Hopefully I'm out on a limb here, but it's all starting to make sense now, and I can feel what is coming next.
20% of Republican Congressmen are quitting, rather than face defeat at the polls or risk being part of a criminal investigation. 45 is putting tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, which will be met with equal tariffs from the countries affected. Oil and gas prices will continue to rise in order to make it profitable again for Russia and Saudi Arabia, meanwhile straining Americans to the breaking point financially. The National Debt is rising to astronomical range.
Individual debt is at an all-time high. Student debt is at an all-time high, with rules being put in place to make it worse!
Medical care is being priced out of range for most Americans, to the point of choosing whether to buy medications to stay alive or eating, all the while stripping away the SNAP program, again so people go hungry! CHIP, or Children's Health Insurance Program, is being stripped of 8.5 billion dollars. Pharmaceuticals are through the roof! Nothing is being done about infrastructure, and it's hurricane season again! FEMA didn't do shit last season, nor will they this year, because they won't have any money!
This may turn out to be the hottest year on record again, due to climate change. Flooding and drought will be worse in places it shouldn't be.
And what was the Republican plan to counter all this? Give the largest ever tax break to the top 1%, leaving everyone else to their own devices to get by! Get Real!
The Democrats will hopefully take back Congress, but at what cost?
They will be so constrained by just trying to get back on an even keel that they may not be able to stop the momentum of what is being put in place right now. We are on our way to a world-wide depression of a magnitude never before imagined, and the blame will go to the party in power at the time, even if they didn't create it. All the pieces are being put into place right now, not next year, RIGHT NOW! This IS the NEW WORLD ORDER!
And quite honestly, I don't know if we can stop it, unless Bob Mueller can take out the leaders of the coup, TODAY!
And now some idiots at a gaming company have designed a game where you can shoot up a school! When will it end?

I try very hard to stay upbeat and optimistic, but lately I am having a problem with the disgust I am feeling for the governance of this country. This is not the country I have known my entire life! I knew when shitler was elected it was going to be bad, but I never could have imagined the breadth of the insanity that would follow him on a daily basis.
It is unimaginable how he and the Republican Party have destroyed our beloved country so far. Anyone who will vote for a Republican this election has no moral compass at all!
And I know I'll catch hell for this one, but the Dems are not that much better! They have no balls! They're all in it for the money! I fear our country is lost, both morally and financially!
I will vote for your "Blue Wave"! I will help get Dems elected.
But if you think for one minute that it will solve all our problems, I've got some waterfront property in the desert I'd like to sell you.
Shitler and his goons have already destroyed the majority of the norms of this country, and it will take many years to correct it. Sorry, but a third of this country's population are total idiots or simply are in it for the joy of destruction!
I will be offline for a while, because I have reached my limit of patience and need a break.
May peace be with you and may we persist.

I still find it amazing how easily the human mind can be manipulated by people with nefarious intentions.
We are bombarded on a daily basis with ads, posts, conversations, tweets, and any other form of communication, all with the intention of swaying our opinions one way or another. Which leads us to where we are today.
We as a people are told that this is bad, or that's not true, or looks are deceiving, anything to change the narrative to a certain point of view. Common sense no longer exists in much of our population, because most people arrive at a point where they can't tell the difference between truth and fiction, due to purposeful manipulation of content.
After all, what is the point of an ad? To sell you something!
Social media is no different, it's there to instill a certain point of view in people who are already predisposed to believe that point of view. Usually not true, but the average person can be convinced that it is, if told enough times.
Our government no longer cares what you think, because many of you are already brainwashed to believe anything they say. And you follow them like sheep to the slaughter!
Don't you think that maybe, just maybe, you might start listening to your inner self and question what you are being fed? There are still honest, decent people out there, seek them out. Listen to many points of view, not just one sided views. I used to religiously follow MSNBC, to the point of recording them to watch later if I wasn't home, until it was pointed out to me that I was obsessed with what they were feeding me, and that was my point of view. So I quit cold-turkey. My stress level went down, I wasn't so obsessed, and I was able to function normally again.
So to all you Faux News watchers out there, try it, you might find that the world as you view it is not what it seems to be.
Everyone is not out to destroy you or take away your rights! Except your government and the wealthy! And you are helping them to do it!
May peace be with you!
#Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

As I sit here tonight, I can't help but feel that we are headed for financial collapse in this country.
This administration is hellbent on destroying anything of value to the middle class (or what's left of it).
Take the money from CHIP. Gut the Dodd-Frank bill, even though the big banks and Wall Street had their best quarter ever! Big Pharma is screwing everyone. Pay up or die! Harley Davidson (Keep this in mind, you next time Harley buyers) has decided to manufacture in Thailand! $700,000,000 in stock buybacks and lay off 800 people. So much for jobs, loyalty, and tax cuts! China is investing in tRump properties for favorable treatment, Qatar was threatened with sanctions until they were forced to loan money to bail out Kushner properties.
The corruption of the Republican Party is now complete. There is not a single Republican that I can place my trust in.
Paul Ryan is still trying to ram through anything that he can before he leaves with a pension he doesn't deserve. Mitch McConnell is hiring his whole family to run agencies they know nothing about, likewise tRump.
Where will it end? I really have no idea at this point, but I  know it's not going to end well! I have tried my best to be optimistic, but EVERY SINGLE DAY we get closer to the edge of the cliff! If we can't put an end to this soon, there will be no hope. November may be too late!
#Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

We just attended our great-grandson's pre-K graduation ceremony. What an invigorating experience! 18 young children, with their lives in front of them, all singing together, laughing together, not a bit of animosity towards one another. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Brazilian, all races , all colors, together. Playing, learning, and bonding!
Why do we not learn from them? 
At 5, they are starting to form their path in life. Please make it a pleasant adventure. Teach them humility, empathy, love and respect. Teach them now so they don't have to deal with what we deal with. Anger, hatred, greed, and fear!
Teach them that they should not see others as different than them, just because of skin color or hair or any of the many other reasons we choose to use against others.
We are humans, let's start to act like it.
Love thy neighbor, and learn that just because they speak a different language or wear different clothes, it does not make them bad. This is their America too! They are not causing you harm, you are!
#Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

I'm still trying to digest the latest killings and find an answer as to why and what can be done to stop them.
As far as the school shootings go, most of them have been committed by disillusioned, abused, outcast children, whether students or former students. All have had warning signs, be it actions or writings or just comments made that were not followed up on.
Certainly the proliferation of deadlier weapons in the public and the ability of these children to get their hands on them is a major problem, but not the only problem. Now they have the weapons to carry out these acts.
They say mental health is a major issue. I don't believe that these are carried out because of mental health problems, but more so social attitudes towards others. Most of the perpetrators were suicidal and most did commit suicide. Many were acting on slights perceived or real. We as a country are devolving to the dark side of humanity, either through ignorance or just plain hatred towards others considered lesser than us, and the rhetoric of the present administration is not helping at all.
Do I , or anyone for that matter, have the answers to all the questions? NO. But that doesn't mean we can just ignore it. There are measures that can be taken immediately to help stop some of these, but it will not be easy. Everyone is entrenched in their manner of belief, and change will take time. But we must do SOMETHING about the availability of these weapons!
Until then, these tragedies will continue to happen, so be prepared, it's not over! There are kids out there already planning the next shooting, I guarantee it!

There comes a time for everything, and I believe the time has come to start showing pictures of the carnage being carried out in the name of the 2nd amendment! Start showing the blood and dead bodies and the gory scenes. It's the only way people will not be able to deny what's going on! It can't be much worse for the parents of these children!

Like I said I was going to do, I went into the Somali Community today and had a very nice conversation with a man who came here as a student in the 70's. I found his generosity with talk to be very enlightening. He explained to me the biases that they deal with on a daily basis and the fact that they have contributed to a thriving downtown that used to be all shuttered. He also told me that the only help he received from the government was a one way ticket to the US. I intend to go back again and will post my experiences . Everyone I met was congenial and welcoming. We have to move past generalizations of groups and learn about each other, only then will we progress!
And by the way, I filed my papers today and I am officially a candidate!
May peace be with you.
#Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

Just so everyone will know, I am heading for Augusta tomorrow with sufficient signatures to get on the ballot for State Representative to the Legislature in November.

As I have traveled through my life, I have wondered many times just what it is that people fear about Independents.
Is it because we are free-thinkers, who determine for ourselves where our path leads us?
Is it because we are not locked in to a certain ideology that determines who we are or what we follow?
Is it because we learn something new every day, far ranging from any political or religious based dogma, that we can't be "controlled"?
I really don't know, but I can assure you it's not wicked or evil to think in many different directions at the same time.
It's very enlightening and liberating to be able to see viewpoints other than your own.
I know where I have been in my life, now it's a question of where am I going for the rest of it.
There is a lot going on today, and a lot of it is because many can't see beyond today! Most people are so stressed out just trying to survive that tomorrow will have to take care of itself.
The only reason I wish to get involved in the political world is because I see this division for what it is, and that is 2 sides trying to impose their beliefs on one another. It will not work much longer! We must get back to being able to talk and compromise! None of us are ever going to get all we want, but we can at least get part of it and allow others to get part of what they want! Why is that so difficult?
That's why I stay Independent, because I have lived a decent life so far and will continue to do so until I am gone.
Then I will no longer care.
May peace be with you!
#Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

When you are running for a public office, many people ask "what is your platform?".
I don't know that I have a standard "platform".
Do I believe in global warming? Yes I do!
Do I believe that we are killing our planet with chemicals, garbage, air pollution, water pollution, PLASTICS? Yes I do!
Do I believe in fiscal responsibility? Yes I do! But not Wall Street and the Big Banks. All they produce is Big Wealth for the rich!
Do I believe in universal healthcare? Yes I do!
Do I believe in Universal Background Checks? Yes I do!
Do I see the need for weapons of mass destruction in the hands of civilians? No I don't! Nor do I see the need for militarization of our police forces.
Do I believe in full legalization of Cannabis? Yes I do!  But Big Pharma doesn't, and they control your Congress!
Do I believe in solar and wind power and the need to expand on it? Yes I do! But Big Oil doesn't until they can figure out a way to control it and profit off of it!
Do I believe in a woman's right to choose what she does in her PRIVATE decisions about her healthcare ? Yes I do!
Do I believe in separation of church and state? Yes I do!
Do I believe in FAIR taxation? Yes I do! Taxation today only benefits the wealthy, who take and take and give nothing back!
Do I believe in a living wage for workers, so people don't have to work 2 and 3 jobs to survive? Yes I do!
Do I believe in gay rights? Yes I do, but I believe in EQUAL RIGHTS for all people, Gay, brown, black, white, all peoples! We shouldn't even have to think about that one. Unfortunately we do, as so many groups have been singled out because they are not White, straight, and christian believers. Who should really care what others do in their private lives, it's not bothering me so it's none of my business!
Do I believe that I can give you a rubber stamp answer to any particular question? No I don't! Nor do I think you want one!
I base decisions I make in my life on facts, circumstances, and well-reasoned thought. It's time others start doing the same.
Like it or not, we are each a part of a vast and varied world population, who each have their their own beliefs and structure to follow. But we also must find common ground with each other in order to exist in harmony, and today we are so far away from that ideal that I don't know if we can ever find that common ground again!
We can save this experiment we call Democracy, or Democratic Republic, whichever you prefer. But it will not be easy. We have done nothing in the past 20 years to address the growing inequities in our society, we have done nothing to save our infrastructure. We have separated ourselves into self-serving factions, who's sole purpose is to look out for ourselves. This is backwards and selfish and if continued, will destroy us! Your neighbor is not your enemy, stop acting like everyone is out to get you, they're not!
May peace be with you all!
#Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

The one  thing I find most interesting when you are talking to people and trying to explain a position that you take, is that most people are quite set in their positions and don't really want to move off that position.
What I don't understand is why 2A people have their argument down pat and will not listen to reasonable debate.
There has to be middle ground somewhere that will prevent what we are experiencing as far as gun violence goes. How many more must we sacrifice in the name of "god given rights to own a mass killing weapon" before we can talk about reasonable limitations? After all, that's what these weapons are designed for. They're not "sporting rifles", they're not "hunting rifles", they are designed to inflict the most lethal damage in the shortest period of time. Where is the argument here?

So I was  going to write something completely different tonight, but it keeps coming up that Republicans tend to vote against the average people and for the wealthy, with the excuse that they ARE voting for what the people want. To that I say BULLSHIT!
I am of course speaking about the Representative who's seat I was attempting to run for, Bruce Poliquin of Maine.
Recently, he and 233 members of Congress voted to strip your Social Security trust-fund of 2.8 trillion dollars in an attempt to pass a balanced budget amendment., In other words, the US Treasury holds 2.8 trillion dollars in Treasury Bonds that was borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for all the wars that we have been waging! Basically meaning that if for some reason the Treasury can't pay that back, we are bankrupt! He has, according to 538 tracking, voted for the 45 agenda 95.6% of the time. He has voted many times to abolish the ACA and not once to repair it. He voted for the tax scam that not only gave a trillion and a half dollars to the super wealthy corporations, added a trillion dollars to the national debt in the past year,  but stripped 6 million people of their healthcare and caused premiums to rise upwards of 60% for others. He just voted yes on a bill to a repeal of guidance to protect borrowers from discriminatory markups on auto loans! This man does not belong in Congress!  Likewise to all the other Republicans who refuse to accept the fact that certain kinds of socialistic programs work.
Pure capitalism is killing us, literally! There has to be a balance where the poor and disadvantaged have a chance at life. Otherwise, why bother? Just annihilate all of us and get it over with.
Your greed and non-caring is very obvious, Mr. Poliquin, and I for one am sick of it. If you can't have any empathy towards your fellow man, get the hell out of Congress! Go retire to your mansion by the sea and leave the rest of us alone! You are not doing any of us any good!
After that, may peace be with the good people and may the rest rot!
#Resist2018 dennismoconnor.com

In a conversation that came up tonight, it was bought up about the Somali people that have migrated to Lewiston.
Living in Maine, I have heard all sorts of stories about the Somali refugee community, most of them bad.
How they take from the government and throw it in peoples faces, how they get all these free benefits, how they are lazy and don't fit in, much of which is simply not true. So I have read up on the migration and assimilation of the Somali people in Lewiston. And I intend to go into the Somali community and find out for myself what is really going on.
We Americans always seem to find scapegoats for our problems, and sometimes it is warranted, but many times it is not. Much of our distrust towards others of different nationalities or customs is because we choose to allow ourselves to think that way. Because we don't understand and it's easier to blame than to discover. It's easier to blame someone else for your problems than to admit that maybe it might be you with the problem. It's called projection! I may find that it is true or I may find that it is false. I don't know. But I wish to find out for myself by talking to people in the community. So I will institute an outreach to the community and see where it leads me!
May peace be with you

I would like to put something out there that you may find difficult to understand, but I have lived my entire life by listening to my gut instincts, probably being right 95 % of the time, and right now they are telling me we are in SERIOUS, SERIOUS trouble. I have felt  for many years that something like this would happen, I had hopes that it wouldn't, but it has finally happened.
With this administration, sometimes it is very difficult to maintain any semblance of a comfort level or belief in being able to save what little we have left. The Elites have taken over and I sometimes wonder if it is too late to save it before it collapses. It seems more each day!
45 is the final piece of the puzzle! We are evenly divided, we no longer trust each other, we are already turning on each other! We are in deep shit, folks, and I am getting prepared. I had hopes that I could change things by running for public office, that my voice would be heard on behalf of all the people who are being harmed! But I went up against Corporate America, where they would not allow me to talk to people on their properties. I couldn't find large enough groups to gain enough signatures. I am but one small voice against billions of dollars that will be made by these idiots, and sometimes I feel that is not enough. They are in it for the money, not realizing that it will be the downfall of this entire world. Sure, they will have all the money, they will enslave the people to poverty, dependent upon the handouts they give us. But they will NEVER be happy! They will always want more. THIS IS WHAT GREED IS!
45 is now pulling out of the nuclear arms deal with Iran! He has pulled us out of the Paris Accord! They are now allowing mining wastes to be dumped in our waterways. Our air will now go back to what it was in the 60's! Ollie North will be the new head of the NRA, a convicted felon arms dealer! 45 has canceled DACA, thereby subjecting some of our brightest students to deportation simply because they were brought here by their parents when they were children! Salvadorians are being told they have until 2020 to get out and go back to a country they don't know!
We have no relationship left with Mexico, and they are now buying their corn from South American companies! China is now buying their soybeans from other countries, leaving our farmers in the lurch! He has frightened all the "illegals" that pick our produce, so much so that there is no one left to pick our crops, so they are rotting in the fields! He is allowing Glyphosate (Monsanto) bearing pesticides to be sprayed on our foods, killing bees in the process and subjecting us unknowingly to cancer causing chemicals in our foods!
We were, through all the drilling for oil, supposed to become self-sufficient, yet they ship it overseas for extra profit and we pay the price at the pump! In just the past year, we have regressed probably 20 to 30 years ecologically.
Let's get real, we are allowing ourselves to be destroyed in the name of profit and greed! If somehow it does not get turned around, there will be no tomorrow! And we will be fighting and killing over a can of beans! Sorry for the downer today, but this is REALITY!
May peace be with the people, and to hell with the others, may they rot there!
Carry on the good fight! #Resist 2018 dennismoconnor.com