I am writing to you regarding Revisiting Immigration Reform. According to the American Immigration Council, when Trump took office in January 2025, there were about 40,000 people being held in ICE detention centers, but in just one year, that number has increased to 73,000 immigrants. In November 2025 ICE was using 104 more facilities, than the previous year. With $45 billion in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump Administration has funding to operate over 135,000 detention beds, and they have dramatically changed the profile of who is “at-large” which has led to a revolutionary increase in number of federal law enforcement.
There is a 2,450% increase in people with no criminal record being held in detention centers. Changes in policies include no-release and mandatory detention laws that deny people the right to seek bonds so people do not seek a trial.
With more arrests, we are hearing of overcrowding, worsening or substandard medical care, more complaints of abusive conditions and violations of detention standards. Detainees are “disappearing” for days. Access to phones are uncertain. I have seen videos of Congress members that are denied access to facilities and are talking about signs posted, saying that detainees are being fed only 2 times per day. 2025 was the deadliest year to date in ICE detention centers, and 2026 is keeping pace to be worse.
If facilities are overrun, would it not make sense to let immigrants, with no criminal records, return to their jobs and lives so tax payers are not paying for them to be neglected? Better yet, why are we holding them for so long? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to arrest the criminals with violent crimes, work on deporting them and then worry about people who are working and paying taxes?
I know the real purpose of putting immigrants in jail is to make money for rich people that own the jails by misusing the tax dollars of the poor, but since slavery is actually illegal, I would like to encourage you to actually do something morally correct and stop allowing our tax dollars to be used so frivolously, to hurt people. At this point it will take a lot for me to have any faith in you regardless.
If you are a regular reader, you know I don’t usually take the time to talk about how I feel my patriotism. I don’t say the pledge of allegiance because if you read the words with a dictionary handy, and you take to heart what the bible actually says, you will be making a really hard choice. I cannot choose my country over my God and I can’t pledge allegiance to a piece of fabric, no matter how beautiful it is or how it makes my heart feel full of love when I look at it. But I do stand and thank God for choosing to let me born here, with my family and loved ones and for the freedoms I enjoy, even if they are not as free, or as beautiful as they sound in the song I love to sing.
I am grateful for the home I have always known. The United States of America is full of every kind of dream you could ever imagine and as an artist, with stark opinions, this shines to me. I love The Star Spangled Banner and I love to sing it at the top of my lungs! I love to meet new people and listen to their stories. I enjoy reading history. I feel compelled to write about how I experience these stories.
As a child I remember talking at school and playing part in pretend elections and debating with my grown ups. I remember the peaceful transition of power each time. Some presidents were enjoyed more than others, but always respected and respectful.
I was raised by parents who were opinionated but relatively independent and grandparents who were on either democrat or republican. So I heard lots of ideas. I have registered to vote as a republican and a democrat; which I think is unfair. We should not have to declare a party. At one time, I could honestly say I was conservative or liberal. But now I am angry at everyone because they have all failed.
I loved Obama, but now I know he could have done something for the victims of the Epstein Files, and I am sad.
But before I knew that, there was Trump. Who has brought chaos to every day he is in office. There has never been a peaceful transition of power with him. I will never completely get over the insurrection he was never punished for. His first term, I could not turn my TV on, or hear his name without an anxiety attack because I have anxiety disorder and I don’t need a trigger; I have worked hard to overcome him in therapy and still work hard to overcome him because he is still creating chaos in the world. I will always wonder why people chose him and then I don’t because I have read enough of history to comprehend that evil has a way of infecting people so they don’t realize what it is until they are so committed, they can’t stop now.
I do sometimes hate Trump, but he has earned it. I don’t worship anyone. Everyone is imperfect, but this man; he is completely self-serving. He is totally willing to do anything as long as he gets what he wants. He is a terrible leader. A good leader rolls up their sleeves and gets in the dirt, alongside the people.
Iran has been corrupt for as long as I can remember, but if we learned anything from the near endless war after 9-11, is that going half-cocked at the Middle East is futile. And there is no plan here. We can’t afford this. But Trump doesn’t care. He is happy to keep making money for his rich friends while our military potentially dies and our tax dollars are flushed down the toilet.
The same reason that ICE is collecting immigrants in concentration camps instead of deporting them. His friends that own those privately owned prisons are making money off our tax dollars while people who might have only been guilty of a misdemeanor, once had a job and paid taxes and added to our communities and loved their families are now rotting in traumatizing situations. The policy is bad. Just like when Obama was in office, they should have gone after the dangerous criminals first, and after they deported them, gone after people who were not dangerous. But you don’t make as much money that way. It is worse because we hated it when Obama did it and he should have learned from it, but you can’t teach Trump anything.
Mistakes are meant to be learned from. Questions are meant to be answered. On the day after Iran had been bombed and the Ayatollah was dead, someone suggested that I had TDS because I told a group that I thought they were small minded because they remained strong that only democrats were unhappy that our country had entered into war, without the backing of Congress. They followed up their response with a picture of Obama with a title with a word obliterated so that it was no longer English and no longer violent. I asked them what TDS was and I asked them what the word was supposed to be. I can guess what the word is because I am not daft, but I do think that it is ridiculous when adults use the word grape for rape or change letters to numbers so that they are no longer technically a violent word; we are adults here. And apparently, whether we want to admit it or not, we live in one of the most violent countries in the world. I think we should stop trying to hide from it, and face it, so maybe we can stop doing it.
Three days later, no one had answered me, so I looked up TDS because I am a curious person. TDS stands for Trump Derangement Syndrome.
“Simply put, Trump Derangement Syndrome is a derogatory term used to describe a form of toxic criticism and negative reaction to former President Trump’s statements and political actions. The origin of the term can be traced to the late political columnist and commentator Charles Krauthammer, a psychiatrist, who first coined the phrase ‘Bush derangement syndrome’ in 2003.” Alex Pattakos Ph.D.
I have dealt with many of my responses to DJT. My greatest one, was when I watched the clip of his assassination, I recognized that he looked a bit like my abusers. This helped me to accept some of the reasons I was afraid of him. Once I did that, I was no longer afraid of him. He is just a man.
Another thing about recognizing that he reminds me of my abusers is that it wasn’t just physical, but mentally and emotionally he reminds me of my abusers. He is a coward and he is mentally and emotionally weak. Without his money. He has nothing. He thinks I am nothing because I don’t have any money, but in reality. He has much more to lose than I ever will, because I have people that will always love me and stand beside me, even if I don’t have a dime. He can’t say that. His followers think he will save them because he has the resources. But he wont. I know his kind. It is all about him. If he loses his Benjamins he has nothing. That is a very scary place to be.
I have a firm foundation that can not be bought with money.
Because I am intelligent, I can live through anything. And I have. I know I need God. He has always downloaded what I needed to know as long as I remained calm enough to ask Him for it. Trump thinks he is God. That is a huge mistake.
So if you are still comfortable following him, or if you never did, or if you are living in one of his concentration camps or if you are somewhere in the gaps between…God bless the USA
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
The bad guys look like good guys
In fact they look like
grandpas and brothers
uncles and daddies and friends
Their skin is usually white
They have more than enough
Yet they must take from the children and the women
The most vulnerable and the most responsible
~
We pay them well
In fact they own most of the wealth
Yet we like to make sure they keep it
even though we are the ones who need
It is by their hands we bleed
~
Rock a bye baby
Far up in the tree top
We want you to be safe
So we don’t see you
when you cry for help
And we certainly don’t hear you
when you cry Rape!
~
Holy holy holy
Whoever’s name we like to throw around
When it suits us
But we don’t really know You
And we certainly don’t love anything but the power of these
When I am with you
I am at capacity I am acceptable by myself
Yet I am optimized
by your presence
How did I ever live without you?
~
I knew love
by its full name
before I knew you
At least part way
But you showed me
new depths
and another side
~
When it was safe
we became we
Because it was safe
we became our own selves
It’s bigger than love because
I was known by and
I know you
Because I had been heard I was seen
Donald Trump has warned The United States
will hit Iran
“with a force that has never been seen before”
if the Middle East nation retaliates
From one murderer to another Putin said
“Please accept my deep condolences in connection with the murder
of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran”
~
Zack Polanski said the attack on Iran is illegal
He’s a British politician
but his family started in Latvia
and then went to Ukraine
and then Poland
and finally the UK
to avoid antisemitism
“That’s the law of the jungle
That’s an end to international law“
~
Hezbollah leader Naim Qasem
calls Ali Khamenei
a martyr
who leaves behind tens of millions of devotees
“We will fulfil our duty in confronting aggression
confident in Allah’s victory
guidance
and support”
~
Israeli military spokesperson
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani
ensured reporters that many targets remained
including military‑industrial production sites
“We have the capabilities
and the targets
to keep going on for as long as necessary”
~
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
issued a statement this morning
“The assassination of the highest political official
of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the prominent leader
and authority of the Shiite world by
the sinister American-Zionist axis
is considered a declaration of open war
on Muslims
especially Shiites
in all corners of the world”
~
As the men talk
hardly anyone mentioned that
on February 28, 2026 Minab School was hit AN ALL-GIRLS PRIMARY SCHOOL
located near an Iranian military site
148 people are dead
95 people are injured
Those little girls will never be mothers Ramadan Kareem
Things have changed me over the last 12 years. I got married to someone the loves me for exactly who I am. I don’t have to act or be anything other than who I am. When I am at my worst Karen G Clemenson tells me I am beautiful, sexy, smart and she loves me. When I have nothing for her, I can tell her that and she will give me space because that is what I need. She knows I love her and when I have dealt with me or taken a nap, I will be there for her and until then, there is food in the fridge, clean clothes to wear and interesting books to read and her favorite app on her phone.
I have worked hard to learn to live with and accommodate chronic physical and mental illness. These things don’t go away but they can be managed and I do it well.
I have removed people and things from my life that do not serve me well. I have learned to say no and to create boundaries.
I have come to peace with my sexuality. God made me this way and He has never stopped loving me. I am also comfortable with my sex. These were two things that for several reasons were hard for me growing up. But God has never left my side.
I have overcome suicidal ideation. At most it is a fleeting thought and when it comes, I know to stop and take better care of myself.
I have also overcome endometrial cancer. Now at one point on a specific day I had at least 4 medical professional’s hands in my lady parts at one time. That was just one moment of the day. Throughout the three years I fought this cancer, I have had more people in my lady parts than I ever gave the two people I loved enough to choose to be with in my 50 years of life. This has made me much braver than most of the other hard things I have had to do in my life.
I reached 50 years old. Now I don’t really care about age. I don’t give it a lot of thought. Some topics, I still converge upon as a child. My age doesn’t really reflect to me in reality until I want to move and then reality becomes apparent because I really do have two kinds of arthritis and fibromyalgia, but in my head age is fluid. But I do think I have earned enough life experience that even if, I didn’t already believe that other people’s opinion of me is none of my business, what I think matters.
Yet, what I love about myself is that what I believe about most things can be fluid because I am a human and I don’t know everything and sometimes I hear, read or see incorrectly and I know it.
I appreciate your beliefs and I appreciate the time and effort you put into explaining why you believe what you do.
I believe there is room for all beliefs.
I am a Jesus Follower because when I was 5 years old, I was playing by myself under the apple trees in my backyard and suddenly, I knew I was with Jesus and I never been alone since. I have been able to rely on my relationship with Jesus when I didn’t know how to do things, when I didn’t have answers, when I was hurting and when I could not trust anyone. I can’t prove this to you and I am not trying to. In my 20’s I got angry and told God to F-CK off. That was the loneliness, and most scary week of my life and it ended with me on my face asking Him to forgive me because I don’t know how to function without His relationship.
I don’t believe God wastes His time testing me. He doesn’t have to when He knows where I am. He knows I am willing to listen to Him. He is my Dad and my Friend. We have the same goal. Yes, He prunes and He teaches and He corrects, as His word says, but I think testing is the world’s job.
I am not a traditional person or a person that cares about rituals. Religion is not something that interests me but I love people because I believe we are all created in the image of God and it is His breath in our lungs.
Suffering is part of life. God did not promise a life free of suffering. Jesus’ 40 day fast was not easy. He spent most of his ministry, homeless. He was beaten with fists and whips before he was crucified; his death was brutal. What God did promise was that He would bring us through trials. He would empower us to love each other and help each other.
There can’t be evidence of God if we are to rely on faith. As we walk with God we learn to rely on faith and empathy. We learn this by learning from what Jesus taught us and the relationship we can grow in our meditation with the Holy Spirit, which was left with us when Jesus left the earth to go to God.
Hell is an interesting topic. Honestly, I believe hell is right here when we choose to make choices that hurt ourselves and others; the natural consequences of not loving. This was not taught to me at all church, but in my own studies of the bible. I might be wrong, but God is very practical. The laws in the bible were meant to help humans to have healthy lives, and show people that lived in dry, sandy and hot places, where they wore togas and sandals and had poor sanitation and bad manners, how to be clean and mindful of each other so that everyone was well. Those same rules were meant to prove that rules cause sin because humans are rebellious by nature and need a Savior. God was setting the stage for Jesus.
This same God, wants to be chosen so He gave us the right to choose. You don’t have to choose Him. I am not asking you to choose Him. But I do love Him and I am grateful that He chose me and I got to choose Him back.
I believe God made science. He is very creative. God’s version of time is very different than ours because He never gets tired since He is Spirit and doesn’t have a body. A day to God is thousands of years, which is why, even though the bible says the earth was created in 6 days, scientists have proven it took thousands of years of evolution for the earth to even be safe for humans to be here. I could think on that for a long time. It’s pretty amazing.
I am very thankful for the people that inspired these thoughts!
I want to close with this thought. I want you to have an amazing day. I want the sun to shine on you. I want you to feel love today and I want you to know safety. Regardless of what happens outside our community, I want Kelso-Longview to be a place where joy is because I live here. I can get get a little hot under the collar but at the end of the day, I do believe we are all made in the image of God and it is His breath in our lungs. And I want that to be the impression I leave. I get passionate because I love people and I want all people to loved and cared for and sometimes we fail, but I really hope you have a great day!
~
~
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
The search light searches
for life and truth
And sometimes there is just mystery
Because God cannot be completely understood
by my human mind
I know Him
In the quiet I have spoken my honest heart
and sought new ways to see and hear and speak
~
He is the search light
and the truth
But both take time to absorb
and adapt as He and I remove
what doesn’t serve to make room for what does
As my humanity sometimes fails me
or becomes more humble
A book is still only a book in men’s hands
and relationship has breath
~
Mankind has built an alter of evil Babylon was never really demolished
only demonized
The tower was flattened and men’s language confused
but God still knew what men would do
were doing
are doing
God knows where all the children are
He made women with the best part of Himself
~
If you don’t seek Him
You won’t find Him
If you don’t know Him
He won’t know you
What a loneliness that distinction is
And you wonder why you have no joy
We have come to a fork in the road
Decisions must be made
~
Veils have been torn down Lust pride
and greed
has grown too great
Someone is shinning the search lights
in places so well hidden
right in front of our faces
~
Thriller may be more of warning
than a song to dance to
with friends
Where will you stand
when there is no place to rest
if you never learned to endure
Because love has always been an action word
not something to collect
~
Hell is not a place to go to
It is right here
when you choose not to love God is love God is light
Without love there is no light
So in the dark
we all burn and the hounds of hades
are hungry for those who enjoy the masquerade
~
But me and my house
we enjoy the light
We don’t wear masks
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
The One able to search me
and know me
Alpha and Omega
You are the breath in me
I am writing this letter and will be sending it to the Longview School Board and the City Council of Longview, Washington. According to reporting from KOIN 6 News, two young men, aged 16 and 17 years of age, have been arrested and charged with sexual assault of 4 victims. Two victims are 14-years old, one victim is 16, and another victim is 17-years-old. These crimes happened several times at Mark Morris High School, in the locker room, during basket ball season, between November 2025 and January 2026.
It took a father calling the police because coaches and school professionals never did. There is evidence that the school knew about these crimes at least 2 weeks prior. Parents were concerned and had begun talking on social media sites. Students were overwhelmed and staged a protest because they felt unsafe and unheard. This is how the news was brought to daylight. Now that we are talking, it is evident that sexual assault is not new to Mark Morris, and maybe other schools. That last statement is not proven, however there is much room for investigation and hopefully people will come forward with any information that can help with any knowledge or proof that will help the right changes to be made.
If you have information to share with the Longview Police
please call them at 360-442-5800
Monday through Thursday between 8 am to 4 pm.
This school board, being populated by a previous Longview Police Captain, a former Mark Morris Principal, and a former teacher at both Mark Morris and R. A. Long High School, I would have expected that our student’s safety would be paramount, but I see that this is not that case as charges of 2nd degree rape, unlawful imprisonment with sexual motivation, and indecent liberties with forcible compulsion have been brought against two young men that are students at Mark Morris High School.
I have read that this situation is not on the agenda for the meeting today. I can understand if, at this point, you cannot go into detail about this case. However, it would be appropriate to allot a moment to acknowledge that, at this time, you may be limited by what you can say, due to legal reasons. Nonetheless, taking a moment to express your obvious failure and plans to move forward towards growth and change that will include equity and safety for all students, is not a waste of time, but necessary for parents and students who do not feel safe or seen.
For the readers of my blog, because this letter is also posted at GoodTimesAlways.com, if you would like to contact the Longview School Board members here is their contact information:
Dr. Karen Cloninger – District Superintendent
360-575-7019
Don Wiitala – School Board President and Former Mark Morris Principal
dwiitala@longviewschools.org
Jennifer Leach – School Board Vice President & 20 year School Board Member
jleach@longviewschools.org
Deborah Pineda – School Resources Officer for Mark Morris High School & Former LPD Captain
dpineda@longviewschools.org
Barb Westrick – 23 year Longview School Board Member
360-425-2812
Susan Donahue – Former Mark Morris and R. A. Long High School Teacher for a combined 32 years
sdonahue@longviewschools.org
Regular meetings for the Longview School Board take place at 5:30 pm on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month according to their website. There is a link above. They take place at:
2715 Lilac Street
Longview, WA 98632
360-575-7019
I am not a mother. But I have lived in Longview for most of my entire life and I went to Longview Schools. I graduated from R. A. Long High School. I have a degree from LCC. I want to live in a safe community. I believe that if children are not safe, they have a greater chance to grow up to be unsafe adults. Children go to school to learn how to be good people. At least that is what I think they should be able to do. If they are being traumatized at school, how are they supposed to be part of a thriving community? If we do not have the hard conversations, if we do not make the proper choices to change so that everyone is safe and know that they matter, we are asking for higher crime and reliance on society later on.
I can’t be at your meeting later today. But I want my voice heard.
Dr. Linda Davis died
Tuesday February 17th
in a car crash around 7:45 am
during the potentially illegal pursuit
of Oscar Vasquez Lopez by ICE
~
Lopez is from Guatemala
No one knows when he got here
but a federal judge
signed off on his removal
from the United States in 2024
~
Chatham County Sherriff’s Office
has no record of criminal history
before Lopez was charged with first degree homicide by vehicle reckless driving driving without valid license
and failure to obey a traffic control device
~
Dr. Linda Davis
was a K-8 teacher at Savannah Chatham Public Schools
she was taken to the hospital
where she was pronounced dead
She was loved and will be missed
There will be counselors available
to support students and staff
“She always made you feel like you mattered”
~
Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis
said they would have assisted ICE
“We have a no chase policy
to help protect our citizens
more than it is anything else
So there may have been a different way
to corner the individual
So that he could not run
or that he could not cause
the accident that took the life of Dr. Davis”
~
“I’m saying to the President
on down
to all our national leaders There is a better way to do this“
Geraldo Lunas Compos
died on January 3rd He was a man
being held down by guards
until he stopped breathing
The autopsy report
ruled this man’s death
a homicide
~
Compos was 55 years old
was the father of 4
He had been legally admitted
to the United States of America
in 1996 from Cuba
He had lived in New York
for more than 20 years
He had served two terms in jail
for crimes he did commit
He had been free since 2017
~
Compos wad detained
by ICE in September
and sent to Camp East Montana
on Montana Avenue
in El Paso
He had been placed in solitary confinement
before he died
~
Petechiae in the eyes prove asphyxia is the cause
Campos’ injuries were consistent
with a hand or foot on the neck
Labs revealed
antidepressants and antihistamines
Campos had a history of bipolar and anxiety
There was no mention of suicide
in the report
until authorities saw the medical examiner’s report
~
Geraldo Lunas Campos was pronounced dead
after paramedics arrived
I was watching a video created by Jess Craven on Facebook and she caught my attention because she told me that this year ICE has spent $690 million on 7 warehouses. She said that all of these properties have gone for anywhere between 33-323% over what they were appraised at. These purchases also went through very quickly; much more expeditiously than most purchases like this would have normally been completed. She also said that ICE has plans to spend $38.3 billion turning former warehouses and prisons into detention centers this year. She said this is happening because you have given $75 billion to them with no oversite and lots of room for corruption. With no oversite there is no competitive bidding, no accountability, no one checking if prices make sense and no one verifying who profits. I did a quick check on Google and did find some articles that show Ms. Craven’s numbers are not just being pulled out of the air and ICE needs oversite.
This really upsets me to think that we have all this money to detain people, most of whom have no other charges against them, other than being here illegally. These people would rather be working, taking care of their families and paying taxes. Instead my tax dollars are paying for them to do nothing, except be traumatized. While we are being told that we don’t have money for disaster relief, healthcare or education.
I agree that we have an immigration issue. I am not sure why you can’t come up with a logical way to deal with the humans that need asylum and keep the criminals out. I don’t understand why people don’t see the importance of going after the immigrants that are criminals first and then after we get them out, work with the ones that just want a better life to see what we can do to help them keep working and paying taxes. I’m not sure why children are being held in detention centers at all. It seems that family members should be keeping the children, whenever possible. But my biggest question is why are we buying more detention centers? I thought the goal was to deport them.
I don’t want to pay for people to be held in prisons. I want people to pay taxes and raise their families. If they are violent offenders, call ICE and let them do what they need to get them out of our country. But if someone just wants a better life, can we help them do that? I thought that was the point of The United States of America. Please reign in ICE and The Felon in the Oval Office.
I must stand in the light
and be the reflection
Of the love I know full well
Many think they know His love
But if you are following the lead of men
they will fail
because they must
so you will know you need a Savior
~
It isn’t His name that will save you
but His love
It is different than what can be
bought with money or influence
It is given freely under the apple trees
or in places where money doesn’t matter
~
Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God Almighty
He has always been here
and always will be
And They don’t care what you call Them
But that you do
They are ravished
by one glance of your eye
~
The men in power can not save you
but your Teacher can help you
Through whatever war is created
whatever mistake you make
and They will love you all the way
Because you were breathed into existence
by the same Creator of the mountains
and the trees
~
Naked under the apple trees
we are all the same
Bodies come in many colors
but our souls either reached out to Them
or they did not
I am writing to you regarding Alabama’s The Child Predator Death Penalty Act or HB 41. Governor Kay Ivey signed this into law to make sure that when specific criminal acts perpetrated against children under the age of 12 years of age were designated as Class A Felonies.
First Degree Rape
First Degree Sodomy
First Degree Sexual Assault
First Degree Torture
They also included murder and were very specific about:
murder during kidnapping
murder during robbery
murder during sexual assault
murder of federal, state, county, local law enforcement officers
murder during imprisonment
murder for hire
murder during sexual abuse
murder during arson
murder during anything you could imagine…
In Alabama, people found guilty of these crimes will be sentenced to life in prison and they must serve 30 years in prison before they might be considered for parole. I see wisdom in looking at our own RCWs and making considerable adjustments.
RCW.9A.44.010 or Washington Criminal Codes is sufficient in defining people groups that might be involved in crimes. When I looked up Washington State Rape and Sexual Assault Laws I was able to find some sentencing information. What bothers me is that there is no words about trafficking. One thing I appreciated about Alabama’s bill was that they used the term: torture. Our laws use the phrase “serious physical injury” but I think that one says more than the other and both are not the same.
At this time adults convicted of Class A felony, those with prior sex offenses and kidnappings and those who are found to have tendencies towards violent sexual crimes will be required to always be registered with the county sheriff, in the county where the person resides. I don’t understand this. Why should peaceful and law-abiding citizens have to live among people who have proven that they can’t control themselves? I think this is a good argument to follow suit with Alabama and put people that hurt our most innocent victims away for a very long time.
Because of this, I am asking for a revision of RCW 9A.20.021 Maximum Sentences for Crimes. People found guilty of Class A Felonies, who are in for a life sentence, are not usually able to pay a $50,000 fine. I understand that Washington State does not have the death penalty as an option for extreme crimes, but we need to consider the safety of our most innocent and law abiding citizens. We deserve protection.
Today I am writing to you regarding H.R.22 AKA The Save Act. Last week I began the process of ordering my wife’s birth certificate. Since she works 3 jobs, I am the one that has the time for this. Unfortunately, during COVID we lost our storage unit so our marriage license is gone. I am not able to finish that process until we get a new copy of that document. My wife was born in North Carolina. A copy of her birth certificate costs $65. Luckily, we were married in Cowlitz County and our county seat is located in Kelso, which is only 5 miles from Longview, where we live. We will pay $25 for a new copy of our marriage license. These documents are important. We need to have them but I began this so that we can begin the process of getting her REAL ID which will cost about $100. In the end for both my wife and I to get REAL IDs this year, we will spend $355. I realize that driving is a privilege but voting is a right.
I vote by mail. I do not have to remember when to vote because ballots show up on time. My information is validated regularly. I drop my ballot in a secure box provided by city council. My vote is on paper and can be verified and recounted.
According to a statement accredited to Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, I read that nearly 70 million married women do not have a birth certificate with their legal name on it. This accounts for 25% of the voting age population. This only accounts for people who changed their names because of marriage. There are many reasons to have changed your name. However I am passionate about this because my wife chose to take my name when we got married.
My wife is an Army Veteran. She was willing to give her life our country. She deserves the right to vote.
The Save Act is voter suppression and an attempt to rig elections. My wife’s great-grandmother was a freed slave and she also was a voice in the Civil Rights Movement. She was proud to vote and she impressed on my wife how important it was to vote. Please don’t take this away from my wife. Please vote NO on The Save Act.
Forgiveness does not mean
we don’t need change
Just because I accept
the peace that
letting go of you
Doesn’t mean that
I will let you destroy
anyone else
~
The stepfather
the boyfriend
the uncle
the stranger that stole
that took something that
can’t be returned
You will not be allowed
to feast on me
or my siblings
again
~
If the protesters
the writers of letters
the callers and communicators
to our representatives
offend you
You are letting the abuser continue
You are an abuser
You are helping them win
~
The system they built to keep us tired
so we can’t complain
so we keep making babies
for them to devour
needs to be ended
We out-number them
If you support the status quo
You are for them
There is no picture of Luis Gustavo Núñez-Cáceres
that I can find
This 42-year-old Honduran citizen is the first confirmed death of 2026
from an ICE Detention Center
~
Arrested on November 17 in Houston
Núñez-Cáceres began at The Montogomery ICE Processing Center
but within a week
he was moved to The Joe Corley ICE Processing Center
on Hilbig Street in Conroe, Texas
He died at a nearby hospital
on January 6th at 4:31 am
from complication related to
congenital heart failure
~
Both facilities listed are operated
by ICE-preferred contractor The GEO Group, Inc
4 of the 7 people who died in December 2025
and at least 45 immigrants
have died while in the hospital
or promptly upon release from GEO Institutions
~
The DHS Appropriations Act of 2018
mandates that ICE
publicize reports of in-custody deaths
within 90 days
ICE claims they are dedicated
to the well-being of the humans in their care
But a guard just pleaded guilty
to sexual abusing a detained immigrant
and no supervisor was charged
It seems there is no justice
~
If screenings and assessments
healthcare and emergency services
are offered
If the well-being of detainees
is important
Why is there no one to hold accountable
Why is there no picture of Núñez-Cáceres
My soul hurts today
I have never been raped
but men have touched me
without my permission
and I felt violated
Most of my friends can say the same
or more
~
God did not give permission
for anyone
to hunt, kill, or eat each other Change can come if we decide
we want it bad enough
We don’t have to work from hate
~
We can work for love of each other
Because I love you and
value you
I want your safety and life
to be honored
~
No longer can we protect sickness
and depravity
You don’t get to steal God’s breath in my lungs
We must protect life
All of it
“Our professionally trained medical staff
including licensed doctors and nurses
provide timely compassionate care
to all individuals in our custody”
said Emily Lawhead
spokesperson for The Imperial Regional Detention Center Facility
in Calexico, California
at 1572 Gateway Road
~
Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz
died on January 9, 2026 at 1:18 am
He had been arrested on 11/16/25
in Newark, New Jersey
Within days of his arrival
at The Imperial
he was vomiting
and had pain in his stomach and chest
After a week he was tired when walking
and short of breath They gave him pills for the pain
~
His daughter was on the phone
with his friend
when she was told he had gone to the hospital
“They were worried because dad hadn’t come back”
While they spoke
a private line called to tell her he died
“I had hoped that my dad would get
out of that place
but not this way”
She never got to say goodbye
~
Yanez-Cruz was 68 years old
He loved his children
He loved watching his 6 grandchildren
open their Christmas gifts
He was a soccer fan
a painter and construction worker
He enjoyed when his daughter made baleadas
a traditional Honduran dish
He came from Honduras for a better life
He applied for protected status twice
and was denied
I often read or hear the phrase: “I hate politics.” I used to say this myself, and I used to believe it, but as I have embraced the idea that hatred is not only a waste of time, it is a waste of energy, but it is also something I don’t want in my life. When it comes to a topic that is so engrained in our life, it is futile and meaningless to try to get away from politics.
Politics, at its core, is about power relationships, decision-making, and the art of influence that exists in virtually every aspect of human interaction. – Political Science Institute
We can not get away from politics and this is why we are frustrated and exhausted right now. Politics fundamentally involves three key elements: leadership, domination, and subordination. We find politics in workers unions, student organizations, federal, state and personal budgets, relationships, institutions, social networks, religion, education, art, and even the Super Bowl. The influence of a person in a respected position of leadership can cause either calm or havoc, joy or angst and let’s face it; the current administration likes to keep us jumping. I am in a constant state of wait and see because I decided I could not wake up to, “Dear God Help!” anymore.
In a conversation I was told I was not allowed to speak in, yesterday, I bit my tongue while I listened to someone tell me that they did not care about the video that was put out on our president’s Truth Social wall, where President and Mrs. Obama were portrayed as primates and he was the king of the jungle. The same video, I actively did not look for because I don’t give room in my mind for such things; however I did see screen captures that some people had put up on Facebook. This person did not want to hear what I thought about it.
Since I wasn’t allowed to share my opinion yesterday, I will share with you what I thought after I had waited and saw, throughout the day. I was thankful. I was thankful because I saw in two different posts that Christian groups, that previously had not been able to speak because of their political beliefs, now were able to put down politics and see their humanity and their common belief in love for each other and the teachings of Jesus and agree that our president is wrong and we need to be loving each other. There was humility where there once was judgement. God found His glory and I was grateful.
I don’t believe if you are a human, it is honest to say that you hate politics, if you know what politics are because politics is how we change systems. Systems exist so that people are served. We have heard the word “system” used to describe many things, including racism or white supremacy, government assistance, our police, and government. This word, like politics is not a bad word but it can be used against us, much like politics, if we are not mindful of it. A cookie is not bad either, but if you eat an entire box of them, do not be surprised if you get a tummy ache.
I do not know everything. I try to be slow to answer these days, because that was a habit my grandpa had. It is good to stop and take a breath before you speak. Consider who you are talking to, whether they can even hear what you are saying, before you bother to add your 2 cents. Because let’s face it, pennies are not available anymore. This next generation wont even know what $.02 looks like. Some people cannot experience what you are going to lay in front of them, for any number of reasons even if they are good people that mean well. Just because Morgan Freeman doesn’t believe that we should have a Black History Month, doesn’t mean he has the authority to speak for all Black people. He is a great and creative and intelligent man, but he is just one man. I read Malcolm X and Uncle Tom’s Cabin in high school and Their Eyes Were on God in college and many other books about Black culture in my life. I have read There There and The Soul of the Indian, Like Water for Chocolate, Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of and African American Jew, Madness: A Bipolar Life, and Gandhi: The Autobiography and many more books, as an adult that have taught me that as the human race, we are all complicated and beautiful and we all deserve to be here and no one is better than anyone else.
There are different forms of political power:
Economic – control through financial resources and market access
Social – control through cultural influence, celebrity status, or moral authority
Institutional – control through formal positions within organizations or government structures
Informational – control through access to knowledge and communication channels
Trump ran on a promise to lower the cost of living. But he was also supported by oligarchs (a small group of government with a lot of money) that could support him as long as he did what they wanted. He has succeeded to keeping them happy but a huge number of people in the United States are not happy because we are hurting. In order to make the oligarchs happy, many people have lost their jobs, their insurance benefits have been reduced, Medicare and Medicaid is being gutted, SNAP has been cut off or decreased, although unemployment and inflation seem to be steady. This is all economic politics.
Trump and his staffers, republicans and democrats have all learned to use the media and social media sites to communicate with us, what they want us to hear. Celebrities use their time at awards ceremonies telling us what they think we should know about political issues. We are overwhelmed by videos of people dealing with ICE and CPB agents, protests from fellow United States citizens who are not happy with our government. This is social politics.
The County Assessor decides how much tax you own on your property. In Washington State about 50% of our taxes come from retail sales and use taxes, 18% from B&O taxes, 10% comes from State Property taxes and 22% comes from all other taxes. This is Institutional politics.
I believe that social networks have given us a freedom to communicate and a HUGE responsibility to make sure we are being careful with what we find online. I do not believe that AI is a gift. I may be incorrect, and I am comfortable with being incorrect, but if it is free AI, I think you are setting yourself up for something that might be dangerous, much like those free surveys and games online. Every time you push a button that says yes, you are giving permission to someone and it might be for more than you realize. I don’t care about Big Brother. If they are really watching me through my cell phone or computer or flat screen TV, than they must be really bored because they are not going to see anything but a middle-aged woman, reading or writing or cooking or sleeping. But I am not going to give them permission to access my pictures and addresses and notes on my devices. This too is political power, because it is my information. But informational politics includes what we have available to us in libraries, newspapers, magazines, online, schools, media in general.
Sex also plays a huge role in politics because we have decided that not only is my genitalia, that of what is considered female, and the weaker sex, who will never make what a man makes in wages, but people have decided that you get a vote on what my doctor and I decide what medical procedures I can choose, depending on what state I live in. When I voted for marriage equality, I had no idea I was voting for the right to marry my wife, Karen G Clemenson, but it worked out for both of us. However, if we go to certain states, our marriage is not recognized. I am not angry about it, but I know people that have known their whole life, they were queer and they were bullied and abused, and they do have scars. This too is political.
I also know people that feel as though their body is not as it should be. They feel they were born in a body that is the wrong sex. Who am I to argue with them about the body they live in? Even if one of us is wrong, it does not hurt me to love them, they way they want to be loved and called by the pronoun they desire. I have fought a lot in my life to be seen and heard. If you tell me your name is Susan and you have a full beard, I am going to call you Susan. I might also ask permission to ask a few more questions and if you let me, I might ask you a few more questions, but when you say you are done, I will stop. This too has become a political game.
If I am here to love you, which is what I believe my mission is, and then I wont listen to you, what good am I, if I condemn you before I even hear your name? Some of the best lessons I have learned, came because I let someone speak.
Politics is what gives individuals in a group a voice. Politics is what my great-grandmother fought so my disabled great-uncle could have access to restrooms and sidewalks. Politics is what Jamie Holloway‘s mom fought so that blind individuals in Longview, Washington would have access to the chirping bird sound at the crosswalk and people would know what the white and red canes were for. Politics made it so that I could not only be friends with my best friend and now wife because she is black. Politics made translators available for people who don’t speak English or can’t hear or see. Politics made lunch breaks mandatory and child labor illegal. Politics are not perfect because people are not perfect. But we have to keep trying. Politics are are not evil. But we might need to stop and take a breath sometimes.
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
Today I am writing regarding the Gateway Hudson River Tunnel Project. I saw a post by Pete Buttigieg today and I wanted to make sure that it was true. It did not take long to find articles that supported his claims. President Donald Trump wants Washington Dulles International Airport and New York’s Penn Station renamed after himself in exchange for releasing federal funding for the Gateway tunnel project.
The Gateway Hudson River Tunnel Development Project is a multibillion-dollar rail initiative viewed as critical to Northeast Corridor travel and the regional economy, and delays in releasing federal funds threaten construction timelines and union jobs.
Attorney General Letitia James says this project is a critical infrastructure project essential to regional rail service and the national economy.
The Hudson Tunnel Project is the central component of the Gateway Program, a long-planned effort to revitalize Hudson River rail travel. The project will repair the 116-year-old North River tunnel and build a new tunnel beneath the Hudson River. The tunnel was severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy and continues to deteriorate, causing frequent service disruptions and emergency maintenance that impact hundreds of thousands of commuters. Construction on the Hudson Tunnel Project began in 2023 and is currently underway across multiple active sites in New York and New Jersey.
New York and New Jersey have already invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the project, and the federal government has awarded more than $16 billion in total funding through multiple grant and loan programs. However, despite years of planning and coordination, on September 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) abruptly halted all funding for the project.
The pause immediately affects nearly 1,000 workers, and an extended suspension could put about 11,000 construction jobs at risk, along with the 95,000 jobs and $19.6 billion in economic activity the project is projected to generate.
Although I do not live on the east coast, I am a tax-payer and I feel for my fellow United States citizens. I know that my tax dollars should mean something. I believe this action by this president is just one more self-serving action that proves that he is unable to put our United States first when making decisions. Please do what you can to make the funding that was already voted on for this project to be available to restart this project and get people working, despite the unnecessary needs of this president to have his name in lights on places he has not earned the right to bear it. Why is it that in order to get this president to comply, he must be sued? He has set a precedence of wastefulness, in his need to be #1, but not necessarily the best.
I praise God because He is good
even when no is right
and everyone is right
and the Epstein files are proving
what we already knew
~
I am not disagreeing with you
but I am including all sex abuse crimes
because Epstein Island is the one time that Black Women were not included in sex abuse
although some might say it was not about sex
but about power and
the genitals just happened to be the way in
~
I’m not looking away and I am not ignoring what I see
I am just no longer shocked
I am just waiting
As someone who has been in need
and yet always forgotten
I am used to humanity
people do as people do unless they decide to change
~
And change must come from within
Change cannot be imposed
Change cannot be forced
Change cannot be man-made
or it wont last
That is why God honors free will
That is why God lets you choose
~
So while I wait
I will praise Him because even though
everyone is right
and everyone is wrong God is always good
My writing has become fervent lately and pointedly political lately. More than ever it has had a point in mind and not just to be art or education. I pray every day that I hear God; that He be blessed by me and that I bless you. The target is not to be divisive against a political party but systems that are not healthy; that have never allowed for true equality or peace. Shalom doesn’t just mean quiet. Shalom, the word, Jesus would have used for peace is much greater than the word we throw around so easily.
People have accused me of hating our president; maybe they are confused by my post Dear President Trump. At one time that was sort of true, for a time. But as I looked inside myself, because I had to understand what was happening every time I heard his name and I lost control of my body, in an anxiety attack. I eventually realized I was afraid of him. There were layers that I had to look at. And as I dealt with myself and my scars from emotional abuse and neglect in my past, I was healing and on the day Trump was shot, I saw something in that video clip that brought clarity to my fear. He looked like my abusers. His defiance, even in a moment of terror; I knew that look. On that day, I was no longer afraid of him because I knew I was just like him, if I wanted to be. And I don’t.
Over the last 25 years or so, I have blatantly chosen to become softer, calmer, a better listener, more inclusive than I was taught to be. It has been difficult but Karen G Clemenson and Jamie Holloway are good coaches and Jesus is the best teacher.
When I thought I hated President Trump, it really bothered me. Just about as much as when I realized I hated another person in my life. I don’t want to hate anyone. If God lives in me, there can be no room for hate inside me. Why would I ask Him to live with that? But I am lucky because God desires to live in a relationship with me, in Spirit and truth, so I can and have been brutally honest with Him and while I did that He has helped me to set down a lot of painful things. He will do that every time I ask Him to. I do not hate President Trump. I do not like President Trump, but I do respect the fact that he too, is made in the image of God and God made Trump and God loves Trump and He will find glory for Himself in what Trump is doing, because that is what God does.
I have been considering the fact that people think that I hate Trump and then I saw a video of one of my favorite spiritual leaders, Reverend Joseph Yoo. Today he was reflecting on peacemakers.
“Shalom means wholeness, things being restored the way they were supposed to be. Justice where there was exploitation. Healing where there was harm. Provision where there was lack. Belonging where there was exclusion. Shalom is when human lives actually flourish. Because you can have no war and still have injustice everywhere.” Rev. Joseph Yoo
I was watching another person speak today, where they stated that they felt that Trump had been elected by people because people saw themselves in him. People that were offended by facts, accountability, and equality for all people liked Trump. People who thought that cruelty was strength and compassion was weakness and lying, cheating, and bullying people were something to brag about, they believed in this man.
I don’t know if I agree with this video completely, but it something to consider; to chew on. I read a lot of people’s comments on Facebook. I read more comments than I ever comment on, mainly because I am shocked at what people are willing to say to each other. It makes me wonder, if TJ Talks is correct about at least a few of my fellow United States citizens. So while I pray for President Trump, I pray for the people that voted for him and the people that make those comments that shock me. I ask that God find glory for Himself in what He is doing in their lives too.
I have written a lot of Letters to my Representatives lately. I think it is a better use of my time than protesting. I don’t have a body that can handle the winter weather or standing for hours. But God gave me the gift to write. But I also feel compelled to honor the people that have been killed by ICE. I am almost done writing a poem for each person that has been killed this year by ICE. It isn’t because I hate ICE. I don’t. I don’t like that they wear masks, are inconsistent with warrants and don’t check IDs. They have used many policies during this administration, against United States citizens that we have never seen before. What I am doing is honoring the lives that are lost because I believe that Every Person is Important.
I have thought about people who argue that many people died while in detention centers under President Obama. I vaguely remember this. It was a long time ago, but at that time we were trying to get a business or two off the ground. Also I was starting to get sick and trying to not worry about it. I was also unaware of many issues I had lived with always. I do remember that we did not hear about ICE agents randomly asking for proof of citizenship from anyone they saw, they didn’t go door to door and people didn’t feel the need to protest the government like they do now. I remember being angry about neglect and abuses in detention centers but I didn’t know what to do about it. I am older now and more comfortable and able to speak my mind, which is why I write to my representatives and encourage others to do so as well, now.
I felt safer with President Obama. I don’t feel safe with President Trump. But it is not their breath in my lungs; It is God’s and I understand this better now, than I ever have. By looking honestly at what is happening and considering and praying and trying to listen and be inclusive and even mourning the loss of lives I want to restore balance. Because that is Shalom.
~
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
Please wait...
