Beware of Darkness

As long as you live you'll never see a photograph of 7 women signing legislation about what men can do with their reproductive organs.

-Martin Belam

Chills are going up and down my spine. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington are rolling over in their graves. Liberty, freedom of speech and thought are being replaced by an oligarchy headed by an anti-president. In the last 4 days the message is overwhelming. If we don't review it or we don't like it,  you cannot talk about it, have it or use it. Consider the EPA current policy:

All EPA employees, including scientists, managers and other Agency leadership from suppressing, altering, or otherwise impeding the timely release of scientific findings or conclusions.

This is the beginning of what they want to do:

Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency who want to publish or present their scientific findings likely will need to have their work reviewed on a "case by case basis" before it can be disseminated, according to a spokesman for the agency's transition team.

I'm not naive, I know there is also a review and restriction on information shared by the government, especially in relationship to new incoming Presidents and their teams, but the gag rule and EPA are just two examples of increasingly frightening restrictions. When Presidents Regan and the Bushes came into office, I was alarmed and angered by some of their policies, but I was never scared for the future of this country. Under President Obama I was relieved to not have an pre-existing condition keep me from gaining or continuing my health care. And as a breast cancer survivor, this was precious. It also protected me from my insurance company financially restricting the amount of treatment I gained. Two of my sisters, one of whom is a Veteran, who had been without health care under prior administrations, finally gained much needed policies, one through the coverage marketplace and the other the VA. I acknowledge President Obama's health care policies aren't and weren't perfect, but rather than dismantle the system, how about a thoughtful dialogue to improve. But no that would smack against the current anti-president and his teams patriarchal attitude and plan of we know best for you.

I never intended for by my blog to become political, but for a time, yes, I'm going to be speaking out. I've taken to heart the message, "if you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem". And as I wrote last blog post, I'm going to be blazing light against the darkness that has settled in Washington D.C.

George Harrison, 'Beware of Darkness':