tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52308386775416505542024-03-18T22:18:21.396-07:00The Aquarian AgrarianA BLOG ABOUT INDEPENDENT POLITICS, POLITICAL ETHICS, ECONOMICS, AND ANARCHISM.
Political theory, U.S. politics & election statistics, the political spectrum, constitutional law & civil liberties, civil rights & interstate commerce, taxation & monetary policy, health care & insurance law, labor law & unions, unemployment & wages, homelessness, international relations, religion, technology; alternatives to the stateAquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.comBlogger761125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-74894345529965064732024-03-18T15:39:00.000-07:002024-03-18T22:17:46.885-07:00Response to the Illinois Green Party's State Candidate Questionnaire for the 2024 Election<p style="text-align: justify;"> The following is my response to the Illinois Green Party's questionnaire to aid in the vetting of candidates for the Illinois General Assembly, the lower house of Illinois's state legislature. I am running for State Assemblyman from Illinois's 60th District, for the election to be held on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024.</p><p><br /></p><p> Question #1: Name?<br /><br /> Answer #1: Joseph William Kopsick<br /><br /><br /><br /> Question #2: Complete Address?</p><p><br /> Answer #2: 548 Archer Avenue, Apt. #3 / Apt. C / 3rd Floor; Waukegan, IL 60085-9407<br /><br /><br /><br /> Question #3: Phone(s) and Email?</p><p><br /> Answer #3: Cell phone number is 618-751-3229; primary e-mail address is jwkopsick@gmail.com.<br /><br /><br /><br /> Question #4: Office you wish to seek?</p><p> Answer #4: Illinois State Representative from the 60th District (<i>i.e., </i>lower house / State Assembly).<br /><br /><br /><br /> Question #5: Website?<br /><br /> Answer #5: Personal website is <a href="http://www.joekopsick.com">www.joekopsick.com</a>; blog is <a href="http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com">www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com</a>.</p><p><br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #6: Are you a member of the ILGP? [Yes or No]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #6: Yes (unless my membership has expired); I became a member in 2020 and received the Member Number 2020jjbk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #7: Do you support each of the Ten Key Values; Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Grassroots Democracy, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Community-Based Economics, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus? [Yes or No; If you answered "No", please elaborate]:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #7: Yes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #8: Do you meet all of the legal qualifications for this office? [Yes or No]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #8: Yes; I've been a citizen since birth, have lived in Illinois for most of my life including the last nine years, and am 37 years old (12 years older than the 25 years required).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #9: What primary ballot (if any) did you pull in the last general primary?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #9: None; I did not vote in either major party's 2020 primary. Instead, I served as a delegate in the Green Party's nomination of Howie Hawkins, during its online convention that summer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #10: Why do you wish to hold this office?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #10: I want to align ecology with economy, improving the financial outlook of the people of Illinois by building the state's economic future on sound environmental practices (including in terms of business, land management, and taxation). I want to help Illinoisans live healthier and easier lives, and foster a free political discourse that will promote public intellectualism and open debates, leading to a simplification of taxes and a simplification of government. I want to do this so that it will be easier for ordinary Americans to learn, understand, and teach the law to the next generation - as well as easier for people defend themselves in court, run for office, and propose new laws - and without depending on professional politicians who get re-elected by crafting complicated laws that only a small handful of people understand, and use to their own benefit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #11: Why do you feel you are qualified to run?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #11: Although I am not an attorney myself, I come from a family of lawyers, and have been keenly politically aware since the age of 13 (in 2000). In 2009, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Since college, I have posted and published more than 700 articles regarding my views on politics and related topics. I have studied health policy, the national debt, minimum wage laws, the powers of Congress, U.S.-Israeli relations, environmental taxation, and radical political theory more than most other topics. I have run for the U.S. House of Representatives four times; publishing original platforms each time, and receiving a total of 26 votes in my most successful campaign. I wrote portions of the policies regarding labor and homelessness, in the platform of the Libertarian Socialist Caucus of the Libertarian Party. I have consistently been in touch with libertarian and progressive activist groups since 2005. I have intimate knowledge regarding the corruption in my county; especially in terms of judicial and environmental corruption. I am extremely interested in politics, in identifying legal and political problems in precise and practical ways, and nothing excites me more than coming up with unique and original solutions to societal or economic problems. I hope to bring both imaginative solutions and intellect to the Green Party and to the political arena.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #12: What are the most important issues you feel need to be addressed?</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #12: 1. Child Protection. 2. Budgetary and Taxation Reform. 3. Land Management and Environmental Reform.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #13: How many hours per week can you contribute to campaigning?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #13: Twenty to twenty-five hours per week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #14: Does your partner / family support your run for office? [Yes or No]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #14: I do not currently have a partner, and I am not in contact with my family.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #15: Will you agree not to accept contributions from corporations or corporate PACs? [Yes or No]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #15: Yes, but I would like to urge the Green Party to consider allowing candidates to accept contributions from cooperative corporations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #16: Will you agree to share your donor and volunteer information with the ILGP? [Yes or No]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #16: Yes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #17: Do you have, or will you open a campaign bank account and set up an online donation method? [Yes or No]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #17: No; I do not have a campaign bank account yet, but I will open one if and when it becomes necessary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #18: Do you have, or will you have, a campaign manager? [Yes or No; If you have one now, please provide name and contact information.]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #19: No; I do not have a campaign manager yet; I will likely manage my campaign by myself (unless I begin to receive significant contributions, in which case I would designate a campaign manager and treasurer as soon as possible).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #20: Do you have, or will you have, a campaign treasurer? [Yes or No; If you have one now, please provide name and contact information.]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #20: No; but I will hire a treasurer if I receive significant contributions and it becomes necessary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #21: How would you describe your current base of support?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #21: I would describe it as a small set of progressive and libertarian -leaning voters, whom have voted for me in my previous runs for office (especially my run for Illinois House of Representatives, from the 20th District, in 2020). I also have a potential base of support among the Greens in my county, whom I will meet as soon as I can obtain voter rolls and start holding chapter meetings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #22: Please describe any volunteer experience you have with the Green Party.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #22: I have not been formally involved with the Green Party much, but I have supported the party on and off since 2000 (when I was 13 years old, and supported Ralph Nader for president). I served as a delegate for Illinois in the 2020 nomination of Howie Hawkins for president. Briefly in the early 2010s I worked for the Liberty Tree Foundation for Democratic Revolution, founded by Ben Manski, former campaign manager for Jill Stein. I have written various articles, and created info-graphics, regarding what ideals and policies Greens have in common with Libertarians. Also, I attended formal and informal meetings of the Lake County Green Party chapter on-and-off between 2019 and 2023. But I have not yet volunteered for the Green Party directly, because I was only briefly involved with the party in 2020, and am still beginning to get involved. But I look forward to doing so.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #23: Please briefly describe any other relevant experience you have had, including employment, working on other political campaigns, or other volunteer efforts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #23: My work for Ben Manski's Liberty Tree Foundation only lasted one month, but I have always been resolved to learn as much about a job as possible, including the relationship of that job to the economy at large, and its context in politics and society. I learned that Liberty Tree's long-term goals included encouraging businesses to divest from the state Chamber of Commerce (which the organization views as essentially a business association disguising itself as a legitimate arm of government; <i>i.e., </i>a department of commerce), and instead invest in independent business associations. I figured out that those business associations should serve a social purpose, and be built and sustained in environmentally-sound manners, and that these activities are essential to increasing the power and wealth of working and poor people as well as ethical businesses. I have also worked as a private security guard (for the last seven years), using much of that time to learn about de-escalation tactics, the relationship of private security guards to the police, due process rights, and corruption in the courts. Additionally, I briefly worked as a legal secretary, and as a sanitation worker, and as a food service employee.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #24: Have you ever worked for a political campaign? If so, please describe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #24: Yes; I briefly helped distribute flyers for D.S.A. candidate Diana Burdette (the last person to challenge my opponent Rita Mayfield), but only for one day, and only in a volunteer capacity. Aside from that - and the time I served as a delegate for Hawkins in 2020 - I have never volunteered, nor worked in a paid position, for a political campaign, in any direct manner. I have never lived in a district in which I was eligible to vote for one of the few politicians I admire, at the same time that I was financially secure enough to travel as much as would have been necessary to serve such a campaign.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #25: Have you previously run for and/or held a public elected office? If so, please describe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #25: I have run for the U.S. House of Representatives four times before (in Wisconsin in 2012, then Oregon in 2014, then twice in Illinois), but I have not gotten elected. The highest number of votes I received was 26; when I ran in the 10th District of Illinois in 2016.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #26: Please provide any other general information you feel may be appropriate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> Answer #26:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 1. The anti-immigration fad that swept America this year must be stopped. The United States could easily fit another 100 million people before it passes the world average of people per square mile of land. The U.S. must recognize its history of at least 56 interventions into Latin American countries, and provide undocumented immigrants with safe opportunities to enter the country and declare asylum, and offer them <i>reparations, not welfare</i>. I hope to advocate for a decreased federal government involvement in the crafting of immigration policy, in terms of immigrant resettlement; making Illinois a Sanctuary State, with minimal or no federal government involvement, and minimal or no cooperation with the unconstitutional I.C.E. (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement).<br /> 2. Illinois was the first state to make it illegal for entities that contract with the State of Illinois to engage in Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions of the State of Israel. Since then, the world has seen the genocide which that state is committing in Gaza for what it really is. That is why I would like to see Illinois become the first state to <i>repeal</i> anti-B.D.S. laws.<br /> 3. I would support legislation that would require the designers of any and all newly constructed residential housing to place sources of heat (<i>i.e., </i>furnaces, <i>etc.</i>) farther from the main entrance or fire escape than the bedrooms and common areas are. I believe that this policy will help decrease the number of people who die while failing to escape fires that break out in their homes. I would call it "Ethan's Law", in memory of Lake County Green Party chairman Ethan Winnett.</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #27: Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: Campaign Finance Reform and/or Election Reform.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #27: I would support all efforts to promulgate Ranked Choice Voting and jungle primaries. I would support efforts to provide for public funding of elections, provided that candidates with totalitarian leanings are specifically prohibited from receiving funds, and provided that people who do not vote have the opportunity to opt-out of paying taxes which fund those elections. I would also support efforts to fight gerrymandering through implementing a non-partisan method of redistricting, wherein districts would be drawn by computer algorithms rather than public officials, so that districts are as compact as possible.<br /> My views on <i>Citizens United</i> are provided below; in my response to Question #57 (the final question in this survey).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #28: Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: The Budget / Taxation, and Education Funding Reform.</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #28:<br /> Regarding the Budget and Taxation:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I will run on a modified version of my proposal "P.O.U.N.D." (Pay Off the U.S. National Debt), which will include using the bully pulpit to urge politicians at other levels of government to coordinate with each other to simplify taxes; by devoting each level of government to a specific type of taxation. This would help eliminate double taxation, and simplify the tax code, during a transition to split-rate taxation (wherein buildings are taxed at a lower rate than land), and eventually, the "Single Tax" system proposed by Henry George (called Georgism or Geoism).<br /> I would author legislative efforts instructing municipal governments create or expand vacant lots registry funds, transform them into community-owned not-for-profit Community Land Trusts, which would essentially levy tax liens against the owners of non-improved properties (for example, lands containing nothing but abandoned, unfinished construction projects), in order to acquire either parcels of land going unused, or else revenues paid as land rent.<br /> This process would overhaul the system of property taxation, by taxing non-improvements instead of productive activities. The imposition of land rent on those who would pay the most in this system - <i>i.e., </i>land hoarders, land polluters, and owners of vacant lots and other blighted parcels of land - should eventually help fund the acquisition of all common resources (<i>i.e., </i>land, air, water, and the electromagnetic spectrum) by the community, restoring the Commons without abolishing the market.<br /> Georgism would also reform the market by ridding it of the most unnatural monopoly of all - that of land - building a bridge between libertarian-socialist and libertarian-capitalist philosophy, and solving the environmental and property rights problems left unanswered by libertarian-capitalist philosophy. This policy will also help people afford to survive and thrive, by making it easier to afford land, and easier to improve their property without incurring higher taxes as a result of doing so.<br /> Moreover, the value of all the untaxed non-improved land in the country is approximately equal to the cost of all levels of government in the country combined, so the Single Tax could pay for all costs of government while income taxes and sales taxes are completely phased out. I would advocate for the coordination of policymaking across various levels of government, in order to arrange the paying-off of $34 trillion of national debt, over 34 years, by calling for a constitutional amendment which would require a $1 trillion per year budget surplus, while making changes to the tax code at home which will make it possible for municipal governments to fund themselves through the most local revenue sources possible, first, in order to reduce the chance that the municipality will need to reach out to a more distant level of government for financial assistance in order to achieve its aims.</div><br /> Regarding Education Funding Reform:<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> I will propose legislative methods of protecting children from predaceous teachers and older students, through reforms to education, including separating high schools into physically separate Freshman/Sophomore and Junior/Senior campuses, and by cutting-off the flow of taxpayer money from parents to schools to teachers to teachers' unions to the attorneys of teachers accused of sex crimes against minors. I would propose a law that would allow people to opt-out of paying taxes towards schools if they are not parents, and instead propose taxing the propagandistic media outlets and arms of government which lie about our laws the most (so as to impose punitive taxation upon the people who make us stupid, and giving the funds to schools that will educate children). I will advocate for as little involvement in local education policy, by the U.S. Department of Education, as possible, including in terms of funding and choosing educational materials.</div><br /><br /><br /> Question #29: Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: Education Policy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #29: I would propose legislation which would instruct school districts to physically separate Freshman/Sophomore campuses from Junior/Senior campuses; first in order to reduce predation of bigger and older students upon smaller and younger students, and second in order to provide a place where older students can learn potentially dangerous wood shop and auto shop skills, without risk to younger students. Parents whose kids want to take shop, and who sign waivers of the right to sue, would allow their children to use the equipment, and parent-teacher associations would be encouraged to provide maximal transparency into the safety standards of their shop facilities. I would urge schools to enact policies instructing school security guards to check restrooms regularly, given that restrooms are among the most common sites of violent and sexual attacks. I would support legislative efforts prohibiting teachers from discussing their personal romantic relationships prior to the fourth grade, provided that such a policy is administered fairly upon heterosexual and homosexual teachers. I would support legislation requiring social workers sit-in on parent-teacher conferences in order to try to detect if a student is being abused. I would also urge schools to teach students more philosophy, more about the history of the U.S. between 1776 and 1789, and more about political theory and the political spectrum, as well as different types of political and economic systems. Additionally, I will advocate for the improved protection of children from sexual abuse and trafficking; by continuing to expose several Lake County schools' complicity in cover-ups of teachers' sex crimes against minor students, by pushing for a full repeal of statutes of limitations on reporting sex crimes, by making laws regarding various ages of consent (i.e., driving, smoking, drinking, sex, marriage, contract, <i>etc.</i>) more uniform.<br /><br /><br /><br /> Question #30: <span style="text-align: left;">Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: Energy Policy.<br /><br /> Answer #30: The Green Party cannot stay loyal to its decentralist principles unless it advocates for the State of Illinois to have more control over energy policy than the unconstitutional U.S. Department of Energy. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency / Department of Energy should "stand up, while the" U.S. Department of Energy "stands down"; the federal department should be abolished, saving Illinois money (since our state is more heavily relied-upon to fund the national government), which it could spend on increasing the budget of the state E.P.A. / Dept. of Energy.<br /> I believe that energy, environmental policy, land, and health policies are interrelated, and are among the most intrinsically local of issues, and therefore should be crafted and administered as locally as possible. If Illinois voters want taxes to be spent supporting the installation and use of "renewable energy sources" (<i>i.e., </i>solar panels, wind, hydroelectric power, <i>etc.</i>) then I would support that effort; however, I would caution that large energy providers (coal, oil) would cite the fact that renewable sources receive subsidies <i>at all</i>, to justify and excuse the prospect that <i>they</i> <i>themselves</i><i> </i>subsidies. That may sound inconceivable, but it's not very different from what we have now. That's why I think it's best to repeal all subsidies from <i>all</i> forms of energy, in order to let consumers decide which energy sources are the best. Also, I would support a statewide ban on nuclear plants.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #31: <span style="text-align: left;">Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: Environmental Policy.<br /><br /> Answer #31: I support the abolition of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Some Greens might not like the proposal of getting the national government out of energy and environment, but the collapse of <i>Roe v. Wade</i> shows us that courts, governors, presidents, and police (in this case, courts) each have their own ways of declining to continue to grant credence to the idea that a law should continue to be enforced. What's going to happen when those same officials stop believing that an entire <i>department of the national government</i> should keep existing? We have got to be ready. If we really believe that a topic should be the national government's exclusive jurisdiction - and not the states or the people - then we should support an amendment to the part of the Constitution which enumerates the powers of Congress, which says so. If the E.P.A. is dismantled, it will be for the same reason that the precedent in <i>Roe </i>stopped being enforced; because the people failed to codify it in the law.<br /> The essence of my environmental policy is that I will unite two proposals which will re-focus large sectors of political society, and the economy, onto the land and the environment. Those two proposals are Georgism (which I described at length above), and Bioregionalism. Bioregionalism will involve the re-settlement of borders, so as to conform to the watersheds (bounded by mountain ranges) which nature already gave us for free. Re-settling borders along bioregional lines could stand to improve many policy areas, including promoting diplomacy, solving border conflicts and water rights disputes, and reducing the cost of border creation.<br /> Additionally, I will expose my opponent Rita Mayfield's lack of skepticism regarding U.S. Representative Brad Schneider's acceptance of "campaign donations" (<i>i.e., </i>bribes) from Abbott, AbbVie, Baxter, and Medline; four medical-industrial firms that have wreaked environmental and financial havoc upon my home county of Lake. This will include legislative efforts which would require facilities emitting E.T.O. to use shorter smokestacks, consider safer chemicals, and relocate to lower-population areas (but only with the widespread consensus of the communities in question). I will also fight to expose the owners of at least 25 heavily polluted sites in my county, and expose AbbVie's promotion of cross-sex hormones through promotion of a study with dubious origins.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: left;"> Question #32: Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: Economic Policy.<br /></span><span style="text-align: left;"><br /> Answer #32: I believe that a truly free market is one which is free of artificial monopolies, and one in which supply and demand are allowed to meet - and achieve equilibrium - without interference from the state. That is why I would advocate for the repeal of all subsidies to all companies in the private market. I would support legislative reforms which would ensure that business owners and property developers fund the construction of any and all new roads leading to their properties, rather than the taxpayers. I would not support treating companies as "private" unless they receive zero in subsidies, no easy-credit loans (like P.P.P. loans, more than 90% of which were forgiven), and absolutely no taxpayer money whatsoever.<br /> I would support Georgist and Mutualist economic principles, taking an economically centrist position between libertarian socialism and libertarian capitalism, in order to foster monopoly-free markets that clear, such that excessive production does not result in waste, and in order to help low-income people find the resources they need before owning them becomes illegal or becomes theft from the producer. I would also support efforts to simplify taxes, in the manner which I described above.<br /> I believe that bringing shop classes back to high schools will help give the United States the economic and productive edge that it needs in order to compete industrially with Germany and China (which have higher numbers of young people in trade schools than America does). I will urge local libraries to purchase 3-D printers for public use, in order to promote public interest in Computer-Aided Design education.<br /> Finally, I will advocate for a constitutional amendment requiring the paying-off of $34 trillion in national debt, by paying it off one trillion dollars per year, for 34 years (through mandating a one-trillion-dollar surplus budget whenever the federal government is in more than one trillion dollars of debt).<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: left;"> Question #33: Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: Crime and Criminal Justice (including drug policy and gun violence).<br /></span><span style="text-align: left;"><br /> Answer #33: I would urge federal officials to remove cannabis / marijuana from Schedule I. As for the state level, I would repeal the law that limits people to growing six plants, replace it with a law that allows people to grow as many plants as they like, and advocate state nullification of federal drug scheduling laws. The state should craft and enforce its own drug policy. I would support efforts to make recreational use of cannabis legal for all adults, and support the release of political prisoners as well as people convicted of weapons and drug charges which did not involve the use of violence or fraud against others. I would not favor the continued government sponsorship of cannabis product dispensaries; as I believe the state's onerous taxes makes it impossible for the state to sustainably compete against unlicensed providers. I would propose funding a new investigation into torture of inmates by Chicago police officers. I would support efforts to repeal statutes of limitation on the reporting of crimes. I would sponsor legislation which would punish police officers for intentionally transporting arrestees long distances, and for unjustly depriving arrestees of medications. I will support the repeal of qualified immunity laws, while exposing Illinois law enforcement's exploitation of the Model Penal Code to get away with killing arrestees without cause. I will author legislation proposing an explicit ban on police officers having sex while on duty.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: left;"> Question #34: Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: Health Care.<br /><br /> Answer #34: I support bodily autonomy. I would support legislation which would prohibit companies from mandating vaccination, or certain vaccines, as a condition of employment, unless and until such time as the companies in question agree to give up all subsidies and other taxpayer funds which they may be receiving. Companies should respect their employees' privacy, by respecting the doctor-patient confidentiality guaranteed by F.A.F.S.A..<br /> I would not support any efforts to ban the use of any particular vaccine, but I would advocate for the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration, on the grounds that one-third of the medications it has approved, bear black-box warning labels, because they have caused deaths. I'd support legislation to the effect that no firm, except a hospital or doctor's office, should be allowed to mandate the wearing of masks as a condition of entry, unless they give up all public funding. And exemptions should be made, even in hospitals, for people for whom wearing masks would be adverse to their health (for example, people with asthma). <br /> Additionally, I will expose the corruption of the medical device industry in Lake County, including Abbott's creating tests with false-positives, by failing to enforce physical distancing and prohibitions on face-touching at their former Covid test manufacturing facilities.<br /></span><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></span></div><p></p><p> Question #35: Please briefly describe your position on the following issue: Transportation.<br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #35: I would support efforts to make our state's toll booths operational again. Few people like toll roads, but on the other hand, not everybody can easily afford an iPass. The downside of not getting an iPass is paying fees for going through open-road tolling without one. But I believe that people will pay the tolls, as long as you give them several easy ways to do it. We need <i>more</i> options regarding how to pay road tolls, not less.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I would support legislation that would require roads leading to new businesses, to be paid for by owners and developers, rather than by taxpayers who may never work for those businesses nor buy from them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I would propose a law that would require the state Department of Transportation to compensate drivers for vehicle damage costs they incur from damage by potholes. I would reject all legislation which would give in-state, Illinois-based road contractors any unfair edge against out-of-state bidders; already being set-up close-by is already enough of a natural advantage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Finally, I would suggest ten or fifteen new additions to the highways around Chicago, in order to alleviate the pressure of traffic, and to provide drivers with several new, more direct ways to get where they're going.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Question #36: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.: Equal Rights and Opportunities for All, Regardless of Racial or National Identity, Color, Sex, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression. [Support, Oppose, or Other]</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> Answer #36:<br /> Other. Equal rights, for everyone, regardless of the qualities mentioned above, is worth protecting; and especially so is the need to afford each individual the equal protection of the law (and due process). And equal opportunities are important, in order to provide for socio-economic mobility. But equal opportunity does not mean the opportunity to access private places where one's presence is not welcome. The advantage which pluralistic values have over the values associated with multi-culturalism (<i>i.e., </i>the values mentioned in the question), is that pluralism aims to preserve uniqueness - of the individual, and of the group - while multi-culturalism places more emphasis on integration, and getting everybody to come together, even if they might not necessarily like each other.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The Equal Rights Amendment may sound like a good idea, but its language is too vague. Do we really want <i>absolutely no </i>discrimination on the basis of sex? What does "sex" even mean in this context? The law is so short that it is unclear whether this refers to biological sex, gender, sexual orientation, or possibly even the physical act of sex. There is no telling how damaging the E.R.A. could become, if interpreted improperly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Biological females - <i>i.e., </i>people who were born female; with ovaries, and XX chromosomes (including people with sex chromosome abnormalities bearing some male characteristics but not so that the male characteristics<i> outnumber </i>the female characteristics at birth - have the right to deny permission to enter, to people who identify as female but do not share those biological factors. I do not support the mandatory checking of identification cards (let alone genitalia) at bathroom entrances, but wherever there is a question as to whether someone is welcome in a restroom, one or more additional options should be available to them (and pointed out). Comfort in a public restroom should be <i>unanimous</i>, or else a public disturbance is likely occurring.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I believe that athletes, including high school students, should have the right to choose, on an individual basis, whether the games they play in, and locker rooms they change in, are segregated by sex or gender or both, or not. Increased prevalence of single-person restroom stalls, single-person shower rooms, and clearly-labeled unisex facilities, will help reduce the strain and discomfort on cisgender males, cisgender females, and non-binary-identifying people alike.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Changing the topic to race: Whites-only clubs should not receive any form of public assistance whatsoever - not even public utilities - and businesses suspected of racial discrimination should not receive support from chambers of commerce. Segregation is wrong, and it should not be publicly-supported. But at the same time, minorities and other groups needing special protections should be able to expect safety and comfort. That is why I believe that all public entities offering accommodations to citizens should offer separate restrooms for males, females, and people identifying as neither or both; and with plenty of single-person stalls available. Whether restrooms should be sexually segregated, should be decided upon at the most local level possible, with who may enter clearly labeled at the entrance, and the owner of the property being in agreement with patrons regarding what the policy should be. And all heavily integrated places should be monitored by security guards and/or police, in order to prevent episodes of violence which could result from the coming together of people from opposing ideological and racial backgrounds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I would not support any efforts to remove "father" and "mother" from legislation, nor from birth certificates. In cases in which a step-parent or adoptive parent or sperm or egg donor or surrogate exists - or a parent is trans - <i>more </i>names should be added to the birth certificate, not less. Nobody who played any significant role in the creation or adoption of the child should be left off the document. I would reject any legislation which would infringe on the rights of same-sex-oriented couples - and couples in which one or both partner(s) is(/are) transgender - to marry, have children, and adopt children.</div><br /><br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #37: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.: Legal Right to Choose Abortion. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #37: Support, but people with a religious or other conscientious objection to abortion - or to paying for abortion - should be free to file exemptions. And abortion patients should be made aware of, and put in contact with, networks that supply abortions through voluntary donations. Abortion should be legal, but not taxpayer-funded. I believe that adopting such a policy will reduce political polarization, through de-radicalizing pro-life voters.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #38: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">The proposed "LaSalle Street Tax", imposing a small fee on speculative trading at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Board Options Exchange, and Board of Trade. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #38: Support. The LaSalle Street Tax is marketed as a "sales tax", and while I support phasing-out sales taxes (and replacing them with Land Value Taxes), I will admit that speculators should be taxed, because of the wealth of government support that financial firms receive (easy-credit loans and heavy security protection, for example). I would support this tax until such time as enough municipalities implement Land Value Taxation that the LaSalle Street Tax will no longer be needed, and it should be imposed on firms with the condition that they may only cease paying the tax when they can prove that they receive absolutely zero from the taxpayers.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #39: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> The "People and Planet First Budget" proposed by Fair Economy Illinois, or similar budgetary priorities. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #39: Support. I would be interested in reading more specifics about the legislative proposals that Fair Economy Illinois supports, but in general, I do support efforts to make jobs and businesses more environmentally sustainable, and efforts to align ecology with economy.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #40: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.: </span><span style="text-align: justify;">A constitutional amendment or other means of creating a graduated income tax or its equivalent in Illinois. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #40: Oppose. I do not support a graduated income tax - <i>i.e.,</i> the taxation of earned individual income from wages - for the reasons I have provided below; in the section on whether to fund schools through a progressive tax. But I do support taxation proposals which will achieve a lot of the same effects and goals of progressive taxation, but without actually engaging in progressive taxation or redistribution of income.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #41: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Ending Illinois's extreme reliance on local property taxes for school funding; increasing state funding for education from progressive taxation. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #41: Support (regarding ending reliance on property taxes); Other (regarding progressive taxation).<br /> Since individuals and workers receive much less aid from the government than companies do, I would support taxing businesses for as long as they receive taxpayer assistance. And I would replace property taxes (which are assessed in proportion to property value) with Land Value Taxes (which tax land use only if its productive potential is being wasted), as a way to fully fund our local governments, so that municipalities can fund schools without resorting to taxing income or sales.<br /> I don't support progressive taxation of income because I don't believe it's necessary or proper to tax income in the first place, but the tax regime I support would be <i>effectively</i> progressive, because those who hoard land the most, and those who get the most of their money from the taxpayers, would be among the types of people who would pay the most in taxes. And low-income people would experience the effect of being free to develop their property as they see fit, provided that they do not disrupt the ground underneath.<br /> Meanwhile, mineral resource extraction companies would be required to compensate the community for potential negative aftereffects on the environment <i>before</i> disasters happen (if they happen), not if and only after they occur. They would <i>not</i> be free to "skip town with the money". The more jurisdictions that practice L.V.T., the less tax havens there will be. Each municipality should be free to decide whether to devote revenues collected from mining companies toward the creation of a universal basic income guarantee or citizens' permanent fund. It would be especially risk-free to experiment with creating a U.B.I. if and when the government in question is free of debt.<br /> That is how Land Value Taxation would create the feeling of redistribution without actually committing any illegal or unwarranted takings of private property for public use without just compensation; nobody will have their fortunes taxed away unless they made their money off the taxpayer, or polluted in order to get rich, or enjoy massive land wealth through the assistance of public protections.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #42: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Ending school vouchers and other privatization schemes in education. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #42: Support. I oppose school vouchers because taxpayer funds going towards parochial schools borders on government establishment of religion. But at the same time, government-run "secular" schools should do less to propagandize and brainwash students into trusting their government too much. People who don't have children should be allowed to opt-out of taxes which go towards schools, and I would support repealing the law requiring children age six and older to attend public school, but aside from those policies, I wouldn't support any attempts to privatize schools.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #43: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> "Opting out" of federal programs that require frequent testing as a yardstick for educational progress and "teaching to the test". [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #43: Other. The State of Illinois should craft its own educational standards, in a way that is superior to federal standards; and the federal Department of Education should be abolished. "Opting-out" of federal standards is, in fact, <i>the only way</i> that Illinois can have better educational standards than the federal government's; because federal standards are a double-edged sword. The same law that pulls half of the states up, drags the other half of the states down. During the George W. Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger administrations, the federal government prevented California from having better vehicle emissions standards than the federal government. If that can happen to emissions standards, why couldn't it happen to educational standards?<br /> Also: </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Less emphasis should be placed on "teaching to the test", and multiple-choice format questions; and more emphasis should be placed on comprehending the answer, and why it is the correct answer, in a profound (or at least complete) way.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #44: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Support for clean energy, sustainable transportation, and other strategies to combat global climate change. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #44: Support.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #45: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> A ban on fracking and new oil or gas pipelines in Illinois. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #45: Support.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #46: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Phasing out of coal-fired plants and nuclear power in Illinois. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #46: Support.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #47: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Decriminalization of most drug offenses; treating drug abuse as a public health problem, not a criminal problem. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #47: Support.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #48: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Reforming the criminal justice system to focus on rehabilitation, restorative justice, education and teaching living and job skills, not punishment and "incapacitation". [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #48: Support, in regards to people convicted of minor crimes. But people convicted of sex crimes, murder, and other violent crimes should be subjected to home confinement, and close monitoring</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">at the very least</span><span style="text-align: justify;">. Some criminals commit crimes out of desperation, but not all; and I don't believe that all criminals can be rehabilitated.</span><p></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #49: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Protecting public workers' pensions and rights to union representation. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #49: Support. But I would also urge union members to educate themselves about the benefits of M.O.N.M.U.s (Members-Only Non-Majority Unions), because I believe M.O.N.M.U.s help unions come into existence more easily, and increase union activity by allowing multiple unions to exist at a workplace at the same time.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #50: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Tuition-free higher education at public colleges and universities. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #50: Support.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #51: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Enacting equal petition signature requirements for all political parties or independent candidates and reduced referenda petition signature requirements to appear on the ballot. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #51: Support.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #52: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Ranked Choice or Instant Runoff Voting. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #52: Yes, as well as jungle primaries.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #53: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Protecting the integrity of the vote by requiring paper ballots that can be recounted by hand. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #53: Support. At least two different forms of accounting for the vote should be kept, and available for public review.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #54: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Protecting the public sector in Illinois from expansion of privatization and "public/private partnership" schemes. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #54: I do not believe that "public-private partnerships" or government-sponsored enterprises should receive public funding, much less exist in the first place. Government should stay out of economic affairs, and refrain from picking winners and losers in the marketplace; except where absolutely necessary to punish fraud against financial integrity, and to punish crimes against the health and safety of workers and land and nature.<br /> The only form of "privatization" that I support, is not handing public resources over for management by private actors; but rather, "radical privatization", in which the government "gets out" of a particular market, industry, sector of the economy, or business racket, and stops intervening in it. I believe that the licensing of drivers is a great example of something that could be made private, or at least, an industry in which more competition against government could be had. After all, Illinois already has licensing through both the Secretary of State's office and privately-run "Departments of Motor Vehicles". And there's no reason why three or four driver-licensing agencies could not operate at the same time, and compete against each other for legitimacy and reputation. As long as traffic police are informed as to the names of such agencies, and agencies that give too many licenses to too many bad drivers are allowed to go bankrupt and go out of business, then the licensing of drivers could easily become a market function. Thus, this policy could stand to save the state money, in case it decides to get out of the driver licensing industry some day. Perhaps car insurance companies, or firms that establish industrial safety standards, could get into the driver licensing business; we will never know until the state backs away from the management of driver safety, and driver safety becomes as de-politicized an issue as possible.<br /> Of course, this would only work once we establish a truly free market; and again, a market is made unfree by the presence of artificial monopolies, and of firms that receive taxpayer funds. They distort people's and firms' ability to calculate prices, and create disequilibrium in the relationship between supply and demand (resulting in a variety of problems, including but not limited to shortages and supply chain interruptions). Most if not all artificial monopolies exist <i>because</i> the government <i>funded and created </i>them; so they could justifiably be taxed, and heavily.<br /> I support free, open markets, and the right of all people to engage in boycotts and strikes - and in forming and joining and leaving unions freely - on an individual basis, when and as they see fit, without having to beg the government for permission, or hire a lobbyist in order to do so legally. I would support reforms to the economy that would treat employers and employees, lenders and borrowers, and profit-oriented and non-profit-oriented companies, as equally and fairly as possible. I believe that cooperatives, social purpose enterprises, and some non-profits, are better modes of organizing firms than less sustainable for-profit firms which are focused on immediate profits and on obtaining unfair legal insulation against fair competition.<br /> I will support reforms which leave people free to voluntarily cooperate and voluntarily compete.<br /> <br /> <br /> </span></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #55: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Stronger regulation or restriction on the use or misuse of T.I.F. districts and "free enterprise zones". [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #55: Support. I do not support free enterprise zones; first, because they administer sales taxes unfairly; second, because I don't support sales taxes in the first place; and third, because they allow companies to be exempt from paying state utility taxes. Sales taxes, income taxes, and property taxes should all be replaced with taxes on non-improvement of land as soon as possible, but until that time, sales taxes should be levied against all companies fairly - without regard as to how many people they employ - unless the company in question receives absolutely zero public funds.<br /> I am just finding out about T.I.F. (Tax Increment Funding) districts; I gather that the misuse of them can involve improving areas that aren't really as blighted as some people want to pretend like they are. I am new to this topic, and I need to know more about the issue, but I would support the use of T.I.F. districts to improve areas that are truly blighted. Based on what I'm reading on the subject, it sounds like T.I.F. districts could perform a lot of the same essential functions as could expanded vacant lots registry funds, if only they were used as intended. I will reach out to the Green Party, and/or other knowledgeable actors who can educate me, for further information on T.I.F.s. I would cautiously support their use, if I could ensure that they could be used for good, and operated in a way that would make it easier to implement Georgist solutions to the problem of unused and vacant and blighted lands.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #56: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> "Improved Medicare for All" Single-Payer or Publicly Funded Universal Health Care System. [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #56: Support; but people should be free to avoid taxes that pay for medically unnecessary and elective procedures to which they have a religious or other conscientious objection. Most or all of the taxes which are spent on paying for the people's medical care, should be paid for by the biggest polluters.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> Question #57: Please provide short answers, and any elaboration you think is needed on these issues.:</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> A constitutional amendment providing that corporations do not enjoy the same rights as people and that money is not protected "speech". [Support, Oppose, or Other]<br /><br /> Answer #57: Support.<br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> However, I am not as pessimistic about the </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Citizens United</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> decision as are most people I know; and since I know it's not a common viewpoint, I will provide a total of eight reasons.</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> 1) The decision did not "define money as speech"; it merely found that the donation of money is a method of political speech (and I believe that it is, and that free giving is part of our wider right to self-expression).</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> 2) the decision did not establish that corporations are people; it merely affirmed that corporations are composed of people, and have many of the same rights as people.</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> 3) Big money in politics did not begin with </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Citizens United v. F.E.C..<br /></i><span style="text-align: justify;"> 4) The ruling affords the same freedom to corporations to donate funds, as it does to labor unions.</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> 5) The decision did not legalize unlimited political donations, because foreign corporations and foreign persons cannot legally donate (although I admit that this needs to be enforced more thoroughly).</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> 6) So-called "dark money" is not as disruptive to the political process as we might think, because anonymity of donors could stand to help keep them safe from being subjected to retributive violence as the result of their political views.</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> 7) The law that </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Citizens United</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> partially invalidated - the McCain-Feingold Act - limited P.A.C.s from broadcasting information critical of candidates during the month prior to the election, in an intentional legislative limitation upon our freedom of speech, by Congress; and at the time during which the public most needs to know crucial information about the potential new leader(s) of the country (</span><i style="text-align: justify;">i.e., </i><span style="text-align: justify;">the season of "October Surprises").</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> 8) The unlimited size and scope of the federal government is much more responsible for the rise of money in politics than </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Citizens</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> has been; we must return control over education, health, and environmental and land policy back to the State of Illinois, and to the most local authority which is competent to handle it, in order to make it less profitable to engage in corrupt schemes to grow the national government, and to stay true to the Green Party's principles of decentralization.</span><br style="text-align: justify;" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> While many view </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Citizens United</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> as problematic, I do not see it as one of the country's biggest problems.<br /> However, I would support an amendment that would specify that corporations and people have distinct and different sets of rights and responsibilities, going forward. Additionally, I would support efforts to verify, at the bare minimum, that donors are not from foreign countries. I would support the right of individual donors to remain anonymous, if they so choose; but not the right of businesses to do the same, nor people who enriched themselves at taxpayer expense.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></p><p><br /> </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Written on March 18th, 2024.<br /><br />Edited, expanded, and completed on March 19th, 2024.<br /><br />Originally published to this blog<br />under the title<br />"Response to the Illinois Green Party's State Candidate Questionnaire"<br />on March 18th, 2024.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Submitted to the Illinois Green Party<br />for consideration on the day of its primary;<br />Tuesday, March 19th, 2024.<br /></div><p></p><p> </p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-32241841082156274452024-02-16T18:04:00.000-08:002024-02-16T18:41:17.000-08:00Green T.V.: How to Watch or Attend Green Party Meetings on Any Day of the Week<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> The following list, and infographic, show the days of the week, and times of the day, for various scheduled online meetings (including calls on Zoom and Jit.si, and livestreams), most of which are affiliated with the Green Party, or caucuses within the Green Party.<br /> Also included, in this information, are links to where the videos from the live-streamed calls can be viewed online afterwards.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Several of these meetings also take place in person. This list also includes several meetings which are not exclusively attended by Greens, but still allow Greens to attend (such as the College of Complexes, which meets in Chicago on Saturday evenings).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> This list will allow viewers and listeners to attend Green Party meetings nearly every day of the week, and also call-in to comment, if they wish. It could also help Green Party members decide which caucus or caucuses they'd like to join.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">[Author's Note:]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> My hope, with this list, is that it could eventually be used to create a schedule for a potential television station run by the Green Party and affiliates.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Thanks to Chuck Fall, Tom Rodman, Gloria Guillo, David Rych, Toneal Jackson, and others, for this information.</div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySttXxBWfwBM-1jLwX6djj4TOvRw-hpoJXcvDHKlPFyovKv_OrXVZTgoGwUUS8-9lFpdMAMyoRX2cFjN9sqIDSl5aF6jVvMAHrYex3xmc_4g_NL2SBNtwv1Sl765kXfmvdJR826x7dDTEtfGYUAqNUDxSrk0s5bylhQGwuNPpK8Sz68ehSu8Q3P0NwEg/s2831/5.%20GreenTV,%20Updated%202-16-24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2831" data-original-width="2350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySttXxBWfwBM-1jLwX6djj4TOvRw-hpoJXcvDHKlPFyovKv_OrXVZTgoGwUUS8-9lFpdMAMyoRX2cFjN9sqIDSl5aF6jVvMAHrYex3xmc_4g_NL2SBNtwv1Sl765kXfmvdJR826x7dDTEtfGYUAqNUDxSrk0s5bylhQGwuNPpK8Sz68ehSu8Q3P0NwEg/w333-h400/5.%20GreenTV,%20Updated%202-16-24.jpg" width="333" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click on the image above,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and open it in a new tab and/or a new window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and/or download the image,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">in order to see in full resolution.</div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /> To download the above list in an easier-to-read PDF file format, which is printable, please click on the following address, and download the PDF:</p><p> <a href="http://drive.google.com/file/d/11-xQks_uyA6kHkfhyKEtZ5DWEiVj82tP/view?usp=sharing">http://drive.google.com/file/d/11-xQks_uyA6kHkfhyKEtZ5DWEiVj82tP/view?usp=sharing</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Compiled between February 1st and 16th, 2024.</p><p style="text-align: center;">First published to the Aquarian Agrarian on February 16th, 2024.</p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-39099687380521113562024-01-27T09:39:00.000-08:002024-01-27T09:49:18.608-08:00How to Avoid Another Failed Presidency of Joe Biden and Donald Trump<p style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: justify;"> According to recent polls, shown on the website <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com">http://www.realclearpolitics.com</a>, Donald Trump is currently leading in
battleground states such as Iowa, Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia;
while incumbent President Joe Biden is leading in Virginia and Wisconsin.</span></p><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> If those trends continue until Election Day - such that the actual results of the Electoral College play out in the same fashion - then Biden will defeat
Trump by a narrow margin of 270 to 268 electoral votes (as shown below).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDayn1SHmJOZmS3BUr0jXAxBoPtKxYUHJztQjzkQ240NnH1TC7oXdTx6x_eiXp8afhELhIBZkslIfYvTfX9RaMhmjQsXH7noPCmT2c9xuNTA8RZrTLr5OWNYA_spYZ_bLQU5pTHDJLy5iSeUHQ-iXSrCKSUAj4lgHq9Zfpod1LVvFBQ73JdvOXG7GTXk/s710/2024%20projected.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="710" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDayn1SHmJOZmS3BUr0jXAxBoPtKxYUHJztQjzkQ240NnH1TC7oXdTx6x_eiXp8afhELhIBZkslIfYvTfX9RaMhmjQsXH7noPCmT2c9xuNTA8RZrTLr5OWNYA_spYZ_bLQU5pTHDJLy5iSeUHQ-iXSrCKSUAj4lgHq9Zfpod1LVvFBQ73JdvOXG7GTXk/s320/2024%20projected.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Map created by Joe Kopsick,<br />through the use of the mapping tool found at <a href="http://270towin.com">270towin.com</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click, and open in new tab and/or window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and download if necessary, in order to view full-size.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> However, if even <i>one</i> electoral vote can be swung <i>away</i> from Biden, and towards
Trump <i>or any other candidate</i>, then <i>no</i> candidate will receive the 270 votes
necessary to become president.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> This would trigger a process prescribed by the 12th Amendment, in which the
House of Representatives would elect the president, with each state voting as a
single delegation, with 26 votes required to clear the simple majority.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> But how could an electoral vote go to anyone other than Trump or Biden, without
any other candidate defeating Trump or Biden in any state?</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> There are 22 states in the Union which do not require states to submit their
electoral vote according to how the majority voted, and which do not have
processes providing for punishment of "faithless electors".<br /> The
states that do not punish faithless electors are shown below, in orange.
(Source: </span><span class="x1fey0fg" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><a href="http://archive.fairvote.org/?page=967">http://archive.fairvote.org/?page=967</a></span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMKH4lwNWXbY7-jXcXZSvMF2NJ4e-BU6MOSmcylG-_PQXlbcwfeudKKKXEm52iMf9JryPDWfbr_EAPIe2y6k6evnTlUuVvMYVWe92G1VSIcwKnP8hm12HaEJrspLvf3U4UhPci32bV8u2mSydyGiTklb3lKZadk2Njon_eR5xBBWkOukkOLHe0zPedFw/s692/faithless.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="692" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMKH4lwNWXbY7-jXcXZSvMF2NJ4e-BU6MOSmcylG-_PQXlbcwfeudKKKXEm52iMf9JryPDWfbr_EAPIe2y6k6evnTlUuVvMYVWe92G1VSIcwKnP8hm12HaEJrspLvf3U4UhPci32bV8u2mSydyGiTklb3lKZadk2Njon_eR5xBBWkOukkOLHe0zPedFw/s320/faithless.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Map created by Joe Kopsick,<br />through the use of the mapping tool found at <a href="http://270towin.com">270towin.com</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Click, and open in new tab and/or window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">and download if necessary, in order to view full-size.</div></div><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The House would then be free to choose from among the top <i>three</i> recipients of
electoral votes from that first Electoral College election round.<br /> To quote Amendment XII to the U.S. Constitution: <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">“if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the
highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as
President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot,
the President.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Source: <a href="http://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-12/">http://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-12/</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> For example,
if neither Trump nor Hillary Clinton had received 270 electoral votes in 2016,
and the number of faithless electors would have been the same, then the House
would have been free to choose from among Trump; Hillary; and Colin Powell, who
received three faithless electoral votes, more than any other candidate who
received faithless electoral votes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GKizgS27rmTYU8h0vJBCP6bBVHFYuGUvp0P8kP0museMMOmSf92GKL4YzVs3pPalkMkO1_vJ9rWxllpFo1TMpbGS-0bs1DDafYv2Jly4LzDzWQhHXOK9N0bEFb2VzLzUL3wUKzgeOWnrr1WRuIW1p7vV0FtIMjBG9uC3jL_iPzLklLjo5O78wzMu31w/s1200/2016%20electoral%20college.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1200" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GKizgS27rmTYU8h0vJBCP6bBVHFYuGUvp0P8kP0museMMOmSf92GKL4YzVs3pPalkMkO1_vJ9rWxllpFo1TMpbGS-0bs1DDafYv2Jly4LzDzWQhHXOK9N0bEFb2VzLzUL3wUKzgeOWnrr1WRuIW1p7vV0FtIMjBG9uC3jL_iPzLklLjo5O78wzMu31w/s320/2016%20electoral%20college.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Map created by Joe Kopsick,<br />through the use of the mapping tool found at <a href="http://270towin.com">270towin.com</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Click, and open in new tab and/or window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">and download if necessary, in order to view full-size.</div></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Americans who are unfamiliar with how the 12th Amendment and Electoral College
work, <i>must</i> learn about this! It is the only way to inform mass numbers of
American voters that the re-election of Biden and Trump - and the election of
anyone other than the two most popular candidates in <i>any</i> presidential election
- is <i>not</i> inevitable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> You can learn more about what happens when no candidate receives a simple majority of the electoral votes, by watching the video found at the following address:<br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPA1C-q1Zho">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPA1C-q1Zho</a></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span style="background: white; color: #050505;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> There is another way! Please share this article with anyone and everyone you know who doesn't want to re-live and re-litigate the U.S. presidential election of 2020.</div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #050505;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #050505;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #050505;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #050505;">Originally written, and posted to Facebook, on January 25th, 2024.<br /><br />Edited and expanded, and posted to this blog, on January 27th, 2024.</span></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-83992080250354489622024-01-25T23:11:00.000-08:002024-01-25T23:11:51.863-08:00Contact Information for Me, and Links to My Websites (Including This Blog, Links to Buy Books, and Links to Social Media)<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> What follows below is a list of ways to get in touch with me - including my home address, cell phone, and e-mail address - followed by links to various websites which I maintain.<br /> Those websites include this blog (the Aquarian Agrarian on Blogspot / Blogger); and my various accounts and pages on Facebook, YouTube, Rumble, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> You can download a PDF of this information - which is printable, and displayed more neatly than the information below - by clicking on the following link:</div> <a href="http://drive.google.com/file/d/1cFxwoniE9omPGj01FZEN4q3BVfcCOJg2/view?usp=drive_link">http://drive.google.com/file/d/1cFxwoniE9omPGj01FZEN4q3BVfcCOJg2/view?usp=drive_link</a><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">JOSEPH W. KOPSICK</span></u><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"> </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">- CONTACT INFORMATION & WEBSITES<br />
</span><span style="color: #222222;">___________________________________________________________________________________<br /><br /></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;">
<u><span style="background: white;">GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION</span></u><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">Address</span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: white;"> (Residence, and)</span><span style="background-color: white;"> 548 Archer
Avenue, Apt. #3 / Apt. C / 3rd Floor;</span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">for Mailing Purposes):</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Waukegan, IL 60085-9407</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: white;"><br />
<b>Phone </b>Number:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>618-751-3229
(personal cell phone)<br />
<br /><br />
<b>E-Mail</b> Address:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:jwkopsick@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc;">jwkopsick@gmail.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /><br />
Company / <b>Employer</b>:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Howe
Security, Inc. (based in Lake Bluff, IL)</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /><br />
Personal <b>Website</b><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>JoeKopsick.com
/ </span></span><a href="http://www.joekopsick.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc;">http://www.joekopsick.com</span></a>
(under construction)<span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /><br />
<b>Blog</b> (Political Writing):<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>The
Aquarian Agrarian Blog on Blogspot.com / Blogger<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/"><span style="background: white;">http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br />
Buy <b>Books</b>:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.joekopsick.com/order-books"><span style="background: white;">http://www.joekopsick.com/order-books</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>or</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span></span><u><span style="background: white; color: #1f3864; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">http:/</span></u><a href="http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/"><span style="background: white; color: #1f3864; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com</span></a><u><span style="background: white; color: #1f3864; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">/2017/05/<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1f3864; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>two-collections-of-essavs-now-available
html</u></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;">___________________________________________________________________________________<br /><br />
<u><span style="background: white;">ON SOCIAL MEDIA</span></u><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br />
<b>Facebook</b> (personal profile):<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Joseph
Kopsick /</span><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><u><span style="background: white; color: #1f3864; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">http:/www.
facebook.com/profilephp ?id=100090385913768</span></u><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Facebook Page</b>:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Positive Toxicity /<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551771880717"><span style="background: white;">http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551771880717</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br />
<b>Instagram</b>:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>JosephW.Kopsick
/ Joseph W. Kopsick /</span><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><u><span style="background: white; color: #1f3864; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">http://</span></u><a href="http://www.instagram.com/"><span style="background: white; color: #1f3864; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">www.instagram.com</span></a><u><span style="background: white; color: #1f3864; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;">/josephw.kopsick/</span></u><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /><br />
<b>Rumble</b> Channel #1<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Political Videos):<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>JoeKopsick
/ </span></span><a href="http://rumble.com/c/c-1519125"><span style="background: white;">http://rumble.com/c/c-1519125</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rumble Channel #2<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Child Abuse in IL): <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>LakeCountyIllinoisAbusesKids / </span><a href="http://rumble.com/c/c-3218946"><span style="background: white;">http://rumble.com/c/c-3218946</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rumble Channel #3<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Comedy & Parodies):<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>NipplebackTV / </span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://rumble.com/c/c-2912970">http://rumble.com/c/c-2912970</a></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br />
<b>TikTok </b>Channel #1 (Current): Joe
Kopsick /@JosephKopsick</span><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TikTok Channel #2 (Old):<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brezon55 / (@brezon21 / </span></span><a href="http://www/" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc;">http://www</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">.</span><a href="http://tiktok.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc;">tiktok.com</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">/@brezon21<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br />
<b>Twitter</b> / X:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>JoeKopsick/
@joe_kopsick</span><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /><br />
Y<b>ouTube</b> Channel:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Inverting
the Pyramid with Joe Kopsick / JoeKopsick4Congress <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>/ @joekopsick1540</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Information gathered throughout 2023.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Published to this blog on January 25th, 2024.</span></span></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-88967268921249882302024-01-12T22:00:00.000-08:002024-01-16T05:48:08.482-08:00Letter of Resignation from the Lake County, Illinois Chapter of the Libertarian Party<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> The following letter was addressed
to Alexa Maffei (interim chair of the Lake County, Illinois chapter of the
Libertarian Party), Scott Shuey (immediate past chair of the chapter), Carter
Mitchell (chapter treasurer), and other members of the L.C.L.P. (Lake County
Libertarian Party).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> This resignation was intended to be
effective immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><u><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Subject:<br />
<br />
</span></u><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Bad News (Please Read Carefully and
Thoroughly)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Message:</u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">Dear Friends:<br />
<br /></p><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"> I regret to
inform you that I am resigning from my position as Secretary of the Lake County
of Illinois chapter of the Libertarian Party.</div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"> I especially
regret this because I was unable to fulfill my duties as Secretary for even a
single meeting. I admit that this was a failure on my part, and I would like to
sincerely apologize.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I want you
to know that my reason for leaving has nothing to do with ideological
differences. I am relieved that the party platform still contains language
endorsing “free markets” and does not contain the word “capitalism”. I could
point to a number of ideological differences that I have with the party and its
platform, but they are not significant enough to justify my leaving on any sort
of permanent basis. My reasons for leaving have nothing to do with the
extremely minor differences in ideology which I have with the party.</div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> I will
always be a small-“l” libertarian at heart, so I cannot guarantee that I will
never be back. I would be glad to attend an upcoming meeting of the chapter, if
it regroups; however, my former campaign manager has advised me that I refrain
from attending more than one L.C.L.P. this year, in order to avoid violating
Illinois campaign laws which prevent candidates from attending nominating
processes of more than one political party. This year, I will be seeking the
Green Party’s nomination for Illinois State Representative, from the 60<sup>th</sup> District
(currently represented by Democrat Rita Mayfield).</div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Unfortunately, this is not the end of the bad news which I need to impart to
you in this letter. Please be advised that the information which follows below
is sad and may be distressing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> A number of you may remember that, several times over the last few years, I
invited a young man named Ethan Winnett to our meetings. He was the chairman of
the Lake County Green Party.</div><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> I am sad to
inform you that Ethan passed away in October.</div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
I cannot remember whether I informed any of you about this individually. But to
those who are hearing of this for the first time now, I regret not informing
you of this earlier (for example, in the e-mail which I sent to Scott, Alexa,
and Carter on October 26<sup>th</sup>, 2023). I believe that I was in too much
shock to mention it at that time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Ethan was a great friend to me, and a close friend, as well as a passionate and
outspoken activist. I’m glad that a number of you got to meet him before his
untimely passing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">After the Covid-19
pandemic, and ensuing lockdown, made regular meetings of the Lake County Greens
impossible, Ethan and I began holding unofficial “meetings” of the party,
solely between ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">On these occasions, he
communicated to me the need to protect the environment; end the wars; and
protect the rights of veterans, homeless people, and people in need of medical
care.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I responded by stressing
the need to pursue these goals at levels of government which are appropriate
(given to the separation of powers laid out in the U.S. Constitution), in order
to secure these freedoms on a permanent basis, rather than a temporary one
(whereas the Democrats have opted to pursue temporary avenues which have proved
useless and easy to reverse).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Therefore, I am leaving the L.C.L.P. (either on a temporary or permanent basis,
I don’t know yet) in order to fulfill what I perceive as a duty, to my late
friend, to continue his legacy, and to make sure that the Green Party does not
remain permanently dissolved in this county.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
While the L.C.L.P. has not met in approximately six to eight months, it has
more members who would be prepared to reinstate meetings, as compared to
the Green Party, which I am convinced will need my help in order to resume
regular meetings and regain its footing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
While I can only formally support one party at a time, I do not want either the
Green Party or the Libertarian Party to die-out in this county, so I will do
whatever I can to make sure that they remain in existence (outside of violating
laws which may disqualify me from continuing my candidacy).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> As a supporter of the “Progressive-Libertarian Alliance” (which was spoken of
by Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, and the like) since 2007, it has been my dream of
uniting the two political movements which are the most steadfastly opposed to
defeating the Democrat-Republican duopoly, which is controlled by the
neoliberal-neoconservative alliance that puts on the pretense of being
“centrist”. I know, as well as you do, that this is a lie, because the true
center of American politics is not “between those parties”, but rather, lies
closer to activism and decentralization, and farther from authoritarianism,
than these parties have led us.</div><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> The
“Progressive-Libertarian” dream led to another dream; promoting the fusion of
the Green Party and the Libertarian Party. Although this is an uphill battle –
due to ideological differences, party bylaws, and election laws – I do not
believe that it should be abandoned entirely.</div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
That is why I will be looking into state laws regarding “electoral fusion” and
“cross-ballot filing” and “cross-ballot nomination”. Nine states currently
allow a candidate to be nominated by multiple parties. During my campaign this
year, I plan to find out exactly which laws, in the other 41 states, prohibit a
candidate from being nominated by multiple parties, and recommending that minor
party and independent candidates in those states, run on platforms which
include amending or repealing those laws.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
I would love to see the Green and Libertarian parties move closer together, to
make it more likely that candidates in all fifty states could be nominated by
both parties. Little would threaten the two-party duopoly’s stranglehold on the
American political process more than this, and that is why I believe that
electoral fusion should become an essential part of all minor parties’
platforms regarding electoral reform.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Although the Green Party is currently officially socialist, I will be
encouraging the party to adopt Georgism (also known as Geoism, the philosophy
of economist Henry George) as its guiding economic philosophy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I believe that promoting
Georgist and Geo-Libertarian policies - regarding reforms to land management,
the environment, taxes, and property rights – will help bring the parties
closer together, solve the problem of double taxation by promoting a strict separation
of taxes across the various levels of government, and simplify taxation and
government in general in order to make civics easier to teach to our young
people (leading to an influx of ordinary people into the legislative process).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Also, there is a movement
to create a “Green Liberty Caucus” within the Green Party. It’s possible that
Green Party by-laws will prevent this from happening, but if it does, then that
movement will continue, as a bloc, a coalition, a Political Action Committee,
or all of the above. The movement puts medical freedom and prosecution of state
crimes as its most important goals, and I hope to help the G.L.C. attract more
supporters, regardless of their current affiliation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">That is why I believe that
the Green Party will be the most effective vehicle for the promotion of these
goals; at least for the time being.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As I explained, I would
not be opposed to attending future meetings of the L.C.L.P., but I must limit
myself to only one official meeting during the year 2024. I would be glad to
meeting any or all of you on a strictly social basis, however.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
And, as I also explained, I do not want to stop helping the L.C.L.P., and I
don’t want to “go away empty-handed” (as they say on the game shows).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
That is why I have attached to this e-mail, the materials which will allow the
chapter to continue its affairs, should it decide to re-group, and renew calls
for regular meetings to take place, now that the primary season is upon us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Attached to this e-mail, you will find the set of L.C.L.P. chapter logos which
were designed by Scott Shuey and myself, which remained to be voted upon, in
our last official meetings. I would recommend that multiple logos be chosen,
for different purposes (hats, T-shirts, refrigerator magnets, bumper stickers,
and official chapter literature), due to their different shapes, and in order
to avoid wasting too many of the proposed designs. Please note that the
numbering of the individual logos do not match the numbering of the logos which
is found in the image containing the nine best logos.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
I have also included the e-mail list of people who have been members of our
chapter over the last several years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Additionally, I have included a document which contains the agenda which I
planned to discuss, during the one meeting over which I would have presided as
Secretary, but which had to be cancelled due to low attendance. Feel free to
edit the agenda (namely, the highlighted portions) as needed, to suit the
agenda of the next meeting that will be held.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
As some of you may know, Scott Shuey had to resign his post as Chair of the
chapter early last year, and Alexa Maffei stepped-up as Interim Chair. Carter
Mitchell remains Treasurer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Someone will likely need to volunteer to become Chair and/or Co-Chair – and to
replace me as Secretary – at least for the time being, until meetings can be
held on a routine monthly basis, at which time a more permanent resolution
regarding chapter positions can be made.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
You now have the materials you will need to continue your operations. The ball
is now in your court. I wish you good luck, and may the best party win!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Feel free to invite me to whichever upcoming meeting, later this year, that you
think would promote our mutual interests the most.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
And do not hesitate to reach out – via e-mail and/or phone – if you would like
to chat, or meet with me on a social basis, or extend your condolences
regarding Ethan Winnett’s passing. I plan to discuss, with his friends, how to
honor his legacy, and perhaps set up some sort of memorial fund or foundation
in his memory.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Thank you for your support in my most recent campaign (2020), and thank you for
being my friends. I look forward to speaking with you again in whatever
capacity you please.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Take care.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Warmest regards,<br /><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Joseph W. Kopsick<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/8896726892124988230"><span style="color: #4285f4;">jwkopsick@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">618-751-3229<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><br /></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">January 12<sup>th</sup>,
2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">[Chapter e-mail list not included in order to protect the
privacy of members.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Logos not included due to
formal decisions regarding logos not yet having been made.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Agenda not included due to
its not being current,<br />
and due to its not being needed by readers of this blog.]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Written and published on
January 12th, 2024<br />
<br />
Expanded on January 16th, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-76643048814281738972024-01-09T22:00:00.000-08:002024-01-12T18:18:16.323-08:00The Biden Bunch: Joe Biden Can't Even Remember All the Rapes<p class="MsoNormal"><u>Introduction</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"> (written and added on January 12th, 2024)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Many Americans
– supporters and opponents of President Joe Biden alike – claim that the
president has dementia. His opponents say so because they believe he is
disqualified, while his supporters say so because they want to attribute his
sniffing and groping of women and girls to a deterioration of his cognitive
capacities.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Joe Biden is not demented, he's a serial rapist and a
child molester. He molested a child live on C-SPAN2 on January 6th, 2015. In my
opinion, he only appears demented because he has a stuttering problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It is entirely possible that Biden <i>is </i>demented,
though. But even if that is true, we must not allow the possibility that he is
demented, to distract us from doing whatever it takes to hold him responsible
for groping and molesting children, by pretending that he is only molesting
kids and sexually assaulting and harassing women, because he is demented. Biden
has been looking at children inappropriately since the 1970s.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">A Wisconsin court recently ruled that Cardinal Theodore
McCarrick is not competent to stand trial for sexual abuse of a child, because
he supposedly has dementia (according to a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-indent: .5in;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; text-indent: 0.5in;">[Note: You can read more about this by visiting the
following link:</span></div><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><a href="http://apnews.com/article/cardinal-theodore-mccarrick-sexual-assault-dismissed-4ef431ec2ff51c42f5f895d603764207" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">http://apnews.com/article/cardinal-theodore-mccarrick-sexual-assault-dismissed-4ef431ec2ff51c42f5f895d603764207</a><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">]</span></div>
</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">We must not allow rapists, child molesters, and Nazi
collaborators escape justice simply because they are too old, and out of touch
with the reality of what they did, to face a trial without getting the vapors
and playing the victim card.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-indent: .5in;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; text-indent: 0.5in;">[Notes:<br /> 1) Ron Jeremy escaped justice due to his supposed dementia as well. Read about it here:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <a href="goog_645690830">ht</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505;"><a href="tp://deadline.com/2023/01/porn-ron-jeremy-dementia-rape-trial-la-da-1235225388/">tp://deadline.com/2023/01/porn-ron-jeremy-dementia-rape-trial-la-da-1235225388/</a><br /> 2) Bill Cosby potentially stood to escape trial due to his supposed dementia, but that was not the ultimate cause of the dismissal of his case. Read about that here:<br /> <a href="goog_645690831">htt</a></span></span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505;"><a href="p://www.9news.com.au/national/bill-cosby-guilty-could-avoid-jail/38115fa0-3a5f-49d0-ac32-98603bb9cb38">p://www.9news.com.au/national/bill-cosby-guilty-could-avoid-jail/38115fa0-3a5f-49d0-ac32-98603bb9cb38</a>]</span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The state impersonates the victim in every criminal
case; you can read the very name of the case (<i>e.g.</i>, “<i>State of
Illinois v. Defendant</i>”), and it will be obvious that this is so.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The state impersonates the victim in order to speak on
the victim's behalf, rob the victim of the opportunity to speak and to confront
the accused, and drop charges on the victim's behalf without the victim's
permission.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The state is a violent mob that has legalized its own
crimes, it is intrinsically violent, and its purpose is to protect the accused
from the "harassing" claims of the accuser.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Down with the state, and down with all those who seek
political power solely in order to escape justice for their crimes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The State of Israel is currently on trial for genocide
at the Hague, 77 years after the Nakba.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The arm of the law is long, but the arc of history is
longer, and so are our memories.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The state can only protect the guilty for so long,
before people see what is going on and eventually rebel, and see the state for what
it is; the protector of the guilty, and the enemy of the innocent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #050505; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">We are told that "ignorance of the law is no excuse". But ignorance of one's own crimes should not be an excuse either.</span></p><p><u><br /></u></p><p><u><br /></u></p><p><u><br /></u></p><p><br /></p><p><u>Nine Adult Women Who Came Forward Against Biden for Unwanted Touching, Inappropriate Sexual Conduct, and/or Forceful Fondling</u></p><p>1. Caitlyn Caruso</p><p>2. Ally Coll, a/k/a Ally Rose Cole, a/k/a Ally Cole Steele</p><p>3. Jessica-Leigh Collins</p><p>4. Lucy Flores</p><p>5. D.J. Hill</p><p>6. Sofie Karasek</p><p>7. Amy Stokes Lappos</p><p>8. Alexandra Tara Reade</p><p>9. Vail Kohnert-Yount </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODpqy-zE8wUSHOPaEcYVvZdMQ0RAT_zi2PaDBFVCD7R6N8Psfsua7-um2c0OETQ1IyEDOdFGNNRQNPdD1tpaK03Ay4u7zAg463kBZNOodVjshj68WQhjCsr1-MEsYOJrmEvnlmxemkgZOJxUA4lb7R9pt3nmdBVXf3N5segx31v1NcZeXEgW2nToxXl0/s897/Biden%20Bunch.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="894" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODpqy-zE8wUSHOPaEcYVvZdMQ0RAT_zi2PaDBFVCD7R6N8Psfsua7-um2c0OETQ1IyEDOdFGNNRQNPdD1tpaK03Ay4u7zAg463kBZNOodVjshj68WQhjCsr1-MEsYOJrmEvnlmxemkgZOJxUA4lb7R9pt3nmdBVXf3N5segx31v1NcZeXEgW2nToxXl0/s320/Biden%20Bunch.png" width="319" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">[From top-left, going clockwise:<br /><br />Top-Left: Caitlyn Caruso<br />Top-Center: D. J. Hill<br />Top-Right: Amy Lappos<br />Center-Right: Ally Rose Coll / Ally Coll Steele<br />Bottom-Right: Lucy Flores<br />Bottom-Center: Jessica-Leigh Collins<br />Bottom-Left: Sofie Karasek<br />Center-Left: Vail Kohnert-Yount]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">[Note: The image above does not include Alexandra Tara Reade.]</div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[Author's Note:<br /><br /> The list above previously appeared in my article "Full List of Donald Trump's and Joe Biden's Sexual Assault and Harassment Accusers", which was originally published to this blog on July 30th, 2020, and was subsequently edited and expanded several times to include new accusers.</p><p><br /> That full article can be read at the following link:<br /><br /> <a href="http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2020/07/full-list-of-donald-trumps-and-joe.html">http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2020/07/full-list-of-donald-trumps-and-joe.html</a>]<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">Image created on January 9th, 2024.<br /><br />Portions of article below the Introduction were posted on January 9th, 2024.<br /><br />Introduction written and added on January 12th, 2024.<br /><br />Includes information previously published to this blog on July 30th, 2020.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Credit for coining the phrase<br />"Biden Can't Even Remember All the Rapes [Anymore]"<br />goes to the late Ethan Winnett.</div><br /><p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-79525830554514168102023-12-31T21:57:00.000-08:002024-01-01T00:29:20.488-08:00Playlist of My Top 40 Christmas Songs<p style="text-align: justify;"> The following is a list of my favorite Christmas, winter, New Year's, and holiday -themed songs.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> [Warning:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> This playlist consists of songs performed by adults, and songs performed by children, as well as several songs which are <i>not suitable</i> for children.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>Do not</i> click on this playlist and allow it to play, without stopping, in the presence of children. This playlist is <i>not</i> playable for large gatherings which include families, in its entirety.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The three songs in this playlist which are not suitable for children have been marked in italics.]</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <u>YouTube playlist<br /></u><br /> (featuring all songs, in no particular order):<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCXK0l-uGKjW50IutFGfeGPRDFuMnAwFP">http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCXK0l-uGKjW50IutFGfeGPRDFuMnAwFP</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <u>Individual songs<br /></u><br /> (all on YouTube, in alphabetical order by song title):<br /><br /><br /><br />1. "Angels from the Realms of Glory" by Katherine Jenkins:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xsAocfw2Vg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xsAocfw2Vg</a><br /><br /><br /><br />2. "Believe" by Jackie Evancho:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0zWdwa0bzA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0zWdwa0bzA</a><br /><br /><br /><br />3. "Bouree" by Jethro Tull:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2RNe2jwHE0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2RNe2jwHE0</a><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p>4. "Christmas in Prison" by John Prine:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQaJn11t94M">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQaJn11t94M</a></p><p><br /></p><p>5. "Christmas All Over Again" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPoHul8ngNw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPoHul8ngNw</a></p><p></p><br /><p>6. "Christmas Song" by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Cax99gVSA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Cax99gVSA</a><br /><br /></p><p><br />7. "Christmas Time (Is Here Again!)" by the Beatles:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB7LX8mRRHM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB7LX8mRRHM</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br />8. "Christmas Was a Friend of Mine" by Fay Lovsky:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ITxuUxC-2s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ITxuUxC-2s</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5imtY9swjOM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5imtY9swjOM</a><br /><br /><br /><br />9. "December Will Be Magic Again" by Kate Bush:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfD7FzcjVyQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfD7FzcjVyQ</a><br /><br /><br /><br />10. "Ding Dong Merrily on High" by Jackie Evancho:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEzA7IAq_PA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEzA7IAq_PA</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p>11. "Fairytale of New York" by Shane MacGowan and the Pogues, featuring Kirsty MacColl<i> [not suitable for children]:</i><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv0hlbWpa1w">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv0hlbWpa1w</a><br /><br /><br /><br />12. "Gaudete" by Steeleye Span:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbnjdVPRzRI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbnjdVPRzRI</a><br /><br /><br /><br />13. "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" by Jethro Tull:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_lFoAQQ0is">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_lFoAQQ0is</a><br /><br /><br /><br />14. "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgIwLeASnkw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgIwLeASnkw</a><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>15. "Greensleeves / What Child is This" by Charlotte Church:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s9ghpx-b3o">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s9ghpx-b3o</a><br /><br /><br /><br />16. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flA5ndOyZbI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flA5ndOyZbI</a><br /><br /><br /><br />17. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreWsnhQwzY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreWsnhQwzY</a><br /><br /></p><p><br />18. "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uZnbzTG1jY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uZnbzTG1jY</a></p><p><br /></p><p>19. "I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You" by Margo Guryan:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hmRGiYxyJA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hmRGiYxyJA</a><br /><br /><br /><br />20. "I Saw Three Ships" by Celtic Woman:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak2xeLs8qJ4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak2xeLs8qJ4</a><br /><br /><br /><br />21. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Tatiana Marie:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tGjRJsX7dM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tGjRJsX7dM</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p>22. "It Happened in Sun Valley" by Jo Stafford:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=820le813r2I">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=820le813r2I</a><br /><br /></p><p><br />23. "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8UYRDsdAo0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8UYRDsdAo0</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p>24. "Jingle Bell Rock" by Randy Travis:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-bhnWAMGUY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-bhnWAMGUY</a></p><p><br /></p><p>25. "Last Christmas" by Wham!:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI</a><br /><br /></p><p><br />26. "Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2WU2yykXM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2WU2yykXM</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p>27. "Nulla in Mundo Pax Sincera" by Henrike Legner:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyJ3R0CS2fc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyJ3R0CS2fc</a><br /><br /><br /><br />28. "Nulla in Mundo Pax Sincera" by Amira Willighagen:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CytUl6aq-A4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CytUl6aq-A4</a><br /><br /><br /><br />29. "O Holy Night" by *NSYNC:<br /><br /> Live Version: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXzJqRXLI08">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXzJqRXLI08</a><br /><br /> Studio Version: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KeVHwGWJUg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KeVHwGWJUg</a><br /><br /><br /><br />30. "Please Come Home for Christmas" by Jonell Mosser:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_WtjDVF64I">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_WtjDVF64I</a><br /><br /><br />31. "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDS5RAaCl3U">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDS5RAaCl3U</a><br /><br /></p><p><br />31. "Silent Night" by Sinead o'Connor:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uHNygqhBCs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uHNygqhBCs</a><br /><br /><br /><br />32. "Suck on My Cock" (parody of "Jingle Bell Rock") by Matt Rogers <i>[not suitable for children]:</i><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDZHUNMv2h0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDZHUNMv2h0</a><br /><br /></p><p><br />33. "The Coldest Night of the Year" by Twice as Much, featuring Vashti Bunyan:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB9IDd4xJMw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB9IDd4xJMw</a><br /><br /><br /><br />34. "The First Noel" by Jackie Evancho:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm6yI1OrbzM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm6yI1OrbzM</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p>35. "Things I Want" by Tenacious D"<i> [not suitable for children]:</i><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJdBm-45kcc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJdBm-45kcc</a><br /><br /></p><p><br />36. "Walking in the Air" by Jackie Evancho:</p><p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX7p8_z7rjc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX7p8_z7rjc</a></p><p><br /><br />37. "We Five Kings" by Jethro Tull:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgJsgYpmS4g">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgJsgYpmS4g</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p>38. "White Christmas" by the Cactus Cuties:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9DYblqE8vI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9DYblqE8vI</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p>39. "White Christmas" by the Drifters, featuring Clyde McPhatter and Bill Pinckney:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktAdddKQ-NY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktAdddKQ-NY</a><br /><br /><br /><br />40. "White Christmas" by Tatiana Marie:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YTYp2zHVR4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YTYp2zHVR4</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <u>Bonus Video</u><br /><br /> Animated cartoon set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker", made in the Soviet Union in 1973:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roITOz-5NKg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roITOz-5NKg</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Compiled on December 31st, 2023 and January 1st, 2024<br /><br />Originally published under the title<br />"Playlist of My Favorite Christmas Songs"<br />on December 31st, 2023<br /><br />Edited and expanded on January 1st, 2024</p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-30406545721223702362023-12-28T03:54:00.000-08:002023-12-28T21:39:41.758-08:00Eulogy for Ethan August Winnett (1985 - 2023)<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Author's
Note</span></u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> The following was written as a eulogy
for my dear friend, Ethan August Winnett, who passed from this life on October
19th, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> This eulogy was written with the intent
that it be delivered at his funeral. However, I was unable to resolve to
deliver the speech out-loud at the service; in part, because I was anxious
about whether submitting the speech for the approval of Ethan's surviving
family might risk causing emotional turmoil which could have compounded the
difficulty which they experienced in seeing him pass.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> I am publishing the eulogy here, for
several reasons. Among them;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> 1) it is better late to do so than
never.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Additionally, while the staff at the Fort Sheridan National Military
Cemetery did manage to make their speech and service "short and sweet", which
suited the cold temperatures of that day, and spared Ethan's friends and family
from having to endure a lengthy service, which likely would have added to the
sorrow they experienced that day;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> 2) I - and, I can only assume, others
who were present that day, as well - did not find the military's services
entirely satisfactory (for reasons into which I will not go here, aside from the fact that I feel that Ethan deserved a more personal eulogy from the one he got, and a eulogy from someone who knew him better than the military chaplain who spoke)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Also,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> 3) I hope that publishing this, will
help all those who read it, to process deaths and other hardships in their own lives,
in a psychologically healthy and practical manner, so that they may face
reality, and face tragedies, without falling into despair. I also hope that this will provide Ethan's friends and family with better closure than what they got from the service.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> It is additionally worth noting that
Stoic philosophy influenced my writing of this eulogy, and influenced my
approach to grieving Ethan; in particular, the quotation by Marcus Aurelius:
"To love only what happens, what was destined. No greater harmony."<br /> I
will admit that this quotation is not only clumsily phrased, but also that it
would come-off sounding indifferent, when applied in the context of lamenting
the death of such a dear friend. So I choose to remember this quote, instead, as
"Resolve to love, no matter what happens."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan August Winnett was buried, with
full military honors, at the Fort Sheridan National Military Cemetery - in Fort
Sheridan, Illinois - on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023 (which fell on the day prior to Thanksgiving, and coincidentally happened to occur on the sixtieth anniversary of the death of President John F.
Kennedy).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Rest In Power, Ethan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Eulogy
for Ethan August Winnett</span></u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> What
can be said at a time like this? What could I say that could help comfort a
family as they say goodbye to their son, at a young age, after such a sudden
loss; and to help a group of friends make sense of such a senseless and sad event? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">“There’s nothing about what happened
that’s OK. But in the long run, things are going to be OK… because we’re going
to <i>make </i>things OK.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">“And we’re going to do that by coming
together, to give each other the same love and support that we gave to Ethan,
and that would have given him from this point forward… and we’re going to live
our lives in a way that would make him proud to call us his friends.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan was resilient and determined, in
a way that was inspiring. He lived in a way that showed he was always trying to
have fun, no matter how difficult the circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We should let Ethan’s determination,
inspire <i>us</i> to find any little positive thing that <i>does</i> manage
to come – not from Ethan’s passing – but from the gathering of people who have
come together today, to fondly remember and lovingly celebrate <i>his</i> life,
and his contributions to ours.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We’re going to make things OK, by
learning as much as we can from what happened; by making our homes safer, and
the Earth cleaner; in a way that helps us protect each other’s lives more
effectively, and love each other more, and love life more, in the process.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> And we will help Ethan’s legacy live
on; by telling our other friends about his impact on the way we lived; guiding
us to live more simply, more matter-of-fact, and hopeful, resilient, and
driven, and curious.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> And he was funny. He was always making
jokes, coming up with songs, telling us about bands… He would speak bits of
poetry, free-style…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Some of us may be wondering why Ethan
wasn’t on much sleep when he passed. Ethan lived life with an intense joy,
curiosity, and wonder; so much so that he didn’t want to miss a single moment
of life, to the point of losing sleep. He did “not go gentle into that
goodnight”, but raged “against the dying of the light”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan didn’t live a long life, but he
lived every moment with passion and enthusiasm – and what Socrates would have
called an <i>examined </i>life, owing to that intense curiosity - and
those are the marks of a life well-lived.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We should let Ethan’s passion inspire
us to move forward and soldier-on - with passion and hope, and curious awe – in
our own lives, in fond remembrance and gratitude of Ethan’s contributions to
them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan was the best friend of everyone
he ever met. He was the first person to call me brother and comrade. His
passionate righteous indignation, towards abuse of power, was an inspiration to
me, and the way he greeted me was a constant reminder that he believed in me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan made the personal political, and
made the political personal. He inspired us to learn more, to listen more, and
to care more. He made it cool to care more, and to want to know more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> He was someone who could talk to
anybody, no matter their level of education, and fit right in, wherever he was.
He was always ready to delve into any topic; from psychology to anthropology;
from astronomy to the beyond. And above all, he was a good listener, which was
because of how much he cared.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan was selfless beyond measure;
dropping whatever he was doing to help his friends. He inspired us to care
more; about the world, about him, and about ourselves… by showing <i>more</i> interest
in helping us with our problems, than we thought we even deserved.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> It’s hard to contemplate the passing of
such a young man, but we must remember, “It’s not the years in your life; it’s
the life in your years.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan didn’t live a <i>long</i> time,
but he lived a lot, and he lived it up. He served in the military. He got to
experience another culture; that of Korea, which he admired fondly. He helped
clean-up Waukegan like it was his job. He served his community as a teacher. A
few times, he even found love. Maybe not true love, maybe not enough love, but
who among us can say that we’ve had enough of love?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> That’s why I don’t want anyone leaving
here today wanting for affection. Let’s not go and take our eyes off each
other; not today, nor tomorrow, nor any other day. Let us be Ethan’s extended
family, in support of Lana and Elanna, as they go through this difficult time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We will honor Ethan’s memory by loving
and supporting each other; by giving each other the care and support that we
need, to get through this, and then move forward with our lives, with the same
determination and love of life with which Ethan lived; thankful that we’d had a
chance to know him, and living in a way that will show gratitude to him, for
his contribution to our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Some of us will attempt to continue his
legacy - as advocates for peace, and veterans, and the homeless and hungry, and
the Earth - as Ethan was. Others will reflect fondly upon having known him, in
a more personal way. Some of us will do both.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Many of us will be grateful for the
help he provided us; and many will wish that they had collaborated with him, or
celebrated with him, more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> But we can all be thankful that we were
on good terms with him when he passed. He was too peaceful a person – and too
at-peace with others - to hold a grudge against anybody.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> None of us could have predicted what,
exactly, would be the problem that took our friend away from us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Still, some of us might wonder what
more they could have done to help Ethan, or to have prevented the accident… but
perhaps just as many of us are wondering whether they helped Ethan too much, or
helped him the wrong way, or at the wrong time. At times, it wasn’t clear to
him, who he should trust; at other times, he wasn’t sure he deserved
help. But other times, it was just that he preferred to rely on himself
for the time being.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan’s trust in us never subsided, nor
did his willingness to accept help. And he gave back, of himself, every bit as
much as we gave him, and he was happy to do so. It was evident in the way he
always made sure we were fed, and that we were welcome in his presence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> As sad as Ethan’s passing is, Ethan
would want us to move forward, and proceed with the same love of life with
which he lived at every moment… and to be glad that we knew him, happy to be
chosen as his friends, and as the people he trusted.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We’re also here today to honor the life
of Ethan’s personal hero and father, Buddy Winnett; a jockey, a rodeo
entertainer, and long-distance runner, whom Ethan was so proud of… and whose
frankness and grit continue to serve as a source of inspiration, strength, and
resilience to his daughter Elanna and his wife Lana, who steadfastly cared for
him in sickness and in health during his last years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> I’ve learned that Buddy was just as
much of a “larger-than-life” person as his son was, that each of them lived
life like they were multiple amazing people wrapped together in one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> And that’s why the passing of Ethan and
Buddy are so difficult. Ethan was a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, a
teacher, an activist, a local hero for the hungry and homeless, and for nature.
Ethan - and his father - were both so many different people to us in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> But we can all say – to Lana and Elanna
– that we are so sorry for your loss, that anything we can do to help is yours;
and that Buddy and Ethan loved you, and would be proud of you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> There’s not much positive that we can
glean from this sad event. Our friend has been taken away, and we will never
see him again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> But we must take whatever comfort we
can in knowing that Ethan was not burned, did not suffer long, did not suffer
much, and that his suffering is no more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> While Ethan is lost, we must take
solace in the fact that Ethan’s neighbors – as well as our beloved friends
Elanna, Carol, Philip, and Robbie, who sometimes stayed over – were<i> no</i>t
among those we lost that day. We love them dearly, and are so grateful for
their presence in our lives, and we must all remind each other of this every
day (especially tomorrow, Thanksgiving).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> But it’s not just about what can be
salvaged, from this event, that will help us to move on. It’s what we can build
together, going forward - as a community - to rebound from this loss.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> It is difficult for men to tell their
friends that they love them. I’m glad to have had the fortune of telling Ethan
this before he passed (and he knew that all of you, here today, loved him). But
as difficult as it is to say “I love you”, it’s even more difficult to say “I’m
worried about you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We will honor Ethan by making it cool
to care, just as he did. By making it cool to want to be informed, and to help
others, and cool to take care of yourself and the planet. And by building a
world where nobody is ashamed to ask for help, or accept help.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> It may help, to bring us some comfort,
to name the things that <i>didn’t</i> take our friend away; the
enemies he was too strong to be defeated by.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Homelessness and poverty? Not dangerous
enough to take him. Depression? Not strong enough to take him; he loved life
too much. Industrial pollution, or disease? Not strong enough to harm him.
Those who make war for corrupt purposes?… Not strong enough to take him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Ethan never stopped trying. And neither
should we. We will remember and honor Ethan every day, by never giving up; and
by never being discouraged; and by loving, whatever happens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> And so, in tribute to Ethan’s life
well-lived, and of his overcoming all discouragement, we resolve not to succumb
to sadness, but to let Ethan’s life inspire us to live with the same joy with
which he lived.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> And to mourn him, and to be sad when we
need to be sad; but also to be strong and confident, and take Ethan’s passing
in stride – and to be appreciative to him, and to take pride in having known
him, and to have enriched one-another’s lives – and in knowing that <i>we
were the ones he loved back.</i> That was an honor, and the love and care
and trust that he showed to us, was his gift to us, and nothing can ever take
that away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We will miss him dearly, while
cherishing and taking solace in the fact that we knew him, in fond remembrance
of the time we got to spend with him; beloved son of Buddy and Lana, and of
this community; brother of Elanna and Buddy Jr. and others - giving of himself
beyond measure, inspiring and awe-inspired at every turn – our dear Ethan
August Winnett.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> May we live a way that would make
Ethan proud of us – and help us to remain worthy to have had his friendship –
by showing each other the same care that he gave us, and that we gave him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> May we remember that many of the same
things we loved about Ethan, are things we love about each other, and about
ourselves. And all the kindnesses we would have shown Ethan from this point
forward, let us share them with one another, and be kind to ourselves as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Let us spend tomorrow being thankful,
and grateful that we were the ones who Ethan loved back, and let us show our
gratitude to Ethan – for honoring us with his love and friendship; not by
feeling bad that Ethan isn’t around to enjoy life with us, but by loving and
enjoying life twice as much; for ourselves and for him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> We now return Ethan to nature, and to
the Earth; and bid farewell to our fair Ethan August Winnett; cherished son,
brother, friend, and comrade; our brave warrior for eternal peace.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> No one is gone who is remembered.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Goodbye, Ethan; may you live always,
through never being forgotten; may comfort and peace be upon your family; and
may hostility lay its last weapon at your feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">End Note</span></u><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> I have previously written and published
two memoriams about Ethan, which can be read at the following links:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> 1. "In Memoriam: Green Party of
Lake Cunty, Illinois Announces Passing of Chairman Ethan Winnett",
published on October 20th, 2023:<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/3040654572122370236"><span style="color: blue;">http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/10/green-party-of-lake-county-illinois.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> 2. "In Memoriam: General-Purpose
Obituary for Ethan August Winnett (for Release and Publication)",
published on November 3rd, 2023:<br /></span> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/3040654572122370236" style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/11/in-memoriam-general-purpose-obituary.html</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Author's Note and End Note written on
December 28th, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Eulogy written between mid-November
and November 22nd, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Published on December 28th, 2023</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p></o:p></p><u></u><p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-17265355162001160492023-12-28T02:31:00.000-08:002023-12-28T02:49:31.248-08:00Why Political Science Students at the University of Wisconsin at Madison Should Consider Dropping Out<p> <u style="text-align: justify;">Author’s Note / Introduction</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The full title of
this article is “Why Political Science Students at the University of Wisconsin
at Madison Should Consider Dropping Out (Or at Least Changing Their Major)”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>The following letter was written for the
University of Wisconsin at Madison’s “Political Science at Work” event.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>That event took place at Great Hall at
Memorial Union, and was organized by SuccessWorks Alumni Relations Team (at the
College of Letters and Science Center for Personal and Professional
Development), on October 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2023.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> The purpose of the event was to introduce students to alumni working in professions which theoretically might be available to contemporary students, when they complete their studies, graduate, and enter the work-force.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>This letter was provided – before editing
was complete – to students who were in attendance.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> This article has been edited
and expanded since it was delivered to the two students who chose to speak to
me at that event.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><u><o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><u>The Letter</u><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Dear Students:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>I suppose that I am here to
tell you how to use your degree to help yourselves get a job. But the truth is
that I have never used my degree to help myself get a job.<br /><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>In fact, I told my parents
repeatedly that I suspected that I would <i>never</i> use my degree for that
purpose, and that I had no intention of doing so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>While
I changed my mind about my intentions at times – working for the Liberty Tree
Foundation for the Democratic Revolution (a lobbying organization founded by
former Jill Stein presidential campaign manager Ben Manski), and by running for
the U.S. House of Representatives four times – I am <i>still</i> struggling to
use my degree in order to get a job.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It has been
thirteen years since I graduated. I currently drive the cheapest car I can
afford, live in the cheapest apartment I can afford, and still have to work 48
hours per week, at fifteen dollars an hour. I even struggled with drug
addiction and homelessness after leaving college.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>For
one thing, this is because the economy (by which I mean the job market) was
terrible when I enrolled at U.W. (in 2005). I spent years thinking, “I won’t
have a good job until these Baby Boomers start retiring, and some spaces for me
open up, and they’re too greedy to do that until decades from now.” And I was
right.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>For
another thing, I chose Political Science as my major, after at least five years
of knowing that our government is so irredeemably corrupt, that a person like
me would never belong as part of it. Granted, my home state (Illinois) is more
corrupt than Wisconsin is. But neither state truly embraces freedom.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Additionally, I
have difficulty getting a high-paying job – and using my degree to do so –</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> because I ended up with a 2.3
G.P.A.. [Notes: 1) G.P.A. stands for "Grade Point Average". 2) A 2.3 G.P.A. is the equivalent of a D+.]</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">You might
assume, from this fact, that my low grades were entirely my own fault. But the
truth is that my grades had been steadily slipping since early-on in high
school.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And the reason
why my grades had been slipping, was because I was depressed. And the reason
why I was depressed, was because of my father (whose controlling nature and
failure to help me plan, caused me to miss an opportunity to graduate high
school a full year early).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">My father also
sexually abused and assaulted me as a child. Not that I was aware of this fact;
you see, I suffered from repressed memories of sexual abuse between the ages of
13 and 28 (2000 to 2015).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>For
most of you, this will (hopefully) be a difficult thing to relate to. But it
needs to be brought up; even if only one person can be helped by it.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Who
among you can honestly say that you are here at college solely due to your own
choices? Now, maybe none of you were forced to go to college by your abusive
parents in order to help cover-up and distract from the fact that they abused
you as children (in fact, Jeffrey Epstein paid for the college tuition of
several of his own victims, in order to assuage them, and to legitimize his own
abuses). And I hope that none of you were.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>But
who among you can say, additionally, that you are not here at college simply
because you were <i>expected</i> to do so? That you were told, and expected, to
go to <i>some</i> college, because your high school had high rates of students
who went on to college, and because not going to college would make you “the
odd man out”?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Is
that really a good-enough reason to go to college? Does that reflect the kind
of independent thinking that this university thinks can be taught? You should
at least understand what you’re getting yourself into, and you should consent
to it, right?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>The
fact is, I was never asked, even once – during my entire four years at
U.W.-Madison – whether I was here of my own volition. Not in freshman
orientation, not by my guidance counselors (who were more focused on helping me
navigate the frustratingly slow course registration programs, which would often
require a commitment of days and days waiting to register for a simple set of
four or five classes).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>If
you are not here of your own volition, then it logically follows that you are
here as a <i>hostage</i> (most likely, of your parents).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>In
my opinion, it seems that this happened because <i>U.W.-Madison does not value
consent</i>; or if it does, then it is only for sexual purposes, and not for
economic, social, political, nor contractual purposes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>You
see, when I first enrolled at U.W.-Madison, it was 2005. This was a full six
years before almost <i>anybody</i> had ever read headlines indicating that
Jeffrey Epstein was friends with Prince Andrew (which was only in British
tabloids at the time), six years before it became acceptable to question
whether governments could be complicit in child trafficking, and fourteen years
before Epstein was finally caught (and the full corruption of the system began
to be revealed).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>In
2011 – while in a haze, having forgotten the abuse I suffered at the hands of
my father, due to being repeatedly re-traumatized, and forced to depend on my
abuser for survival – I knew, somewhere deep within myself, that there <i>were</i>
people associated with the government (even people not directly employed by it,
such as my attorney father, whose clients include people accused of rape) who
abused children. Therefore, I was nearly afraid to discuss the possibility that
people who seek political power often do so because they want to abuse
children.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>One
major fact demonstrating that U.W.-Madison does not value consent, is that it
preys upon impressionable young 18-year-olds, who are either making decisions
using their parents’ money, or else are dependent and nearly helpless due to
having to depend on the university and its career advice while working their
way through college at low wages.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Another
fact – although I was scarcely aware of it at the time - is that U.W.’s
Sociology Department employed a professor named John DeLaMater. This man, who
has since passed away, after my time here, served as the instructor of the
university’s Human Sexuality courses in sociology.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Once,
while offering interested students an extra-credit opportunity, Professor
DeLaMater held up a prize to students who won a contest related to researching
human sexuality. That prize was a red T-shirt that read, “Teach your children
about sex, or I will”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>We
snickered when we saw that shirt, and heard what it said on it. But I only understood the problematic nature of
this prize, and this statement, years later, when I put some things together.
You see, another optional assignment that we were afforded in that course, was
to view the film <u>Kinsey</u>, starring Kevin Kline. That film depicts sex
researcher Alfred Kinsey interviewing a man who had confessed to raping
children and animals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Since
leaving college, I have discovered several disturbing things about Kinsey.
First, that he thought it was normal and healthy and beneficial for children to
engage in sexual activity. Second, that his inordinate focus on sex criminals,
in his research, has been described as unethical, and skewed the results of his
research in favor of the perverted and the criminal. Third, that he has been
accused by his biographers of attempting to solicit a former Nazi for
photographic evidence of sex crimes against children. Fourth, that a <i>statue</i>
of Mr. Kinsey has been erected in his home state of Indiana, at its university.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>The
University of Wisconsin is not telling you this, however; because they want
your money. According to financialaid.wisc.edu, the cost of a four-year degree,
for in-state students, is currently about $45,000 for tuition for in-state
students, plus $54,000 for meals and housing; amounting to a whopping $99,000.
And for out-of-state students, this figure rises to a total of $214,000.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>The
university is teaching students to choose a major, and then to become graduate
students and then professors of that major, in order to set up what basically
amounts to an Amway-style, “divide-and-conquer”-oriented <i>Ponzi</i> scheme,
to teach people to teach how to teach useless subjects which students could not
possibly help the world, or themselves, by learning. The objective of this is
to burden students with more and more student debt (through F.A.F.S.A.), and
trick students into thinking that – if they vote for the right control-freak
for president – he will forgive all the student debt. But this, too, is a scam;
as Joe Biden’s debt forgiveness plan only amounts to a total debt forgiveness
for students who attended college at particular times, had less than a certain
amount of debt, and have no criminal records whatsoever. Another objective of
this cycle is to grow the government, and its cost, until the public sector
eats-up the entire economy, eventually swallowing the private sector whole,
until there are no unlicensed or lightly-regulated businesses left in this
country.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Speaking
of the problem of high expenses of attending college: One of the things that we
were sold in 2005, as part of our required purchases in order to attend
classes, was an expensive digital surveying device, which allowed us to
remotely submit answers to questions asked in class. Strangely, I don’t
remember any class, aside from Human Sexuality, in which I used this expensive
device. And one of the things I was asked – at age 18 or 19 – was how often I
was engaging in sexual activity. I was asked this, without any hint of caution
as to how or why it may be unethical for professors to ask such questions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>I
repeat: this university does not care about your consent, in economic, social,
political, or contractual contexts. It only wants you to consent to sex
enthusiastically, so it can normalize the fraternity and sorority systems (and
the sometimes sexual hazing which they practice), and so that they can take
thousands upon thousands of dollars of your (or your parents’) hard-earned
money.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>What
is the point of spending between $100,000 and $214,000 on a Big Ten University
education, when the internet exists; that is, when most books are already in
PDF form, which you can download for free online? Why would they need to take
so much of your money, when they can simply teach you how to use a library, a
card catalog, and the internet? I don’t know what things are like now, but far
too little emphasis was placed on these skills when I was attending.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">When I told a
friend that I was about to attend this SuccessWorks event today, he told me
that I was supposed to use my degree - and the fact that I had chosen a Legal
Studies or Political Science major – to get an internship with a local
politician. I was supposed to volunteer my time; which, for students who were
strapped for cash, simply amounted to unpaid labor, free for those politicians,
which is not much different from pressuring a person into involuntary
servitude.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">But then, of
course, these opportunities supposedly offered us “exposure”. But the
university never told us this, and they certainly never told us that </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">you can
die of exposure</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>This
university wants you to be utterly reliant on its guidance counselors (whom, in
my time here, were rarely available) for career advice.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">But alas, here
you are at college. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself “What is the
purpose of education”? I bet you haven’t.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If you must
know, the purpose of higher education is supposed to be to equip students with
the skills and knowledge necessary to get high-paying jobs, so they can compete
in a modern, interconnected, global economy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The problem is,
however; we never stop to ask ourselves, “Why is competition necessary?”
Couldn’t we be </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">cooperating</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> instead? Competition is only justifiable in
lifeboat scenarios involving scarcity, but even then, competition is only </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">tolerable</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">;
it is still not </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">preferable</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, nor </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">equitable</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Additionally:
“Why aren’t they teaching us to help other students learn the material?” Just
as fifth-grade students are not expected to be able to teach everything they
learned last year to the fourth-grade students, you will not be expected to
teach younger students unless and until you become a graduate student. But why
should things be that way?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Nevermind the
issue of “What do you do if you can’t find a politician to volunteer for, who
shares your values and morality”, and what to do if you are disillusioned by
that politician’s lack of scruples, or by their commitment to towing the party
line to the detriment of the freedom and equality of the people. Nevermind the
issue of which politician to volunteer for, if you are a libertarian, a
progressive, or a communist.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">As a matter of
fact, during my time, a teacher’s assistant told us, point-blank, that
“communism doesn’t work”. He said this without supplying evidence, without
disclosing that there are literally dozens of formulations of communism which
have never been tried, and without entertaining the possibility that the
actions of the U.S. military are among the chief reasons why regimes that
attempt communism are </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">forced</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> into collapse.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Nevermind the
issue of why your professors won’t tell you that what’s “necessary and proper”
(see </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">McCulloch v. Marlyand) </i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">for the government to do, is largely a
matter of </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">opinion</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, until it occurs to you that you need to ask them that
question, ten or fifteen years </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">after </i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">graduating.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Put all that to
the side.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Instead of “How
am I going to use my degree to get a job”, you should be saying to yourself “I
don’t even know what I don’t know”, and asking “What do I need to find out
about, that I need to find out about?"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Do you really
think that your professors are going to tell you that there were fourteen
people who held the post of “president” </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">before George Washington</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> and
before the Constitution was signed?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Do you really
think your professors are going to tell you that there are two asteroid belts
in our solar system instead of one? Or that the debate about how many planets
we have, is not between eight vs. nine (because of Pluto), but rather, eight
vs. thirteen (because other dwarf planet exist)? Of course not. Why would they
offer you free information up-front, when they could, instead, simply take your
money, and teach you nothing?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Most people
enter politics for one reason: because they want power. And sadly, it seems
that many people are entering </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">education</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> for the same reason.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Have you
realized yet that the state wields legitimate violence, and, in so doing, </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">legitimizes</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
violence (the use of which is always unethical)?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Have you
realized yet that a government is nothing more than a criminal gang – a mafia –
which has legalized the use of violence when it is exercised by itself, but
which criminalizes the use of defensive force when it is used by the people
without begging and paying their government for the right to do so beforehand?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Have you
realized yet that the </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">public</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> employees who police our street are only
obligated to protect and serve people who have </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">private</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> property and </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">private</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
contracts with said police (due to the decision in </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Warren v. District of
Columbia</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, 1981</span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">)</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, while so-called </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">private</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> security guards
(which happens to be my profession) are, bizarrely, trained to believe that
their purpose is to protect individual members of the </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">public</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, instead of
the </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">private</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> properties which they patrol?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The world is
upside-down. That is why you need people like me, asking you the difficult
questions; to shake things up, to get the world right-side up again.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If you care
about getting health care to people who need it, then don’t study political
science or try to learn how to write legislation; </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">go to medical school </i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">and
become a doctor.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If you are more
interested in how to distribute resources to people who sorely need them, then
you should be an </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">economist</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, not a political scientist.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If you care
about expanding the private sector, then don’t get into political science in
order to figure out ways to get the </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">government</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> support the private
sector. That defeats the purpose, and is antithetical to free-market ideals.
Instead, </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">go to business school</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, or study economics.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If you are more
interested in </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">current events</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> than politics, then you should be a </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">journalist</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">,
not a political scientist.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If you care
about other peoples in the world, then don’t study political science. Study </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">languages</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
or linguistics or communication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If you are
worried about the lack of opportunities which young Americans face (for
example, in comparison to people in Germany and China) in acquiring marketable
technical skills (rather than simply writing articles that nobody will ever
read), then don’t advocate for more student loans, and access to tech courses,
through legislation; you should, instead, simply </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">drop out</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> of this
college and </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">go</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> to a technical school.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I never did go
to a technical school, and I regret it all the time, because I don’t have any
marketable skills. I would have liked to go to school for music production,
woodworking, or electrical engineering, but my rapist father said I could only
do so </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">after</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> graduating. I did graduate, but he stopped supporting me
after that, so I never went back to school. I started educating myself, which
was always – and always will be – an option available to you.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Now, this is all
very different from saying that you should drop out of college because young
people who are pressured into performing child labor have an edge at getting
and staying employed, compared to people who go to college and choose useless
majors.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Not that that isn't true.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">But the result
is the same, because your professors are not going to tell you that there are
plenty of businesses that post job offers of $12 or $15 an hour, while
expecting people to have Masters’ Degrees (which theoretically entitle them to
teach college).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The point that I’m
driving at, here, is that - if you stay in college - then you are probably going to
get scammed. Do you really want to dedicate four years of your life
regurgitating what is said by people who last had to look for a job forty years
ago? Do you really value grades and “money” (whatever that is; really, it is </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Mammon</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">)
more than your own integrity? To paraphrase Mark Twain, “Never let your schooling
interfere with your education”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And why do we
need jobs anyway, or money? It’s not like if you run out of money, or stop
using money, you die, anyway. Look up a man named Daniel Suelo; he lives without using money. We are being
indoctrinated into thinking that man will die if he does not use money, and it
is simply not true.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><i> </i>We are led to
assume that it is necessary to pull as much legal tender out of the economy as
possible, because there is scarcity. But is there really? We are being led to
assume that scarcity, limitedness, fixedness, and finitude are all the same
thing, but they aren’t.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Water falls from
the sky for free, and government sometimes makes it illegal for us to collect
it. We are told “nothing is free”, yet the air we breathe is free.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 48px;"> Most of the things that cost money, only cost money because </span><i style="text-indent: 48px;">they legally have to cost money</i><span style="text-indent: 48px;">. We will not die without money; we will die without </span><i style="text-indent: 48px;">resources.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><i> </i>We are told
that we need money to buy food; yet 1/3 of all the food in the world is thrown
away. Does this sound like scarcity (a situation in which we have less than we
need) to you?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> So if we don’t
have scarcity, then we have abundance. Resources which are abundant, rather
than scarce, </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">do not need to be distributed</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">. Not through government, nor
through competition, nor even through economic science, nor even </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">economizing
itself</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">. Such resources are simply </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">not necessary to distribute; </i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">people
should just be able to come and collect them, because there are enough to go
around. So why do we need politics and government, and economics, to distribute
resources which are abundant and therefore don’t </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">need</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> to be distributed
in the first place? Nobody at this university is asking this question or
thinking this way.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> And a university
which fails to impel you to ask important questions like these, is only doing one
thing: It is committing widespread education fraud, whether passively or
actively and intentionally.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> And if you come
out of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, with bad grades, finding
difficulty getting a job, then it is not necessarily solely your fault. It is
the fault of your professors, who indoctrinated you with propaganda, and led
you to assume things that are simply not true; contributing to your forced
dependence upon whomever tells you lies the most confidently.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Get out while
you still can. RUN. And never look back.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Get a low-stress
job. Start reading whatever you want in your spare time. Learn how to do
something productive like building a table, for your own sake.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Invest in
yourself, and in your own ethics and integrity; not in this university. I beg of you. You don’t want to be like me; sad and ignored, and begging for help and
attention that I know I will never receive.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> Do
you want to be a real person, or do you want to be a piece of paper? Do you
want to be so smart that people can’t understand you? Do you want to be so
smart, that you’ll end up wishing you <i>weren’t</i> so smart that you can’t
relate to ordinary people? Do you want to view everything through the lens of
politics, such that you can’t relate to any problem in the world except through
how people and resources can be controlled? Do you want to fail to become the
well-rounded person that this university falsely promises that you will be,
when you get enough “breadth and depth” in various topics, through your
coursework? Do you want to be – as Ronald Reagan said about Democrats – so
smart that the things you <i>think </i>you know, just aren’t so?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> If
the answer to <i>all</i> of these is “yes”, then you do belong here, but you
also probably need therapy.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> Speaking
of which, the school psychologist (if he or she exists) should probably try
harder to make him- or herself better-known. During my first month studying
here, a young woman jumped off a parking garage and killed herself; possibly
because she was homesick, was pressured to attend college, or both. Perhaps she
had been sexually assaulted; I don’t know. Either way, psychologists and grief
counselors need to make themselves more available – or available at all – to
help counsel students after such sad events.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> Additional
complaints that I have about this university are that: 1) it didn’t teach me
time-management skills, and I still have a problem leaving everything –
including this letter – to the last minute; 2) I had nightmares about missing
classes and tests for <i>years</i> after graduating; 3) nobody here ever told
me that, if I wanted to get into Harvard or Yale law schools, it would help if
I knew Latin, Greek, or Hebrew; and 4) this university has failed to produce
any politician capable of defeating Joe Biden (who molested a child live on
C-SPAN2 on January 6<sup>th</sup>, 2015) for president.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> Hopefully
that will be enough to make my point: these people <i>do not give a fuck about
you</i>, <i>nor </i>the facts, <i>nor </i>your feelings. <i>They want your
money.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><i> </i>Your
intellectual freedom begins today. Congratulations.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> I
have so much more to say, but so little space; and it would be unfair of me to
pressure you to read any more of the things I would like to say, because they
are things that </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I </i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">may have wrongly been led to assume. As Bruce Lee once said, "A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> As I said,
independent thinking </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">cannot</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> be taught, it is certainly not taught here,
and anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to scam you.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Please contact
me, Joseph W. Kopsick; not if you would like to learn more, but if you would
like to challenge yourself to think harder, and think more independently.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">- Joseph W. Kopsick,</p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
University of Wisconsin – Madison,</p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">Graduating Class of 2009<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">- Private Security
Officer with Howe, Security, Inc.<br />
<br />
- Highest wages I have ever earned:<o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">$15 per hour, working
legally and taxably;<o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">$20 per hour working a “side
hustle” doing personal home organizing<o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">- Only political job I
have ever worked:<o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">$9 an hour, walking
door to door asking hard-working people to hand me their money,<o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">for the Liberty Tree
Foundation for the Democratic Revolution (headed by Ben Manski),<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">in Madison, Wisconsin,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">for one month</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p align="right" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: right; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Based in Waukegan, Illinois</p><p align="right" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: right; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">- E-Mail Address: </span><a href="mailto:jwkopsick@gmail.com" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">jwkopsick@gmail.com</a></p><p align="right" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: right; text-indent: -.25in;">- Phone Number: 618-751-3229</p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Originally written on
October 23</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, 2023</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;">Edited and Expanded on November 6</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;"> and December 28, 2023</span></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Published on December 28</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, 2023</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p></o:p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-16118558575647310412023-12-05T12:48:00.000-08:002023-12-05T16:04:12.037-08:00Housing Assistance Agencies Currently Operating in Waukegan, Illinois<div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Housing Assistance Agencies Currently Operating in Waukegan, Illinois</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Alexian Brothers Housing & Health Alliance – The Harbor</u></div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 826 North Ave., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-782-8015</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago</u></div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 671 S. Lewis Ave., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-782-4000</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Community Action Partnership of Lake County</u></div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 2424 Washington St., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- 847-249-4330</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>El Puente Latino</u> (food bank, may have housing)</div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 2415 Butrick St., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-597-3051</div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Family First Center of Lake County</u></div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 2504 Washington St., Suite 300G, Waukegan &/or 2408 29<sup>th</sup>
St., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 224-789-7763</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Habitat for Humanity – Lake County</u></div>
</u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 315 N. M.L.K. Jr. Ave., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-623-1020</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Love, Inc. – Lake County</u></div>
</u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 339 Lakewood Ave.</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-782-8630</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>House of Peace</u></div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 671 S. Lewis Ave., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- 224 430-4977</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Mary’s Mission</u></div>
</u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 642 S. M.L.K. Jr. Ave. , Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-623-2136</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>One Hope United – Rebound</u></div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: N. Lewis Ave., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-662-0945</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>P.A.D.S. Lake County – P.A.D.S. Office</u> (homeless outreach service)</div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 1800 Grand Ave., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-869-4357</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>P.A.D.S. Lake County – Waukegan Public Library</u> (homeless outreach
service)</div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 18 N. County St., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-623-2041</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Salvation Army – Waukegan Corps Community Center</u></div>
</u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: Green Bay Rd, Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-336-1880</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Staben House</u> (homeless shelter)</div></u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 3000 Grand Ave., Waukegan &/or 422 South Avenue, Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-244-9944 or 847-244-0805</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Waukegan Main Street</u></div>
</u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 214 Washington St., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-623-6650</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<u><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Y.W.C.A. – Lake County</u></div>
</u><div style="text-align: left;">- Address: 1537 S. Waukegan Rd., Waukegan</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phone Number: 847-662-4247</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Might Not Provide Housing (Call to Find Out)</u><br />
</b><br />
<u>Christian Fellowship Church<br />
</u>- Address: 621 Belvidere St.<br />
- Phone Number: 847-336-1815<br />
<br />
<u>Greater Faith Church – Baptist<br />
</u>- Address: 565 Powell Ave.<br />
- Phone Number: 847-244-4400)<br />
<br />
<u>Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church<br />
</u>- Address: 711 8<sup>th</sup> St.<br />
- Phone Number: 847-662-3182)<br />
<br />
<u>Mt. Moriah Christian Center<br />
</u>- Address: 524 10<sup>th</sup> St.<br />
- Phone Number: 847-662-5683<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>North Point Community Christian Church<br />
</u>- Address: 900 Lewis Ave.<br />
- Phone Number: 847-746-5522<br />
<br />
<u>Truth Youth & Family Counseling Services<br />
</u>- Address: 2504 Washington St.<br />
- Phone Number: 224-489-7773<br />
<u><br />
Waukegan Adult Rehabilitation Center<br />
</u>- Address: 431 S. Genesee St.<br />
- Phone Number: 847-662-7730<br />
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->Written and Published on December 5th, 2023<o:p></o:p><p></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-75125665043331113112023-12-05T11:44:00.000-08:002024-01-04T18:36:44.394-08:00Food Pantries Currently Operating in Waukegan and Libertyville, Illinois<p style="text-align: center;"> <b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">FOOD
PANTRIES IN WAUKEGAN and LIBERTYVILLE, Illinois</span></u></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><u><br /></u>
<br />
</span></b><i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">(Times and other information may be subject to change.<br /></span></i><i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />Call
ahead of time to make sure pantry is still operating,<br /></span></i><i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">and
operating this week, and find out times,<br /></span></i><i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">and whether they require I.D.s or residence in town.</span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Call
United Way, at 211, for more options.)</span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">______________________________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">MONDAYS</span></u></b><u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />
</span></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />- 10 AM – 1:45 P.M. – C.O.O.L. (Christian Outreach of Lutherans) Food
Pantry, 800 W. Glen <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Flora Ave., Waukegan (bring
photo ID) (call 847-662-1230 for more info) (Can only get food once every 30 days)<br /><br /> - 10 AM – 2 PM: Food pantry at Umma Center, 841 Grand Ave , Waukegan<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(call 847-336-6136; must go on
same day of the week each time you go)<o:p></o:p></span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">(bring bags, not boxes)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />
<b>Monday Through Friday<br />
</b></span></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />- Community Action Partnership of Lake County, 1200 Glen
Flora Avenue. Must have <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>appointment provide ID of
everyone over 18 in household, and provide Social Security <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>cards of everyone in
household. Call 847-249-4330, extension 3324 for more <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>information [213 Water St. and
224-412-8945 are not valid contacts]. Open Monday <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>through Friday. <br />
</span><br />- 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM: St. Joseph’s Church<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- 112 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Libertyville IL 60048 / 847-362-2073 <br />
<u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br /><br />
<b>TUESDAYS</b><br />
</span></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />- 10 AM – 1:45 P.M. – C.O.O.L. (Christian Outreach of Lutherans) Food
Pantry, 800 W. Glen <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Flora Ave., Waukegan (bring
photo ID) (call 847-662-1230 for more info) </span>(Can only get food once every 30 days)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">- 10 AM – Noon: Mt. Moriah Christian Center, 524 10</span><sup style="text-indent: 0.5in;">th</sup><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> St.. Call
847-662-5683 for more </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">information.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">- 10 AM – 2 PM: Food pantry at Umma Center, 841 Grand
Ave., Waukegan<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(call 847-336-6136; must go on
same day of the week each time you go)<o:p></o:p></span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">(bring bags, not boxes)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">- 10 AM – 3 PM, at Libertyville Township Pantry, 359 Merrill
Court Libertyville IL 60048 / 847-<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>816-5989 <br />
<u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br /><br />
<b>WEDNESDAYS</b></span></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br /><br /> - 10 AM – 1:45 P.M. – C.O.O.L. (Christian Outreach of Lutherans) Food Pantry,
800 W. Glen <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Flora Ave., Waukegan (bring
photo ID) (call 847-662-1230 for more info) </span>(Can only get food once every 30 days)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">- 10 AM – 2 PM: Food pantry at Umma Center, 841 Grand Ave. (location confirmed) </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">(call 847-480-<br /> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">4320; must go on
same day of the week each time you go) </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">(bring bags, not
boxes)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">- 10 AM – 3 PM: UMMA Center, 221 Washington St., Waukegan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />THURSDAYS<br />
</span></u></b><a name="_Hlk143161597"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />- 10 AM – Noon: Food pantry at St.
Anastasia, 624 Douglas Ave., Waukegan, bring photo ID. <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Call 847-623-5050 for more
information.<u><br />
</u></span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />- 10 AM – 1:45 P.M. – C.O.O.L. (Christian Outreach of Lutherans)
Food Pantry, 800 W. Glen <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Flora Ave., Waukegan (bring
photo ID) (call 847-662-1230 for more info) (Can only get food once every 30 days)<br /><br /> - 10 AM – 2 PM: Food pantry at Umma Center, 841 Grand Ave., Waukegan<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(call 847-336-6136; must go on
same day of the week each time you go)<o:p></o:p></span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">(bring bags, not boxes)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">- 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM: St. Joseph’s Church<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- 112 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Libertyville IL 60048 / 847-362-2073 <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />
SATURDAYS</span></u></b><u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />
</span></u><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />- 8:00 – 9:15 A.M.: </span>First Presbyterian Church (Mobile Pantry) <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- Saturday each week at 8:00
AM-9:15 AM <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- 219 W. Maple Avenue
Libertyville IL 60048 / 847-362-2174 or <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">847-662-2174</span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- Cars will pull into Brainard
Parking lot across from church on Douglas St. in <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Libertyville and
check in. <br /><br /> - 8 AM – 11 AM: HOPE Food Distribution Services <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- St. Lawrence Episcopal
Church Community Meal (Soup Kitchen)<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>- 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the
month, or every third Saturday of the month<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>(call to find out)<br /> - Phone: 847-362-2110
or 847-662-7084<br /> - 125 W. Church St.
Libertyville IL 60048<br /><br />-
10 AM – Noon: Food pantry at Shiloh Baptist Church, 800 S. Genesee St.,
Waukegan</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br />
<b><u>Day(s) of Week Unknown;<br />
</u><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><u>Entities Possibly
Providing Food Pantry Services (Call for More Information)</u><br />
</b><br />- Christian Fellowship Church, 621 Belvidere St.. Call 847-336-1815. Food
on holidays only.<br /><br />- El Puente Latino, 2415 North Butrick. Call 847-599-3051 for more information.<br /></span><br />- Greater Faith Church – Baptist, 565 Powell Avenue. Call
847-244-4400 for more information.<br /><br />- Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church, 711 8<sup>th</sup>
St.. Call 847-662-3182 for more information.<br /><br />- Most Blessed Trinity / Holy Family Parish, 914 8<sup>th</sup>
Street. Call 847-623-2112 for more information.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><u>Download a Better-Organized .PDF File of This Article by Clicking on the Link Below:</u><br /><br /> <a href="http://drive.google.com/file/d/1B-5HWQ0tGqDxQ6XzGck-5rmdEO8d-RIf/view?usp=drive_link">http://drive.google.com/file/d/1B-5HWQ0tGqDxQ6XzGck-5rmdEO8d-RIf/view?usp=drive_link</a><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Based on research gathered throughout 2023.<br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Completed and published on December 5th, 2023.<br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Edited and expanded on December 6th and 23rd, 2023,<br />and January 4th, 2024.<br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Link to PDF added on January 4th, 2024.</p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-23020077140738711532023-11-15T00:32:00.000-08:002023-11-15T00:40:19.319-08:00Suggested Political Coalition-Building Strategies for Potential Use by the Green Liberty Caucus<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> The image below depicts twelve politically-minded activist groups - whose goals overlap with the majority of the goals of the Green Party and the Libertarian Party - which I believe the newly-formed Green Liberty Caucus should attempt to partner with (and offer mutual assistance to) in its coalition-building efforts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The image shows what the Green Liberty Caucus (G.L.C.) has to offer the various organizations with which I suggest we seek partnership, and shows what I believe those organizations have to offer to the G.L.C. (which the G.L.C. should request, in exchange for their support of those organizations and their goals).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The long-term goal of these efforts would be to - in the most efficient manner possible - build a broad coalition against fascism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, the two-party duopoly, and the domination of politics by neoliberals and neoconservatives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I believe that this goal will be best achieved through reaching out to the parties, movements, and coalitions (some of which need to be revived), which were among the most successful and helpful in building a "Green-Libertarian Coalition" and a "Progressive-Libertarian Alliance" over the last sixteen years.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> [Note: It may also be helpful to build an alliance with American farmers; possibly through the vehicle of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party (or disaffected portions thereof) in the State of Minnesota. Farmers, and the D.F.L., are not depicted in the image below.]</div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-FLaxccn4HGyfu4JvNL7kmpq3qgOnuDAAOBbGVWIHdyDFMbNZV_AZ7sPDN5cDVLEfnoyMt0gAe9zT530ujB6_qHKQtf5qWj0y3U0ffT4OUpT6UkEFQ9d1_aIJZYexyxp0R-jlV7inaYW2DjzjIplQa67qbast5EZIzhO7SR5Mqj8Z7GWpXdiP7251f4/s3045/Political%20Coalition-Building%20for%20G.L.C..png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2142" data-original-width="3045" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-FLaxccn4HGyfu4JvNL7kmpq3qgOnuDAAOBbGVWIHdyDFMbNZV_AZ7sPDN5cDVLEfnoyMt0gAe9zT530ujB6_qHKQtf5qWj0y3U0ffT4OUpT6UkEFQ9d1_aIJZYexyxp0R-jlV7inaYW2DjzjIplQa67qbast5EZIzhO7SR5Mqj8Z7GWpXdiP7251f4/w400-h281/Political%20Coalition-Building%20for%20G.L.C..png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click, and open in new tab and/or window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and download if necessary, to view in full resolution<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image created on November 15th, 2023.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Published on November 15th, 2023.</div>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-27915515677183508622023-11-03T13:00:00.007-07:002023-12-28T04:24:19.412-08:00In Memoriam: General-Purpose Obituary for Ethan August Winnett (for Release and Publication)<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">The Winnett family of Waukegan, Illinois wishes to</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> announce the sad and untimely passing of their beloved
son, Ethan Winnett. Ethan August Winnett (1985 - 2023) was 38 years old.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ethan will be remembered as someone who was "</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">intricately a part of everyone who shared love with him in any form” by his younger sister Elanna; and by the rest of his family. She added, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“he will never be truly gone”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will also be remembered as someone who
was always ready to provide computer and technical support, and help his
friends with their resumes. His penchant for poetry, his love of music, and his
fun-loving attitude touched the lives of everyone around him, and helped keep them
in good spirits.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ethan Winnett was the best friend of
everyone he met.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 10pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ethan will also be remembered - by the
Green Party – as a dedicated and busy activist, who served as the interim
chairman of the Lake County chapter of the Green Party of Illinois since the
mid-2010s. Ethan was a dedicated chairman, helping to keep the chapter open and
populated through difficult years of low attendance, and drawing more people
into the chapter and party. His outspoken nature, and his righteous indignation
at the powers-that-be, helped inspire and guide the party through years of
oppression and antagonism. And for that, he will be sorely missed, and not soon
forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 10pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will also be remembered - by the environmental
group Clean Power Lake County – as someone who was committed to cleaning up
trash throughout the Waukegan area. He was also interested and involved in
community gardening in Waukegan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ethan was an indispensable member of the community
of Lake County, providing charitable services to its people, such as by preparing
free meals for the homeless (despite struggling on-and-off with homelessness
himself at the time).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will also be remembered for his work
for the Veterans’ Administration at the Great Lakes Naval Station, were he
worked in the prosthetics department, and helped to repair electronic devices for elderly veterans. Additionally, he was a veteran of the
United States Army, stationed in South Korea, and a tireless advocate for veterans’
rights, and for achieving peace worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ethan also briefly worked as a substitute
teacher at Waukegan East High School.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 16.65pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">He is survived by his mother Lana; his sisters Elanna
Winnett, Esther Redding; his brother Buddy
Winnett, Jr., and other siblings. Ethan was preceded in death by his father and hero, Buddy
Winnett, Sr., who passed away in 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 16pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">As
a lover of nature, science, and technology, Ethan was not religiously observant; so in
his memory - in lieu of prayers - mourners are encouraged to do the things that
Ethan loved; singing songs, sharing poetry, doing something to be close to
nature (such as planting a tree), eating Ethan's favorite foods (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jap-chae </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and <i>ki</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">m chi</i>), or simply reminding someone
they care about that they love them.<br /><br /><span style="text-indent: 21.3333px;"> Anyone wishing to make a donation in Ethan's memory may contact Clean Power Lake County, or the Green Party of Illinois.<br /><br /></span></span></p><div style="text-indent: 21.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: 16pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; text-indent: 16pt;">Anyone wishing to be kept updated
about memorial services for Ethan should contact </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; text-indent: 16pt;">his sister Elanna ("Ela"), by e-mailing earth2ela@gmail.com, as that information
will become available soon.</span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 16pt;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Elanna Winnett contributed to the content and editing of this article.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Portions of this article were originally written</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">on October 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 31st, 2023;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">and November 3rd, 2023,<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">and were originally published in an article titled</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">"In Memoriam:<br />Green Party of Lake County, Illinois</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Announces Passing of Ethan Winnett";<br />which can be read at the link below:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/10/green-party-of-lake-county-illinois.html">http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/10/green-party-of-lake-county-illinois.html</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Edited and expanded on November 14th, 2023.</span></div></div><p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-35384746183243762632023-10-30T09:53:00.007-07:002023-12-08T12:56:54.094-08:00The Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein Black Book, Flight Logs, and Flight Manifests: .PDF files<div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Download #1: Jeffrey Epstein's Black Book</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The two .PDF files which are found immediately below, are 95-page versions of Jeffrey Epstein's personal book of contacts (dubbed his "Black Book"); a document that was dated 2004-2005 (which probably refers to the year or years when it was scanned).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The only difference between the files is the title.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The file was downloaded from DocumentCloud.org, and is still available at the following address:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1508273-jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book-redacted">http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1508273-jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book-redacted</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> That document became publicly accessible after Epstein allegedly lost it on the street in New York City in 1997.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> [Source: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-other-little-black-book-2021-6">http://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-other-little-black-book-2021-6</a>]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> [Author's Note: The source above -<i> i.e.,</i> the <i>Business Insider</i> article - contains a searchable database of the entries in a 92-page version of the black book, but the full article database search feature are only available with a subscription to BusinessInsider.com.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> There are websites - such as www.printfriendly.com - that allow users to copy and paste links, to read full articles without subscriptions, but that method does not allow access to the searchable database.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Please e-mail me at jwkopsick@gmail.com if you would like me to e-mail you any of the files mentioned in this post.]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p> Click on either of the two links below to see Jeffrey Epstein's unredacted black book.</p><p> <a href="http://drive.google.com/file/d/1defBtjGG8N2KgL7CAgR2PjRqM4GbIgif/view?usp=drive_link">http://drive.google.com/file/d/1defBtjGG8N2KgL7CAgR2PjRqM4GbIgif/view?usp=drive_link</a></p><p> <a href="http://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZP3R1z0W5tknjbwuCpAfvDT_M_g0RHdC/view?usp=drive_link">http://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZP3R1z0W5tknjbwuCpAfvDT_M_g0RHdC/view?usp=drive_link</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><u>Download #2: The Lolita Express Flight Logs</u></p><p> Click on the two links below to see the flight logs from Jeffrey Epstein's plane, nicknamed "the Lolita Express":</p><p><br /> <a href="http://drive.google.com/file/d/1A_Zizh7IB7yP8O5hq14OuY21R4Pmm-Ae/view?usp=drive_link">http://drive.google.com/file/d/1A_Zizh7IB7yP8O5hq14OuY21R4Pmm-Ae/view?usp=drive_link</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://drive.google.com/file/d/1_wld7KOrXVIibCyovg_N687cUcv9x9Uj/view?usp=drive_link">http://drive.google.com/file/d/1_wld7KOrXVIibCyovg_N687cUcv9x9Uj/view?usp=drive_link</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><u>Download #3: The Lolita Express Flight Manifests</u><br /><br /> Click on the link below to see the flight manifests from Jeffrey Epstein's plane, nicknamed "the Lolita Express":<br /><br /> <a href="http://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZopHxlU5K_cSez2tnXLsyd4MSeMgH6Wx/view?usp=drive_link">http://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZopHxlU5K_cSez2tnXLsyd4MSeMgH6Wx/view?usp=drive_link</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Published and uploaded on October 30th, 2023</p><p style="text-align: center;">Edited and expanded on December 8th, 2023</p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-3443761009587012782023-10-26T09:11:00.002-07:002024-01-09T21:18:56.285-08:00Eighteen Links That Prove President Joe Biden Pinched an Eight-Year-Old Girl's Nipple Live on C-SPAN2 on January 6th, 2015<p><u>1. Eighteen Links That Prove President Joe Biden Pinched an Eight-Year-Old Girl's Nipple Live on C-SPAN2 on January 6th, 2015</u></p><p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 1. </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6zXhYsIWKQ" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6zXhYsIWKQ</a></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 2. </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCTXDInRBvQ" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCTXDInRBvQ</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 3. </span><a href="http://rumble.com/v1mpclq-joe-biden-pinches-nipple-of-montana-senators-8-year-old-niece.html" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://rumble.com/v1mpclq-joe-biden-pinches-nipple-of-montana-senators-8-year-old-niece.html</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 4. </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=610584119946225" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=610584119946225</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 5. </span><a href="http://coronanews123.wordpress.com/slow-motion-of-vp-biden-sexually-assaulting-sen-daines-8-year-old-niece-pinches-nipple/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://coronanews123.wordpress.com/slow-motion-of-vp-biden-sexually-assaulting-sen-daines-8-year-old-niece-pinches-nipple/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 6. </span><a href="http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/politics/girl-confirms-that-biden-groped-her-and-pinched-her-nipple-and-its-on-video/97600954/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/politics/girl-confirms-that-biden-groped-her-and-pinched-her-nipple-and-its-on-video/97600954/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 7. </span><a href="http://www.dailyveracity.com/2021/07/27/teen-confirms-joe-biden-pinched-her-nipple-when-she-was-eight-years-old/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.dailyveracity.com/2021/07/27/teen-confirms-joe-biden-pinched-her-nipple-when-she-was-eight-years-old/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 8. </span><a href="http://www.rightjournalism.com/did-joe-biden-really-pinch-8-year-old-maria-piacesis-nipple-in-2015-she-says-yes-photos/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.rightjournalism.com/did-joe-biden-really-pinch-8-year-old-maria-piacesis-nipple-in-2015-she-says-yes-photos/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 9. </span><a href="http://www.tacticalshit.com/girl-who-was-touched-by-creeper-joe-biden-on-camera-confirms-he-groped-her-and-pinched-her-nipple/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.tacticalshit.com/girl-who-was-touched-by-creeper-joe-biden-on-camera-confirms-he-groped-her-and-pinched-her-nipple/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 10. </span><a href="http://thewashingtonstandard.com/video-exposes-criminal-joe-biden-pinching-little-girls-nipple-why-is-america-tolerating-this/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://thewashingtonstandard.com/video-exposes-criminal-joe-biden-pinching-little-girls-nipple-why-is-america-tolerating-this/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 11. </span><a href="http://poptopic.com.au/news/senator-daines-niece-maria-piacesi-says-biden-pinched-her-nipple/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://poptopic.com.au/news/senator-daines-niece-maria-piacesi-says-biden-pinched-her-nipple/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 12. </span><a href="http://nationalfile.com/daines-niece-confirms-joe-biden-pinched-her-nipple-according-to-report/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://nationalfile.com/daines-niece-confirms-joe-biden-pinched-her-nipple-according-to-report/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 13. </span><a href="http://www.ibtimes.sg/did-joe-biden-pinch-8-year-old-girls-nipple-62138" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.ibtimes.sg/did-joe-biden-pinch-8-year-old-girls-nipple-62138</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 14. </span><a href="http://jessica-ramer.medium.com/did-biden-pinch-a-young-girls-nipple-911b6b885b06" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://jessica-ramer.medium.com/did-biden-pinch-a-young-girls-nipple-911b6b885b06</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 15. </span><a href="http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/08/sick-girl-touched-creeper-joe-biden-camera-confirms-groped-pinched-nipple-metoo/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/08/sick-girl-touched-creeper-joe-biden-camera-confirms-groped-pinched-nipple-metoo/</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 16. </span><a href="http://www.quora.com/Whats-this-about-Maria-Piacesi-admitting-Biden-pinched-her-nipple-when-she-was-8-years-old" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://www.quora.com/Whats-this-about-Maria-Piacesi-admitting-Biden-pinched-her-nipple-when-she-was-8-years-old</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 17. </span><a href="http://138.197.76.185/nm0081182/Joe-Biden/610ca2ebe955b14a9b9632c9/Maria-Piacesi-the-niece-of-Senator-Steve-Daines-confirms-Biden-publicly-groped-her-nipple-as-an-8-year-old?reply=610dfa5a24f12667d999e8e6" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">138.197.76.185/nm0081182/Joe-Biden/610ca2ebe955b14a9b9632c9/Maria-Piacesi-the-niece-of-Senator-Steve-Daines-confirms-Biden-publicly-groped-her-nipple-as-an-8-year-old?reply=610dfa5a24f12667d999e8e6</a><br /><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> 18. </span><a href="http://debatepolitics.com/threads/slow-motion-of-vp-biden-sexually-assaulting-sen-daines-8-year-old-niece-pinches-nipple.487635/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">http://debatepolitics.com/threads/slow-motion-of-vp-biden-sexually-assaulting-sen-daines-8-year-old-niece-pinches-nipple.487635/</a><div><br /><br /><br /><u>2. Explanation<br /></u><br />[Author's Note:<br /><br /> The information below was added to this post on January 9th, 2024.<br /><br /> This text originally appeared in my article "What is the Evidence Supporting the Claims that Donald Trump and Joe Biden Are Child Molesters?", which was first posted to this blog on February 10th, 2021.]</div><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;"> On January 6th, 2015 - during a Senate swearing-in ceremony - Joe Biden was broadcast live on C-SPAN pinching the right nipple of Maria Piacesi, the niece of Republican Montana Senator Steve Daines.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> Piacesi's mother Christine is Steve Daines's sister. Maria Piacesi appeared to be somewhere between 7 and 10 years old; I estimate her to have been about 8 years old at the time. This means that she was probably born around 2006.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> After placing his hand on the girl's side, and discreetly moving his hand upwards, towards her chest, Biden pinched the girl's nipple. The girl can be seen reacting, stepping to her left in a vain attempt to get farther away from Biden, and looking around to see if anyone noticed the pinching. While pinching the girl, Biden joked to her family that the girl should go on "No serious dates until you're thirty" [years old]. Biden pinched the girl's nipple while saying the word "dates".</div> Based on the expression on the face of the girl's mother (the woman in the blue dress), she may have noticed that Biden was touching her, or at least that he was getting a little too close for the girl's comfort.<p></p><div><span style="text-align: justify;"> The following links lead to videos comprised of unedited footage taken directly from C-SPAN's and C-SPAN-2's websites. No changes have been made to the footage, except for the clipping, omission, and repetition which were necessary to remove unneeded footage and focus on Biden's grabbing and pinching.<br /></span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G6rtPFIXEw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G6rtPFIXEw</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjwELMg3Wj8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjwELMg3Wj8</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nloOU9J8PQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nloOU9J8PQ</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CsBs1vAk44">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CsBs1vAk44</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GCTsHCDBkI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GCTsHCDBkI</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6zXhYsIWKQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6zXhYsIWKQ</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIzBuwwqWBw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIzBuwwqWBw</a><br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dizji3k4e5w">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dizji3k4e5w</a></div><p></p><p>[Note: Some of the links listed directly above might no longer be functioning.]</p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Originally published on October 26th, 2023</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Originally published under the title<br />"Eighteen Links That Prove President Joe Biden Pinched an Eight-Year-Old Girl's Nipple<br />Live on C-SPAN on January 3rd, 2015"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Title changed on October 30th, 2023<br />to reflect the fact that the pinching took place on the date of</div><div style="text-align: center;">the <i>ceremonial </i>swearing-in on January 6th, 2015;</div><div style="text-align: center;">rather than the first day of the 114th Congress on January 3rd, 2015;<br />and the fact that the channel which broadcast the event live was C-SPAN2 rather than C-SPAN</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Expanded (to include the Explanation) on January 9th, 2024;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Explanation taken from an article which was originally posted to this blog</div><div style="text-align: center;">on February 10th, 2021.</div>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-53674292205855982922023-10-20T02:33:00.014-07:002023-12-28T04:23:31.516-08:00In Memoriam: Green Party of Lake County, Illinois Announces Passing of Chairman Ethan Winnett<p>Dear Fellow Greens:</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> It is with heavy hearts today that we
announce the sad and untimely passing of Ethan Winnett (<i>a/k/a</i> Ethan
Windmillsky), who served as the interim chairman of our Lake County chapter since the mid-2010s.<br /> Ethan August Winnett was 38 years old.<br /><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Ethan was a dedicated chairman,
keeping the chapter open and populated through difficult years of low
attendance, and drawing more people into the chapter and party.</div></span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a busy activist, assisting the Waukegan area; including through preparing free
meals for the homeless (despite struggling on-and-off with homelessness
himself), and with neighborhood trash clean-up, and community gardening.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was also a
veteran of the United States Army, and a tireless advocate for
veterans’ rights, and for achieving peace worldwide.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ethan’s penchant
for poetry, his love of music, and his fun-loving attitude touched the lives of
everyone around him, and helped keep us in good spirits. His outspoken nature
and his righteous indignation at the powers-that-be helped inspire us and guide
us through years of oppression and antagonism. And for that, he will be sorely
missed, and not soon forgotten.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is survived by
his mother Lana; his sister Elanna, and was preceded in death by his father and hero, Buddy Winnett, Sr., who passed in 2019.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> As a lover of science and
technology, Ethan was not religiously observant; so in his memory - in lieu of
prayers - mourners are encouraged to do the things that Ethan loved; singing
songs, sharing poetry, doing something to be close to nature (such as planting
a tree), eating Ethan's favorite food (<i>jap-chae / jap-che</i>), or simply reminding someone they care about that they love them.</div></span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> Anyone wishing to
be kept updated about memorial services should contact Ethan's sister Ela (by e-mailing earth2ela@gmail.com).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Anyone wishing to make a donation in Ethan's memory can contact Clean Power Lake County, or the Green Party of Illinois.</div>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In solidarity,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">Green Party Co-Chair Anna Schiefelbein</p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">and</p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">Joseph W. Kopsick</p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4cQgI5ei4PdEkPH1iI-QYeNYqgHnU_4LGCBDHYbfrGN26fLhDHdwy59ocUIPhBBAEfqgPRB6hlvTfPDJlrdYMqa7b_7i8pNZn1lvnvKFdZW-rDe7WSPHhwS8GXofUDjQcKr-BNdp3a9xwDPblclNcRd7iBN8BPBPC9uTbSbVP0m-UlBOEIT2hyr9paE/s222/EW2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4cQgI5ei4PdEkPH1iI-QYeNYqgHnU_4LGCBDHYbfrGN26fLhDHdwy59ocUIPhBBAEfqgPRB6hlvTfPDJlrdYMqa7b_7i8pNZn1lvnvKFdZW-rDe7WSPHhwS8GXofUDjQcKr-BNdp3a9xwDPblclNcRd7iBN8BPBPC9uTbSbVP0m-UlBOEIT2hyr9paE/w360-h400/EW2.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq15AIkv7gWu05PyHedCYeyiyM0xPFA5Rz_OLaDYDtr7CDQFZPlFSzxRWvExP7g1B-Lg8i-peXBtbYtrTsb7O2G7bMLlx7ezWLlh8Jo0n3MBWytt8JxTj4QCgencCM9j02q5Gw8dAS_AagoY9bnTtO6nMuLzHATgwexiXEf4E_mGREu413qIoXzl-IpuA/s166/EW1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="143" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq15AIkv7gWu05PyHedCYeyiyM0xPFA5Rz_OLaDYDtr7CDQFZPlFSzxRWvExP7g1B-Lg8i-peXBtbYtrTsb7O2G7bMLlx7ezWLlh8Jo0n3MBWytt8JxTj4QCgencCM9j02q5Gw8dAS_AagoY9bnTtO6nMuLzHATgwexiXEf4E_mGREu413qIoXzl-IpuA/w344-h400/EW1.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOOMKZGeIOy1Ot_QWjn8fAJUPuGUNUk5TWXcvFpOKjb04X8XXGyI7A4FaUGQrVD_Yk10kra5WZVKwvy0E2m9ix79_9I9cyYm3PHpFoPCcdsXj283c_Q8-3T5U6digYlL0FjnK-bCSRgTqop2ZyIPLOQepjl6M9UniUxVw0TL8dGj24PZ7fLXrCHaE4O4/s143/EAW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="135" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOOMKZGeIOy1Ot_QWjn8fAJUPuGUNUk5TWXcvFpOKjb04X8XXGyI7A4FaUGQrVD_Yk10kra5WZVKwvy0E2m9ix79_9I9cyYm3PHpFoPCcdsXj283c_Q8-3T5U6digYlL0FjnK-bCSRgTqop2ZyIPLOQepjl6M9UniUxVw0TL8dGj24PZ7fLXrCHaE4O4/w378-h400/EAW.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ethan August Winnett<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(January 31st, 1985 - October 19th, 2023)</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Post-Script:<br /><br /> [Caution: The following information, and articles, contain information which may be upsetting to sensitive and grieving readers.]<br /><br /> The official cause of Mr. Winnett's death was provided, by the Lake County Coroner's Office, as smoke inhalation.<br /><br /> Readers wishing to learn more regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr. Winnett's death can click on the following links to read articles.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.arlingtoncardinal.com/2023/10/man-found-dead-in-apartment-house-fire-on-grand-ave-waukegan/">http://www.arlingtoncardinal.com/2023/10/man-found-dead-in-apartment-house-fire-on-grand-ave-waukegan/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/ct-lns-fatal-waukegan-fire-st-1021-20231020-fpyys2b64rfyfgy2petocw6lly-story.html">http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/ct-lns-fatal-waukegan-fire-st-1021-20231020-fpyys2b64rfyfgy2petocw6lly-story.html</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.firemapchicago.net/2023/10/fatal-fire-at-apartment-house-on-grand.html">http://www.firemapchicago.net/2023/10/fatal-fire-at-apartment-house-on-grand.html</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2023/10/19/firefighters-find-man-dead-rescue-2nd-victim-after-fire-breaks-out-in-apartment-building-in-waukegan/">http://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2023/10/19/firefighters-find-man-dead-rescue-2nd-victim-after-fire-breaks-out-in-apartment-building-in-waukegan/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Elanna Winnett contributed to the content and editing of this article.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Written and published on October 20th, 2023.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Originally published under the title<br />"Green Party of Lake County, Illinois Announces Passing of Interim Chairman Ethan Winnett".<br />Title changed several times since original publication.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Edited and expanded on October 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 31st, 2023.<br />Post-Script added on October 20th, 2023.<br /><br />Photo added on October 22nd, 2023.<br />Two more photos added on November 3rd, 2023.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Edited on November 14th, 2023.</p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-60657329852489864792023-10-18T00:56:00.003-07:002023-10-18T01:02:14.163-07:00Ten Reasons Why the Biden Administration Should Call for a Cease-Fire in the Holy Land<p style="text-align: justify;"> The list below shows the top ten reasons why, I believe, that the United States – under the
Joe Biden Administration – should call for a cease-fire in regard to the
Israel-Hamas conflict, and keep calling for a cease-fire until it gets one.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This list should
also suffice as a reason for President Biden to instruct the Navy ship, which
is currently carrying two thousand U.S. Marines and soldiers to the Israeli
battle front, to turn around, before something goes wrong, and before it is too late
to avoid a wider catastrophe.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> 1. A cease-fire
could achieve bipartisan support. First, by achieving peace, and avoiding the
flattening and destruction of the Gaza Strip, which Democrats would appreciate.
Second, it could serve as a chance for Republicans to embarrass President Biden
for approving the deletion of the tweet, by Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
which praised the nation of Turkey for its own call for a cease-fire in the
Israeli-Hamas conflict.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><div style="text-align: justify;"> 2. Both sides – the
State of Israel, and the armed resistance fighters attempting to protect the
Palestinians, as well as civilians protected by both groups – are guilty of
many of the same atrocities and war crimes, of which they are accusing each
other. Examples of such atrocities include targeting civilians, killing each
other’s babies, and calling for a genocide of their enemies. We are being baited into taking sides, and it has to stop, before we say something we regret and cannot take back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 3. The State of
Israel can defend itself. The United States has been sending more than $3
billion to that country every year for at least the past ten years. America
helped Israel build the Iron Dome missile defense system. We have done enough
already. Israel can defend itself, it has other allies besides the United
States, and further aid to Israel will only increase Israeli dependence upon
the U.S.. This is not our fight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 4. Nobody knows,
yet, whether the Israeli military, or a misfire by Hamas, was the cause of the
recent destruction of the Baptist Hospital in Gaza. There is so much confusion
and misinformation surrounding this incident, that the only way to be sure that
no more attacks take place, is to call for both sides to stop launching
attacks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 5. If you live by
the sword, then you will die by the sword. Everybody is putting themselves in
harm’s way, and blaming the other side for doing the same thing. Hamas is
humiliating its own people by accidentally firing bombs at its own people in
approximately 30 to 40 percent of the missile attacks it commits. The Israeli
Army has something called the Hannibal Directive, which excuses Israel allowing
its own people to get killed, as long as the fact that Israelis are dead can be
used to justify subsequent attacks that will achieve other more important
military objectives. And the United States is putting its own Marines and
soldiers in harm’s way, by sending two thousand troops to the battle front. U.S.
involvement only increases the chances that New York City or Washington, D.C.
could get targeted with a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb. Additionally, a million
Jews are gathered in each Haifa and Jerusalem, which could easily become the
target of large-scale weapons strikes; while some Jews believe that the Jews
were dispersed among the peoples of the Earth, by G-d, on purpose, in order to spread
Judaism to all the nations of the world, but also to keep the Jewish people
safe by avoiding concentrating them all in one location. Don’t put all your
eggs in one basket.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 6. We don’t know
which side was the first to take a human life. Prior to last month, there was
no fighting in Israel since May 2023. As I stated in my previous article on
this topic, on September 22<sup>nd</sup>, or earlier, a Hamas militant launched
an incendiary device towards an I.D.F. soldier. That incendiary device killed
zero people. That casualty-free attack was an opportunity for the Israelis to
forgive. The Israelis passed on that opportunity, and instead launched an
attack which bore no reported casualties. However, it’s extremely unlikely –
with Israel’s advanced military technology – that this attack killed nobody;
and more likely that it did kill people, but that the deaths were not reported,
due to low sympathy for Palestinians in the Western media. The Jewish people
have every right to defend themselves – and even the right to kill, if
necessary, in order to do so, which doesn’t even violate the commandment
against murder – but it is possible that it was the State of Israel which
committed the first murder in this round of fighting; which, I repeat, began in
late September, not early October.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 7. The U.S.
should not risk escalating this conflict. If the U.S. sends Marines to the Holy
Land, then eventually those troops will be fired-upon by Hamas. That will
likely lead to a wider conflict, in which Hezbollah and Iran, and other Muslim
nations, will join-in, followed by the close European allies of the United States
and the State of Israel. This will lead to World War III if the leaders of the
nations of the world do not call for an immediate cease-fire, and continue
calling for it – no matter who tries to break it, or how many times - until it
is achieved.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 8. If this
conflict escalates, then it will become more likely that our elected
representatives will abandon their dedication to maintaining an all-volunteer
army, and will turn instead to reinstating registration for the draft,
reinstating the military draft (Selective Service) instead, and perhaps even
include women in that draft to fill gaps. The U.S. should not risk committing
young people to a war that they barely understand; young people whom were born decades after
the wider Israeli-Arab Conflict began. This would be extremely unfair to them,
and many of them would get killed, tearing families apart.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 9. I don’t want
to spend my holiday season reading about people getting bombed, watching Gaza
getting flattened, watching Palestinians get exterminated, watching the Jews of
Israel get wiped off the map, watching a genocide of either side happen, or
watching World War III break out. There have been too many holiday seasons, in recent
years, that Israel and Palestine have spent bombing each other. Nobody wants to
spend their Christmas, Hanukkah, or Ramadan watching people die (except the
Military-Industrial Complex). We have already seen that happen, multiple times, and it isn't pretty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 10. America winning this war, or losing it, are not the only two options here. The fact that Americans have already died in Hamas attacks in Israel, shouldn't have to mean that more Americans die as well. We must learn the lesson of the Cold War and the film <u>War Games</u>: The only way to win is to not play the game. We must call for forgiveness, peace, and a cease-fire. <i>Nobody </i>wins in a nuclear war, and nobody achieves a total victory in a world war. We must be content with a draw. If we want
humanity to survive – this winter, or at all – then peace is the only option.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peace, <i>shalom,
salaam.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Written and published on October 18<sup>th</sup>, 2023.<o:p></o:p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-56290633907804936282023-10-08T04:20:00.010-07:002023-10-20T06:23:32.518-07:00Israelis' and Palestinians' Unwillingness to Forgive Casualty-Free Attacks Leads to Deaths on Both Sides<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Yesterday (on October 7th, 2023), several periodicals - including <i>The
Wall Street Journal</i> - published articles asserting that the State of
Israel, and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have "declared
war" on the Palestinian militant group Hamas.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Leaving aside the issue of whether "declaring war" on Hamas
serves to legitimize it as if it were a state or political entity, it is
necessary to address the mainstream media's narratives regarding the recent
violence exchanged between Israelis and Palestinians in the last several weeks.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> This
"declaration of war" against Hamas follows what <i>Reuters</i>, <i>C.N.N.</i>,
and others described as "surprise attacks", carried out by Hamas
against Israeli targets.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/5629063390780493628"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/sirens-warning-incoming-rockets-sound-around-gaza-near-tel-aviv-2023-10-07/</span></a></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/5629063390780493628"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.cnn.com/2023/10/07/middleeast/sirens-israel-rocket-attack-gaza-intl-hnk/index.html</span></a></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
However, "surprise attacks" is hardly an honest way to
characterize these attacks.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Two
weeks ago (on Sunday, September 24th, 2023), N.P.R. published an article titled
"Israel strikes Gaza for the third straight day as West Bank violence
escalates".</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/5629063390780493628"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.npr.org/2023/09/24/1201381201/an-israeli-military-raid-has-killed-two-palestinians-in-the-west-bank?fbclid=IwAR1omulobWR5oOF6Whiku445zRLHBHc9jYhtj63vaI3sxVRd_bMerpgkS50#:~:text=Majdi%20Mohammed%2FAP-,Palestinians%20inspect%20a%20damaged%20building%20following%20an%20Israeli%20army%20raid,24%2C%202023</span></a></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Right
off the bat, it is plain to see, from this article, that the attacks on Israeli
targets which were carried out by Hamas over the last several days, were, most
assuredly, <i>not</i> "surprise attacks", but were carried
out <i>in response to </i>the strikes on Gaza which occurred on
September 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 2023.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
Despite this fact, the Israelis - and Israel-sympathetic media - have
been quick to point out that the attacks which occurred in the first week of
October, were (<i>apparently</i>) timed to coincide with the fiftieth
anniversary of the <i>Yom Kippur </i>War, which began on October 6th,
1973.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> But if
these attacks were, in fact, timed to coincide with that anniversary, then that
narrative would not make sense, if it could be proven that there had been
exchanges of violence in the previous two weeks leading up to that October 6th
anniversary.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> In
fact, if you read the article that N.P.R. published on September 24th, you will
find that – <i>in the very first sentence of the article – </i>it reads:</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> “Israeli
airstrikes struck militant sites in Gaza on Sunday for the third straight day,
the Israeli military said, <i>after Palestinian militants near the border
fence launched incendiary balloons into Israel and threw an explosive at
soldiers.</i>” [emphasis mine]<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span> [Correction, written and posted on October 20th, 2023:<br /><br /> The aforementioned incendiary balloons might not have taken place before those "three straight days" of Israeli attacks, after all.<br /> The following article from <i>Al Jazeera</i> clarifies that the recent violence began when "stone-throwing protesters" in Palestine threw stones at Israeli soldiers, prompting the closing of the <i>Beit Hanouna</i> border crossing between Israel and Gaza, which itself prompted Palestinians' launching of incendiary balloons into Israel.<br /> This article also mentions that Israel killed 12 Palestinians in Jenin in July, which runs contrary to the mainstream media narrative that there was no violence between Israel and Palestine between May 2023 and October 7th, 2023.<br /> You can read that article by clicking on the following link:<br /> <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/22/israeli-military-attacks-gaza-strip-amid-protests-at-border">http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/22/israeli-military-attacks-gaza-strip-amid-protests-at-border</a>]</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> This
suggests that the Israeli airstrikes were carried out <i>in response
to </i>the aforementioned border violence (although it’s not clear exactly
which day those incendiary balloons were launched).</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> This
shows why it is important to read articles about the Israeli-Arab conflict very
carefully.<br />
Especially because there’s no indication that
those incendiary balloons (which started two fires within the State of Israel’s
borders) – nor that explosive which was thrown at I.D.F. soldiers – killed or
injured <i>anybody</i>.<br />
I suspect that, if these bombs <i>had </i>killed
anybody, then the articles reporting on it, would have mentioned that fact.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> We
might feel tempted to conclude - from the information above - that those
late-September Israeli airstrikes <i>killed Palestinians</i> in
response to Palestinian bomb-throwing that killed nobody.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> But
that is not accurate either.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> If
N.P.R.’s reporting is correct, then so is the sentence from the fourth
paragraph in that article, which reads as follows:</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> “There
were no reported casualties from the strikes in Gaza.”</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Let
us assume - for a moment - that “no reported casualties” means “no casualties
occurred”, rather than that casualties on the Gazan side occurred but were
simply not reported.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> If
that is an accurate assumption, then this would mean that the late-September
Palestinian bomb-throwing killed zero people, and then was met with Israeli
retaliation that <i>also </i>killed zero people.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> On
March 11<sup>th</sup>, 2004, nearly two hundred people were killed, and over
two <i>thousand</i> people were injured, in a series of coordinated
bombings upon the commuter train system in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Shortly
thereafter, my high school Spanish teacher, Ken Finkelstein, told us that the
people of Spain responded to these attacks by calling for peace and
forgiveness. He contrasted this against America’s response to the terrorist
attacks of September 11<sup>th</sup>, 2001, after which President George W.
Bush declared “the world will hear from all of us soon”. This statement
foreshadowed America’s invasion of Afghanistan the following month, and its
invasion of Iraq eighteen months later.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> My
teacher’s statement affected me profoundly, and (obviously) I still remember it
to this day. And I agree that there is a time for forgiveness. Although it may
be difficult to forgive atrocities which see hundreds of deaths (as in the
Madrid train bombings) or even thousands of deaths (as in 9/11), it is much
easier to forgive <i>attempted </i>acts of violence which result
in <i>zero </i>deaths or injuries.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> And
that is what has just happened.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Both
sides – Israeli and Palestinian – have just declined to forgive attacks, by
one-another, which (evidently) resulted in zero injuries or deaths.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> I
would never condemn someone for defending oneself; even if it’s an individual
human being, or a political entity which claims to have the right to use
violence legitimately. But self-defense is far from what is happening here.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Yesterday
(October 7<sup>th</sup>, 2023), <i>The Times of Israel</i> reported
that 1,600 people are wounded, and that at least 230 people are dead, in Gaza,
following Israel’s attacks.<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/5629063390780493628"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.timesofisrael.com/gaza-reports-some-200-palestinians-dead-1600-wounded-after-hamas-assault-on-israel/</span></a></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> An
article, published today (October 8<sup>th</sup>) by <i>A.B.C.</i>, stated
that <i>1,790</i> Gazans are wounded, and over <i>300</i> Gazans
are dead; while Israeli death tolls number over 100, with some 900 Israelis
injured.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/5629063390780493628"><span style="color: blue;">http://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/israel-gaza-hamas/?id=103804516</span></a></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> This article from <i>N.D.T.V.
</i>claims that <i>six hundred </i>Israelis have been killed in the
fighting.<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/5629063390780493628"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/hamas-rocket-attack-on-israel-israel-gaza-conflict-palestine-over-500-dead-in-hamas-surprise-land-air-sea-attack-on-israel-4460666</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> If
the worst of these reports is accurate, then this means that <i>at least
900 people are now dead</i> because of <i>both the Israelis’ and the
Palestinians’ </i>refusal to forgive attacks that killed <i>nobody at
all.</i></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> Throwing a bomb at someone does not automatically mean that the target was killed or harmed in any way. We have to read these reports more closely, instead of lashing out, and killing by reflex.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> We
have no choice, now, but to forgive attacks that harm nobody; or else we should
expect the bloodshed to continue into the holiday season.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Thus, the
only alternative to forgiving casualty-free attacks, is to endorse the murder
of not only our enemies, but ourselves.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span> As
musician Kimya Dawson sang – in her song “Hold My Hand” – “the cycle of
violence has to end somewhere”.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> Update:</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> The Biden Administration has deleted Secretary of State Antony Blinken's call for a cease-fire.</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> Read more at the following links:<br /> http:</o:p></span>//nypost.com/2023/10/09/blinken-gets-blowback-for-now-deleted-sunday-post-promoting-cease-fire-in-israel/</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://newrepublic.com/post/176090/state-department-blinken-delete-tweets-ceasefire-israel-gaza-palestine">http://newrepublic.com/post/176090/state-department-blinken-delete-tweets-ceasefire-israel-gaza-palestine</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Written and published on
October 8th, 2023.<br /></span><br />Update added on October 12th, 2023.<br /><br />Correction written and added on October 20th, 2023.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-88109145304633779262023-10-06T07:53:00.025-07:002023-10-07T02:57:40.168-07:00Witalij Martynow Repackages Rebirthing Therapy as "Breathwork Therapy", Which Involves Partial Suffocation<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
A maniacal quack named Witalij Martynow is currently touring
America, promoting "breathwork therapy", a therapeutic practice that
involves what he describes as "intermittent hypoxia" (a/k/a choking
people half to death).</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnbQs7DI6bb-Rqgcl9zzmkMkaxTVeJS47i3cTzciaYAsglB1xDeO7gMhqJ3yseuqoEFft-shsZi0uf4ziRtOBJOqyJ-J1m92_w-OBYYLbe_EX9oDyiDejuurUOPxbXaHDUKsslmqiHA86znIKri3moeXBJFxTuNNX9JgXnvN_gO5Kdze5nelkY7TF8ig/s1144/Screenshot_20231001-215902.png" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="706" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnbQs7DI6bb-Rqgcl9zzmkMkaxTVeJS47i3cTzciaYAsglB1xDeO7gMhqJ3yseuqoEFft-shsZi0uf4ziRtOBJOqyJ-J1m92_w-OBYYLbe_EX9oDyiDejuurUOPxbXaHDUKsslmqiHA86znIKri3moeXBJFxTuNNX9JgXnvN_gO5Kdze5nelkY7TF8ig/s320/Screenshot_20231001-215902.png" width="197" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
<!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> He
claims that temporary oxygen deprivation is good for the blood, in the same way
that hunger is good for digestive health.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> What
his followers fail to realize is that Martynow's therapeutic technique is
basically the same thing as rebirthing therapy, which was invented and
pioneered by Dr. Leonard Orr in the 1970s. Orr is now widely considered a
"crazy hippie".</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Rebirthing
therapy is basically breathwork therapy plus surrounding people in pillows and
blankets. And people are, indeed, (partially, but not completely) surrounded by
pillows and blankets, as a part of Martynow's breathwork therapy today.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> The
similarities don't end there. Martynow's patients are in denial of the fact
that patients are being actively restrained; by having their chests pushed
down. People are held down; yet patients claim they are "free to leave at
any time".<br /> Moreover, i</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">n 2022, a Reddit
user named “warpedhands” claimed to have been a patient of Witalij’s, and said that
Witalij “helps prevent you from giving up or stopping out of fear.”</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsq-bTRAH4oqoK0xk44RufrT6VTbu64rXSyH8Tbwpr4x8P1EsNmqLY7ukZ2ZQkTC4t_3sEzfZFahQhqpaCu1RS4aqoC8lmNjLZiSMom6qJULcTTk1DE2GDpadYGpJqZkVh7EHP3zsn4fVy8puHqEA25ppn7i4jBvwbq_E8qupOc2iKQEHm9YvH2kfJ2xs/s1280/127658868_709839476331799_4909184737935128057_n.jpg" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsq-bTRAH4oqoK0xk44RufrT6VTbu64rXSyH8Tbwpr4x8P1EsNmqLY7ukZ2ZQkTC4t_3sEzfZFahQhqpaCu1RS4aqoC8lmNjLZiSMom6qJULcTTk1DE2GDpadYGpJqZkVh7EHP3zsn4fVy8puHqEA25ppn7i4jBvwbq_E8qupOc2iKQEHm9YvH2kfJ2xs/s320/127658868_709839476331799_4909184737935128057_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaEhOuQRGl43jbc6K-zHfXeXDthHrndZCZ0xPxJDOSUZOvCVNXpBI436kOG_4_-b-UMGtpv7h_9VaIClcTyPETkjxu8waaOXsVoVLEPRV-scKRXH0zQ68RKXrWOrev0UTN1OuRQbpHFZHfipoaAb5a26ZzR5E3WexKTPa35e9lrKJl5qeVKbCXfXzw5E/s854/Screenshot_20231002-164715.png" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="708" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaEhOuQRGl43jbc6K-zHfXeXDthHrndZCZ0xPxJDOSUZOvCVNXpBI436kOG_4_-b-UMGtpv7h_9VaIClcTyPETkjxu8waaOXsVoVLEPRV-scKRXH0zQ68RKXrWOrev0UTN1OuRQbpHFZHfipoaAb5a26ZzR5E3WexKTPa35e9lrKJl5qeVKbCXfXzw5E/s320/Screenshot_20231002-164715.png" width="265" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> There
are also stills, in these promotional videos, of a woman holding a trash bucket
next to her face, as if she's about to vomit.<br />
According to Martynow's website, vomiting is a common side
effect of consumption of <i>ayahuasca</i>.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0QUvbzi9ZR3T9mOdI_Czd1gCX2CPcBmnFLYta8blDyybxkS5_mEj9sFNs3Dq0LlT6Toe2RCSpdIZgumtSxJh-m1Y5SrKL-N6bRLsbpmCVN13WO9uvFrr6nO1FpWXCjZrgkHadggB-ZOLZOYR3RvVRNS2FtFumauQ0I2SIU9v7yIfyiX9FI8Xex_xrp4/s884/Screenshot_20231004-084241.png" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="708" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0QUvbzi9ZR3T9mOdI_Czd1gCX2CPcBmnFLYta8blDyybxkS5_mEj9sFNs3Dq0LlT6Toe2RCSpdIZgumtSxJh-m1Y5SrKL-N6bRLsbpmCVN13WO9uvFrr6nO1FpWXCjZrgkHadggB-ZOLZOYR3RvVRNS2FtFumauQ0I2SIU9v7yIfyiX9FI8Xex_xrp4/s320/Screenshot_20231004-084241.png" width="256" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">
Similarly, the original rebirthing therapy involved induced
vomiting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Rebirthing
therapy is designed to simulate being born, as a way to make a child feel as if
their new parents are giving birth to them again. The stated purpose was to
help the child form attachment with the new caregivers.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
Rebirthing, breathwork, and similar techniques employed by Dr.
Neil Feinberg, are intended to treat a variety of ailments; most importantly;
Reactive Attachment Disorder (R.A.D.). This is a (probably made-up) disorder in
which a child who is adopted, fails to form a proper attachment with his new
parents.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Dr.
Neil Feinberg even traumatized a child who had previous sexual abuse trauma, by
screaming at him, poking him in the chest, and forcing the child to admit that
he hated Dr. Feinberg. Feinberg thus attempted to treat revulsion towards
forced sexual touching, with more forced touching. Feinberg's therapy was
called Coercive Restraint Therapy (C.R.T.).</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Even
worse, a 10-year-old girl named Candace Newmaker DIED in a rebirthing therapy
session in Colorado in the year 2000. She was surrounded by blankets, and gave
repeated warnings that she was vomiting inside the mess of blankets, and that
she had to defecate. She died from a combination of asphyxiation and inhaling
the smell of her own vomit and shit.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Republican
Bill Owens, then Governor of Colorado, signed a statewide ban against
rebirthing therapy shortly thereafter.<br />
</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/goog_1002476644"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">http:</span></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/8810914530463377926"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1174742/</span></a><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"><br /></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Curiously,
Martynow's American tour does not include any dates in Colorado.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaffMbhbfXlKJPVJF3_ETi8uO9Y4F364U0D0HS5cuUWLWU-DMUg23_bDEKhpc7ngBxfWHGTftALKvmk5fQ07TZGOzSj6FcgxQlg9pGSSPRjdyWBilqaZrDCm9Wj6QXJDqDs9CYEKDenWZVdw18tixpoqw9c8WZb57SQtv8R9Y3dWd3vHbeVA3cu0T78Hs/s299/dates.png" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="299" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaffMbhbfXlKJPVJF3_ETi8uO9Y4F364U0D0HS5cuUWLWU-DMUg23_bDEKhpc7ngBxfWHGTftALKvmk5fQ07TZGOzSj6FcgxQlg9pGSSPRjdyWBilqaZrDCm9Wj6QXJDqDs9CYEKDenWZVdw18tixpoqw9c8WZb57SQtv8R9Y3dWd3vHbeVA3cu0T78Hs/s1600/dates.png" width="299" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
Maybe he has done his research, and knows that his techniques are probably too similar to rebirthing therapy to be considered legal in that state.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: white; color: black;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
Martynow claims, in his promotional internet posts, that "no
substances are consumed during these sessions". However, his critics have
pointed out that some patients in these sessions have been seen consuming the
hallucinogenic herb <i>ayahuasca</i> (an allegation which Martynow
freely admits is true on his website). It's not clear what percentage of
patients are expected to consume <i>ayahuasca</i> as part of these
sessions, nor whether the consumption of <i>ayahuasca</i> is
optional.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
Additionally, Martynow's patients include African-Americans, whom are
disproportionately predisposed to being afflicted with sickle-cell anemia, a
disease characterized by a deficiency of oxygen in the blood cells. Martynow
has, apparently, made no attempts to warn his patients that they should not do
breathwork therapy if they have sickle-cell.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Tragically,
it seems that the therapeutic community has learned nothing over the last fifty
years. This repackaging of rebirthing therapy is an attempt to heal people
through re-traumatizing them; it is trauma bonding.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> I
have even spoken to a patient of Martynow's, named Soleil, who believes that,
if someone dies in these sessions, then there is not necessarily any causal
relationship between the suffocation and the death, and it is simply that
person's time to go.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjj9Y58q2PSt3Upg8cPWvED4PloONHt7Y3uH8693ztBcQ1yfhJ-hp3ECRwBfihdbgQmWOz2HTg1xXh8CakNoBH4EXVTkUP52xDOfztvympp0G1PYcvACxOn6WmlR1PPZMuX2Rzp7V7jxYWF1aafUSYoderBWHsp8wJ5uT9NN2-sqU2eLymSGEmC7lk5Uk/s686/Screenshot_20231002-164546.png" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="686" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjj9Y58q2PSt3Upg8cPWvED4PloONHt7Y3uH8693ztBcQ1yfhJ-hp3ECRwBfihdbgQmWOz2HTg1xXh8CakNoBH4EXVTkUP52xDOfztvympp0G1PYcvACxOn6WmlR1PPZMuX2Rzp7V7jxYWF1aafUSYoderBWHsp8wJ5uT9NN2-sqU2eLymSGEmC7lk5Uk/s320/Screenshot_20231002-164546.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
Evidently, some of these "patients" (read: </span><i><span style="color: black;">followers</span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">) are already okay with being killed in these sessions, even before
their deaths occur.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
Thus, breathwork and rebirthing therapy bear all the hallmark signs of
being a cult.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Scam
artists like Martynow will get away with killing people if this is not stopped.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> You can learn more about “Dr.” Martynow’s
“therapeutic” techniques at his website, which can be found at the following
address:</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/8810914530463377926"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">http://www.witalijmartynow.com/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span> Update:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p style="background-color: white;"> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> Just a few hours after posting this
article, I discovered the Facebook page of yet <i>another</i> therapeutic
workshop which is similar to the aforementioned forms of therapy; and this
one <i>explicitly</i> uses the phrase "rebirth".</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
It is called "Intuitive Rebirth".<br />
</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/8810914530463377926"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067309680986</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><br />
<br /><br />
It seems that this form of "therapy" is spreading
like wildfire. We must stop this before it is too late.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;">
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> I
have previously written about this topic; in my March 2021 article “Delinquent
and Abused Minors Subjected to Physical and Psychological Abuse Disguised as
Therapy: W.W.A.S.P.S. and C.R.T.”.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> You
can read that article at the following address:</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5230838677541650554/8810914530463377926"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2021/03/delinquent-and-abused-minors-subjected.html</span></a><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: white; color: black;">Written and
published on October 6<sup>th</sup>, 2023.</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">Expanded on October 7th, 2023.</p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-16017280952911171602023-09-05T23:09:00.005-07:002023-10-08T03:14:24.004-07:00The U.S.A. of E.T.O.: The Brad Schneider National Anthem<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> During the 2017-2018 congressional campaign season, U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (Democrat from Illinois's 10th District) accepted $7,736 from the medical company Medline.</div> [Source: <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org">http://www.opensecrets.org</a>]<p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> Medline emits Ethylene Oxide from its smokestacks. Ethylene Oxide - abbreviated E.T.O. - is a chemical which is both explosive, and known to cause cancer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Medline has used the fact that E.T.O. sterilizes medical equipment, to justify allowing the poisonous chemical to contaminate water and air supplies in Lake County, Illinois. But the company has also refused to use safer chemicals to sterilize medical equipment (of which there are at least five alternatives). It has also refused to either: 1) make their smokestacks shorter (in order to reduce the distance that polluted air can travel from said smokestacks), or 2) relocate their facilities to a more sparsely-populated area (in order to reduce the number of people who have to breathe said polluted air).</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> Despite touting what he sees as an exceptional record on environmental issues, Rep. Schneider has also accepted campaign contributions from Abbott, AbbVie, and Baxter, which have polluted Lake County with other chemicals aside from E.T.O..</div> [Source: <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org">http://www.opensecrets.org</a>]<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> You can learn more about Schneider's sources of campaign funds by reading my February 2020 infographic and campaign pamphlet "Where Does Congressman Brad Schneider Get His Money?: The True Sources of Schneider's Campaign Donations", available at the following address:</div> <a href="http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2020/02/where-does-congressman-brad-schneider.html">http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2020/02/where-does-congressman-brad-schneider.html</a><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> It is also worth noting that Schneider's wife, Julie Dann, is a senior vice president at Alliant / Mesirow Insurance Services.</div> [Source: <a href="http://www.readsludge.com/2019/03/01/stock-ticker-wife-of-rep-on-health-subcommittee-is-trading-health-stocks/">http://www.readsludge.com/2019/03/01/stock-ticker-wife-of-rep-on-health-subcommittee-is-trading-health-stocks/</a>]<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> Despite being one of the richest congressmen in the country, Schneider is rumored to be on his wife's health insurance plan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> You can learn more about the suspicions regarding possible corruption involving Schneider and his wife, by reading the following article:</div> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/democratic-rep-brad-schneider-of-illinois-violated-a-conflicts-of-interest-law-with-late-stock-trade-disclosures-his-office-blames-a-missed-mouse-click-/articleshow/90404303.cms">http://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/democratic-rep-brad-schneider-of-illinois-violated-a-conflicts-of-interest-law-with-late-stock-trade-disclosures-his-office-blames-a-missed-mouse-click-/articleshow/90404303.cms</a><br /><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> I composed the following set of lyrics - a parody of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key - about the corrupt relationship between Congressman Schneider and these four pollution-emitting companies.</p><p> I hope that this parody will, one day, be sung in protest, straight to the congressman's face.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: center;">Bradley Schneider takes bribes</div><div style="text-align: center;">Fro-om Bi-ig Pharma</div><div style="text-align: center;">To pollute all our air</div><div style="text-align: center;">With the ethyle-ene oxide</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">E.T.O., it explodes</div><div style="text-align: center;">And it gives us cancer</div><div style="text-align: center;">Still Brad takes those bribes</div><div style="text-align: center;">From Abbott, AbbVie, Medline, and Baxter</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But they say it’s sterilized</div><div style="text-align: center;">To-oo keep us a-live</div><div style="text-align: center;">But even that is a lie</div><div style="text-align: center;">‘Cause the smokestack’s too high</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">O say does tha-at Schneider</div><div style="text-align: center;">He... really really really su-ucks</div><div style="text-align: center;">‘Cause he’s pri-vately insured...</div><div style="text-align: center;">So he don’t... give a... fuck</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Song composed in summer 2023.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This article written and published</div><div style="text-align: center;">on September 6th, 2023.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Originally posted under the title<br />"The Brad Schneider National Anthem".</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Title changed on October 8th, 2023.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-27143679695043000992023-08-29T22:00:00.005-07:002023-12-11T14:30:25.769-08:00Which Members of the Trump, Pritzker, and Rothschild Families Appear in Jeffrey Epstein's Black Book?<p style="text-align: justify;"> The following images were taken
from the 95-page version of Jeffrey Epstein's personal book of contacts (dubbed
his "Black Book"), a document that was dated 2004-2005.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Link to the
redacted version of the Epstein black book, on DocumentCloud.org:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1508273-jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book-redacted">http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1508273-jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book-redacted</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That document
became publicly accessible after Epstein allegedly lost it on the street in New
York City in 1997.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[Source:
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-other-little-black-book-2021-6">http://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-other-little-black-book-2021-6</a>]<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[Author's Note:
The source above contains a searchable database of the entries in a 92-page
version of the black book, but the full article database search feature are
only available with a subscription to BusinessInsider.com. There are websites -
such as www.printfriendly.com - that allow users to copy and paste links, to
read full articles without subscriptions, but that method does not allow access
to the searchable database. Please e-mail me at jwkopsick@gmail.com if you
would like me to e-mail you the file.]<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below you will
see pages 50, 53, and 59 of the 95-page black book PDF. On those pages, several
members of the Trump family, the Pritzker family (who own the Hyatt chain of hotels),
and the influential Jewish banking dynasty the de Rothschilds, are found:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXid6s1o5mCqS3TZMPIVR2mGVyuHsumCRJaG9mJOn3uRT-hbCB1xjtX8HdCvN7wQBrZZk4rzZxD2X8U1aJo5cT90NeQPoBrosAuC5ahRPUHGCscjR20vWrw6JzCLAVRFtF0E9KLdLksDixguAlcpaliNfxgS5y0PWoZI7Dn9BslD1i78OBBt-p2lOW5A0/s866/Black%20Book%20p.%2050%20-%20Tom%20&%20Nick%20Pritzker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="866" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXid6s1o5mCqS3TZMPIVR2mGVyuHsumCRJaG9mJOn3uRT-hbCB1xjtX8HdCvN7wQBrZZk4rzZxD2X8U1aJo5cT90NeQPoBrosAuC5ahRPUHGCscjR20vWrw6JzCLAVRFtF0E9KLdLksDixguAlcpaliNfxgS5y0PWoZI7Dn9BslD1i78OBBt-p2lOW5A0/w400-h229/Black%20Book%20p.%2050%20-%20Tom%20&%20Nick%20Pritzker.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">p. 50</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWxF_FJJl1eszPL53RizyHxMTH2P_GRmO4eqNtvDe4jUtKDuGgedZIG2DVnyGEHMdKZ6_hnT1d4-jqaCEsEHQ344jKzyqPaLvBdsldo-IJ0fWNJJ_mZYg4qkkES6h4wTHzkB8ehvX_ImB4oJf3sXdm-m4ZznlK76uTQ8W_JSoKH3KMBVQxn6k47BbFbM/s805/Black%20Book%20p.%2053%20-%20Rothschilds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="805" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWxF_FJJl1eszPL53RizyHxMTH2P_GRmO4eqNtvDe4jUtKDuGgedZIG2DVnyGEHMdKZ6_hnT1d4-jqaCEsEHQ344jKzyqPaLvBdsldo-IJ0fWNJJ_mZYg4qkkES6h4wTHzkB8ehvX_ImB4oJf3sXdm-m4ZznlK76uTQ8W_JSoKH3KMBVQxn6k47BbFbM/w400-h226/Black%20Book%20p.%2053%20-%20Rothschilds.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">p. 53</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJbbxRkDOy18tkhNUryUHEAo8jpe_6IStCgKR4VwSnbWA_CuXcbhHaETpVdmQHoLWN8suW2sV9SGq9JCBReh1HFORCBFjxsaqOaxZzWdRDzRTDNFu4ryUQXu1oWqcN7zOY0IwtujN181OC_58tLsA0_kaDBw7C0in5T0zyYnrN8W1f5uNugHpv0AjWdc/s861/Black%20Book%20p.%2059%20-%20Trumps.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="861" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJbbxRkDOy18tkhNUryUHEAo8jpe_6IStCgKR4VwSnbWA_CuXcbhHaETpVdmQHoLWN8suW2sV9SGq9JCBReh1HFORCBFjxsaqOaxZzWdRDzRTDNFu4ryUQXu1oWqcN7zOY0IwtujN181OC_58tLsA0_kaDBw7C0in5T0zyYnrN8W1f5uNugHpv0AjWdc/w400-h223/Black%20Book%20p.%2059%20-%20Trumps.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">p. 59</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click on images, and open in new tab and/or new window,<br />and download if necessary, to see in full resolution.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a list of
all the members of the Pritzker family whom are listed in Epstein's black book:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span>- Pritzker, Nick<br />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span>- Pritzker, Thomas<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a list of all the members of
the Rothschild family whom are listed in Epstein's black book:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span>- Rothschild, Edouard de<br />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span>- Rothschild, Evelyn de<br />
<br /><br /><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a list of all the members of
the Trump family whom are listed in Epstein's black book:<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span>- Trump, Blaine & Robert</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span>- Trump, Ivana<br />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span>- Trump, Ivanka<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note: Donald Trump does not appear in the
Epstein black book; nor do Bill and Hillary Clinton. However, Bill Clinton’s name
appears in the flight logs of the Lolita Express 26 times. It is not clear
whether Trump’s name appears in the Epstein flight logs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Written and published on August 29th, 2023.<br /><br />Edited on August 30th and December 11th, 2023.</p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-20767546554930701652023-08-21T01:12:00.001-07:002023-08-21T01:12:56.729-07:00Is Paul Dead?: Four People Who Looked Enough Like Paul McCartney to Have Replaced Him<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8woqaY1qSYvvGojWs_z6VC72p8i9GJVTnzaIn2G9apjlnmZ0PGsE0o6OT6KX_O1Nmy7ZGxZ39I6A6TvohQT1zuvw7qAFrW6SfjdeITF_u1qUdkpQiNjE5MCaZF_XkT8B4Qk0g8yyZPOrd0crGkrFBZw8KfQkJ7RA1k3byNBXlFFZuNu3iJ2dXbpCE1I/s3642/Fake%20Paul.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3642" data-original-width="2968" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8woqaY1qSYvvGojWs_z6VC72p8i9GJVTnzaIn2G9apjlnmZ0PGsE0o6OT6KX_O1Nmy7ZGxZ39I6A6TvohQT1zuvw7qAFrW6SfjdeITF_u1qUdkpQiNjE5MCaZF_XkT8B4Qk0g8yyZPOrd0crGkrFBZw8KfQkJ7RA1k3byNBXlFFZuNu3iJ2dXbpCE1I/w326-h400/Fake%20Paul.png" width="326" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click on image, and open in new tab and/or window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and/or download, in order to see in full resolution</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image created and published on August 21st, 2023.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Based on research conducted in September 2021.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-32269511549877396322023-08-19T21:47:00.005-07:002023-08-29T22:01:38.903-07:00Which Members of the Kennedy-Shriver-Radziwill-Cuomo Family Appear in Jeffrey Epstein's Black Book?<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>1. Kennedys in the Epstein Black Book</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The following images were taken from the 95-page version of Jeffrey Epstein's personal book of contacts (dubbed his "Black Book"), a document that was dated 2004-2005.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Link to the redacted version of the Epstein black book, on DocumentCloud.org:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1508273-jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book-redacted">http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1508273-jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book-redacted</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> That document became publicly accessible after Epstein allegedly lost it on the street in New York City in 1997.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> [Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-other-little-black-book-2021-6]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> [Author's Note: The source above contains a searchable database of the entries in a 92-page version of the black book, but the full article database search feature are only available with a subscription to BusinessInsider.com. There are websites - such as www.printfriendly.com - that allow users to copy and paste links, to read full articles without subscriptions, but that method does not allow access to the searchable database. Please e-mail me at jwkopsick@gmail.com if you would like me to e-mail you the file.]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Below you will see pages 35, 51, and 54 of the 95-page black book PDF. On those pages, several members of the extended Kennedy family - including members of the Shriver and Radziwill branches of the family - are found:</div><br /> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4_muNwSgga5t5AbYF7yu8UeIzkrDn8715N6_Wt02YLzEGhOZprllj8lZwpGWJdhNJbs6dymeO2sgXv6t4Cv3utEpgn69Td143wOK62PY4j8EskFWptgBxs9waKmucXhcoOgk7yKQ5WwSCEzAGyu3H40SuH_w1js4GiE2pgtRrbotT6z1Eu0bkAhs0TE/s902/Kennedy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="902" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4_muNwSgga5t5AbYF7yu8UeIzkrDn8715N6_Wt02YLzEGhOZprllj8lZwpGWJdhNJbs6dymeO2sgXv6t4Cv3utEpgn69Td143wOK62PY4j8EskFWptgBxs9waKmucXhcoOgk7yKQ5WwSCEzAGyu3H40SuH_w1js4GiE2pgtRrbotT6z1Eu0bkAhs0TE/w400-h220/Kennedy.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">p. 35</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTN0Mc0H7fDMVY9tPUy30Nh1N2Y5xk0FCVX9a8IQzIKPfSIxmpe8J0eNgRL5adGSsoatCEeBLPB5uzzncyworEm8t2vscxPlzZxaFM2XexszmPoZdDbfsdN8a0U0-6O3x0hjzbLt0vP9q0LZnoTkPaf2m_cEScBHcsRneWuzYGO9F6yRtbjIq3Xv3AAA/s862/Radziwill.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="862" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTN0Mc0H7fDMVY9tPUy30Nh1N2Y5xk0FCVX9a8IQzIKPfSIxmpe8J0eNgRL5adGSsoatCEeBLPB5uzzncyworEm8t2vscxPlzZxaFM2XexszmPoZdDbfsdN8a0U0-6O3x0hjzbLt0vP9q0LZnoTkPaf2m_cEScBHcsRneWuzYGO9F6yRtbjIq3Xv3AAA/w400-h219/Radziwill.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">p. 51</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnAq4Up_yvbJY2z6SKJbawRB3TfxWEFbaiYO65ePkJg-BLDFgWSNEY1j9Mz4OCw5QKEut2LkhnJPRAXEDBpor1baG6hfO_2p1rJ8Zx6uDiRm8KBbgufvvs1uuUbNs2dNt-fGP0BMm1zTQMcoot0-qvFP5gpwjY_V8NVSF5oTG9SLVsFtHvZs-04eqWqc/s857/Shriver.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="857" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnAq4Up_yvbJY2z6SKJbawRB3TfxWEFbaiYO65ePkJg-BLDFgWSNEY1j9Mz4OCw5QKEut2LkhnJPRAXEDBpor1baG6hfO_2p1rJ8Zx6uDiRm8KBbgufvvs1uuUbNs2dNt-fGP0BMm1zTQMcoot0-qvFP5gpwjY_V8NVSF5oTG9SLVsFtHvZs-04eqWqc/w400-h220/Shriver.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">p. 54</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click on images, and open in new tab and/or new window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and download if necessary, to see in full resolution.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Here is a list of all the members of the Kennedy, Shriver, Radziwill, and Cuomo families whom are listed in Epstein's black book [note: all names transcribed directly from source text, with typographical errors included]:<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> - Kennedy, Bobby (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.; son of John F. Kennedy’s brother Robert
F. Kennedy; listed under "Bobby & Mary")<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> - Kennedy, Mary (presumably Mary Richardson Kennedy)<br /></span><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Kennedy, Senator Edward (U.S. Senator Edward Moore Kennedy, known as “Ted / Teddy”)<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Kennedy Jr, Ted (Edward Moore Kennedy Jr., son of Teddy Kennedy)<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Kennedy, Ethel (widow of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.)<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Kennedy, Jo (possibly Joseph Patrick Kennedy III, born in 1980)<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Kennedy Cuomo, Kerry (former wife of Andrew Cuomo, </span>listed under “Kennedy Cuomo, Andrew & Kerry"<span style="font-size: 12pt;">)<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> - Kennedy Cuomo, Andrew (former Governor of New York, son of Mario Cuomo; listed under “Kennedy Cuomo, Andrew & Kerry")<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Radziwill, Carole (widow of Anthony Radziwill; journalist, appeared on “Real
Housewives”)<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Shriver, Maria (daughter of John F. Kennedy’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver,
former wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger)<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Shriver, Bobby (son of Maria Shriver)</span></div>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<!--[endif]--></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>2. Kennedys in the Epstein Flight Logs</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> Below, you will see an image I assembled, based on page 26 of the 118-page Epstein flight logs document, which was released in <i>United States v. Ghislaine Maxwell</i>. This document shows that "Bobby Kennedy" (presumably Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the only adult named "Bobby Kennedy" in politics at that time) - and "Bobby Kennedy III" (presumably R.F.K. Jr.'s son) - flew on Epstein's plane "the Lolita Express" on February 17th and 28th, 1994.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPphxGeoTWhL_PNU2NqCXIHdgFcN1bmywf0TGBgAkrOuTrdBJ17fkIxHtNwPTpVdQML7LbQVwQEHJXk5t1L0KIw4A3GRyVewnI2wfv8v-5QwKabP63gJvtlC_TxI9vwvZtc_POsGiMsNypy-QxXH02fVO9WdA4xqQFRbGRx5aeRi1RS-ZaJtlljRf_xV0/s1640/RFK%20Lolita%20Express.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1640" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPphxGeoTWhL_PNU2NqCXIHdgFcN1bmywf0TGBgAkrOuTrdBJ17fkIxHtNwPTpVdQML7LbQVwQEHJXk5t1L0KIw4A3GRyVewnI2wfv8v-5QwKabP63gJvtlC_TxI9vwvZtc_POsGiMsNypy-QxXH02fVO9WdA4xqQFRbGRx5aeRi1RS-ZaJtlljRf_xV0/w400-h158/RFK%20Lolita%20Express.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click on image, and open in new tab and/or new window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">and download if necessary, to see in full resolution.</div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p> Below you will see the original, unaltered Page 26 of that 118-page document.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoQ21CdvPL9vjILq_UR8vCD9HSrYajmqXPg53t1j7QWobTwoPOvZO4PH7HVaab1dZemIM7sKxvwhTBvM-4ulk8HBZuQ3UgbwXyfcqbG_i7S2xPIUq8JBG3JFz6WOeDh5oTKFXJntWrw8EhbKy-ErLkMcJL1kBWIXbjGidzbUIVYoN8Ug8Lh17i9g2gXc/s954/Flight%20Logs%20p%2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="954" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoQ21CdvPL9vjILq_UR8vCD9HSrYajmqXPg53t1j7QWobTwoPOvZO4PH7HVaab1dZemIM7sKxvwhTBvM-4ulk8HBZuQ3UgbwXyfcqbG_i7S2xPIUq8JBG3JFz6WOeDh5oTKFXJntWrw8EhbKy-ErLkMcJL1kBWIXbjGidzbUIVYoN8Ug8Lh17i9g2gXc/s320/Flight%20Logs%20p%2026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click on image, and open in new tab and/or new window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and download if necessary, to see in full resolution.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p> Page 1 of that document labels the document as "Government Exhibit 662 -RR" / "S2 20 Cr. 330 (AJN)".<br /> That document is publicly visible at the following address: <br /><a href="http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21165424-epstein-flight-logs-released-in-usa-vs-maxwell">http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21165424-epstein-flight-logs-released-in-usa-vs-maxwell</a></p><p><br /></p></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Written and published on August 19th, 2023.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Originally published under the title<br />"Which Members of the Kennedy-Shriver-Radziwill Family<br />Appear in Jeffrey Epstein's Black Book?".<br /><br />Title changed on August 25th, 2023.<br /><br />Edited and expanded on August 30th, 2023.<br /><br />Contains an image previously published in my August 3rd, 2023 article<br />"Eleven Things Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Got Wrong About the Israeli-Arab Conflict<br />in His Interview with Jimmy Dore".<br />[<a href="http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/08/eleven-things-that-robert-f-kennedy-jr.html">http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/08/eleven-things-that-robert-f-kennedy-jr.html</a>]</div></div>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-30652193073865185612023-08-03T00:17:00.004-07:002023-08-07T04:13:44.147-07:00Eleven Things That Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Got Wrong About the Israeli-Arab Conflict, in His Interview with Jimmy Dore<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> On Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023, Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., appeared on The Jimmy Dore Show, hosted by comedian-turned-podcaster Jimmy Dore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> In that interview, Kennedy defended his so-called "unconditional" support of the State of Israel, while making a few minor concessions regarding the crimes committed by the Israelis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Kennedy made several inaccurate and/or incomplete statements during that interview.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> During the interview, Dore confessed that he was "not the smartest person" to "push back against" what Kennedy was saying. But Dore invited Kennedy to debate Max Blumenthal (a journalist of Jewish heritage whose father served in the Clinton Administration) on the topic of the Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Since the mainstream media are currently smearing Kennedy as an anti-Semite (over his comments about Covid-19 and Anne Frank), it seems unlikely that the debate between Kennedy and Blumenthal will ever happen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> That's why I would like to take this opportunity to clear-up a few of the things Kennedy said that were inaccurate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> You can watch the Israel-Palestine segment, from that interview, at the following address:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBVPSTYH240">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBVPSTYH240</a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> 1. Although the Jews were obviously aligned against the
Nazis, it's unfair of R.F.K. to conclude that the Jews were "on the side
of the Allies" completely. That’s because, in 1947-48, during the War of
Independence, the Jews kicked the British and Palestinians off Israeli land, at
the same time.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 2. While R.F.K. was correct that the 1947 United Nations
Partition Plan for Palestine would have given the Arabs four-fifths of the
land, most of that land was desert. That plan was not unfair to the Jews; that
deal offered Jews plenty of good land.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 3. R.F.K. said the Arabs kicked Jews out (which is true),
but also that the Jews didn’t kick all the Arabs out. The reason Israel didn't
kick the Arabs out, in 1947-48, is because there were (and still are) so many
Arabs there, that they couldn't possibly kick them all out. The Israelis did,
however, make significant efforts to kick them out, including forcing 700,000
Arabs out in 1947-48, including “driving them into the sea” and onto boats, in
an event known to Arabs as the <i>nakba </i>(“catastrophe”). The phrase
“driving them into the sea” is now used against Arabs, to stoke fears that they
will destroy Israeli civilization.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 4. R.F.K. rightfully says "Palestinian children are
taught that it's okay to kill Jews". That’s true, but R.F.K. failed to mention
that: 1) Palestinians have been under siege for nearly four generations, so
they don’t need to be taught racist attitudes in order to find out who is
responsible for bombing and imprisoning them; and 2) plenty of Israeli children
are taught that it's okay to kill Arabs. Abby Martin can confirm just how many
Israelis think it’s not only fine to kill Arabs, and many even seem to think
that it is a laughing matter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 5. R.F.K. rightfully criticized the killing of individual
Jewish people by Palestinians. But he neglected to mention that a reason why
Palestinians kill individual Jews, instead of bombing Israeli military targets
(to comport with the rules of war), is because choosing Israeli military
targets would be insane, due to the totally disparate levels of military
technology and capability possessed by the two sides. Taking out an Israeli
military base would get Arabs carpet-bombed. It would be a self-genocide
mission.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 6. R.F.K. said that it is wrong to bomb non-military
targets, but he also admitted that Israel has a policy that they will dig under
sites being used as Palestinian militant positions. The reason why Palestinians
take refuge in schools, mosques, and hospitals, is not because they are trying
to make their children and sick people into human shields. It is because they
are praying that the Israelis will not be so inhumane as to resort to bombing
them even in their schools, mosques, and hospitals. A person only looks like a
human shield if you're already willing to shoot at him. It is regrettable that
the Arabs keep munitions in these places, but that is what is necessary for
their self-defense, because the Israelis are willing to bomb any and all
locations which could ever potentially be used for “military purposes” (<i>i.e.,</i>
self-defense).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 7. R.F.K. claimed that “Gaza isn't occupied; it's under
self-rule". That is not true. In 2006, Hamas won elections in Gaza, after being encouraged by the Israelis to run in Palestinian Authority elections. Then the Israelis prevented those Hamas members from taking their oaths of office and their seats, and now considers Hamas a terrorist organization. That is not what self-rule looks like. Also, Gaza is surrounded by a fortified perimeter with
razor-wire-topped fences and guard towers. Snipers with the I.D.F. (Israeli Defense Forces) will often shoot at children who come "too close" to those perimeter fences. And Gaza is not allowed sea access, because it’s
under blockade. And it’s rarely allowed access to Egypt over land. So it is pretty much
an isolated country, like North Korea. No country can be sovereign or self-sufficient which has practically no contact with the outside world. The fact that Israeli troops are not patrolling Gazan streets, does not make the Gaza Strip any less "occupied".<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 8. When asked about the Gaza Strip, R.F.K. said "Why doesn't Jordan open itself up to
the Palestinians?". Jordan is not
connected to Gaza. Jordan opening itself up, would only help the people in the
West Bank; it would not help anybody in Gaza. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 9. R.F.K. argued that Arabs can visit the Temple Mount, but
Jews are not allowed to, therefore Arabs have more rights. That is not true,
because: 1) The Jordanian Islamic Waqf owns that site, and it's allowed to set
the rules; 2) Jews obey those rules because there are Arab as well as Judaic
rules in place which are designed to protect the holiest sites from being trod
on by the wrong people at the wrong times; and 3) a group of radical rabbis (associated
with <i>Machon Ha’Mikdash</i> and the Temple Mount Faithful movement) ascended
the Temple Mount illegally in the early 90s.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 10. R.F.K. seems to be trying to imply - without saying it
directly - that the Arabs do not recognize the right of Jews to exist. But the
Arab nations only reject the rights of Jews to exist as a state. Israel as a
people (<i>i.e.,</i> the Jewish people) has a right to exist. But Israel as a
state (<i>i.e.,</i> the Zionist imperialist Israeli statist government) does
not have an inherent right to exist. Nations only have a right to exist if they
do not start too many wars with their neighbors. Israel started all but like
two of the wars they've been involved in. States do not have the right to
exist. They are based on legitimized violence, and monopoly. If "the Arabs
won't negotiate", then it’s because they are being forced to accept
Israeli statehood, so no real free negotiation is possible, because one of the
terms is non-negotiable. It wouldn’t be a huge challenge to get the Arabs to
recognize the rights of Jews as a religion, a people, and a nation, because the
Jews are those things, and they will always be those things. But there’s no
need to intimidate the Arabs into endorsing a form of imperialist statehood
that implicitly claims all the world’s Jews as its potential members, even if
they have never visited the land. Jews believe they are protected by G-d, not
by a king or a military. There is no need for a “Jewish state”, and various
rabbis - such as Yoel and Moshe Teitelbaum, Yaakov Shapiro, Yisroel Dovid
Weiss, and Elnahan Beck - have argued that the idea of Jewish sovereignty,
without properly ordained rabbinic courts (<i>Sanhedrin</i>), is antithetical
to Jewish teachings (specifically, the story of King Saul in the Book of
Solomon). According to traditional “ultra-Orthodox” Jews, the Temple Mount is
not supposed to be completely open to all Jews, until all people miraculously
attain complete knowledge of G-d and His word, and join together in worship of <i>YHWH</i>.
Secular liberal Jews who oppose Israeli apartheid do not make this argument,
but it is true.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> 11. R.F.K. said “Ehud Barak offered the Palestinians
everything they wanted." That is not true because the Palestinians wanted
Israel to stop being a state, and Barak did not offer the Palestinians this
option. By the way, this is the same Ehud Barak who hung out with Jeffrey
Epstein. And R.F.K. allegedly flew on the Lolita Express on February 17th and
27th, 1994.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_gSID5KYZkOFpmtm41r7YN8sKxVk4mUCbTapd4djCTpfRe1Dpt_bDm6R4H1rMV_Y-br8Q3CO78eo4UEZo0NNEIGiC-7b4vPU8Q-D9d6yDTYgWX_ErZX-q3t9hr2E5z0Lqr7oZTX_oPgJIanen_lP4PrtHk72W8-SRJaJ8-CzQXwUliFqDkdKZJA0KDo/s1640/343224388_249702644181554_4223721743098526474_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1640" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_gSID5KYZkOFpmtm41r7YN8sKxVk4mUCbTapd4djCTpfRe1Dpt_bDm6R4H1rMV_Y-br8Q3CO78eo4UEZo0NNEIGiC-7b4vPU8Q-D9d6yDTYgWX_ErZX-q3t9hr2E5z0Lqr7oZTX_oPgJIanen_lP4PrtHk72W8-SRJaJ8-CzQXwUliFqDkdKZJA0KDo/w400-h158/343224388_249702644181554_4223721743098526474_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click on image, and open in new tab and/or window,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and/or download if necessary, to see in full resolution</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> [Post-Script / Author's Note:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> To see a video of Max Blumenthal debunking of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s talking points, on <u>The Jimmy Dore Show</u>, click on the link below:<br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCcVvp0eBaQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCcVvp0eBaQ</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> To read my commentary regarding several potential solutions to the Israel-Palestine conflict, click on the link below, to read my August 2020 article "Why I Support Autonomy, But Not Statehood, for Palestinians":<br /> <a href="http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-i-support-autonomy-for-palestinians.html">http://www.aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-i-support-autonomy-for-palestinians.html</a>]</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Written and published on August 3rd, 2023.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Post-Script / Author's Note written and added on August 7th, 2023.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230838677541650554.post-16052446228322169092023-08-01T02:45:00.021-07:002023-08-09T18:56:21.913-07:00Speech to Public Officials in Lake Forest, Illinois, Regarding Child-Molesting Teachers and Other Corrupt Professionals in Lake County<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> Thank you,
Mr. Mayor,… esteemed members of the City Council.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> My name is Joseph Kopsick. I
currently live in Waukegan, but for most of the first eighteen years of my life,
I lived in Lake Bluff. I attended Lake Forest High School, graduating in 2005.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> My father is an attorney, a
former member of the District 65 school board (in the 1990s), and served as
president of the Lake County Bar Association for one year in the 2000s. In 1993,
he defended a child molester in court for attempted rape of a 19-year-old. And
in 1995 and 1996 – when I was eight and nine – my father molested and raped me
multiple times.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> My father has a friend – an attorney
based in Lake Forest – who grabbed my behind, and the behinds of other
children, at his pool parties in the 1990s. He did this openly, while talking loudly
about what he was doing – in full view of the other adults present – who did
nothing about it, besides laugh, and continue drinking.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> But that’s
not what I’m here to talk about.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> I rise, this evening, to bring
your attention to a problem in this community which has gone unresolved for some
time now. That problem is Dave Miller.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> You might have heard - within
the last three years - that former L.F.H.S. theater director David Miller, was
accused of sending inappropriate text messages to several teenage boys.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Now, some of you might be
thinking, “A child-molesting teacher? In <i>my</i> town? That can’t be; or else <i>I</i>
would have <i>heard</i> something about it.” And why is that? Because you’ve heard
of everything that has ever happened? Or because people enjoy talking about bad
news?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> This is the “culture of
silence” that allows child abuse to happen undetected and without consequences.
If a problem is not pleasant to talk about, then we ignore it. And it festers.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> That’s why
it should be no surprise to you, to discover that David Miller has been abusing
teenage boys on and off <i>since 1976</i>. He has been allowed to sexually
humiliate this community’s children for <i>forty-seven years</i> – more than
two generations – without a single trial, and (evidently) without a single criminal charge, an arrest, or even one moment in jail.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Not only did Miller <i>admit</i>
that the texts he sent were inappropriate, but several boys were <i>intimidated</i>
into saying that they were not; by an L.F.H.S. official whom I’d be glad to
name (Jay Hoffmann).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> In 2019, Judge Joseph Salvi
prevented those boys’ lawsuit from going forward, correctly applying Illinois’s
Statute of Limitations on reporting child abuse after a certain amount of time
(a statute which, of course, does not apply to litigants whom already got trials and lost them).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> But the story doesn’t end
there.<br /> That’s because, in 2020 – thanks to a new
law signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker – those statutory limitations were
curtailed. The effects of that new law – House Bill 2135 – included a provision
that the Statute of Limitations on reporting criminal sexual assault does not
begin running during a period when the victim is subject to intimidation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Now, Governor Pritzker can pat
himself on the back all he wants; for testing a few of those rape kits that had
built-up in police evidence lockers, and for partially repealing that Statute
of Limitations. But the odds that he would ever<i> </i>sign a <i>complete</i>
repeal of those statutes, are probably very low. That’s because his cousin, <i>Tom</i>
Pritzker… was friends with Jeffrey Epstein. (<i>Forbes, Wall Street Journal,
Chicago Business</i>).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> To the public officials in the
audience: How many of you <i>knew</i> that there is no longer any limitation on
bringing abuse lawsuits, for victims who were intimidated? Raise your hands.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> To the educators in the
audience: How many of <i>you</i> knew that?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Well, how are <i>children</i>
supposed to learn that, if <i>you</i> didn’t know that?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Now, you might say, “That’s too
difficult or controversial a subject for our children to learn.” To which I
say, “No, it’s not. Not for the juniors and seniors who are studying pre-law at
L.F.H.S.. Not if you want your kids to be able to defend themselves
against child molesters legally as well as physically.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> And besides, Dave Miller is <i>not</i>
the only teacher in this community who has been accused of attempting to molest
children.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> There’s Cynthia Martin, an
L.F.H.S. coach and driving instructor who abused girls in the 1980s.
She employed the same methods that Miller did; seeking-out students who were
vulnerable because they had lost friends or family members, and then plying
them with alcohol and marijuana, and gradually introducing physical touch.
Martin’s case was decided in February 2022, but information on it is difficult
to find. It’s not clear that she was ever punished.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Next, there’s Lake Bluff
Junior High math teacher and soccer coach Charles Ritz III. He abused kids in the 1970s and 1980s, claiming
at least five male victims, who alleged that school officials helped cover-up for
Ritz, in the same way that school officials did for Dave Miller. In 2017, Ritz
pled guilty. He received no jail time, and just two years’ probation. That
junior high later changed its name to Lake Bluff Middle School.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> There’s also Diane M. Ross, a
mother from Lake Bluff who taught English literature at Lake Forest College. She
submitted to arrest in 2000 after police determined that she had shared images
of child abuse on an online web forum. She pled guilty to solicitation of child
pornography, but the charges of <i>disseminating</i> child pornography were
dropped. She received no jail time… two years of probation… - are you noticing
a pattern? - … and community service.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> So that’s <i>four teachers</i>
– in just two adjacent towns – who were discovered to be pedophiles, within a
span of thirty years.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> But that’s not all.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Jonathan Dick, the owner of
Sweet’s ice cream shop in downtown Lake Forest, was accused of molestation and
rape by his own nephew, back in the early 2000s. Now, if that’s not true, then
why is there an entire book about it?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> The victim’s mother – Jonathan
Dick’s sister-in-law – became a psychologist, published a book written by
herself and her son, and then <i>fled the state,</i> due to fear and
frustration over never getting a trial. She’s worried that Jonathan Dick has a
lawyer on retainer, for in case he ever gets accused of molesting a child
again.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Mr. Mayor, these crimes – and this
culture of silence – cannot stand. Child rapists don’t deserve fines and community
service and probation; they deserve to be in <i>prison;</i> for a long, long
time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> You all might be saying to
yourselves, “Well, I had nothing to do with this.” … That’s the problem.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> If you<i> haven’t </i>heard
about these crimes by now, then you are incompetent, because you <i>at least </i>heard
about Dave Miller, and you decided not to look into whether any other teachers
were hurting kids.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> And if you <i>did</i> know about
these crimes, then you are <i>complicit </i>in those crimes, because you said
and did nothing, when you should have, at least, spoken up.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Ladies and gentlemen, I have a
list, in my possession, of over <i>one hundred</i> professionals, in this
county, who have either molested children, made awkward advances against
children, covered-up for child-molesting teachers, stood in the way of children
attempting to bring charges against their abusers, or may be using their
profession as a way to get near vulnerable children.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And I’m sure that all of you
would like to do something about this. But there’s only one way to be sure.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">That is why - as a
precautionary measure – I have placed each and every one of your nine names,
onto that list… </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">temporarily</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">… as pedophile </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">enablers</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">…. because you
knew about some of these crimes, and yet you did and said nothing.</span></div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>The only
way to get your names off of that list</i> will be for each of you to…
personally, and <i>individually…</i> do something that will lead to arrests, or
charges being filed, against the people I have named.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Don’t worry about what’s
legally possible right now; don’t worry about Double Jeopardy, or <i>ex post
facto </i>laws. The laws can be changed. We don’t need the law on our side to
fight back against child abuse; all we have to do is provide an open forum through
which abuse claimants can network with each other, free from censorship. That
way, we can compare notes, and figure out which victims of these five people
are still eligible to file charges.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> I made a promise, to a mother
in this town, that I would attend these city council meetings every month until
something is done about this problem. So that's what I'll do.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> If you<i> </i>continue to
allow me to speak, at these forums, then I’ll tell you which of this county’s
military bases was the scene of a gang-rape of a 12- or 13-year-old girl, back
in 2005. I’ll tell you which former L.F.H.S. teacher covertly hit on a student
while committing academic dishonesty. I’ll tell you which professional football
player had a sexual relationship with an L.F.H.S. student while she was
possibly underage.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> And just to prove to you that
I’m not bluffing… those names are Great Lakes Naval Station, Laura Flangel, and
Dan Roethlisberger.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> But if you <i>don’t </i>allow
me to speak, then <i>anyone and everyone who attempts to prevent me from
speaking, at these forums, will be added to that list, </i>as an enabler<i> </i>of
child sexual abuse<i>. </i>And then, there won’t be one pair of hands, one
square inch of sidewalk, or one gutter, in this town, that won’t be <i>clogged</i>
with copies of that list, complete with photographs and addresses.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> If you nine elected officials
continue to refuse to do anything which will lead to the imprisonment of David
Miller, Cynthia Martin, Charles Ritz, Diane Ross, and Jonathan Dick, then <i>every
sin of this community – no matter how minor </i><i>–</i><i> will be exposed</i>, until there
isn’t <i>a single adult</i> in this county who doesn’t know either a racist
police officer, or someone who’s been accused of attempting to molest or
traffic a child.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> Since the majority of <i>you</i>
have been derelict in your duty to educate your children about the specifics of
these dangers, I will not rest until every child in this town can name these
five people by heart.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> I do not make empty promises.
You are looking at someone who has nothing to lose.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> You have twenty-eight days to do
something about this. If no arrests are made by September 4</span><sup style="text-indent: 0.5in;">th</sup><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> – the day
before the next city council meeting - then the nine of you will no longer be
welcome in this town.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The clock is ticking. Good
day, gentlemen.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> [First Author's Note:</span></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> This speech was originally intended to be delivered at the August 7th, 2023 meeting of the Lake Forest City Council.</div></span><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> I decided not to deliver this speech at that meeting, because: 1) this speech would take about ten minutes to deliver, while the Council stipulates a three-minute speaking limit (as does the District 115 Board of Education for its meetings); and 2) when I called the office of the Lake Forest City Council, the operator informed me that the city council "doesn't have control over the schools", and instructed me to call the District 115 Board of Education.</div></span><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> I consider that statement to have been an attempt to deflect responsibility away from the people who run Lake Forest (<i>i.e., </i>the mayor and the eight city council members). In my opinion, this is unacceptable, because there are accused child molesters in Lake Forest whom have nothing to do with the schools (most notably, Jonathan Dick), and are therefore not under the so-called "control" of the District 115 Board of Education.</div></span><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Therefore, Lake Forest Mayor Stanford R. "Randy" Tack, the eight current members of the Lake Forest City Council, the woman who answers the phones at the office of the Lake Forest City Council, <i>and</i> the seven current members of the District 115 Board of Education, will all be added to my list of corrupt officials and people who turned blind eyes toward child abuse, until further notice.]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> [Second Author's Note:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> If you would like to watch the speech I delivered to the District 115 Board of Education on August 8th, 2023, please click the link below:</div></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://rumble.com/v35xk6k-exposing-child-molesting-teachers-at-the-district-115-school-board-in-lake-.html">http://rumble.com/v35xk6k-exposing-child-molesting-teachers-at-the-district-115-school-board-in-lake-.html</a>]</div><br /><br /><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">Main body of text written on August 1st, 2023.</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">Edited and expanded on August 7th through 9th, 2023.</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">First Author's Note written and added on August 7th, 2023.</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">Second Author's Note written and added on August 9th, 2023.</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">Originally published on August 1st, 2023 under the title</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">"Speech to the Lake Forest City Council on Child-Molesting Teachers (August 7th, 2023)"<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">Handed-out to Lake Forest residents in print form, but not delivered verbally,</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">at the August 7th, 2023 meeting of the City Council of Lake Forest, Illinois.</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">Also handed-out in print form,</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">and delivered, in part, verbally (in a form modified to suit the circumstances),</div><div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">at the August 8th, 2023 meeting of the District 115 School Board.</div></div>AquarianAgrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463155756548494828noreply@blogger.com0