by Paula | Jan 26, 2020 | Paula Persists, Uncategorized
The GOP has begun their offensive defense in Trump’s impeachment debate. I use the term debate instead of trial, because (as a former debate nerd), I know that a trial includes witnesses and evidence, and the proceedings focus on facts. So far, this ‘defense’ has no interest in the facts, and their defense consists of screaming: “Witch Hunt! The Dems are terrible!”
This is Trump and his sycophant’s stock reply whenever there are credible accusations against him or with any attempts to hold him accountable for anything he says or does. Multiple sexual assault accusations? Witch Hunt? Mountains of evidence that he withheld approved aide to Ukraine in exchange for a political favor? Witch Hunt! Les Parvas? “Never met the guy – Witch Hunt!”
Mr. Grab ’em by the Pussy never apologizes or backs down. His White House no longer conducts press conferences, because reporters ask too many pesky questions. He insists that only his version of events is relevant — facts be damned. Trump really could shoot someone in broad daylight and get away with it. If any prosecutor dared to bring charges, they would be viciously attacked, trolled and mocked with cries of being part of a politically motivated vendetta.
The GOP has lost it’s soul. Trump is their Supreme Leader, an Emperor for life who cannot be questioned. Anyone who dares to question him will be severely punished!
The Senate will not vote to remove Donald Trump, and in the process they will attempt to defame and destroy the Democrats, and any other person or entity that believes that even THIS President should be held accountable.
The GOP Senate leadership is willfully flexing their majority muscle to destroy any flimsy remnants of checks and balances between Congress and the Administrative branch, which will effectively erase any slim hope that this Administration will act within the bounds of the rule of law and/or the Constitution.
This Senate is handing Trump a blank check, with absolutely no limits to what he can do and how he can conduct himself. He will be even further emboldened to use his office for blatant personal and political gain. We are seeing the making of a dictator in real time.
by Paula | Jan 19, 2020 | Paula Persists, Uncategorized
I am an avid reader. I used to have several overflowing bookshelves, necessitating a sifting and winnowing process every couple years to preserve shelf space for my favorite authors and titles. However, in recent years my literary consumption is done electronically– and my shelves have been largely re-purposed.
But, sometimes there is a book that is so damn good, I NEED a hard copy so that I can read it more thoughtfully, dog-ear certain pages, and jot my own notes in the margins.
Lindy West’s The Witches are Coming is such a book. She describes how we were so very close to electing the first woman president to succeed our first black president; but then we experienced the horrible last-minute plot-twist that shoved an incompetent racist con-man into the white house.
The title comes from Trump’s habit of whining ‘Witch Hunt’ whenever there is a credible accusation against him–whether it be for sexual assault or for treason. Lindy goes on to say ‘Trump framing himself as a witch actually makes some sense.. every iota of his success is a con, a dark magic trick, built on illusion and hypnosis and the impenetrable magical thinking of his followers. Even the repetition in those tweets –Witch Hunt, Witch Hunt, Witch hunt is an incantation calling itself into being.’ This is ironic, since witch hunts were historically used to punish the powerless, most of whom were women.
Lindy accepts this challenge, telling us “So fine, if you insist. This is a witch hunt. We’re witches, and we’re hunting you. ”
The book posits that Trump is not a former reality star, he is a current reality star. His entire presidency is a performance crafted to increase ratings and please his fan base, without regard to objective truth or consideration to the potential impacts of his actions. As Lindy tells us: “the script informs reality, versus reality informing the script”.
Although Mr. “Grab em by the Pussy’ regularly has temper tantrums in public, an angry woman is generally mocked and ridiculed. But, being calm, well prepared and stoic hasn’t been a particularly effective strategy either – just ask Hillary Clinton and Christine Blasey Ford. So why not get angry? As Lindy tells us ‘Men suppress our anger for a reason. Let’s prove them right’.
This election year, we need witches (good and bad) in our midst to speak the unvarnished truth, to share our stories, to get angry, and to press for accountability. If you are not sure if you are up for the witch hunt– Make some space on your bookshelf and buy “The Witches are Coming”, you’ll be glad you did.
by Paula | Nov 7, 2019 | Family, Paula Persists, Uncategorized
I recently started a new job in downtown Madison. It is a bustling area–traffic can be nasty and parking is at a premium on the relatively tiny isthmus between two lakes that constitutes the downtown area.
Many years, children and husbands ago, I took the bus daily to the downtown office where I was the ‘new business girl’ for a now-defunct life insurance company. This was before email, voicemail or personal computers; a time when companies had positions with the word ‘girl’ in them–positions that did not pay enough for the ‘girls’ to afford parking anywhere near the building. At that stage of life I had not yet gotten my BBA, and my livelihood was dependent upon my (really fast) typing skills, and (very possibly) on my youthful naivety.
But, I digress. After a decades-long absence, I am once again relying on Madison Metro to get to and from work. I have come to enjoy the opportunity to decompress before and after work, while letting the bus driver wrangle with the traffic.
It can be uncomfortable. Many of my fellow passengers do not easily fit within the confines of an individual bus seat, and my morning bus often gets crowded. As a result, it is not uncommon to find myself thigh-to-thigh and shoulder-to-shoulder with a perfect stranger, with the backside of yet another (standing) stranger mere inches from my face. Personal space is at a premium, especially now that we are getting into the time of year that necessitates heavy coats.
Some people read, some people stare out the window, but most people stare at their phones. I play Sudoku on my phone. This is not as benign as it sounds. Over the years, I have had stretches of time where I have had an unhealthy addition to Sudoku–often foregoing sleep and other obligations to play into the wee hours. The bus ride gives me the opportunity to indulge in my obsession, guilt-free, if only for the duration of the ride. So far, I have only missed my stop once while playing.
We shall see if I continue my bus adventures throughout the wintery months ahead. Unlike my younger self, I now have the means to drive and park downtown every day should I chose to do so. But for now, I am enjoying the relatively stress-free ride, and I am determined to improve my Sudoku personal best.
by Paula | Sep 8, 2019 | Family, Paula Persists, Uncategorized
The end of summer has brought several firsts: the twin grand-girls are in first grade–spending their days in separate classrooms for the first time; although they report that they regularly find each other at recess.
I started a new job, returning to my project management roots as a consultant with the State of Wisconsin. I am very excited about the project–which impacts children and families in the state.
Serena was once again in the US Open Women’s Final, and once again lost to a younger opponent; an opponent who wasn’t even born when Serena won her first US Open. This year, I had high hopes for Serena, as she had absolutely demolished her last two opponents en route to the final, displaying her former dominant form. However, her usually reliable first serve failed her; and she could not prevail over Andrea Andreescu’s aggressive style of play, a style that closely resembles Serena’s own powerful brand of tennis.
The latest news cycle has brought us ‘Sharpie-gate’, providing a ridiculous example of the extreme measures that our Clown-in-Chief will take to avoid admitting fault, by apparently using a Sharpie to alter a weather map in order to support previous (erroneous) tweets in which he stated that Alabama was in the path of Dorian.
It was a ridiculous reminder of a primary tenet of this presidency; which is to establish himself as the one infallible source of ‘truth’, who (like any facist leader) cannot be questioned. Trump routinely dismisses any facts that do not align with his own agenda as ‘fake news’.
On a positive note, the whole SharpieGate fiasco has been a gold mine for comics and cartoonists. The resulting memes have been great–including an altered photo of his inauguration with lots of people ‘sharpied’ into the crowd.
While the memes are funny, the laughter is underscored with weariness. This administration and it’s draconian policies continue to take tremendous human toll. This morning’s paper included an obituary for a woman I did not know, that summarizes it well, saying: “Although pancreatic cancer is the official cause of death, she was truly aggravated to death by the lack of kindness, civility and justice being demonstrated in the leadership of our country.”
Amen Sister, and rest in peace
by Paula | Jul 4, 2019 | Paula Persists, Uncategorized
It is our country’s birthday; a day set aside to celebrate independence from Britain’s rule: an accomplishment that history touts as our country’s freedom from tyranny.
Yet…Independence from British rule in 1776 meant very little to people of color who were enslaved or native Americans who were slaughtered and displaced. Independence in 1776 meant very little to women who remained subjects of their fathers, husbands or brothers. White, male property owners had much to celebrate; while the rest of the country remained disenfranchised.
Then, as now, we were a country of contradictions; a country of great accomplishments, opportunity and hope, and a country of great injustice and despair. We are a country that elected both Barrack Obama and Donald Trump; we are a country that has fostered great wealth for a few, and great poverty for many; We are a country of Civil Rights and Jim Crow. We are a country of great humanity and incredible cruelty.
This is America. We are still very much a country divided–exacerbated by the 24/7 news cycles and social media, giving everyone (myself included) a forum that can be used to share adorable pictures and knowledge or to foster division and hate.
We are often dug into our individual affiliations with great self-righteousness; leaving little room for compromise or civil disagreement. Controversial topics are over-simplified into emotional and extreme positions, versus recognizing nuance and complexity. Too often, we are not interested in learning more or finding common ground, in our haste to dig in to our own positions. This attitude can lead to willful ignorance: disregarding and dismissing science and facts as irrelevant to what we believe to be true.
I recently read Brene Brown’s book: Braving the Wilderness (which I highly recommend). Brene relates a story about a fan who angrily assumed that Brene was against any gun control, since she talked about owning guns. But, that was not true: Brene supports responsible gun ownership AND common sense gun control. A more nuanced position that is sometimes lost, or misunderstood in today’s public discourse.
During a recent conversation at work, a colleague opined that Thomas Jefferson did not intend to disenfranchise blacks or women in the Constitution. I countered that it took a war and a Constitutional Amendment to give blacks the constitutional right to vote, and yet another hard-fought amendment to allow women to vote; all of which would not have been necessary if the Constitution reflected a clear intent to apply to all people, regardless of race or gender. Eventually, we agreed that while we cannot know Thomas Jefferson’s intention, it is indisputable that the original constitution most certainly did not bestow full citizenship on all.
Although we started this conversation with a mild disagreement, we listened to each other, agreed on what was knowable, and what was inference. It was a civil and polite exchange. It can be done – even by me!
With the 2020 election looming, the next 12 months are bound to contentious and divisive. It will be a difficult time that tries our collective humanity and compassion. Let us hope that we meet that challenge in a way that serves to heal rather than to further fracture our national identity.
by Paula | Jun 1, 2019 | Paula Persists, Uncategorized
I recently took a break from the news–it started as an intention to cleanse my mind and emotional well-being prior to and during our recent vacation. I enjoyed the break so much that I found it difficult to mentally ‘gird’ myself to join the ranks of the well-informed. Yet, the world continued to turn during my blissfully ignorant sabbatical.
This post reflects the format from Stephen Colbert’s Late Show segment of random disconnected items, which he titles ‘Meanwhile’
Meanwhile…. Republicans are determined to overturn Roe v. Wade, as part of its all-out offensive on the war against women. Unbelievably, a rapist may have more rights than his impregnated victim in these states. The offensive might just work given the current Supreme Court composition. If the intent is to actually reduce unwanted pregnancies, there are mountains of data demonstrating more effective, non-punitive techniques, such as easy-to-obtain birth control and sex education.
I utterly reject the term ‘pro-life’ for anyone who does not actively support (financially and otherwise) policies and programs that ensure adequate food, housing, health care, and freedom from gun violence for all children and their parents.
Meanwhile… There have been more serial shootings, and more civilian heroes have died while protecting others. We are the most heavily armed nation in the world already and we are also the country in which an innocent person is the most likely, by a large margin, to die from gun violence. Yet, NRA advocates, and their bought-and-paid for politicians, continue to espouse the ridiculous notion that MORE guns are the answer; completely dismissing the glaring evidence from countries that do have common-sense gun control and a citizenry that is relatively safe from gun violence.
Meanwhile.… Mitch McConnell sits on all bills passed by the Democratic controlled House, refusing to bring them to a vote in the Senate. Mitch’s sole focus is partisan gamesmanship; he continues to thwart the intended function of Congress–to debate and enact legislation that benefits and protects the American people. He is an odious and hideous man.
Meanwhile… this Administration continues to stiff-arm Congress by disregarding and disdaining subpoenas for information and testimony. These subpoenas are a vehicle to provide transparency and accountability across the branches of government. However, T and his cronies now sit in the driver’s seat for all three branches, The President’s Administration, the Senate and (so very sad) the Supreme Court. This puts them in a position to either honor or display contempt for the due process that is intended to prevent any branch from running roughshod over each other or the laws of the land. This Administration is now emboldened in their flagrant disdain for anything that stands in the way of their obscene quest to endlessly enrich and empower themselves.
Meanwhile... a heavily redacted version of the Mueller report was published. Mueller recently gave a statement recently that his team could NOT charge a sitting President with a crime; but they did not find that no crime was committed. This kind of hair-splitting and ‘waffling’ allows for enough doubt of culpability that it can (and has) been interpreted as exoneration, even though that doesn’t appear to have been the intent.
Meanwhile...summer is almost here: we went to a Brewer game, the grand-girls had another birthday, my son received a degree in accounting, daughter #2 has a new boyfriend, and Serena is rocking another controversial outfit at the French Open. In other words, life continues to unfold… and I need to remind myself to enjoy every moment, even if the news continues to be ugly.
