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Met my first true tRumpers tonight and as usual, they came at me with their vitriol about how clean water, clean air, pollution is all bullshit. Said trump may go down, but we will win in the end. The ignorance is staggering with these people, but tonight I didn't feel it was ignorance as much as bravado. We are going to take over this country and fuck you damn liberals! Of course I didn't engage them because it would have fed right into their narrative and given them great pleasure. This whole thing is really a game to them. I see it in the glee they get from being confrontational, as if we're in control now and we will screw who we want when we want! They are either totally brainwashed, or they have pure hatred for anything that represents the average American. You can actually feel the sense of superiority that they feel about themselves.
I can imagine Germany in the 30's, just in the look on their faces. Rather disgusting that this is going on in our country, but then again, that is humanity at it's finest! I will never fully understand thinking like that and I would normally just brush it aside, but these are serious times. We must defeat this ignorance or whatever you wish to call it and regain some sanity in this country! Trump has unleashed the demons from hell and they are not going to go back in their holes willingly. If and when trump goes down, expect a tremendous upheaval among his followers. Sort of like Jim Jones and Guiana, but these people won't kill themselves, they will kill others. That's how deranged they are. I can't fully explain it, but that's about as close as I can get! Other than that, I had a great time with sane friends who are cheering me on. I also met a friend from last year who knows a poly-sci major at Bates College that wants to manage a campaign, and free at that! Knows a lot about political campaigns and wants to help me with the financial end and much more. So I will sit down with them in a couple weeks and see if we can come together on a decent campaign. This is getting better by the day. I may not have to worry about getting signatures, my website is getting more hits and I'm ready to roll. With that, I will say goodnight Irene, goodnight! #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com Do any of you really think about the amount of plastics we consume in a days time? Since I really became aware, I have noticed just how many plastic storage bags, plastic wrap, everything in the stores that are wrapped in plastic, meats, eggs, bread and practically everything else that I just throw in the garbage. Modern plastics do not degrade over time like paper or cardboard. They end up in landfills or our oceans.
Do you realize that in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we have a floating garbage patch consisting of mostly plastic that is twice the size of Texas, approximately 600,000 square miles? Yet we could address this problem with hemp plastics, that degrade over a short period of time. Not only could we have a whole new industry for farmers and the associated businesses, but we could feed animals the leftovers, make oils, CBD oil for pain, and many other products, such as clothing and paper. But our government has chosen to still follow the path of "it will harm existing industries, such as pharmaceuticals and plastics manufacturers". Therefore it must remain on the banned list. Meanwhile we kill the oceans and the fishing industry. Sea creatures are consuming micro-plastics and it is getting into the food chain! Tradeoffs are inevitable in any industry as time progresses and advances are made. That can't be helped. But vested interests would rather destroy what is left of our planet than to advance in technology and go backwards in time to when hemp was a good viable cash crop. It's one of those nights, so I may as well make the best of it.
In the current and previous gun debates, mental health problems are said to be why people carry out these mass shootings and then kill themselves. And they are probably correct. There has always been and always will be people with mental problems. But put a gun in their hands and the whole dynamic changes. I remember a time when we had mental hospitals, where people were treated for their illness. Wasn't perfect, but then what is? But that put too great a financial strain on government, so we closed the hospitals and put the people out on the streets, let it become a police problem. Well, the police, not knowing how to deal with this because they're not trained for it, had choices. Place them under arrest when they acted out, or in some cases, shoot them. Too many are being denied the dignity of being able to live a normal life because billionaires have to have more money, and that money comes from government graft! Too many are dying, uselessly, because people are not getting the help to be able to live in society. Every life that is lost or has been lost due to gun violence and mental health problems is a cost that is shared by all of society, because we can't find the will to find the resources to stop it. There are answers to these problems, all it takes is to have a conscience and care. That is sorely lacking these days! #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com As you live your lives for the next for the next 7 months, think to yourselves " am I satisfied with the way things are or am I going to try to change them?". And then, remember one thing. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people no longer exists, unless you decide to save it. It's up to you! I can't do it alone, no one can. but with the people behind whoever you choose to represent you, it can be done! Representative government has a cost, and that cost is that you have to find the time and means to vote. And you have to vote for the right people, or this will never end. Listen to what your brain tells you and if it feels right, go for it.
I have always followed my instincts and so far they have not let me down. As I sit here tonight at 1 AM, sipping on a glass of homemade strawberry wine, listening to opera on Pandora, I realize how blessed I am, and not in a religious way. I spent the evening with people who believe in me and what I stand for. It's the most wonderful feeling, that you are headed in the proper direction. This country needs a shot of humility. We may no longer be the best in the eyes of the world at this time, but it is correctable.
We need to stay engaged, and from the conversations I had tonight, the people are. They need LEADERS, not career politicians! I know that I have been in friendly territory since I came home, but these people have given me something that's hard earned, and that is trust! For those of you who I talked to tonight, thank you. I will not let you down! The resistance is palpable and I felt it. People are tired of the same old bullshit from all who are attempting to govern, and I repeat, ATTEMPTING! My friends and others who are getting to know me feel the same as I do, that the status quo is not working for THEM! I'm talking about young and older. It's not working, and they are done with it. I said when I started this journey that I was doing it for my great grandson, so that he can at least have a chance at a decent life. But the truth is, I talked to Vets that are worried the VA may privatized. I talked to young mothers with children who worried about being able to care for them. I talked to others worried that they won't have healthcare. And amazingly, I talked to hunters and gun owners who believe that military grade weapons belong in the MILITARY, not in civilian hands! Can you people in DC hear me? I'm sick of your bull and I'm coming for one of your seats, and not quietly. I will be a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to all for your help so far. We can do this! #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com Well, I finally made it home to Maine, and my first day of my campaign! I got a lot done, ran all over the place, but I gained 22 signatures on my petitions. And the signature of our assistant Chief of Police.
I came home with a little anxiety about the journey I was embarking upon, but after today it's gone. I know now what I must do and that is to win this thing. I was amazed that all that I talked to and who signed my petitions were all positive about what I am trying to do! In fact, 4 or 5 were hesitant to sign until I said Independent, and they then said "where do I sign". People are upset and want someone who isn't a millionaire and understands what the average person goes through on a daily basis. I was so inspired by the conversations I had. People are hurting. People are anxious and discouraged by what is going on, but they now understand just how badly they are getting screwed. It's like I felt a river flowing beneath me, with a lot of emotions in the way they feel about our government and country. I felt the Wave. With the young students who are entering their first opportunity to vote, and the Women's Movement, and the disenfranchised people of color, and anyone else who has been insulted, pushed aside, forgotten about, or just downright been ignored or denied their rights, guess what, they are awakened! The Phoenix has arisen! I know it's only day one of a long journey, but I am encouraged. We can and will do this! #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com Facebook Dennis M O'Connor For Congress Maine 2nd District. I marched today, in honor of those who have needlessly died at the business end of a gun. Not just high school students, but children, adults, spouses and all others.
The gun culture of America is out of control, fed by the NRA and politicians dependent on their money. When does it stop? When do we honestly say "Enough is Enough"? I watched for 2 hours the March on Washington and the student speakers who have seen the tragedy of gun violence. I finally have hope again! The eloquence and dignity of these young people, the spirit of taking tragedy and pain and turning it to action, is empowering. It reminded me of the Women's March, only this time it was born of tragedy. Look around you this day and remember, these young people will soon be part of the electorate of this country, and I hope they use it wisely. When Emma used the six minutes and 20 seconds of silence to demonstrate how little time it took to end 17 lives and scramble hundreds of others, it was very emotional and powerful. She will go far! To all the students at MSD High School and all others across the country who have been affected by this, you can change the world you live in. BELIEVE! And don't let others say you can't, you proved that today! Stand together, Stand strong and don't give in until you do! Love to all! I was taught a wonderful lesson today, that there is still beauty and wonder on this Earth. I read Dave's story about the love and caring of an old country vet and a dog and realized that I had been there before.
We had a cat that had been with us for 18 years, and during that time had brought us much love and joy. She was our last animal and had been for 2 years. Then she stopped eating and hadn't eaten for several days, so of course I took her to the vet. After tests, which during this time of waiting for results she was wandering around my legs like nothing was wrong, we discovered she was in liver failure. I was told I could take her home and that she would probably live a couple more days, but I couldn't put her through that just so I wouldn't have to face the eventuality of her passing for a couple more days. I made the decision to put her down that day, even though she was still wandering around. That was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, but the correct one. She suffered no more, while I began to suffer! Why do we love our animals more than we love others of our own species? Why do animals love unconditionally, while we demonize our neighbors? Why can't we see the beauty of companionship like our animals do? Are we really that different as a species? When, if ever, will we take the example of the lower species of our planet and begin to care for one another? I don't know, but I hope it's before we have to put down our own because they have been burned by a nuclear holocaust caused by some fool that should be put down! #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com Again, we are at a place where another young BLACK MALE is gunned down by police officers, this time in his own back yard. When will it stop? When will young black males reach a point where the minute they encounter a police officer, they don't need to lie down wherever they are with arms outstretched to avoid being shot and killed. While being stopped for a simple traffic stop, they need to shove their arms out the window and hold them there. When are the non-lethal weapons that police are supposed to possess to be used, instead of automatically hollering "GUN" and firing 20 rounds into a person?
I understand that being a police officer is a dangerous job, but incidents like this are only making it more so. They obviously had a police helicopter overhead because of the infra-red images. Why wasn't their spotlight on, which can light up many acres? Why were the body cams muted, so the conversations while they were getting their story straight couldn't be heard? WE are a violent society, brought about by distrust, anger, hatred, color-blindness, greed, and just plain ignorance of one another's place in society. If we are to survive as a society of equals, we need to start thinking that way NOW! Not tomorrow, TODAY! We must start valuing others lives the same as our own. Our government has abandoned us, our police forces have become militarized, ICE is acting like the Gestapo, we are now probably on the verge of nuclear war, our Congress is being run by a criminal syndicate, and we march in the hope that our words will be heard! Apparently they are not! I have felt for many years that we were headed down this road, with the sincere hope that it would never happen in THIS country, in my lifetime, but it has and is happening. I will now do my prepping for the future, in the hope that I will be among the survivors. But if not, I have had a great life up until now. I can only hope that my grandchildren have a decent life or go quickly. I will love my family and friends more than ever. But I will be prepared, for at this point, I am quickly losing hope for a safe outcome! #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I think we just came to the potential start of WWIII. To put a whackjob like John Bolton in the position he was just put into is incredibly dangerous. The Chief Dotard is already unstable, getting advice from a person like Bolton is criminally reckless.
Unless Congress or Mueller hurries up the process for taking him out, we are in serious, serious trouble. He actually has the authority to nuke North Korea on a first strike basis. If that doesn't scare the living crap out of you, you are plain and simply stupid! I for one am taking the necessary steps to stockpile food and necessities for survival. I would rather have food I don't need than to not have any food when the entire supply chain collapses! And solar panels on the roof with battery backup. If you want to know what national insanity looks like, you are looking at it! Many times I have wondered to myself, "why does it require so much money to run for public office"? If you are a person of average means, you usually don't stand a chance, because you're either working several jobs to feed your family or you don't have the time and money. If you are wealthy with connections and have the money and donors, you usually get the position but know little about the average working stiff. Then you are indebted to the people who gave you all that money and they want something in return, always!
Politics today require this! Our government is owned by many, other than the people. Why do we let this continue, where an honest person has no chance if not affiliated with one of the 2 parties, yet the 2 parties are like a club and if you can't afford the membership, you don't get in. I have chosen to go the more difficult route for just those reasons, little money, lot's of time, and I enjoy walking and talking. I actually like most people. Yes, I do get aggravated when others say or do foolish things, but I also attribute that to them being uninformed because they don't have the time to read like I do. How do you overcome this disadvantage? By direct communication, by talking and listening. How many of you really know your parties candidates, except through endless negative ads on TV? How many of you have ever had the chance to talk to your representative in person? To actually know what they think, or how they think? I sincerely hope to overcome this challenge by walking across the district and meeting as many as I can this summer! I would really enjoy people walking with me, be it an hour, a day, several days, whatever. But become involved, we need you. I NEED YOU! And I need 2,000 signatures of registered voters in the 2nd district. Hopefully you will help me return our government to a proper balance. #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com In 2005, we chose to move back to Maine from Florida to retire. We did this for a reason. We lived in Pinellas Park, a city North of St. Petersburg. Being overcrowded is not my thing. I grew up on a beach. I saw the financial crisis brewing in 2005 and said to my wife, it's time to sell everything and go north. We bought 12 acres in Oxford and have lived there since. My reasons for buying that property were many fold, but primarily it gave us shelter, clean water with 2 wells, all the firewood we will ever need, and 4 gardens with rich soil, to grow our food. I intend on digging a root cellar in the future. We are out in a low density wooded area, where I know my neighbors. But most of all, it's a peaceful place that I can walk in the woods or up hills for exercise.
I have chosen to put that life on hold for a while because I am fed up with the goings-on in DC. I reached a point this winter when I simply said someone has to stand up to these people (I used different language) and I have to try. I've watched politics since 1956. I read constantly about current problems and the proposed solutions, and I don't see many who are willing to commit to trying to work with each other to solve the problems. Democrats are trying, but they have not been allowed in the game. Republicans own this mess and are only going to make it worse! And a lot of these problems exist because of previous Congresses kicking the can down the road or not being willing to compromise because of ideological reasons. We're talking about the future of our country, not a civic club. We have to address many very difficult decisions in the near future, and the present government is incapable of doing that. In fact, many of them are probably going to end up in jail. WE must speak up to power, and hold their feet to the fire. Think about that and take all the time you need. All the big money must go! Thank you #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com Dennis M O'Connor for Congress Maine 2nd District Now that all the medical stuff is hopefully in the past, I am headed home! This will be another adventure in my long and adventurous life. I have no idea at this point how it will all turn out or which direction it will take me, but I am about to find out!
I believe in many things, but my belief in trying to help my fellow travelers when I can is among my top priorities. I see this country being ripped apart by partisan politics and have for many years. I hope to be a uniting voice from the wilderness that has become American politics. I am going to attempt to unite this country once again without relying on ads, big money contributions, yard signs that are ugly and divide, and many of the other trappings of modern politics. I will walk among the people that I hope to represent, take the time to know these people and learn their problems. I do this in the hope that my granddaughter and great grandson and their generations will have a chance at living what we consider a normal life. I have lived a long and fruitful life, and I would like to leave the same possibility for others. To do otherwise is betrayal to humanity. Beware of the Military-Industrial Complex!
Dwight David Eisenhower, 1959. Let's talk about that for a minute, because it very relevant to today's America! When you look back in time, we have reached a point since that statement was uttered where we have basically been in a continuous state of war. Why is this? Why is there always conflict somewhere around the globe at any given time? Because it's good for business and making more millions. Who cares if soldiers die, other than their families? Who cares about the collateral damage of civilian casualties? Plain and simple, it's about jobs! Aircraft manufacturers, munitions manufacturers, ship builders, missile manufacturers, drone makers, military suppliers like Halliburton, who made billions. My list can go on and on! The way they stay in business is that they purposely built plants in every Congressional district, so that they have Congressmen and women beholden to them for jobs. Just try to close an airbase that is no longer needed or a military base that can be consolidated into another! Among many others, the Defense Industry owns Congress and the Pentagon just got about 30 billion dollars that it has nothing to spend on and can't set aside for the future. The military takes up about 60% of our entire budget! Think about that for a minute. 60 % Those are your dollars, and they are being spent to prop up an industry of death. We already have more nukes than we will ever need, yet some idiot wants more. We already have the largest military in the world, why do we keep spending and keep building. JOBS! We have lost much in the manufacturing sector that has been off-shored! And that was all about money and profit margins for multi-national corporations and hedge funds! We have a great opportunity to bring many jobs back to this country in solar, wind, electric vehicles, but we do not have the ability to get around lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry and we don't have politicians with the vision or backbone to look for better solutions, because they won't get those contributions from heavy-hitting donors! There is so much wrong with our priorities and policies, I have no idea where it's going to end, but maybe with this as a start, we can at least think about it! Believe me, thinking is sometimes like rolling a snowball uphill. You can only touch the surface, and it keeps getting bigger and heavier! #Resist2018 dennismocconnor.com A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed
Let's talk about that for a moment. "A well regulated Militia" What does that really say? Are people who own weapons of mass destruction really part of "A well regulated Militia"? I think not. They may want to "believe" that they are, but where does the "well regulated" part come in? They want NO part of regulation in any form, to be free to open-carry in any venue, to intimidate others whose rights to safety and security mean nothing to them. They must show their Machismo! "Being necessary to the security of a free State". Does this mean that anyone who owns one of these weapons is a defender of "a free State" and is willing to put their life on the line in defense of that "free State". Again, I think not. Keep in mind that when this was written, we had just come out of The American Revolution, a war against tyranny by British rule, and the available "arms" were muskets and flintlock pistols. The states were on their own to protect themselves, as the Continental Army was basically disbanded in 1783. Defense of the colonies was left to Militias comprised of loosely knit units of farmers and soldiers who had fought in the Revolutionary War, who obviously needed "the right to keep and bear Arms". Today, instead of Militias, we have a standing military on which we spend 600 to 700 billion dollars each year to protect our country, comprised of the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, and National Guard, each force designed for a specific duty. The National Guard is basically the states "Well Regulated Militia" of today! "Shall not be infringed". Keep in mind that when this was written, we still only had muskets and flintlocks! Absolutely none of the founding fathers of our country could have possibly envisioned the weapons or "Arms" of today! I AM NOT AGAINST THE SECOND AMENDMENT! What I am against is the proliferation of these types of armaments in the public realm, in the hands of insecure persons who, under most circumstances would never even use them for their intended purpose to begin with. But others will and do, and access to them is killing kids! We are living in an age where human life means little to some, because of some feeling of being an outcast or some horrible occurrence in their life. Have any of you taken the time to view a photo of what a bullet from one of these weapons does to flesh and bone? A 5 or 6 year old body, or a teen-aged body for that matter, hit with 5 high velocity bullets from an AR-15 is no longer recognizable as a human. It enters the body the size of an ink pen and exits the size of a baseball, destroying everything in between. I have a 5 year old great grandson. I would simply die if that happened to him. Imagine for a moment the grief that the families and friends of these slaughtered children feel! The AR-15 came into existence in 1956, designed as a military assault-type rifle by ArmaLite to compete with the AK-47 designed by Kalashnikov in the Soviet Union. It was never intended for public use. In 1964 the patent was sold to Colt, who held it until it expired in 1977. After that, it was open to anyone to manufacture their own versions. And it became more readily available to the public and less expensive. It also became the gun of choice to the "Militia" group. Is there really a need for this? Are we that unsure of ourselves and people around us? I always thought this was the "Land of the free, and the home of the Brave". How does the ownership of one of these weapons make you "Brave" and others "Free"? The NRA is just another "owner" of our government, with the sole purpose of fomenting discontent and fear to sell more firearms. They have become a terrorist organization, yet we do nothing to stop them. IT"S TIME! #Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com |
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