December 9, 2023
Award winning movie at December 14 meeting: Who were the “Janes”? Why are they important? They were leaders in the pro-choice movement before Roev Wade. What could be more relevant?!! On Thursday, December 14, 7pm in the Auditorium, CH 2 (note the venue), we will show the HBO documentary “The Janes” with special guest and star of the movie Heather Booth. She also is a civil rights, labor, anti-war and women’s activist. The movie was named the “top documentary” in the “News and Doc” Emmys.
Ms. Booth plays a central role in the movie, which is based on her life as well as her comrades. They illegally provided abortion information and care in the pre-Roe era. Because the movie and guest cost money, a small, voluntary donation will be welcome at the door. Masks are welcome but not required.
Before there was a Leisure World, there was … The Edmonson Farm, which is located on land which is now part of Leisure World and was owned by Paul Edmonson, a freed slave. He purchased the land in the 19th Century. His wife was enslaved. Leisure World will dedicate a marker to them, 1pm, Dec 16, on LW Blvd, across from Daffodil Park at the crosswalk before the GA Avenue gate.
“Winning Wednesdays” volunteers from 2023: We plan to reward this year’s participants with their own party on December 13 from 1-3 pm in the Norbeck Room, CH 2, with light refreshments. Volunteers, you know who you are. Save the date!
Legislative Advocacy Committee resumes Jan 12 at 11am in the Edmonson Room, Clubhouse 2. At its first meeting the group decided to take up health care (particularly prescription drug affordability and aging issues), gun safety, the environment, transportation and budget issues (such as taxes). Also, the group will take its annual trip to Annapolis to meet with our legislators, visit committees in action and the floor of the House and Senate.
Anyone interested in promoting issues common to our community, state and county is welcome. Contact: bubbiebarb1123@gmail.com
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller on January 11: Live and in-person, 7pm in the Crystal Ballroom. She’ll make opening remarks and then answer your questions. Nice way to celebrate the new year!
News which is true …
What “dies in darkness”? Workers at the Washington Post have been in contract negotiations for 18 months but still have not arrived at an agreement on fair pay, and the publisher (owned by Jeff Bezos) is refusing to bargain in good faith. (Note: The Post’s slogan is “Democracy dies in darkness”) (AFL-CIO)
Remember the right-wing’s “death panels”? That right-wingnut lie didn’t stick. “Donald Trump couldn’t repeal Obamacare in 2017, largely because it had become too popular. It’s even more popular now,” Politico reports.
“Roughly three-in-five Americans like the 2010 health care law, even more than when Trump and Republicans in Congress came to the brink of wiping it out. And some of the Affordable Care Act’s better-known provisions — like protections for preexisting health conditions — engender even greater support.”
But often unfathomable
In George Santos’s footsteps: “MAGA Congressman Matt Gaetz gets slammed with bad news as his underaged sex trafficking investigation jolts back to life according to new reporting from CNN. Gaetz thought he was in the clear but he could be going down hard after all…” (Politico)
No moral compass in TX legislature: “Two months after a prominent conservative activist and fundraiser was caught hosting white supremacist Nick Fuentes, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas have voted against barring the party from associating with known Nazi sympathizers and Holocaust deniers,” the Texas Tribune reports.
Haley revealed: “The former South Carolina governor is no moderate, as she is sometimes mislabelled. Haley would impose a five-year term limit on civil servants, send US special forces into Mexico and sharply cut social security. She thinks Biden is weak on Russia, China and Hamas.”
“But the contents of her platform are irrelevant. Everyone looks moderate compared to Trump. Because she is not him, Haley would have dramatically better prospects of defeating Biden.” (columnist Edward Luce)
More Haley comets: “But Trump is not the only extremist pulling in big dollars. Nikki Haley — who appears moderate only relative to Trump’s blatant neofascism — proclaimed in her campaign launch that President Biden is promoting a `socialist` agenda.
“During her two years as U.N. ambassador under Trump, Haley was a strong proponent of his so-called `zero tolerance` policy, under which thousands of migrant children were separated from their parents and guardians. She supported Trump’s decision to pull out of the U.N. Human Rights Council and to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.
“Though she briefly criticized Trump for inciting the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Haley soon defended Trump and called on Democratic lawmakers to `give the man a break` when they impeached him for a second time.” (Robert Reich)
Cheney v. Greene: “Ahead of the release of Liz Cheney’s new book, Oath and Honor, Amazon listed the book as a number one bestseller while Marjorie Taylor Greene’s book that came out 10 days before is number 5,840 on Amazon.
“Venom, score-settling, fiction, self-absolution, self-aggrandizement. Greene’s book has it all. It is published by Winning Team, the publishing firm Donald Trump Jr co-founded. In an unforced error, the book was printed in Canada. So much for America First.” (Politico)