Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

Dear Representative,

I have been waiting patiently to hear of the reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals that Trump fired the first week of his term. It was a shock to hear about but it has become a greater shock that you have done nothing to fix this situation.

I understand that maybe these people do not want their jobs back after this type of humiliation but I believe in checks and balances, as our founding leaders foresaw we would need to ensure protection from leaders that didn’t respect our laws or the constitution. What are you doing to restore the balance in our country where nonpartisan people make sure that we are safe and programs are not being taken advantage of?

I personally don’t believe DOGE has my personal best interests in mind. How could it, when its leader is best friends with the president and one of his largest campaign donors? DOGE cannot be nonpartisan. In fact, DOGE was not voted in by the people so there two counts against it, in my opinion.

I am of the mindset, as Trump becomes more and more brazen that he does not respect the laws of the United States of America and should not be our president. We need to have our Inspectors Generals restored in order to protect us from a corrupt regime that only follows the laws that they want to.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

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Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare

Dear Representative,

I am very concerned that am hearing conflicting messages regarding Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. As a disabled person I rely on two of these programs. I know many people who also rely on these programs. My wife, Karen G Clemenson, is a veteran and she too has had trouble receiving services in the past and now we see veterans being fired and services being slashed. How does this encourage young people to serve our country if they know they won’t be supported if they come home and need help?

The plans of the Trump administration do not serve the everyday people in the United States. Tax cuts for the wealthy do not build GDP or add to our economy. Rich people just hold their money in savings accounts. This might help our interest rates but not the interest of the people. Cutting the programs of the least of these is not going to strengthen America.

I encourage you to assert the power given to you by our Constitution and overpower our reckless president. His tariffs and lack of regard for first amendment rights for citizens and press are childish. His comments regarding being king are unconstitutional. His authoritarian and transactional methods of leadership are not American, at least in the way that we have worked hard to build relationships with other countries over the years.

Please do your job.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

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Who Supports 47

Who Supports 47

Someone asked me, today, if I thought all people that supported 47 were a certain kind of people. They used an acronym that I don’t know and that Google doesn’t know so I couldn’t answer their question. They were responding to a post that was actually a rough draft for my post: Why Aren’t People Angry Like Me? that ended up on my blog, so if they didn’t read my blog they didn’t get to read where I went with it. But regardless, I was very angry when I wrote both posts. But I have been thinking about who supports 47.

I still agree with what I wrote, but the level of feeling has died down and I haven’t read any news or watched any news for 5 days. I have been focusing on me. Reading my bible. Reading books that I want to read, which are not light reads, but are not directly related to 47, which tends to be a topic that gets me going pretty fast.

Left to my own peace-loving self, I believe that most people, regardless of where their politics lie, are good people; helpful people. If I had a house and it was on fire, I would not ask that only firefighters of one party show up at my house because the other party would not do a good job. If you were walking down the street and you saw me trying to save my family, you would probably help me pull my family from my burning house, or at least make sure 911 had been called, and maybe even hold a hose towards my house for me, while I helped my loved ones. You might even pray with me while my house burnt down. We would never ask who we voted for. We would just be happy that my wife and I were safe and my cat was counted for and I was even able to grab the safe with our documents in it. We might hug each other and you would be glad that The Red Cross came and we had a safe place to go to that night until our insurance took care of this mess. We would never talk about politics. Even if one of were wearing a MAGA hat. Even if one of wasn’t a Jesus Follower, we still might hold a moment of silence and lift up positive thoughts to the universe for our new friendship. Because I believe that when we don’t let stuff get in the way of the good parts of humanity, we are all connected.

I have never been rich. But I have been related to people with money. I know how to act around people with money. I know what to do with money. I know how to make good decisions with money when I have it. But I love love more than money. I love people more than money. I am a chronically ill person with a body that doesn’t do what I want it to do most of the time and I can’t be a reliable employee so I rely on my disability checks. My wife is a genius but was never encouraged to go to college. When she finally tried, she had a brain aneurism and it has taken her a long time to overcome the financial problems that caused. But she is a hard worker and an asset at every job she has ever had, although, she is rarely paid much over minimum wage and hasn’t had full-time hours in almost a year. But we have love and we really like each other. We have always enjoyed being with each other, even when we were just friends. So I consider us very wealthy.

We will probably never see a year where we make over $60,000, let alone $400,000. I am ok with that. It seems like a lot of responsibility. But you better believe, we are generous with the small amount we now have, so I know it would be just that much more fun to give if we had more! That is the way we live.

I am neither a republican or a democrat. I believe if both parties are truthful to their platforms, they balance each other out and I like that. But I don’t even think either party has been totally truthful to their own platforms for a long time. I miss when republicans wanted a balanced budget. They would have never voted to raise the debt ceiling before now, and especially not at the hundreds of trillions of dollars that 47 has proposed. Republicans like low taxes but in their hay day they would have seen that we can’t afford to cut taxes with our national debt this high. I don’t mind that democrats are often called socialists, a little socialistic behavior is good for the economy when you have children in homes that can’t feed them; how will they ever rise above their situation if they don’t get a good education and healthy food? So schools should be fully funded and children should be fed and have health insurance; they are our future. Anything we can do to help families, we should do because it helps children grow up and, “be best,” to borrow a phrase from our First Lady.

I am saddened that 47 is so set against the growth in civil rights we have made. We live in a world, where it is still not fair to be a person of color, a woman, a queer person, disabled, a senior citizen or a naturalized United States citizen and these groups of people still need help. They don’t need to be stomped on, erased or forgotten. This program to erase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is downright mean. I don’t know why some white men need to be coddled so much. As a fellow white person, even though my family is only 3 and 4 generations in the United States, so yes, I think immigration is wonderful, I would like to remind you that white people stole this land from Natives. White people should not be the dominate race here.

I am avoiding the news this week. I am doing it on purpose. My anger got too big for me to handle last week. I have cancer. I often forget about that. With my 14 diagnosis, only one of them can be cured and it is the cancer. 4 of them are mental and the rest or physical and I never feel great. So the cramping and the exhaustion, they could also be something else. But I need to not be so stressed out that I am screaming at my wife when she comes home or I can’t answer a question without crying or shaking or having nightmares. My therapist is right. There is nothing I can do to change the trajectory of where things are going in our government. I don’t have time to fact check every post people put out there to make sure it is true, but many of them are complete lies. There are only so many emails I can send to my representatives.

What kind of people do I think support 47?

  • If I had to guess, people that like money, people that want more money and think he can deliver.
  • I think people that think it is ok to define other people and people groups, even if they have no idea what it is like to be those kinds of people, and tell them how to live their life, support him because he seems to be doing their beck and call, pretty well.
  • I think people that don’t have faith in science or believe that we need to change how we use our natural resources before we drown ourselves and scorch the sky, probably support 47.
  • I think people that believe that vaccines are dangerous for everyone to use and think they don’t need to care about themselves or their loved ones enough to find out if there is a medical reason why they should avoid them, or just a stubborn streak that is stopping them from protecting themselves and their neighbor, probably like the cabinet that 47 has chosen; regardless of the years of science that proves that vaccines cause disease to be eradicated.
  • I think that many people have thought that government has been too big for a long time, but I am not sure many of them had what is happening in mind when they said to drain the swamp. Or maybe they did, maybe people that support 47 like that hundreds of thousands of people are out of living wage jobs and have no health insurance and many programs that we have grown accustomed to accessing, are working worse that ever now that we don’t have people to man them. Maybe those people are very happy about this. I don’t know. I haven’t done a poll to see what kind of people still support 47. But I know that in April we have been waiting for a year for my wife’s FMLA benefits from when she had her hysterectomy. She has applied for help with the VA several times and she tends to get lost in the shuffle. I have sent in paperwork over a year ago for a disabled plaque so I can park closer to buildings, over a year ago and it has never come. I also ordered a copy of my birth certificate about 2 months ago; I was born in Washington State…it hasn’t come yet. All these federal programs could work better and I don’t think firing people is going to make them more efficient.
  • I also think that white supremacists and christian nationalist like 47 a lot. I think he likes them too. He gives the racists a freedom they haven’t had a in long time. A place to put their hatred. Even though I have heard him say he is not a christian, I have also heard him say he likes how loyal christians are. They definitely can be that.
  • I do know that a lot of people that support 47, seem to love the massive amounts of deportations of illegal immigrants, even if they are not criminals and need asylum, even though one of our greatest United States symbols is The Statue if Liberty and at her feet is a plaque that says: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! The Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. This is what the Clemensons would have seen when they came over from Norway to Ellis Island and created their new name for a new life.

There might be more kinds of people that support 47. I don’t want to take my imagination any further.

One of the books I am reading is the founding documents of the United States. I bought it because I wanted a copy of The Constitution but I am also finding a lot in the other documents that are available in the foundation of the United States of America. Our colonists were really abused by England’s king. Many times, in more than one document it is stated that we will not have a king. The reasons are made very clear in more than one document. A king is not all powerful. He must still answer to his Parliament, however he still has power and he did some horrible things to us in his anger and attempt to own us. We have forgotten this. 47’s comments about being king, whether they are a joke or not, are not only unconstitutional, but need to stop. There is a reason we chose our type of government. We chose a president that answered and was held accountable and had less power than our congress on purpose. Our congress is made up of elected officials that can be voted out so that we the people hold the power. This is important to remember. This our country. The United States of America is 47’s too, but he is just one man and he works for us.

Another book I am reading is called Frauen. Each chapter is an interview of a married woman during the Third Reich. Depending on the social class or education level of each woman, the interview is vastly different. The experiences of these women are sometimes similar and sometimes extremely different. Some of the women knew Jewish people and were empathetic to the situation for them. Some women knew that not only Jews, but anyone that wasn’t what was what was considered perfect (disabled people, elderly, queer, gypsies, spies, criminals, black people, etc) were in the work camps and some camps were specifically death camps. Some women had an idea of what happened in the camps, but they were terrified and didn’t talk about it because they might end up there too. Some women didn’t know any Jews and only knew the propaganda they had been taught about the “dirty Jews.” Each story is hard to read. I spent most of my high school experience studying the holocaust, but it was always from the viewpoint of the survivors of the camps. I have never read anything from the people on the outside. Some of these people lived right next to the camps and they had to “not know.” Ignorant, uneducated people that were very religious, although Hitler did not believe in religion and religion was not part of Nazism, were what he wanted. These people were the easiest to manipulate.

I can see why people keep saying they see similarities to now and the Third Reich. But this is not 1933 and we are not in Germany, where we have just lost World War I and we have not recovered yet.

We are The United States of America. We do things our own way. We need to remember this. 47 is president, but this is our country.

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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.

Why Aren’t People Angry Like Me?

Why Aren’t People Angry Like Me?

I want to confess to you that I am very human. That even though I am a Jesus Follower and I have been all of my life and I have seen Him do amazing things that I am still afraid. I wake up every day and thank Him for my blessings, because I am a blessed woman, and I pour my heart out because I am afraid, not just for myself but for people that don’t know the faith I do. I am also angry. So angry. More angry than I have been in many years because people that claim to be christians are so selfish and have voted in an antichrist as our president and prepared his way with bills in Congress so he can’t be impeached, and voted in his budget that will not pay down any of our debt but will increase it by hundreds of trillions every year, take money away from children, elderly, veterans and the sick, while giving more money to people that already have more than enough. Where is the mercy and grace in this? I ask God every day to help me not sin in my anger, but I know the thoughts I think, and they are not pure. I am sorry.

To feel so unimportant, to feel so erased, and to know so many feel this way, doesn’t make me want to pray for our president or our Congress, although, out of obedience, sometimes I do and sometimes it is even the kind of prayers God can honor, because I am always honest with God and He knows I am human and He knows where I fall short and where I let myself imagine letting all the people that are hurting others go in my mind, because I feel powerless, not because I condone violence or murder, but because I feel my pain and the pain of others and in moments of exhaustion, it seems the only way to make it stop. But I know I am wrong. I know violence only begets more violence and peace is what I really want. Yet this president doesn’t like peace, he thrives in chaos and in making people uncomfortable, so while he is in office, this is what we have.

I have accepted that all blame doesn’t belong on 47 or Musk. They have been empowered by Congress. And Congress has been empowered by republicans, regular people that do not want the same things I want. But I am still very angry. Hopefully God will be able to show me what to do with my anger because I don’t believe anger has to be bad. Jesus got angry. For many of the same reasons I am angry now.

I have a friend that tells me government is too big. It shouldn’t be in our religion, schools and such. I agree, government should stay out of religion, although I don’t mind if churches pay taxes. I also think schools need to be fully funded and offer meals to children and if that means that we need federal funding to do it, than so be it. Some families need more help than others and children should not suffer because their parents or their states can’t or won’t excel. I also think, as the bible says, we should mind our own business and get the hell out of each other’s doctor appointments and procedures. Adults should be able to have any medical procedure necessary for their medical and mental wellness and it should not be a political issue but a decision made between individuals and their medical team alone. What a waste of time and resources we have created by politicizing abortion or gender affirming care! But there are other government services that are being cut right now that are important: transportation, food inspection, national parks are just a few. Some government jobs make it easier to work with other countries, get to work, have safe food to eat, prevent disease through vaccinations and new treatments, go to parks to relieve stress and have fun, help people pay their bills because they are too sick or old to work, just for example.

Jesus said it would be hard for the rich to get the heaven. He said this because He expected us to share. He told us to share freely. He said to not store up things on earth, but in heaven. Many of these people that agree with what is happening want to say they are christians but they don’t want to share, even when what they have more than enough.

I read that even though the goal of DOGE is to find waste, that 47 and Musk were talking about giving the money they found to the people, but not to the people that need it, the people that make over $400,000 per year. This statement makes me angry, not because I won’t get any of that money, but because any money they find should go directly to pay down our national debt. This is also why I am angry about tax cuts for the wealthy. Fiscally we have no business cutting taxes when our national debt is the highest it has ever been. I would even not be so angry about the rape of Medicaid and SNAP programs if it was going to pay down our national debt, but it isn’t, it going to make up for the tax cuts for people that don’t need it.

Why aren’t people storming the White House? I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t understand why these decisions are terrible, not just nationally but globally? The decisions that are being made are going to make The United States of America weak in every aspect. Why aren’t people angry like me?

On top of all of my feelings, to be truthful, my fears and anger are not just about other people. My feelings and fears are about me. I feel like I did as a child. Always knowing that I would have a terrible thing to deal with every day, but not knowing what it would be, who it would be about and how much it would hurt. Never knowing which version of my parent would show up. Never having the tools I needed to handle the stress and emotional neglect and violence I had to shoulder in my abusive, while well-meaning family. I hate feeling like I can’t protect myself or my neighbor. I don’t like feeling like a child. I find myself always looking over my shoulder, checking my email for a news article and trying to deal with that constant pain in my stomach and heart because I know people are hurting because of the choices of politicians and people that I can do nothing about, except pray. And even though I know this is enough, it doesn’t feel like it, because you can pray for someone for your whole life and then realize that they get to choose to be who they are and they might never align with your prayers because they have the right to be who they want to be, no matter what you ask God for. I know this because I prayed for my family to love me all my life, to know the God I knew, for them to hear me and they can’t do it or wont do it.

Because we all get to choose who we are, even if they make laws that say otherwise. 47 can make all the executive orders he wants about gender but Queer and Trans people have always existed and they always will. You can’t erase us. You can make abortion illegal, but they will always happen, whether you like them or not. The more pressure you put on humanity, the more we fight back. You can accuse President Zelenskyy of not being grateful or not wearing the appropriate suit when he visits but he still didn’t start the war in his country, and we know that Russia did and if World War III begins, it might just be because 47 has raised tariffs to a ridiculous level against our biggest trading partners, while teasing them with adding them to the United States, antagonizing the world with buying them out and not supporting organizations that we have always supported, to keep the world in balance, until every country gets sick of 47 shooting off his mouth and they decide to shoot at us and then what will we do.

Yes I am very angry.

~

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.

Free Speech

Free Speech

I was on Facebook, the other day, and I found myself on a feed of a more conservative perspective, where people were enjoying their right to free speech, and I came to realize that these people were the people that voted in the politicians that are responsible for the chaos we are in right now. I always hate it when people just blame the president for every issue we have because the president only has the power Congress allows them. Congress is more powerful than the president. And it is Congress that has empowered 47 and Musk. But it is voters that empowered Congress and 47 and Musk.

The lack of care for individuals, these people showed, should not surprise me. They were ok with thousands of people losing their jobs and health insurance. They were ok with the impersonal way these people are being let go. They were happy with the fear that some of us feel. They considered anyone that disagreed with them garbage and felt free to say it in all sorts of nasty ways. I didn’t comment because I knew they couldn’t hear me. The inalienable right of every man to pursue their happiness was irrelevant to anyone but themselves.

As we watch our scientists lose their jobs and funding, I wonder if anyone with the power has considered that this investment in  future knowledge is part of our culture and power. That our reach for science compels us to find answers for illness and technology that also creates relationships even with our enemies. As we isolate ourselves from a world that we helped create on a global scale, this sudden rejection is not going to make us better or great. As our Congress allows our president to run his mouth, unchecked, one day the other countries will get sick of the stress he brings and we can only wonder when war, which our country had been able to keep off our shores for a very long time, might just come to meet us and there will be no one to help us.

I know that all presidents reject executive orders and projects of previous presidents, but the extent that 47 has done this is extreme. Someone asked me about what I thought about the pipeline project that Biden stopped and laid off workers, that Trump had begun when he was 45. But in actuality, that project was begun when Obama was president and before they could get too far, testing showed that the pipeline would poison the waters that the pipeline would be under. It would affect the fish, animals and people that were around that water, so it was stopped by Obama. 45 started it again because he doesn’t care about our environment or our health. When Biden got into office, the same testing happened with the same results that were found when Obama was in office were estimated and Biden put a stop to the project. At the time, there were no definite numbers as to how many jobs the pipeline would create during the build, but they were only temporary jobs. In the end there would only be 50 jobs created to maintain the pipeline, once the project was completed. This, by far, is a much smaller number that the hundreds of thousands of jobs that have been lost and will continue to be cut because of 47’s crusade to make government smaller, even if we need those government workers.

This same person asked me about nurses, doctors and state, local and federal workers that lost their jobs because they refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19. This was an easy response because I have voiced my opinion many times that my rights are superseded by my responsibility to my neighbors to be vaccinated, because the bible says I must love my neighbor as myself, without prejudice. Since I am not allergic and have no medical reason that stops me from being vaccinated, I am up to date on all my vaccines. As a medical professional, I would expect all my medical team to follow the same standard I do. People that work in the medical field or want to work for the government, unless they have a medical reason for not getting vaccinated must live to a different standard as the general public. If they don’t like it, they should have picked a different job.

One of my friends said this: I think we are in the situation we are in because “we the people” have allowed our government to dictate our lives. We are allowing “agencies” to spend without accountability. The people who were supposed to be accountable were not doing their jobs. The fraud and/or theft that has been discovered is insane. The Fed’s shouldn’t be involved in education or religion or anything not constitutionally put in their power. Including health care and providing for the poor. When you ask a person to work and take part of their labor pay to support the well-being of another, you have made the working class a slave. Our country has been a complete mess for quite some time. You can’t blame this on a month.

I don’t really have an answer for all of this. When she shares her information with me, we often disagree, so we are good at agreeing to disagree, because we love each other.

Except for religion, which I believe should never touch politics, government was needed to create balance in schools where states would not or could not. Without government help, some children have no chance of rising above their situation. As far as helping the poor, a healthy working class creates a healthy tax payer, better parents and more stability in society; it adds to the economy when people spend that money on bills, groceries and goods.

The defunding of research not only holds us back from reaching for the answers we need for the future but the relationships we had with other scientists in other countries. The fact that 47 has referred to himself as the king is unconstitutional and confusing to other countries. The fact that he will raise tariffs on Canada and Mexico in a few days, our biggest trading partners, will either be the biggest mistake 47 has ever made or maybe just another error, we will see. 47 has blatantly lied and said that Ukraine started the war with Russia when we all know it was Putin, all along. 47 has tried to erase all transgender people from existence, that is at least 1.4 million people. He is also making it so that businesses can’t choose to use diversity, equality and inclusion practices without fear of the government coming down on them. He has cut off communication between the CDC and the United States people during a break out of the bird flu, measles and flu so we have to rely on the media. He has also provided a long list of words that you can’t use when applying for grants or you will automatically be denied. Some of these words are: woman, black, trauma, victim…just to name a few. This is just a short list of what 47 has done; there is actually a lot more he has done. It has been a very fruitful month for 47.

Someone did question my christianity. I do not call myself a christian. That word has been ruined by people that have not spent enough time reading the Word or have warped it to suit their own purposes. I am a Jesus follower. I am not perfect, but I try to follow Jesus with all my heart and sometimes that causes me to say things people don’t want to hear. Which is probably just one of many reason that I don’t think that politics and religion should mix. I don’t believe I have the right to tell someone how to live their life and I certainly don’t want you to tell me how to live mine.

I am trying to be fair and relate to others. But to be honest it is hard not to be scared.

~

~

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.

Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

I Am Very Concerned About Our National Debt

Dear Representative,

I am very concerned about our national debt and the stress that is on my family and working families like mine. I know that Trump and the republicans are going to want to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from 2017 that is about to expire but I am asking you to fight against this with all you have. It doesn’t make sense to make those who have less to pay more than those who have more. I am not asking that the wealthy pay more than their fair share, just the same rate that all hard working United States citizens do. It is the only way that makes sense to get control of our debt without crippling our nation.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

~

Holy Fire

Holy Fire

It is hard to think with my human mind
Sometimes my spirit is on fire
And I can’t imagine how to move
The direct path is hard to see

~

Those who live in the spirit
Cannot be judged
They cannot be understood
By those who live in the flesh

~

It is only God that knows
Where I am going
Where we are going
My arms are tired from holding them up

~

The champions that are fighting
Must see that someone is for them
So here I stand with my arms stretched out
I am a beacon of light

~

So many have left love behind
They seek human made things
For validation
For power
For life
But none of this will stand up to fire and brimstone

~

Only LOVE will survive the holy fire
So I stand here
Because the warriors are winning
Even if it doesn’t look like it

~

~

They Can’t Teach You Anything Else

They Can’t Teach You Anything Else

My heart hurts so much for the persecution that people have been going through and are going through at the hands of people proclaiming to be christians. White people. I used to be one of them, by proxy, but luckily for me, one day, God spoke to me and said, “It’s time to leave. They can’t teach you anything else.”

I cried with God today. I asked Him why He chose 47. Why He lets christian nationalists persecute people for being Queer or Transgender or Native or Black or Latin or Asian or Women or Disabled or any other group that has been othered. He loves all His creation; even if we are wrong, the bible says God leaves us to our depravity. And He said that is what He is doing. I knew He was talking about the white cisgender male christian nationalists, with all my heart.

The God I know doesn’t work in the ways we always understand because He is Spirit and He knows and sees and hears every aspect; we cannot possibly understand everything He understands. He is love in a way most of us cannot comprehend because it is free of condemnation, ulterior motives or evil in any way. I can understand being afraid of Him because conservative christians tell us we are going to hell for any human act, yet that isn’t what Jesus taught. He taught us to love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself, without exception. This requires humility, the same humility that some christian nationalists say is weak. But humility is what is required to love someone as yourself. To have empathy for someone who is different from you.

Jesus said if you want to be first, you must put yourself last. If you do this God will lift you up. This is not what 47 is doing. This is not what people that are hungry for power are doing. This not what people that are condemning are doing.

Jesus said if you are being persecuted, to know that He was persecuted first. Even if you have never considered Jesus, or you have, and became disenfranchised for any number of reasons, know you have something in common with Him. People hated Him because He loved people and He was true to His beliefs even though the church and government persecuted Him. He never stopped speaking His truth.

Christian nationalists are not following the same God and Jesus I do. Their god is judgmental and ready to send sinners to hell. My God has planned for our salvation before the creation of the world because He was excited to love us and be in a relationship with us. Why would a God like that want to condemn us? My God is creative and has expressed His creativity in this amazing world but also in the individual differences of all of us, that are all made in His image. Why would He create you in His image, if He didn’t love you?

Christian nationalists have warped and misunderstood the bible, their religion and even their responsibility to love us all. They are the depraved. We must continue being strong, supporting each other, loving each other, enjoying our differences and being thankful for each other. Be strong. Be blessed. And when you can’t be strong, remember, you are not alone; grab someone’s hand and borrow their strength.

~

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.

 

I Went to a PFLAG Meeting

I Went to a PFLAG Meeting

I went to a PFLAG meeting this week and the people at the meeting gave me some great resources to read. I got to a part in one of the pamphlets where they talk about coming out to your loved ones. I realized I never really came out to my extended family. I invited them to my wedding. I gave them 3 days notice. It was technically an elopement. They didn’t come. They blamed me for not giving them time to adjust to my announcement.

Karen G Clemenson insisted on it. I didn’t think they would come. I had never felt supported in my endeavors. They didn’t show interest in me as an individual. I was important when they needed something from me. Even now, I am positive I didn’t tell them because I had spent so much of my life trying to be what they wanted me to be, I didn’t know who I was. Being queer wasn’t something I could embrace for myself until a year after I was married, with the help of my therapist.

So many things that my extended family did wrong are mentioned in these booklets. I’m glad I have these resources. Daily I am learning more and more clearly that if you are not part of a group, you don’t get to define it.

I went to this meeting hungry for help finding information about transgender people. This special group of people usually has to fight every day for their right to live in peace. I didn’t realize that my questions, no matter how innocent my intentions were, they could trigger some very strong and negative feelings. At this meeting I was able to find people that were willing to answer some of my questions and give me a few sources to start. These resources have also given me leads to more information.

I know being a cisgender person, I will never really know the transgender or gender expansive experience, but learning more will help me empathize. If we end up fostering a transgender or gender expansive child, this will give me a little knowledge beforehand too; this is my main motivation.

This reading and what is happening at the hand of our current political administration has left me feeling so raw. Often my prayers are, “Please help.” I can hardly say more. Executive orders that erase all gender identities besides male and female must be terrifying for the estimated 1.4 million transgender people in the United States. But white cisgender male christian nationalists are used to getting away with this; they have violated and controlled black people, Natives, Asians, Latinos and any person of color, women and any religion that isn’t theirs. I am exhausted by this thought and how little I can do about it.

I have tried to disconnect because I can only handle so much stress and I want to focus on the research that I have chosen but it is impossible to avoid the daily actions of 47 and Musk…who we never voted on but somehow he seems to have a lot of influence. I guess if you can’t be voted in because you weren’t born in the United States you just need enough money to buy your way in.

I hate what money can do sometimes.

~

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.

 

Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

Canceling DEI Programs and Practices Only Benefits White, Male, Christians

Dear Representative,

When I first heard about the president’s executive order regarding DEI, I felt it was just another phrase for affirmative action and being married to a black woman, that believed we were far enough evolved to not need this anymore, I didn’t let this bother me. However, I have thought more on this, and read several articles and viewed many videos that have educated me that DEI is much larger than civil rights for black Americans, but women, transgender people, queer people, Native Americans, disabled people, the more mature, and any person of color or people who have religious beliefs other than christian. It seems that cancelling DEI programs and practices only benefits white, male, christians. This anti-humanity mindset doesn’t sound like it allows most people to pursue their happiness or enjoy much freedom.

There must be something that can be done to stop this extreme executive order that has caused websites to be washed of medical information that is helpful to many. Businesses are being told how to hire. This not right.

Please help.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

~

Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

Don’t Let Trump Take Away Money From Farmers

Dear Representative,

Don’t let Trump take away money from farmers. The Federal Government needs to keep its word to small family farms and ranches. Our government needs to provide the money they promised they would provide for conservation efforts, improve farming and increase productivity. Farmers were counting on this money when they signed their contracts and spent the money they spent. The letters small family farmers and ranches are receiving telling them that the Federal Government won’t be fulfilling their promise is dishonest and un-American.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

~

Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

Regarding DOGE and Communication Issues

1—— Regarding DOGE

Dear Representative,

Please remove Elon Musk and his team from their position in Trump’s cabinet. The fact that they have been caught installing hard drives in the Office of Personnel Management, the Treasury Department, General Services Administration and other key federal agencies so they can have unchecked access to critical government data and financial systems is not acceptable.

It is clear they have attempted to lock people out of their jobs and are trying to take over the government. They must be stopped.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

~

2—— Communication Issues

Dear Representative,

How is it that DJT is allowed to stop communication between the CDC and medical professionals and scientists? I was disturbed by him cutting off communication with United States citizens but I never imagined he would stop communication between medical professionals and scientists whose very job it is to protect our lives.

I’m also very concerned about the scrubbing of the CDC website of important medical information for the general population. How are you protecting us from this man and his cronies and their corrupt agenda?

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

~

Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

Potential Changes to the Constitution

Dear Representative,

I am writing to ask you to work with your colleagues with potential changes to the constitution. These following changes, I believe are imperative to our safety and mental well-being as a country:

  1. Candidates running for president cannot be convicted felons. If a candidate is found guilty of a felony during or after their election, they are ineligible for office.
  2. Presidential pardons are not valid toward persons convicted of Federal crimes.

What is the point of law and order if the president of the United States does not have to live up to the same standards as its citizens?

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

~

The Crash

The Crash

Wednesday January 29, 2025
probably seemed like any other night
Until Headline News screamed
across the television screen
in bright red letters
An American Airlines jet and
a military Black Hawk
doing an annual night proficiency training flight
had collided

~

60 passengers and 4 crew members on the jet
3 soldiers on the helicopter
67 lives lost because of a human mistake
As of Thursday over 100 first responders
are still fishing out bodies from the Potomac
Teen figure skaters returning from
a national meet with
their mothers and coaches
Union steamfitters
from Washington, D.C.
and soldiers we can’t replace are all gone
We will never get them back

~

#47 wants to blame
Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs
because he is emotionally immature
#47 wants to blame
#44 and #46 because generally
people like him think the buck stops with the president
And he can’t bear that
But those who have grown beyond their fears
are much more creative
We want to see the families and loved ones cared for
We want to learn how this tremendous error happened
so we don’t do it again

~

This atrocity is not even about #47

~

~

Reinstatement of the Inspectors Generals

The President is Not Above the Law

Dear Representative,

I am writing to encourage you to show Trump that although he is the President, the President is not above the law. I am not sure why he was allowed to pardon all the insurrectionists that were found guilty of Federal crimes, especially those who committed assault or caused any bodily harm to police officers on January 6, 2021, or caused trauma to officers that later took their own lives. This obscene act should be viewed as an act against the people of The United States.

Now, he is ignoring the law that says the Tic Tok is supposed to be gone. I don’t use this platform. I try to avoid supporting China, personally, so I lose nothing in this, however, I see he is being allowed to make his own rules again. As a person that understands the kind of person Trump is, he belongs on a short leash. If you keep bowing down to him, our republic will be shortly replaced by the dictatorship that many have been afraid of.

Please do something!

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

The First Insurrection

The First Insurrection

Things we have never seen before
have happened at his hand
He has encouraged us to give way to violence
and given control to white supremacist
after they had been taught to be quiet

~

On January 6, 2021 our United States Capitol Building
was attacked by a mob of over 1500
They included Oath Keepers
Proud Boys
and Three Percenters
fueled by his rhetoric that his election had been stolen

~

5 people died
many people were injured
including 174 police officers
Four officers committed suicide after it was over
$2.7 million in damages were caused by rioters
Pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails were found nearby

~

Most people were convicted of federal crimes
But he pardoned them all
as soon as he could get his cult members
to elect him again
Probably because it reminded him
of his 2nd impeachment

~

What does this say to us?
That people are only useful
if he needs them
That the police officers that help us
have no authority
and their lives are unimportant

~

I am beginning to wonder
when the second insurrection
will come

~

Photo By Tyler Merbler from USA – DSC09254-2, CC BY 2.0

~

~

Book Review: Transgender Warriors by Leslie Feinberg

Book Review: Transgender Warriors by Leslie Feinberg

All over the world at one time or another, multiple sexes and types of relationships have been accepted. It wasn’t until the wealthy chose to control people that they divided people into classes. This is when hostility toward Queer folks, especially Transgender people became acceptable and expected. I learned a lot from reading this nonfiction book: Transgender Warriors by Leslie Feinberg.

Some Names People Have Used to Define Transgender People are:

  • Androgynes
  • Bearded Women
  • Bigenders
  • Bulldagger
  • Butch
  • Cross-dresser
  • Cross genders
  • Drag Queens
  • Drag Kings
  • Gender benders
  • He/She
  • Intersexuals
  • Female to Male (FTM)
  • Feminine Men
  • Male to Female (MTF)
  • Masculine Women
  • Passing Women / Men
  • Shape Shifters
  • Trans
  • Transgender
  • Transgenderist
  • Transvestite
  • Women body builders

Native Americans use the term Two-Spirit to refer to transgender people.

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for cross-dressing.

The author, Leslie Feinberg, had grown up always being a masculine child and she needed someone like her to be found in history and in a pamphlet by Bob McCubbin, McCubbin outlined how in early communal societies, people had honored all forms of human love and expression but as the wealthy divided society into classes, those leaders were increasingly hostile towards same-sex relationships.The stigma of race, nationality, religion, sex or gender was meant to dehumanize individuals and justify enslavement and the now male-dominated society as it changed from matrilineal and communal living. It was about money and politics. Even in the bible.

The witch trials or “Holy” Inquisition began in 1233. Women that followed other religions besides Catholicism, or held small amounts of land, women that had medical knowledge. such as midwives that shared birth control or abortion methods were accused of being witches and accused of being able to change sexes. Trans people, Lesbians, Gay men, Muslims, Jews, Herbalists, Healers and Scientists were all at risk of death.

Some people may choose to pass from female to male because society is so unfair to women.

Jazz musician, Billy Tipton, died in 1989 from an ulcer because he was afraid to go to a doctor and be found out to be a biological female. There are no personal records to explain why he hid his identity. During his lifetime, it was very hard for females to become jazz musicians and there was a lot of lesbian oppression. Both of these reasons could be valid for Tipton.

As soon as the attending doctor found out Tipton’s sex, he announced it to the world.

“If you are not Transexual, Transgender, or Intersexual, if you’re not a Cross-dresser, Bigender, or Drag queen or king, then perhaps you already understand that defending our right to be who we are is inextricably tied to your own right to explore and define who you are. Each individual has a stake in Trans Liberation.” Leslie Feinberg

The first gay rights liberation organization was called that Scientific Humanitarian Committee. It was founded by Dr Magnus Hirschfeld in Germany. He was Gay, Jewish and a Socialist in 1897. His research found that gender expression and orientation were not automatically linked; this means that not all trans people are gay or lesbian.

Transgender people can be Heterosexual, Bisexual, Gay or Asexual.

The Stonewall Rebellion happened on June 28, 1969 in New York, Greenwich Village. After years of being beat up, dragged out of bars and arrested, Queer folks fought back against the police brutally until the police had to retreat.

The histories of Transgender people and Women are interconnected. Societies that degrade Women and Trans folks are divided into classes by men that divide people by a rigid categorization of gender and sex.

Gender is expressed differently in different nationalities, cultures, regions and classes.

“I am heartened by the realization that hatred of sex and gender variation is not rooted in human nature. The more I dig, the more I find that although what we think of as gender today has been expressed differently in diverse historical periods, cultures, regions, nationalities, and classes. There appears to have always been gender diversity in the human population.” Leslie Feinberg

I found this book to be very empowering. Although I am not transgendered, I am queer. Many feminists do believe that transgender females do not belong in the feminist movement, but I think this is wrong. I think at the heart of true feminism, true equality is the desire, where men and women are absolutely equal; this would extend to ALL genders. Some queer folks do not include transgender people in their fight for equality too, and this is absolutely incorrect. In a perfect world, I believe all people are worthy of the pursuit of happiness, regardless of sex or gender or orientation. While we must fight for our civil rights, transgender humans fit in the LGBTQIA+ and Women’s movements. I am thankful to Leslie Feinberg for sharing her story so bravely and helping me to understand more deeply, issues I have not experienced myself, so that I can more deeply empathize with my Queer family.

I got this book from my personal collection you can get your own copy of Transgender Warriors by Leslie Feinberg on Amazon.

Read My Review on GoodReads:

Transgender Warriors : Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis RodmanTransgender Warriors : Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman by Leslie Feinberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Transgender Warriors is a book about the lives of transgender people, including the author, Leslie Feinberg. Feinberg researched throughout history to find how humans have changed from communal living, led by women that made room for many types of love and genders, to the colonialized version of life we now live that divides people by classes, sex, gender, religion, race, skin color, and disability all in the name of money and politics. Feinberg helps to define some of the ways that people have belittled transgender people and ways that these warriors have risen above the criticism. This is a powerful book and I highly recommend it to people that want to empathize more fully with humanity.

View all my reviews

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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 Christian, 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 Christian…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.

Loss and Tragedy Are Always Loss and Tragedy

Loss and Tragedy Are Always Loss and Tragedy

I was scrolling Facebook and saw several posts where people had decided that the fire in California was God’s wrath or it was fine that part of the United States is on fire because the people in that area generally have money. At first I was mortified because I can’t imagine feeling that much hate and judgement towards people I don’t know, but now I just feel sad.

Loss and tragedy are always loss and tragedy. Many of us know people that have lost something, whether it is a loved one, a beloved pet, a place we once went to for fun or relaxation, a job we once relied on, a home we enjoyed or a place we planned to go to. There is wildlife that have lost their homes and lives. There are vulnerable individuals that are still vulnerable. Not everyone in California is wealthy.

The most shocking posts were the ones that blame politicians. I mean how do you blame humans for fire and wind? Or the late rain?

There are firefighters from Canada, Mexico and Africa (and maybe more that I have missed) that found value in us, enough to come help us, but our own citizens, can hate us. I am so thankful for every helper! Every penny and resource donated and every prayer and good thought sent.

Those same people that have decided where God’s wrath should go, I feel sorry for them.

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

John 3:17-19

If you want to donate:

Thank you for your love and kindness. It is contagious. Be well.

~

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 Christian, 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 Christian…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.

Helping

Helping

My wife, Karen G Clemenson, called me to the carpet. I think what Israel chooses to do in the war between them and Palestine is none of our business, but I think we should be helping people from Latin countries who need asylum.

It isn’t that I don’t think we should stop sending food and resources and prayers for Israel and the people in the Middle East. I do. But their culture is so different. We can’t know what it is like to live with terrorists or next to a country that won’t lead itself. Besides, Israel is going to do what they are going to do and it doesn’t matter what we think and they are in their own country. They get to choose because they are in their own house.

But just like the neighbor that chooses to stay in the abusive relationship, we can’t make them change.

However, we have neighbors in abusive relationships that are banging on our door, begging for help. They don’t want their daughters to be trafficked and their sons to be forced into wars or gangs or drug cartels. We need to help them.

Some of us are afraid because life is hard and for most of us, we are juggling bills just to survive, but as I reminded my wife, even though our home is not what we desire, it is solid; we have clothes to wear and food to eat, and often we even get to share. Politicians want us to be afraid but God tells us to not be afraid. He will provide. He always does. The United States is one of the richest countries in the world, we just misuse our resources. We have enough. Stop worrying.

~

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 Christian, 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 Christian…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.

Book Review: The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris

Book Review: The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris is a strong woman. She is not a person that lets moss grow under her feet, but a woman of action. Raised by immigrants, her mother from India and her father from Jamaica, Harris’ family instilled a powerful work ethic and love for education, the arts, civil rights, feminism and food. In this autobiography, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris, we read her nonfiction memoir about her growing up as an immigrant daughter that becomes a lawyer and leader in politics.

“Above all, I rise today with a sense of gratitude for all those upon whose shoulders we stand. For me, it starts with my mother, Shyamala, Harris…And I know she’s looking down on us today. And, knowing my mother, she’s probably saying, ‘Kamala, what on earth is going on down there? We have got to stand up for our values!’”

Harris chose to be a prosecuting attorney because in her life, she wanted to help people. In her history, when people needed to know what to do or have greater understanding, they always called lawyers. Harris has always used her position to try to lift up everyone, not just the influential.

“There are many ongoing struggles in this country—against racism and sexism, against discrimination based on religion, nationalism, and sexual orientation. Each of these struggles is unique. Each deserves its own attention and effort. And it would be wrong to suggest that the differences don’t matter, or that one solution or one fight will alone solve them all. But at the same time, we should embrace the point that King made to Chavez—that what these struggles have in common is of freedom of basic human rights.”

During her career, Harris has held the offices of Prosecuting Attorney, District Attorney, Attorney General of California, California State Senator, Senate Intelligence Committee, Homeland Security Committee, Judiciary Committee, Vice President and she now is running for President of the United States of America, but she would probably say that the most important job she has held was Public Servant. Throughout her career she has helped in the following fields:

  • Victims of Sexual Assault
  • Children’s Issues
  • Drug Crimes
  • Bank Fraud and Housing Crisis
  • Civil Rights
  • Truancy and Family Law
  • Transnational Crime (Drugs and Sex Trafficking)
  • Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
  • Opioids
  • Public Education
  • Affordable Housing
  • Climate Change
  • Infrastructure
  • Cyberwarfare

In 2014, she married the love of her life, Doug Emhoff. Together with his ex-wife, Kerstin, they co-parent their children Cole and Ella. The kids didn’t like the idea of calling Harris a step-mother, so they call her Momala. Family is very important to Harris. Many people have tried to say she isn’t a mother, however, she may not have given birth, she has the determination, drive and passion that mothers have. She wakes up every day and gives it her all to make sure that nothing is wasted; that all people are heard as well as they can be. She is not perfect, but nobody is. What she is is worthy.

I got this biography from my personal collection you can get your own copy of The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris on Amazon.

Read My Review on GoodReads:

The Truths We Hold: An American JourneyThe Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn’t totally sold on Kamala Harris in the beginning of her run for president. But I had to be honest, I hadn’t given her a real chance. I didn’t really know anything about her, so I started to pay attention. After reading her book, I am glad to make her my choice for president of the United States of America. She is a strong and steady person. She is capable. She is intense and willing to listen. She is worthy.

View all my reviews

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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 Christian, 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 Christian…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.

Dear conservative christians

Dear conservative christians

Dear conservative christians: You can’t possibly understand my position on abortion. You are so stuck on an idea. My position is based on free will, which is based on what God created because God wants to be chosen. God also understands each of us better than rules and ideas. God knows that there are circumstances where humans find ourselves in desperate situations and grace is necessary. I believe that God is with all His creation and especially with babies that are aborted.

I have never had an abortion and I don’t think I would ever have been in a situation where I would have had one, because I have a relationship with God and I know He would have carried me through the worst scenario I can imagine, I can’t test that because I have never been pregnant. I don’t believe I could have become pregnant which is a huge burden to me, since being a mother, is the one thing I have wanted most. But I don’t believe I have the right to judge anyone or stop them from having a safe procedure that might allow them to have a safe pregnancy when they are ready.

I believe many christians are not truly pro-life but pro-birth. I believe this because my mother worked hard but could never afford health insurance. Healthy parents raise healthy children and work harder and pay more taxes. Our foster care system is overwhelmed with children, and yet, pro-birth christians have empty rooms in their homes.

My words are hard to hear because many conservative christians don’t want to consider themselves to be Pharisees, but when ideas and rules are bigger than love and relationship, that is exactly what you become. Jesus came to teach us that love, forgiveness, grace and mercy is bigger than the rules we can’t follow because they cause death. The bible is an important tool but it must be read continuously along with prayer and relationship with God and not relying on the teaching of humans. Humans like to rely on rules because it is safe and comfortable. Rules can be helpful but relationship with God, who knows us best, is where real growth and compassion comes in. There is corruption that has been sewn into the bible too because humans have edited the bible over the years to benefit their agendas. This is why relationship with God and honest prayer is vital to bible study.

There is no room in heaven for Pharisees. Conservative christians need to know that is in the bible too. Your rules cannot be bigger than your love and mercy. The rules in the bible were meant to teach us how to have self control, so we would have less stress. The rules were not meant for us to impose on other people.

~

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 Christian, 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 Christian…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.