continuing to work very hard every day to accomplish those goals.”
BB,
Great post! It deserves to be distributed widely and read by multitudes.
Job well done!
Thank you.
destefano is still holding the rnc dna within the WH. I wonder if he is next to go? He is a boehner guy with a data hand in the election heist and resultant installation of the trumpence junta.
Many more will wind up under the Prie-bus before this is over…….like Howard suggested to the Jr…..”Wanna check the muffler while you’re under there, Reince?”
BB
Thank you for a well written and important article. Your service is truly appreciated.
a bit more from the author of the gorilla mindset about destefano.
Caught Hugh Hewitt’s first MSNBC show this morning. Fortunately, he refrained from foaming at the mouth and his first guest was interesting. Admiral James Stavridis was discussing his new book. He did say he has known Kelly and his family since they were in their 20s and viewed him favorably with the only negative being whether anyone could get Trump under control.
there’s a nice article about how McCain and Lindsay set up the gop for health care failure like master senate tacticians….ill try to find it again……
lindsay voted yes then gave the thumbs up to Mc so that Mc would cast the killer vote….I knew Mc wouldnt lemme down……
bw, a guy “with a data hand in the election heist” if ever let go will never see daylight again. knows too much.
You were the first person I thought of when I heard about SFB’s tweet, BlueB. Sorry you have to go through this crap.
So now we have a military man as chief of staff… oh yeah… that’ll work. I predict he’ll quit before he lets SFB fire him.
ps… the beach was great… the play was excellent and hilarious… just what the doctor ordered.
sturge, here’s another take on the dynamic duo from new Yorker : Lisa Murkowski, Lindsey Graham, and How the Health-Care Vote Went Down
Graham presented his stand as an example of down-home common sense. He told reporters, “If I don’t get those assurances, I’m a no, because I’m not going to vote for a pig in a poke.”
[….]
McCain followed Graham to the lectern and said that he, too, couldn’t vote for the bill without knowing that there would be a conference. But McCain added a word to his vision of those negotiations: “bipartisan.” Perhaps Graham didn’t hear him. A few hours later, he voted for the bill—the final text of which was not revealed until 10 P.M.—after declaring that Ryan had finally assured him that the bill that he was voting for would never become law. He might have saved himself the trouble and voted against it. McCain kept his decision to himself until late in the night. Then, when his name was called, he spotted Murkowski and smiled at her, gave a thumbs down, and said “no.” She already knew what she had to do.
BB
Obviously ‘Kernel’ Bradley is an anachronism in today’s military, at least judging from the reaction I am hearing from all ranks, including sergeants and admirals and generals and privates and petty officers as well as seamen.
Hold your head high, BB, I am beside you and, together, we can ‘encourage SFB to see the light. BTW, look around, virtually all of our active force is beside you as well. And, the support of your friends here is self-evident. Thanks for your important post.
Graham is up for reelection in 2018, he had to keep his fingerprints off the gun.
Give the devil his due, he played it nicely.
Jace,
I sent Graham a short note yesterday asking him to thank his friend John McCain for doing the right thing with his vote. I received a totally non-responsive canned reply.
Flatus,
Graham will no doubt continue to downplay his part in this, lest he be seen as a RINO. I doubt that he want’s to campaign on his role in preserving Obamacare.
Mitch McConnell makes big promises. Going to make Obama a one term president, going to tear out Obamacare out root and branch. Seriously, when you shoot your mouth off like that you really need to deliver. I’ve said it before and will say it again, as a senate majority leader he is very much over rated.
Both McConnell and Paul Ryan are proving to be all hat and no cattle.
and this from new republic
How John McCain—John McCain!—became Obamacare’s savior
[…..]
The answer might lie in the speech he gave when he returned to the Senate on Wednesday. He tore into Republican leadership for “coming up with a proposal behind closed doors in consultation with the administration, then springing it on skeptical members, trying to convince them that it was better than nothing.” He added, “I don’t think that’s going to work in the end, and it probably shouldn’t.”
McCain returned to that institutionalist line in his statement after the “no” vote, saying, “We must now return to the correct way of legislating.” Yet the only reason we got to this point is because McCain voted to override the correct way of legislating earlier in the week. In the most charitable reading of what the hell McCain was up to, he allowed the motion to proceed so he could ultimately kill the bill in the name of protesting the process. And, perhaps, giving a huge middle finger to Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump.
If Trump understands anything, it’s leverage. He found out that he simply didn’t have any with McCain. Not sure he is as good a deal maker as he thinks he is. A real deal maker would have known that and planned accordingly.
Lindsey in another battle on another front
politico:
“Any effort to go after Mueller could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency unless Mueller did something wrong,” Graham told reporters on Capitol Hill, where he outlined plans to introduce legislation next week that would move to block any Trump attempts to fire Mueller.
Graham said his bill — which he promised would have Republican support and “all the Democrats” — would mandate that any special counsel established to investigate either a president or his staff can’t be fired “unless you have judicial review of the firing.”
“We need a check and balance here,” Graham said. He is working on the legislation with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who in an MSNBC interview on Monday described the bill as an attempt to “try and make sure that the president can’t just fire a special prosecutor.”
In the end, after all the bluster and baloney this may be what really preserved Obama care and it wasen’t John McCain or any other politician.
The moderate Republicans who saved Obamacare aren’t heroes.
Early Friday morning, John McCain, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski killed a last-ditch and particularly troublesome attempt to repeal Obamacare. And though they deserve credit for their votes, it’s a mistake to anoint them heroes. We are setting the bar abysmally low if making the only sane, humane choice is considered heroic; and these senators have not shown that they are allies in the fight to expand the American safety net—in fact, quite the opposite.
Obamacare’s real saviors have been dragged out of wheelchairs, arrested, and assaulted for weeks. They are, as you would expect, the people who stand to lose the most if Obamacare is repealed. They are people with disabilities: activists associated with ADAPT, and the unaffiliated individuals and carers who came forward to share their experiences and to demand better from the GOP.
Disability rights activists are accustomed to radical direct action. They used activism to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act and to achieve greater parity in public life—at institutions like Gallaudet University, for example, which despite being a school for the deaf and hard-of-hearing did not have a deaf president until students staged a week-long protest in 1988. And throughout this year’s health care debate, people with disabilities worked with able-bodied activists to stage the sort of spectacle necessary to cut through the endless spectacle produced by Donald Trump’s White House. They’ve made it much more difficult for so-called “moderate Republicans” to carry out Mitch McConnell’s latest assault on health care.
It is difficult to overstate the stakes of this fight. People already die needless deaths in this country because they cannot afford health care access—and that’s with Obamacare on the books. The New York Post reports that last night in New York City, a couple jumped to their deaths because they could no longer bear health care costs:
They left two children behind. Meanwhile, political theater churns on. It is tempting to elevate heroes from the muck. But the real heroes were outside the Capitol, waiting, while John McCain urged reporters to “watch the show” he had prepared.
The Rachel Maddow Show 7/28/17
Russian Kaspersky Lab faces new scrutiny, suspicion
Richard Engel talks with Eugene Kaspersky, whose Kaspersky Lab anti-virus software is widely used around the world, including the United States, and who has come under increasing scrutiny and suspicion for his ties to Russian intelligence.
Just bought tickets to see Dunkirk . Am suddenly in the mood to see a story about real heros.
remember the twit having a fit about acting fbi head McCabe’s wife and a so-called conflict of interest re campaign donations? guess that wasn’t a problem for his new bromancer, the mooch. unless, maybe, the appointment was contingent upon divorce assurances.
ibtimes
Ball was never a big fan of Trump and even donated money to his opponents. She donated $2,700 to the Jeb Bush camp and $10,800 to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign. However, both of them dropped out when Trump became the front-runner for the Republican Party in the presidential election, reports said. In 2015, Ball even donated money to Democratic Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, according to reports.
first 2020 presidential candidate steps out — Rep. John Delaney of Maryland, 3-term Dem and one of the wealthiest in Congress
jace, no heroes evident in above nick Anderson cartoon parody. just the opposite.
John Delaney? Never heard of him. May have a name recognition problem.
Strong financial interest in the happenings within Delaware’s governmental community. Follow the money.
“men and women who were born with a brain that was outfitted with the wrong bodies.”
Is there any peer-reviewed neurological science to support the concept of a “gendered” brain in the “wrong body” at birth? I’ve looked and found none, and lack the duplicity to chide conservatives for their willful-ignorance of the the scientific method concerning issues like climate change or geology, while ignoring it when it concerns social issues.
If I’m wrong, tell me how, but please, no beliefs of opinions.
http://www.ozy.com/pov/check-the-science-being-trans-is-not-a-choice/69726
What did your sign say?
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/biology-gender-identity-children/
perhaps you would like the PBS version
Michael Moore made a great point on Colbert this week, that when you consider what transgender people face in our society “I can’t think of anyone more brave to serve in our military”
From the Ozy article linked by KGC
“we scientists have only a rudimentary understanding of how genetic, epigenetic, hormonal and environmental factors interact during brain development and into adulthood to form the incredibly diverse and complex spectrum that forms gender roles and gender identity.”
“We don’t know how or if nonhuman animals have a sense of gender, and so can’t study that experimentally. But we do know that male versus female partner preferences in rodents can be changed by altering those brain regions that govern sexual behaviors”
“Anecdotally, my neuroscience colleague Ben Barres has suggested that prenatal exposure to testosterone-like drugs may explain his own transgender identity.”
Jace, name recognition can be bought, and the guy is worth $90 million, spent $2 million of his own money in first House race, that’s more than enough to buy name rec in Iowa and New Hampshire.
I don’t understand the radical feminist objection to transgender women. The acronym TERF has sometimes been used to refer to Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists.
Fortunately, this view is fading with feminists but still is popular as an issue with the right wing. Truthfully I find transgender people fascinating because to some extent they are gender neutral in how they think.
I can’t erase a growing up of hearing you either “can’t or have to” because you are a girl. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a woman and not have that voice in your head.
From the PBS article that KGC linked, above.
“The most persuasive evidence he found was in experiments done over the past half-century on people born with the male XY chromosomes, but with the rare condition of ambiguous genitalia. Soon after birth, they were surgically given female genitalia, and then raised as girls.
DR. JOSHUA SAFER: These kids were dressed in pink and given dresses and dolls and given estrogen when they hit puberty, so that they had appropriate breast development and such. And so we’re talking about a pretty extreme approach that, if any approach was going to work, it should have worked.
But what happened instead is, the majority of these kids, if you query, say that they have male gender identity, despite that very, very extreme program.”
This guy doesn’t even realize his most persuasive agrument contradicts his assertions.
cherry pick all you want
KRISTINA OLSON: If there is a kid who, at birth, the doctor said this kid is a girl, but later came to identify as a boy, and that kid is living as a boy today, that kid will show the same results on the IAT as any other boy and looks nothing like, say, his sister or another random girl that we just pulled off the street.
I don’t believe it is just another life-style choice but even it was what’s it to you?
I think you have to look at the suicide stats for people who id as transgender before you can claim it’s just another way for the medical community to make money
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-something-unique-about-the-transgender-brain/
I’m looking for the Weekly Reader version for you.
And again I have to ask –what’s it to you???????
“cherry pick all you want”
I’m cherry-picking from the article YOU linked.
Kristina Olsen’s assertion in your provided quote, above, is saying that an individual born with X-Y chromosomes but ambiguous genitalia later identified as male. Wow, real explosive stuff.
Are you just googling articles and linking them before reading them? Sure seems like it.
I think everything you read is through the lens of “not true” true scientific research allows for looking at all possibilities
the conclusion of the articles and the researchers is that it is NOT a choice
what’s it to you??? Just an intellectual argument that you are supporting with evidence from NewsMax where’s your proof that it is not a choice?
“the conclusion of the articles and the researchers is that it is NOT a choice”
That’s a lie, no equivocation.
“your proof that it is not a choice?”
Ah, pigeon-hole me then ask me to prove a negative. Great debate.
Delaney looks like Will Ferrell without hair. 🙂
I can just hear him telling us about the land of swirly, whirly gumdrops or yelling, “Blue’s my boy”!
Is making your intentions known this early a smart thing to do because there is more time to get torn apart?
Is it a smart thing to do because nobody else is sucking attention?
Bink, I’m with KGC, why do you care so much? Are you saying that if it is a choice they should be banned from military service, denied other rights?
I care because I’ve witnessed the influence of the transgender-rights movement on the psyche of confused teenagers and have had to counsel them, at their request. I told them to be themselves and disregard those who take issue with their self-expression.
I can’t speak to military matters- I’m not a veteran, but no, I don’t believe self-expression is valid grounds for discrimination.
Craig,
I hope Delaney spends a lot and soon, I want someone who is legitimately seeking the nomination talking about issues now not later. Iowa is a weird state, perhaps the early bird can catch the worm and gain some traction at the same time.
Bink: “the influence of the transgender-rights movement on the psyche of confused teenagers”
can you explain that further, I don’t get it
From Scientific American
Is There Something Unique about the Transgender Brain?
Imaging studies and other research suggest that there is a biological basis for transgender identity
Real scientific inquiry is always looking for the next level of information.
Bink,
The very fact that you have had to counsel teenagers at their request is evidence enough that the matter is very much misunderstood. All the more reason,as if more were needed not to single out (target) any single segment of the population as Trump has done.
Are we to deny full participation in society to any segment(s ) of that society who have a condition for which modern science has failed to adequately provide an explanation or answer?
bink, do you accept established scientific as well as historic evidence there exist hermaphrodites (aka intersex people)? if so why wouldn’t there be room on that continuum for the transgender?
Honestly, Craig, I’m only fluent in English, and apparently not even that. I really do make an effort to compose my posts so that they are clear and concise.
No, I’m not going to discuss the specifics of someone’s personal circumstances related to me, in confidence, beyond what I already have.
“do you accept established scientific as well as historic evidence there exist hermaphrodites (aka intersex people)? if so why wouldn’t there be room on that continuum for the transgender?”
Yes, and what “continuum”?
“Are we to deny full participation in society to any segment(s ) of that society who have a condition for which modern science has failed to adequately provide an explanation or answer?”
I suppose that depends on the ‘condition’.
“Science journalist retires at 98 and warns of generation of Americans who suffer from a thinking ‘disability’”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/science-journalist-thinking-disability-david-perlman-generation-americans-climate-change-global-a7864551.html
“Newspapers, whether online or in print, are a major factor in the ongoing education and awareness of the public, and specifically of a younger generation,” he said.
“And whether it’s online or in print, the idea of failing to cover advances in science … it creates a generation with a major disability in what they can think about and understand.”
…yielding, have a good day.
BB, thank you for your service and for calling out the abject stoopidity of SFB.
bink, true, there are many ways to think of “the continuum” which could include that range/scope of life from amoeba to fish to lizard to mammal to homo sapiens (male/female/or a combination thereof) to bionic and beyond.
although it is hard to put a continuum label on this constantly whirling mass of atoms, ever changing identities that we call the universe and ourselves.
Bink
And just to make things really interesting about 1 in 60 infants are born without a definite determined sexuality leading in the past to surgeons “altering” them to fit into the binary identities.
US Surgeons General Criticize Involuntary Surgery
Decades ago, so far in the past I don’t remember details, I read an article with a wheel that “sort of” placed all the possible forms of human sexual identity. Even what most people consider “normal” simply because it is the claimed majority has a great range of attraction from natural celibacy to wild addiction. The various minorities are equally “natural” and varied, just fewer in numbers.
Nature has always been in favor of the more variety the better.
that continuum talk kinda reminds me of a version of
King James Bible rev 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Jamie, wiki’s page on intersex is a fascinating read on what you touched on as well as bits and pieces of history, art, mythology and civil rights
OK Bink, you often challenge us and I welcome that.
I don’t pretend this to be scientific analysis, but given what transgender people deal with I cannot imagine anyone choosing it. I feel the same way about being gay. Has not been all that torturous for me compared to so many others. But still, I would not have chosen it. Also glad I didn’t have a choice. Or I wouldn’t be with David, love of my life.
Trump threatens to end Obamacare payments unless repeal passes
President Trump on Saturday threatened to end key payments to insurance companies made under Obamacare if a repeal and replace bill is not passed.
“After seven years of ‘talking’ Repeal & Replace, the people of our great country are still being forced to live with imploding ObamaCare!” the president wrote in a tweet.
“If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!” he added
[….tweets….]
Trump has previously threatened to withhold the payments, known as Cost Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments, which lower the amount individuals have to pay for deductibles, copayments and insurance.
The White House announced earlier this month that key Obamacare subsidies to insurers would be paid this month; however, the administration did not make a commitment beyond July.
Trump’s comments come after Senate Republican efforts to repeal and replace ObamaCare failed early Friday. Three Republicans and all 48 Democrats rejected pared-down repeal legislation, known as a “skinny” bill.
The issue is of critical importance to Republicans in all three branches of government because the party campaigned for seven years to repeal former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law.
I have the condition of being tall; Kumcho had the condition of being short; I have a niece who is gay. I think that is as much of being a physical condition as Kumcho and my heights. Which takes me to poor baby Charlie Gard. He had a condition aggravated by the intransigent British government.
Like the Boy Scouts, police regret inviting Trump to speak: We don’t tolerate ‘roughing up’ prisoners https://t.co/JHwCWozgHh
Let’s make it abrogation week
The National Center for Transgender Equality is a good starting point to learn more about transgender people. There is a dearth of research into transsexual/transgender lives. A lot of that is prejudice against LGBTQ and the American queasiness about sex research. Research is typically found by searching for transsexual. The reason we moved to using transgender is if you search for “transsexual” you find porn. You need to use a second search element such as “transsexual research”.
In the time period of 2002-5 I changed from talking about transsexual to transgender because of the porn issue. Enough others changed over so we use transgender to avoid porn, but also because it is a wider definition. Transsexual is considered someone active in matching their body to their gender. It may not include medication or hormones or surgery, maybe a different way of thinking. Transgender is a full rainbow which includes transsexual on one end and someone who likes to think of themselves as more masculine or feminine on the other.
Gender can be and is often fluid. It is not set in stone, or binary. Gender is not a physical issue, even when a transsexual person has surgery that is aligning the body to the gender. Too many people get hung up on surgery. Most trans people cannot afford surgery, or do not care about it. Surgery is not gender. Surgery is body image. For some trans people it is reaffirming their gender, for others it would be nice to have a boob job, either to make the girls a bit larger, or to get rid of them. For those who cannot have surgery, cost, physical condition, or medical issues, there are things which can be done.
Always remember gender is not sexual orientation. One is who you are, the other is who you are attracted to.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-something-unique-about-the-transgender-brain/
Bink: “the influence of the transgender-rights movement on the psyche of confused teenagers”
can you explain that further, I don’t get it
Craig… I think I get it. There are many females that love to play sports and are called “tomboys”. They are not transgender boys in a female body. But with all the talk being in the open… I could see a teenage girl being confused and thinking “am I really a boy?”
Likewise with boys liking what is thought of in society as “female pursuits”… such as love of fashion or styling hair. Some of these boys are gay and some are not. I could see a teenage boy today wondering if he’s “really a girl.”
I think the important word here is “teenager”. It’s a time when one is confused. I could see boys and girls who don’t follow what we call “the norm” being really confused. With all the open talk about being transgender, it’s just another thing for teenagers to think about.
Bink, hope I’m not wrong about what you meant. Also, IMO, this in not a reason to sweep transgender issues under the rug. It might mean that some teenagers need extra counseling and won’t be able to sort it all out until they are mature enough.
I think BB’s vocabulary lesson should certainly be part of
Bink’sany of our conversations when people ask questions or make inaccurate statements.Renee – Although many transgender people, especially transsexual, “know” they are not the gender they are told they are by age six, many of us knew earlier. This is important because around age six is when body perception starts and there is the realization the human species has two dominant forms, we call female and male. Trans children will tell you they are not what they appear to be. Some are very determined and will refuse to identify in any way with that body but will identify, including a name, with the gender they know they are. This identity may go back and forth over the next few years before settling on one or the other gender.
Gender can be “discovered” later in life. A man goes fifty years and realizes he is really a she. Not common but not rare. What is happening is the internet and modern life has removed many barriers to knowledge, and importantly, communication to others has changed too, so late bloomers will be less than in my generation.
The language Bink used sounds too close to religious conversion talk to not discount it. Talking to teens about gender and getting them to chose the one you want does not sound like a communication but a force to a standard. My talking to trans teens is more like talking to the gender they are, not the gender someone wants them to be. When I was helping with children and teens who are trans it was a relief to the teens to know they do not have to be GI Joe or Barbi. We all have likes and dislikes. Rebuilding an engine is not just a male thing, women can be awesome engine builders.
I always knew I was not what I was told I was. But, due to a lack of knowledge I went most of my life not knowing what I was. It was the Internet that changed my life.
pc query: is the prefix “trans” now a noun? is it exclusively set aside for gender id, not to be used in humor facetiously nor descriptively because such use could be seen as offensive?
hopefully not intending offense, I think back on my old Siamese cat bucky as a transdog. his best buddy was a female retriever/chow bobo whom he ate alongside, walked long walks and played with every day, even made love (or attempted) to often in their youth. he was a wonderful faithful guard of the household and though he couldn’t bark he made as ferocious a snarl as possible. bucky had a full long and happy life. he never seemed bothered as to the persona he chose nor was anyone else.
We tend to use “trans” as a shorthand for “transgender” or “transsexual”. You will see it used in many ways. Transman or transwoman, female to male (FTM) or male to female(MTF). TransAm is a trademark used by GM for its Pontiac cars. TransAmerica, a movie in which a straight white non-trans woman plays a transwoman. At least the technical support was supplied by Calpernia Addams and Andrea James, two transwomen.
Trans is available for use for whatever reason.
again, today’s discussion reminds me of old scripture:
I Am that I Am (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, ehyeh ašer ehyeh [ehˈje aˈʃer ehˈje]) is the common English translation (JPS among others) of the response that God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for his name (Exodus 3:14). It is one of the most famous verses in the Torah. …. Ehyeh asher ehyeh literally translates as “I Am Who I Am.”
The language Bink used sounds too close to religious conversion talk to not discount it. Talking to teens about gender and getting them to chose the one you want does not sound like a communication but a force to a standard.
BlueBronc… I don’t see how you came to the above conclusion when Bink in fact posted:
I told them to be themselves and disregard those who take issue with their self-expression.
People are what they are. There is darn little “choice” in the matter other than maybe timing as to when the “choice” kicks in. I still remember very fondly & vividly the approximately 30 seconds it took me to go from “Boys YUCK” to “Boys YUM”. If anyone would like to have a good laugh on me, you can read about it at Once Upon A Memory
RR, BB, PatD — such enlightening observations. Thanks. Much to think about.
RR, you helped me “get it”
when I was a teenager, our repressed society didn’t talk about this stuff. Now that we do, I can understand why today’s teenagers might get confused about everything. Still, i think it’s better than an ignorant society.
I wish to associate myself with this post. Thank you, Blue Bronc. President Loco should read your post as well as all the other bigots in this country. When will we learn rhat human beings come in all the colors of rhe rainbow. Keep up the good fight. Maybe we’ll see you in AZ again one of these days.
Craig
That is one of my worries as well. Being constantly surrounded by sexuality in every form you can imagine, particularly with much less adult influence, it is no wonder children are confused about what is “normal” or “what am I and is there something wrong with me”
I genuinely worry about them.
Craig – when I am asked to do a presentation about transpeople and myself I usually start with this:
Renee Bink I misread the statement. I tend to be a bit over picky about conversion stuff and the damage it causes.
And – you never know who is transgender/transsexual. Never. I have had people offer me their seats in waiting rooms and on trains because they think I am pregnant. I have a medical condition which leaves me fat and looking like I am PG.
This is a link to a tweet. I do not know if it will work for those without twitter accounts:
https://twitter.com/StopTrump2020/status/891405291652337664
Blue
You make me realize how fortunate I was in many ways coming from a somewhat earlier era in CA. All the people I knew KNEW the “different” people existed but they weren’t shamed or hated, they just were. The various movie stars tried to avoid the pages of Confidential, but that was for their careers and the rest of the nation, not for those who actually were acquainted.
Now of course all of the “tell all” books of that era have come out, but I can’t imagine what it might have been like to have to hide your essential identity.
Awhile back I went on a google search for a place I remembered where the kids from the high school went for cokes after school but turned into a gay club at night and found this tidbit from an interesting book about the House of Ivy.
From today’s Wapo:
Ok, time to focus on what will result in long term fundamental changes that will hurt the poorest 98%. All this social stuff is interesting, but this is absolutely critical to engage in.
I’ve read the convo above about transgender folks and conflicts for kids (and adults) whose bodies do not conform with their sexual identities. I frankly can’t imagine how difficult that would be. What I do know is that as a hetero man I have no standing to weigh in with my uninformed opinion about the propriety of decisions made by those folks whose anatomy and sexual identity do not coincide. I don’t feel my heterosexuality was a choice- it certainly was not a conscious one at any rate. As the old saying goes, before you criticize someone walk a mile in his moccasins.
“Although many transgender people, especially transsexual, “know” they are not the gender they are told they are by age six, many of us knew earlier. This is important because around age six is when body perception starts and there is the realization the human species has two dominant forms, we call female and male. Trans children will tell you they are not what they appear to be. Some are very determined and will refuse to identify in any way with that body but will identify, including a name, with the gender they know they are. This identity may go back and forth over the next few years before settling on one or the other gender.” -bluebronc
Are you credentialed in any way in the field of child psychology to make those assertions with authority?
“Those arrive a few days later (do not do what I did) and Wednesday, three pm, I took my first dose of hormone. I woke up during the early morning smiling. I knew who I was.”
If you knew your gender identity before age 6, as the first quoted paragraph implies, then how did one illicitly-obtained dose of hormones, administered without consultation from a qualified medical professional, decades later, inspire an epiphany you already had?
I don’t know much about your gay and transgender issues…..I’m just a simple caveman……when i was 15 as I have pointed ouitn befoe, I was in a band and we went and played every7where we could……that wass 63 and 64…….quite a few of the places we played catered to the fringes…..Rachael got us our first job down on Market Street…..Rachael was hotter than a two-dollar pistol……well…..i ran into a bunch of people….some were gay, some were trans some i dont even know a name for…..I learned something……people are people…some are dicks and some ain’t.
Pogo,
Good point. Whatever damage to the 98percent was forestalled by the healthcare fiasco can be easily rectified under the guise of comprehensive tax reform.
When the primary objective is to fuck someone republicans usually have more than one path in mind.
found out 40 years later that Rachael was born male
Little Ray, who played next door was bornh female…..i says fuggit…..to each his own…….
i didnt know about rachael, we all knew about Little Ray but I never was let on to rachael…….she got beat up so bad she died in hospital, around 90 91……didnt get to tell her good-bye.
Bink
Are you being purposefully dense or just snarky to stir the pot?
Neither, Jamie. I have genuine questions and concerns, and will consider the information and perspectives gleaned from this discussion in regard to them. I appreciate the candor of everyone who participated, and wish a peaceful and fulfilling personal experience to all. Thanks.
IMO this has been one of our all-time most thoughtful thread discussions, thanks to Blue Bronc. Although I do feel like I’m wandering in the dark with no batteries.
I don’t think there is enough reproducible scientific evidence for this or that, and I don’t care. Whether you feel that your self is trapped in an alien body or you simply decide to change because you think you will be happier, you do not surrender your humanity.
I am no longer in the body I was born with. I have a dozen or so maladies and feel trapped in a cocoon of nettles/knives. I live inside chronic pain day and night. I want an entire body transplant. This time, I am not making a joke. I really do. Anywhat, I think I can almost grasp what many Trans people eperience, a painful alienation from one’s own flesh.
I salute you, Ms Bronc, and thank you for your service and for sharing your experience. I trust you and your word about your encounter with society and your body. You are valid, legitimate, and a damn decent person.
Finally, I sincerely doubt that Mr Bink would disagree with the paragraph immediately above, for he too is valid, legitimate, and a damn decent person. And he too lives in a world of pain – you can almost feel it in his communications.
regurgitate & retreat: 8 congressional failures on the #1 item of ripoff/trump’s bucket list. The result ?
The deadbeat claims victory, because he says he predicted just that outcome. WHA . . . . ?
After scaramucci’s scatological and phallophagical PR disaster for the pussypincher admin on Thursday, the maniac-in-chief fired . . . REINCE PREBUS ?!?
ARE SCATTING ME ??? I MEAN, FOR REAL ??? PREBUS ???????
Sadly, I shall no longer be able to see Duck Soup as a humorous satire.
Goodnight, Solar.
Oh, and I second Mr Crawford’s comment on the excellence of todays discussion.
Sleep well. Dream up ways to reach a universal summum bonum. Please.
Oh, and be good to each other.
…..i ran into a bunch of people….some were gay, some were trans some i dont even know a name for…..I learned something……people are people…some are dicks and some ain’t.
sturge, and some have and are dicks and some don’t but are… however those kinds both have and are assholes.
Quoting radical feminist arguments and then shifting to another position makes me question the reason for stand
Hard to have a rational discussion when one side is denying an entire body of work, challenging the right of anyone to have a differing opinion and yet basing their argument on an experience with one teenager.
I agree with some chatter in that this is the thin edge if the wedge. GLBTQA spokespeople have lit up the ‘ nets with these fears and I believe it: every advance Queer folk of every section of the umbrella have made, Trump wants to squash and stomp. What a charade, Trump waving The Raindow flag! Three days ago I blogged this: I served in the army of the USA. In California, two WACs exchanged rings in the snack bar of the hospital and called themselves married. A crusty old butch Major came around periodically to inspect the wards I worked on as a medic. In Vietnam we had a flaming Queer doctor named Major Nestor (first name), and we had in our circle of buddies an openly Queer finance department clerk. The army had many Queers, but I never knew any transgenders. But the army surely knew there were many, many gays in-service. Nixon never got his panties in a bunch over it; Trump wants to dump trans-folk out now…and believe it…it’s the thin edge of the wedge.