I pray these laws don't come to Ohio. They already passed a 6 week heart beat bill that was then overturned...Ohio is a red state, but our governor is republican and he's up for re-election soon. I live in a blue county thankfully, but there's only like 3 blue counties in all of Ohio. I do love where I live, but damn I hate that it's a red state.
The mother who picked us up had known him and Jackie because her husband had been JFKs French ambassador.
@jeanne-mayell I have to wonder if I had the dream about my grandparents because you were going to share this. My grandparents were devout Christians and teetotalers; they were gifted a case of French wine from the French Ambassador after my grandpa did some work with him. My grandma poured every bottle down the drain as my dad and his siblings watched in horror. I wonder if your French Ambassador is the same as THAT French Ambassador!
Hi @saibh, I expressed his position incorrectly. He was not the French Ambassador but the U.S. Ambassador to France under JFK. His name was General James (Jim) M. Gavin and he had commanded the 82nd Airborne Division on D-Day during WWII and had been the youngest general to command a division. He was a WWII hero and was given a ticker tape parade in NYC at the end of the war. He was against using the bomb and against using nuclear warfare for any purpose; had worked against segregation in the Army; and was well known to JFK who had put him on a short-list to head the CIA. He lost favor with the military because he was too liberal for them and was anti-war.
Instead JFK made him Ambassador to France. His daughter was one of my best friends when we were children and I spent many hours at their home. He was from lowly beginnings, a brilliant man, and the famed film star Marlene Dietrich said he was one of the two sexiest men she ever knew.
@michellepazicni You say that Dewine is up for re-election soon, but I don't think he is running for re-election...?? I may be wrong, but I suspect that there are many far-right nutcases hoping to take over our state. I too live in Ohio, but I'm not looking forward to some of those who are considering running taking over after Dewine.
@jujubeans7050 oh, my bad then. I swear I saw something about him and re-election, but that was a few months ago.
@michellepazicni GOOD! Although I don't like these crazy far right Repubs, I do think that Dewine tries to maintain some moderation on things. And of course, it would be a long shot that a Democrat would get the Governorship in this state. Has happened, but rarely! Thanks for looking it up!
I live in Texas and have been living here since I came to the states. As much as I want to leave to a more blue state, the matter of fact is that it's just not plausible at the moment. Which is all the more bummy considering that I'm currently trying to be a history teacher in a Hispanic majority district and the "critical race theory" just passed. I had such good ideas on how to get my people motivated and challenged that now will be thrown out to the bin.
Im hopeful that all the Californians, out-of-staters and angry texan women turn this state blue. I do love this state and this has now become my home and as much as I'd like to just drop everything and start anew elsewhere I don't think it's right to leave without a fight, specially since I just became a citizen and I'll be able to vote this coming election.
Well I should be able to vote unless the reps of this state find yet another way to make it harder for minorities to vote ???
@2ndfdl @blackandwhite I think there are enough liberals in Texas to win if elections were fairly conducted. When I was growing up, Texas was actually a purple state.
I think we've been dealing with various forms of election shenanigans for a long time (beyond voter suppression). It's one reason we desperately need a federal law setting baseline standards for voting.
Perhaps this should go on the Covid thread, but something that's been very much on my mind lately: What is happening at the soul level for those who are dying of Covid in this most recent wave in the US, when vaccines are free and available everywhere? Do they not want to live through this next phase of life on earth? Does their anger at the changes happening in our society override the human instinct for self-preservation? Are they simply dupes of a powerful propaganda machine and arrive in the afterworld with regret?
I would love to hear any insights you all might have on this topic. It's one of the most disturbing things about this phase of the pandemic: that people would treat their own lives as so disposable.