My Failure to Love Scared Me

by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 17, 2025 | Opinions, Politics, Prayers & Thanksgiving

He made me afraid and I am sorry. My failure to love scared me. My lack of empathy for the death of Charlie Kirk scared me. Even as I wrote strong words to explain my fears, I didn’t understand what I was doing, and that is the truth.

I took a break from media for a few days so I could let myself rest and control my input better. I was overwhelmed and tired. But as the end drew near, the very mention of his name, made me angry and so I asked God why I was so angry. Why did this one person bother me so much?

So I made myself listen to the news, listen to what was being said and not being said and later to what God had to say. The news called Kirk a Political Activists and Debater. I have seen myself as these things at times. But my need for and my greatest gift, is my empathy; something Kirk did not believe in — I heard him say this with his own mouth. There are many people groups that he did not value as I do and this hurt me too. I felt that because he believed that a few gun deaths each year, justified our 2nd amendment and this flippant comment may have warranted his demise. I was so afraid of his platform, I stopped loving; I lost my empathy.

This is where I failed. I let my fear make me small. No matter how we justify our opinions, if we are functioning out of fear, we are small and we make God small. But God is not small. God is infinite. The words of a person cannot take root in us if we are not open to them. If we are aware of who our Creator is and what our job is, we can walk tall and love big. But when we fail we can always bring our failures to God and He will help us to see what slowed us down or what stopped us from doing what He created us for. I did this. I brought my tears to Him and I confessed that I let my fears stop me from loving and He understood and He forgave me and helped me forgive myself. He is still working with me because this is no small thing and it has several layers.

I decided to find out what I had in common with Kirk, to help me know him better. We both co-founded and held the position of executive directors of our non-profit organizations. He wrote books and I have a blog and write for a number of websites. He was a host for a TV show and radio show and I produced my wife’s TV show and radio show. He and I both had conservative religious and political influences, growing up. We also have beautiful wives that are talented and capable. From there, we have much that is different about us.

I am old enough to be Charlie Kirk’s aunt, because he is the same age as my oldest nephew. This tells me that although he has an impressive resume, maybe Kirk didn’t have time to grow fully into himself. He was raised with wealth, he had opportunities for education, even if he didn’t take them, that I didn’t have. He was physically healthy. He and his wife are white and straight, he is from Chicago and she is from Arizona. My wife is mulatto and we are queer, she is from North Carolina and I am from Washington. He was raised in a Pentecostal church and chose to change to a Christian Nationalist religion. I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church and then was part of a Non-denominational church and now study and praise the Lord at home and with friends because I haven’t found a church I fit in. I have never said that Kirk was not a Christian, but the fact that there are foundational differences between us, I do think I would have asked different questions of Jesus. My relationship is probably different.

My friend Joshua Simila sent me a message that really made a good point to me. He said:

I saw Mary Steenburgen and her husband, Ted Danson, on TV Sunday night, receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. In her acceptance speech she said there are two main emotions that all others come from: Love and Fear. She said that we are at a time where we are out of balance. This is the reason for the work that her family does to bring more love into balance. I really respect her statement.

Robert Pape from the University of Chicago was on Face the Nation on the same night. He does research and critical surveys. He has found that although politicians want to blame all political hate, that has become so prevalent, on the media and specifically social media, he is emphatic that it is the fact that there is something to hate, that is causing the rise of political violence.

I don’t think that Charlie Kirk and I would have been friends. There were enough differences between us that I am not sure we could have enjoyed our time together. Some of our beliefs may have even made us peaceful enemies. Meaning, we would have:

Chosen to agree to disagree
Pray for each other because the bible says to pray for our enemies
Do what we can to live in peace with everyone
Let God deal with those that hurt us
Conquer evil by doing good
Bless those who hurt us by doing good

It is never okay to use physical violence to make your voice heard, but if you don’t feel that your representatives are not working for you, I can understand your angst. However, that means you must make time to make phone calls, write emails, hold signs and make your voice heard in peaceful ways. All violence does is make it necessary for legal action to be brought against you and people to live with the pain you caused.

We are in a time where it is easy to become tired, angry or just not ourselves. It is good to unplug and regroup. That is what the Sabbath is for. God knew we needed time to have quiet and rest and time with Him to restore us so we can have a fresh face to tackle the next week. So we can love better.

I am sad for the loved ones of Charlie Kirk. I know they are mourning a great loss and I pray they find comfort with God and each other and that they grow in their mourning in a peaceful and loving way. I am sure he is with his Savior.

I am confirming that I do not agree with any political party. I believe our government is corrupt and run, much of the time, by self-serving individuals. But I am praying that God help me to love all of them with His love because He made them too, in His image.

I am sorry where I failed you. Please forgive me. Be blessed.

Image Credit: Glazonoid

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.

I Am Human

by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 12, 2025 | About Summer, Opinions, Politics

I stand before you with my words in honesty. I am a human. I am not perfect and I have confessed that to you. I confess my humanity before man and my Creator daily and as often as necessary. I have not lied.

I have had a certain amount of push back on my writing as of late. I appreciate this. How can I not? I am a Jesus Follower, but I am also a United States citizen, a woman, a fat woman, a disabled woman, a queer woman, an artist and I should know my place. But I am telling you as a true Jesus Follower, I know my place as a person that is one with Christ, who has been given many gifts and it my duty to use them. I am grateful and responsible to Christ first. Not you or your man made ideas or idols. Believe me, I want there to be only love in my words, but sometimes there is just truth.

I am praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and I am praying for children that go to schools that have and will suffer shootings. I am praying for immigrants that need asylum, for nations at war and ones that will be at war. I’m praying for mercy for us all because we don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve it. I’m not perfect but God knows I will bring my burdens and failures before Him and we will sort them out and He will show me how to grow and let go of what is useless. I hope you can be this blessed.

For you that have made a man, that is not your Creator, your idol, or politics, or money, or your rights, or your power, or your beliefs, or anything bigger than your higher power, your idol, please consider repentance. Anything that comes between you and God is an idol and will be your downfall, our downfall. Because we are all connected.

So many people set this one man on a pedestal. Saying he was opening up communication, yet while he spoke many beautiful words, he also slid in many hateful words. Maybe not quite openly. These people forgave him quickly, saying, we all have a right to our opinions, but what he really was doing was sowing seeds of hate into soil that was ready made by years of oppression within our government and churches. Did he ever confess his sins to you, as I have?

Yet every person who has questioned me, was not willing to say I have a right to my opinion. Is it because as a christian woman, I should know my place?

I tell you, as a Jesus Follower, I know my place.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

I Need Help

by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 11, 2025 | Opinions, Politics, Prayers & Thanksgiving

I am neither sad nor mad about the end of Charlie Kirk, other than to question why he was so profoundly important to others and I need help. Some of his words were small, they lacked empathy and were not from the Jesus I know. He called himself a christian, yet he did not love all his neighbors in a way that I can understand, the second most important law, according to Jesus. He would spit out the 10 commandments but he didn’t show that Jesus was the new covenant. That loving God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and all our neighbors is the entire purpose of being a Jesus Follower. Nothing else matters. Jesus told us to be a humble, peaceful, generous, merciful servants. This was not this man’s message as I heard it.

We should be upset that on the same day Kirk was killed, a woman who came to the United States from Ukraine for protection was murdered by a mentally ill man, with a huge history of violence. Even his mother had asked for him to be committed, and yet, he was still on the streets of North Carolina; a walking time bomb.

Why do we not have better legislation is place for dangerous people?

We should care that also on the same day Kirk was murdered, when someone brought a gun to a school in Colorado, we should be thankful that a student would be willing to throw himself on that gun so that there were only 3 people hurt. We need to be celebrating this 18 year old man!

There were two school shootings on the same day but we are only talking about one, over and over…I can’t see why Kirk is more important than these children.

I do not know that Charlie Kirk would have thrown his body on a gun to protect others because I don’t know him. I don’t know if he was that selfless. If he did know how big God is, I didn’t see a God as big as mine in his messages. But maybe I wasn’t listening well.

Maybe this incident where Kirk was silenced, was just God pruning an unfruitful branch, as it mentions in John 15. Or maybe I am broken somewhere.

I don’t mean to be cruel. I know a wife lost a husband and 2 children lost a father. I don’t know why I can’t feel genuine empathy for them. It is usually abundantly available for me to offer for people in prayer, which I did pray for his family and loved ones, but it was not as natural as it usually is and for that I need to talk with God about. My humanity is getting in the way and I don’t know why.

I am afraid because I am not recognizing myself. Why does the mention of his name or vision of his face make me feel so angry?

His words hurt me. They sliced into me because some of his words were unloving, dis-inclusive, violent at times, and arrogant. Sometimes they were perfectly programmed “christian” words, and I am sure he did believe them, but Jesus came to teach us to love, He said He came to bring division, but that was because He knew humanity so well. Jesus’ words could get into our egos and without the pure soul, where love can grow, it can become foul, and then some of us would care about things that we have no business thinking about. That is evil, and I am afraid that sometimes, that was where Kirk spoke out of, even if it was unintentional. That is very sad.

Am I speaking from there too?

People hide behind the phrase, “We have a right to have our own opinion.” This is true. But words are important. God tells us that we have the power of life or death from our mouth. He told us to be careful. I am not rectifying the murderer’s actions. Murder is not ever acceptable. But what if Kirk’s words hurt someone so badly, they felt like they had no other choice? We may never know.

Or what if this murder is also meant by another evil, to bring even more division in a church that is already divided, on the eve of an event that at one time brought us all together for at least a moment?

Twenty four years ago, I know where I was when I heard about the Twin Towers. I remember that day more clearly than most days in my life. It started with a dream about it, before it happened. It ended with me being at a church worship service dancing and praising Jesus. But soon after some United States citizens began to hate Muslims and do terrible things to them, even though, they too were United States citizens, and they were in pain also by the loss of almost 3,000 people, and they had nothing to do with the plans of evil men from al-Qaeda.

I invite you to take a breath. Bring yourself to your center. Don’t try to blame anyone right now. The facts will come as they are supposed to. Today is a day of remembering. 9-11 brought our country together like no other day in a long time. We were quieter, more appreciative and we had been given a different perspective that helped some of us. Death is not always just an end, but also a door to a newness because as we mourn, we begin to live differently.

God loves you. No matter what name you call Him/Her/They. For a moment let that be enough to empower you to love others. That is the purpose of this life, there is no other reason we are here.

I will get the answers to my questions when I am ready for them. But if you want to pray for me, I appreciate that. Be blessed.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

A Spiritual Battle

by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 10, 2025 | Opinions, Politics, Queer Community

I’ve listened to a speech by Charlie Kirk where he stated that a spiritual battle is coming to the west. I don’t disagree. But I do disagree with some of what he said: The Muslim religion came from Abraham just like Christianity and Judaism. So why would it be wrong to allow people time to stop and recognize their call to pray? It would be a perfect time for other religions to pray too or get a quick nap in, time to meditate, or take a walk. So that is one error in this man’s speech.

Plus although Christianity has been shaped and formed by governments and institutions, so that it is no longer presented in the original texts, it was not ever the foundation of the United States because our founding fathers were fleeing the persecution of England and the Church of England and wanted religious freedom. Just because people keep saying that the United States was founded on Christian principles doesn’t make it true. Try cracking open a history book.

Kirk was also dead set against queer folks. Sexual orientation has been proven to be a natural state of humanity. We don’t choose our orientation. This is fortified by the fact that the word homosexual was not in the bible until 1947 when one word was misinterpreted in order to control and suppress queer people. The word they were referring to was a word that meant rape or abuse. When people love each other, their intimacy is not either of those things. There was no words for homosexuality in the days the bible was written because people didn’t know what that was because culturally that wasn’t recognized because marriage was a legal transaction in order to create children and maintain inheritance contracts; love was not always factored in. I cannot support Kirk’s viewpoint here either, regardless of my own orientation.

Kirk, held a very conservative way of viewing the American way of life. He said things that I can’t support and, in my opinion, if you are a woman, a free thinker, a person of color, someone that follows a religion other than Christianity, or no religion at all, if you weren’t born here or you even know family members that were not born here, if you are queer, a democrat or you don’t like guns, you might not appreciate all that Kirk had to say. The American way of life is different, depending on which household you are standing in and can be bought best by fair tax laws, where the rich are taxed, just like the rest of us, so that we have a strong middle class and less homelessness. When we have a government that invests in our people through education, healthcare, good jobs that offer ways to grow and pay all your bills, infrastructure and a fair legal system that prosecutes fairly, even law makers and politicians that break the law, in order to maintain our Constitution.

Kirk was offended by education that taught about the general population, which included all kinds of people. My argument to that is if you don’t want your children to learn about general principles of life like how families might be different from each other, send them to private school or home school them.

Jesus came to teach us to love. Jesus did not come to give us a way to throw people down. He had a word for the Pharisees that that had made the law bigger than the people: hypocrite. That is what many in the church have become. Jesus came to show us humility, service, love, peace, honor, grace, mercy. There is none of that in this man’s words

I do not believe that Kirk deserved to die for his beliefs. I am scared and sad for the person that brought him to his death. I have no right to decide what kind of relationship Kirk had with Jesus and I am not judging that. But I do believe that his messages was much smaller than the relationship I have with my Savior. I am sorry that his words brought someone to the idea and to the actions that it did.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

Bringing People Together in Faith

by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 6, 2025 | Opinions, Politics, Prayers & Thanksgiving

Trump’s followers are so wrong when they say he is bringing people together in faith. In my opinion, Trump is not bringing us together. He is setting us against each other and up for failure. How can a man that has been married 3 times and cheated on all his wives and has abused women and laughed about it in public, lead anyone to faith and family? I certainly don’t respect him. But I do pray for him and I do ask God to help me have love for him.

Wake up!

These same people want to say the democrats are to blame for everything. How can you say ‘the left’ is trying to ‘erase faith from public square, rewrite history, and replace God with government,’ when that is exactly what Trump’s administration is doing? But don’t think I think the democrats are any less guilty than the republicans in the “establishment,” because both parties have made the rich richer and the poor poorer.

I do think it would be glorious if 1 million people prayed for each other every week. Even more if they prayed for wisdom on how to overthrow our current government and build one that invested in education, healthcare, good jobs and infrastructure, plus a fair tax structure that includes taxing the rich so that we would have a strong middle class and less homelessness.

Trump’s kind of change is not something new. It is social blindness. It is either oligarchy or poverty. It is war. Because it is coming. And no one will be protected.

Try praying about that. World War III is coming. But it doesn’t have to start between United States citizens, we can choose to stop fighting each other and remember that at the end of the day we all want the same thing: safety, love and community.

Image Credit: Wikipedia Commons

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Many of Us Still Hate

by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 5, 2025 | Opinions, Politics

I just saw a video suggesting that our president said that black children were born to become violent criminals. Now I know that the media does edit video the way they want you to experience it, however, I believe that Trump really is a white supremacist. I have always looked in that man’s eyes and known he was self-serving and evil. I thought it was a joke when he ran for president, and then I was proven wrong, that even though many of us have made huge strides in loving better, many of us still hate just as much as ever.

My Beloved is such an amazing person. She has been an inspiration to me for as long as I have known her. Her strength of character and integrity, and her ability to love and forgive is astounding. She is not perfect but she is able to get up and start over, roll with the punches, forgive and move on, show empathy and forgive, like I had never seen before. She doesn’t talk about herself or her past very much. I have learned to stop and listen when she talks about her childhood, stories of her great-grandmother or her other vibrant family members, or the abuse she suffered as a mulatto girl child, born in 1965 in High Point, North Carolina, 3 generations from slavery and all that implies.

Karen G Clemenson was taught to love white people because they are in her. She was taught to love everyone because they are her. She has some very strong and forward thinking ideas regarding civil rights. Some that many black people might disagree with. She has no interest in moving back to the south; there are just too many bad experiences she has had. Before we can even go back for a visit, there will be legal papers, gun licensing and a purchase to be made before she will feel ready to go.

I do study history. I go through phases where I study hard and then I have to stop because I can only take in the level of evil that white people have used against all people of color and even other white people (like Italians, Irish, and Jews) for so long before I need a break…I am Italian and Irish too…Because Karen lives with me she hears the things that hurt me the most.

You see, racism/white supremacy, is still alive and it still is hurting my strong, beautiful, loving, capable 60-year-old wife. How do we allow a president stay in office that keeps it alive and says to our children that he expects them to grow up to be monsters, when he is the monster? He is supposed to be an example to our future and he is literally speaking violence over our children because if what he says manifests, and black children grow into criminals, who will be their victims?

Feel free to leave your comments below!

Illegal Aliens are the New Blacks

by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 1, 2025 | Opinions, Politics

I am not sure how to write this but I will trust the process. I have had many thoughts and videos come my way, recently, to ignite the thought that illegal aliens are the new black people aka slavery system. It is a deplorable thing to think about but as some people compare the Trump campaign to Hitler’s Nazi’s, I have been watching historians tell me stories that have never made it into the books I read in school, but are not far from what I read when I checked them out in the library or bought them myself. Similar stories can be told about how white people treated and treat Native Americans (this term includes humans that live in the entire continent, not just in the United States). These stories were not passed down because sensitive people would never vote to continue the abuse against civil rights that we still allow. I don’t write this to make everyone who looks like me to feel bad. I am not responsible for actions that happened before I was born, but I am responsible for what happens at my hand, during my life.

We have been sold the idea that illegal aliens are a drain on the system. They are a waste of our tax dollars. They are all criminals. That all criminals should be sent somewhere else, anywhere else because The United States of America is better than all other countries and we should be able to live without cares and troubles. But that is not true. All countries are made of humans and all humans are imperfect.

All humans can keep other gods before our Creator,
All humans can take our Creators name in vain.
All humans can forget to keep the Sabbath day holy.
All humans can dishonor their mother and father and be dishonored by their parents.
All humans can kill.
All humans can commit adultery (either with their body or in their mind).
All humans can steal.
All humans can tell lies against their neighbor.
All humans can covet their neighbor’s spouse.
All humans can covet their neighbor’s belongings.

All sins can be born from these.

If you make a man less than what he is, in the eyes of others, you have sinned because all men are created in the image of God, our Creator. Pulpits were used to indoctrinate ignorant people in how enslaved people were not full humans. In how black people were worth less than the family pet. But the bible does not mention skin color often, except where it says that Jesus‘ skin is the color of copper and His hair is like cotton. This would be likely, since, His mother, Mary, was born in Nazareth which is in Palestine; actually right where Israel is trying to annihilate people in Gaza, right now. So the vision we have been fed that Jesus was blonde haired and blue eyed, is completely false. And pulpits, television and phone screens, computer monitors and magazine and newspapers are being used to educate us whichever way we will sway.

I am in shock when I read the comments of hatred from people that blindly believe that, at all cost, we must remove illegal immigrants. My heart aches because these same people don’t stop for a moment and think about what that term means. Yes, we have many illegal immigrants in The United States. But many people who came here illegally, are no longer here illegally. They came here at all cost because where they were was toxic and unsafe and they wanted better for their family. So they came to America. They found ways to get green cards. They have jobs. They pay taxes. Their children are United States citizens. ICE is not checking IDs before they detain people of color. They are using tax records to find people to deport. They are leaving children without parents, who now are part of the already burdened foster care system. They are leaving jobs that white people don’t want to work, but society relies on to be done. Sometimes people are being sent to countries they have never been to.

All of this is being done with our tax dollars. Billions of tax dollars that could be spent on our national debt but wont be. Do you know that actually makes us weaker and not stronger? While Trump sends troops into cities that have not asked for help, he is spending money that could bring down our national debt, which makes us more reliant on other countries. He talks about deporting United States citizens, which is illegal, however this has not stopped him from breaking the law, as he pleases. This does not make us stronger, this makes us weaker, in every form of the word.

I have seen Trump supporters call people, who try to explain how his actions are wrong, sheep, but I am here to say that sheep follow blindly. Trump has been stroking many and some have been able to see the truth and some are too scared to admit they were wrong, and some are too stubborn to let go of the chants they have held tightly to, But as one white person that has been looking at patterns. I do not see this ending well.

The Trump Administration is blindly spending our money to wipe out one people group. They are making money while they do it. Every step of the way they are getting richer and we are paying the price for it, not just one way but morally and civilly. As we give our rights away quietly so that illegal citizens can be eradicated quickly, what are we going to do when he can turn the laws on us because we are now a burden he doesn’t want to carry?

Unchecked evil only gets hungrier.

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Regarding H.R. 8445

by Summer D Clemenson | Aug 21, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Politics

Dear Representative,

I am writing to you in regards to H.R. 8445. From what I have read, in the past, when a person in the military, chose to leave our country to defend one of our allies, they left and were no longer paid by our tax dollars. But according to H.R. 8445 if one of our military members chooses to leave their post to fight for Israel, they will continue to be paid by our tax dollars, if this bill passes. I find this this to be a very troublesome idea.

Why treat Israel different than any other ally?
Israel is currently committing genocide against Palestine when the real offender is Hamas, who is supported by Iran.
Why should we be paying the bill for this war?

I do not believe we should be supporting Israel in their goal in annihilating Palestine. Palestine is a country in need of help, not being destroyed. If Israel wants to continue to kill innocent people, let them do it by their own hand.

Please do not vote to pass this bill.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

Wade In The Water

by Summer D Clemenson | Aug 5, 2025 | About Summer, Life, Opinions, Politics, Prayers & Thanksgiving

I recently have begun looking for old songs that have called to me throughout my life. I hummed a tune to Karen and she immediately began singing “Wade in the Water,” which, with a very small amount of research, I learned is an Underground Railroad Hymn. It was used to communicate how to travel from slavery to freedom.

These words tell people to make sure to stay off the path and get into the water because the slave hunter’s dogs couldn’t smell their scent when they went into the water and the rivers led to salvation. Wading also implies defiance. Unlike swimming or floating, you must push against the water and current to wade in the water; it is work to stay steady in the mud and rock and grasses.

Although my ancestors came from Europe and Canada, I have always seen a beauty and connection to Native American and Black culture. I feel connection with trees and tall grasses in the wind. I love to feel leaves, as though we are talking. Worshiping with Jerry Chapman, a local Native Pastor, showed me the beauty of drums and how we are all connected. In my 20’s I learned so many lessons about how I was made to understand more than one realm. Through nature God shows us that we are all one. Because He made the first man and breathed His breath into him and humanity was created.

I don’t need to read or listen to the news to know a catastrophe has happened. I can feel it. When I was a child, I would see things and have dreams that scared me. But as an adult, with the bible and more experienced teachers, I learned how to pray about these things, limit spiritual attack, and now I am learning to rest.

Recently someone sent me a short video of a white woman. Her message was that people make groups to divide us: Queer/Straight, Black/White, Disabled/Able-Bodied…and we just need to love everyone. Tee Hee (I am sorry that is what I heard in my head…and I know it is judgmental and not fair)

My problem with straight, white, healthy women telling me to just love everyone, is not that I don’t agree, or that I don’t think she might not be sincere, but she, or someone like her, has been saying something like that for a long time, while straight, white, healthy men keep making laws that make it harder for queer, or disabled, or people of color, or women to live their lives the way they want. God made free will for everyone, not just white men. I know not all white women support some of the terror in the world, not all white men are terrorist, and what I am saying might sound unfair. It is.

My black, queer, disabled family would like to invite you to research what other black families still are living with. Maybe read about what queer communities have to deal with. Have you read about some of the issues disabled people face? Yes we do need to love each other but we also need to know each other.

I think “Wade in the Water” is a universal song. We are still struggling and everyone struggles. We are all needing salvation.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

A Big Picture

by Summer D Clemenson | Jul 29, 2025 | Opinions, Politics

I have realized I have to keep a relaxed mindset about politics. Although I care deeply, it is too much stress for me. I can’t seem to get away from it so I kind of let the information flow through my mind easily to allow myself to catch a big picture. I let go of most of it because I have accepted that there is little I can do to make a difference.

But I am aware that most days we wake to a new stressor from Trump. This causes groups of people that belong to the group he is picking on to become antagonized. If he hasn’t picked on every group, he has picked on a group that will pick on a group for him (like getting non-christians riled up so they feel like they have defend themselves against christians). Trump doesn’t pick on christians (christian nationalists) because they are a huge part of his followers.

I have been chewing on the fact that he enjoys having United States citizens so unstable all the time and it got me thinking; is this his normal? Was his childhood so chaotic that his life has to be this way? I already see signs of childhood trauma and neglect in him. Maybe he needs our pity and sympathy. He is so rich that he has never understood consequences which mold us into better people. (Reminder if you follow me on Facebook: I just watched all 6 Rocky movies) If he has never truly lost and had to really start over with nothing, how could he ever have any idea what the human condition is or the American Dream is?

These thoughts don’t change how I feel about him as our president, but they do make him more human in my mind.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill

by Summer D Clemenson | May 22, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives

Dear Representative,

I am writing to persuade you to not pass Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. I don’t understand why Congress would want a plan that would raise the national debt ceiling to $4 trillion, while increasing taxes on people that make less than $157K, make huge cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, while requiring disabled people between the ages of 19-65 to work 20 hours a week, which might be a huge detriment to their health, while making them ineligible for their benefits. I don’t see why we are even considering pay increases to ICE when their budget is almost gone for the year. And why would a country that doesn’t care about its poor and sick enough to protect their health insurance and food assistance, even care about spending $75 billion on a Golden Dome? This program is a ridiculous waste of money from an administration that promised to get rid of waste and bloat, but has done nothing but create more of it.

Even if you personally are in agreement with me that this bill is actually a Monumental Malevolent Bill, you might be in the presence of someone who plans to vote for this reprehensible legislation and I need you to do whatever it takes to stop this bill from going through. This bill will cripple the people who actually do the work in this country so the rich can have their bonuses. The rich don’t need tax cuts, they already benefit from the hardworking people beneath them by hardly doing anything.

I am disabled. I have 13 chronic mental and physical illnesses plus cancer. The energy I do have before my body gives out on me, each day, is spent making sure my wife has clean clothes to wear and good food to eat so she can focus on her 3 jobs. We also help my friend that is disabled and has no spouse. This bill causes me a lot of stress. It is personal to me. I don’t care if you send a canned response to my message. What I want is to see that this rape against our society stops.

Trump is the worst president, I think, we have ever seen because he is completely removed from normal, everyday people. He hasn’t a clue what it is like to live under $100,000 a year, or less. Being poor is not evil or illegal, why should we pay so highly for it?

Please do your job. Please don’t let Trump stomp the life out of poor United States citizens.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

PS I tried to read this bill. I have read several bills and this one was too much.

Re: Strengthening & Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals & Protect Innocent Citizens aka Martial Law

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 29, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Politics

Dear Representative,

I am writing in regards to Trump’s Presidential Action: Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens aka Martial Law.

Trump says he wants to “firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens,” stop citizens from “demonizing law enforcement and impose legal and political hand cuffs,” and stop cities that “unlawfully engage in discrimination or civil rights violations under the guise of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion‘ initiatives that restrict law enforcement activity or endanger citizens. But these are all rights that should be left for the states to decide. Trump has said that the states should govern themselves, but he has changed his ways as he has tasted power that has gone unchecked by Congress and the Judicial Branch. He is establishing Martial Laws as he has been found guilty of breaking the laws he is supposed to uphold. I do not believe that the general public requires military intervention on our streets. I am seeing government failure and it makes me sad.

I have read articles that talk about civil war and world war and if it happens, it will be because you did not do your job. You are supposed to hold the president accountable. Judges are supposed to hold the president accountable. Yet he is being allowed to continue to blindly fire people and dismantle important institutions, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is still in El Salvador, regardless of what the court said, tariffs are ridiculous, civil rights are being stripped and Trump spends millions of dollars playing golf while pushing for massive cuts to Medicare and Social Security for people that can’t help themselves.

So you have 90 days to stop this executive order from coming to fruition and I am asking you to do something different than what has been happening. This 100 days has been so stressful and I am afraid of what is going to happen if we keep heading in this direction. Please impeach Trump.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

Halt Fentanyl Act

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 28, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Politics

Dear Representative,

I saw a very moving testimony by Jason Deford, aka Jelly Roll, before the House about the Halt Fentanyl Act or H. R. 27. I see that it passed the House and I am glad.

I appreciate that this bill would permanently make fentanyl a class 1 controlled substance. I see that this bill would empower authorities to incarcerate drug dealers that sell substances containing this dangerous drug to longer sentences and hopefully this is an incentive to not sell, or at least get dealers off the streets. I also believe opening this drug up to more research opportunities is probably beneficial.

Please don’t let this bill die. Please make sure this bill is brought up for vote and when you have an opportunity to vote, please vote to pass H. R. 27.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

No Permits for For Park Use

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 24, 2025 | Community, Longview City Council, Politics

Dear City Council Member,

I just read that the Longview City Council is considering requiring all use of the park at the Civic Circle to require a permit. I am appalled. I have lived in Longview, Washington all my life and lived at The Monticello for a few years and enjoyed that park many times. I have enjoyed meeting friends there, with intention and by accident. I have also met homeless people there who just wanted a kind word and a prayer. I have never had a bad experience at any of our beautiful parks.

I believe that each person is valuable and entitled to respect. I know many families that can’t afford the cost and time it takes to get a park permit. But I do believe that the main reason that you are seeking to lock people out of this park is to curtail the homeless people that have no place to go because you have not provided one.

I understand that many of my neighbors do not want their tax dollars to pay for these people. They have judged them as unworthy and maybe a few of them are, but many of them are mentally ill and need help. They come to covered areas because they need to get away from the elements. As someone with volunteer experience with The Salvation Army, Love Overwhelming and Living Ministries I have had first hand experiences with the people I am referring to and the people that hate them. As someone that has become chronically ill, my family has been in a state of homelessness for the last 10 years, either living with friends, in motels or hotels because it is hard to get into stable housing when you make too much for help, but not enough to save for first and last months rent.

Please do not punish every taxpayer in Longview with a rule because a few loud speaking people don’t want to make room for some people that don’t have enough resources to find a home, or maybe can’t handle the idea of living indoors because of PTSD. In fact, please be inspired to offer a safe place for people to go with restrooms, lighting, minimal security, and parking so that these complaints don’t have to be heard as frequently because police have a safe place to bring people to.

If I could have come to the meeting tonight, I would, but I already had plans with family. Please consider what I have to say with an open heart, from a lifelong Longview citizen that wants to see all of our citizens cared for.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

Senate Bill 5393

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 24, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Politics

Dear Representative,

Senate Bill 5393 is horrendous! I am disgusted that the democrats voted for the largest budget in Washington State‘s history, including huge tax increases, all while our nation is being attacked by Trump and his MAGAs, and now, with all the money you have, you still want to shut down schools for humans with severe disabilities. Shame on you!

This is not what I voted for and not what I want to continue to vote for again. Please do better. Find a way to keep these people in their home and not shut down their school.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

Pleading for Impeachment of 47

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 22, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions, Politics

Dear Representative,

I am really disappointed that Trump has been allowed to break the law time and time again. I read that ICE agents stopped a train, randomly, to question United States citizens and foreign visitors who were traveling in our country. Nothing was found to be out of order. Are you satisfied with us being forced to become comfortable with a police state, because I am not. I have not voted for this. I didn’t even vote for Trump.

I keep watching first amendment rights being ignored and I worry because I believe we have come far with civil rights and it seems at the whim of an unbridled government, those rights are not being protected. You and your colleagues are not working fast enough to make me feel safe. I felt a lot safer with President Biden at the helm.

Trump is ignoring Supreme Court Justices. He could get Kilmar Abrego Garcia released if he really wanted to. He has refused to pay people until he got what he wanted before, this is the same as that. By the way, why are we paying $6 million to a prison outside of The United States? I didn’t vote on that? I don’t want my tax dollars going to a foreign jail. There are better ways to help other countries.

I am very unhappy with what is happening in our country and what other countries are saying about our country. I think Trump is the worst president we have had in my lifetime. Please do better to get him out of office. Please bring justice back to our people.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

No Rogue Rulings Act

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 10, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Politics

Dear Representative,

I just heard that The Senate just passed HB-1526 and I am disgusted. My only hope is that I can persuade Congress to not pass the No Rogue Rulings Act. Presidents should not be able to break the law. The Constitution specifically says the president’s job is to uphold the law.

Federal Courts need to be able to issue nationwide orders when the government is violating United States citizens’ rights. The courts need to be able to protect The Constitution. Every person in The United States of America needs due process and deserves democracy.

Please do your job and advocate for all of us.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

Save Act

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 3, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions

Dear Representative,

I am so tired. Every day I could write to you about another issue due to the horrible state we are in because of the control that MAGA republicans, and maybe even some democrats, want to have over every part of our lives and I am so angry and frustrated that I don’t like some of the things I think about. But today I want to talk about the “Save Act.”

I am seriously concerned about my mental health right now, so I am not going to write much, but being a fellow woman, you should already know why expecting people to produce a birth certificate or a passport in order to register to vote is bullshit. I ordered a copy of my birth certificate a couple months ago and it is not here. Trump probably fired the person who was supposed to print it out and mail it to me. I haven’t considered leaving the country for at least 20 years and I don’t think I can get a passport without my birth certificate, so you can see where I am going with this. My greatest concern is that when my wife and I married, she took my name. My wife is a United States Army Veteran and it really pisses me off that because she decided to take my name, that she might not get to vote; she was willing to die for this country and yet if you let this bill pass, she won’t be allowed to vote.

My wife is one of the best people I have ever met. She works hard. She is kind and caring. She gives every day her best. She deserves to vote. Please don’t let her lose this right.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

Social Security Isn’t a Ponzi Scheme

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 26, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions

Dear Representative,

The other night I saw an interview with Howard Ludnick, our nation’s commerce secretary, where he believes that if his mother-in-law didn’t get her social security check that she would not complain, but if a person committing fraud, didn’t get their’s, they would complain. I am thankful that his mother-in-law has other options. The premise of Ludnick’s whole interview was that everyone on Social Security has a backup plan but there are so many people that just plain need our checks. We can’t wait a month for ours to show up. Social Security isn’t a ponzi scheme, even if Elon Musk wants to name it that. It is a lifesaver for me and my family.

When I say my family, I am referring to my wife and I, but also my best friend that doesn’t live with us. My homebound friend receives Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and food assistance but once her rent is paid, she is out of money. Her food assistance doesn’t allow her to buy enough fresh vegetables so we help her with that. She is part of my household budget, as well as her sister and maybe a few other people that help her. If I don’t get my Social Security and Medicare (I am not eligible for food assistance or Medicaid), I don’t have health insurance to help me deal with my 13 chronic conditions, plus cancer. But I also help pay many of my household’s regular bills, while my wife works 3 jobs to pay the rest of our bills; For several months one of her jobs has not had hours to give her so we have be struggling. It would be impossible to stay afloat without my check, not just for my house, but for my friend. We are already not doing as much for her as we like to because my wife has not been able to bring in as much as usual. If I were to complain to Social Security about a missing check, I am not defrauding anyone. I honestly need help.

It seems to me that our current administration is so far removed from the chronically ill and poor. They have no idea what it is like to need. I am thankful that many people don’t have to be creative with their resources. I don’t think some people have the fortitude for the life that I live, but to know that everyone in our president’s cabinet is without empathy or compassion and even the majority of Congress can be swayed by a president without feeling or warmth or even regard for human life, at all, makes me very afraid for our future, not only my personal future, but our future as a country.

Please continue to encourage all of Congress to do their job to protect Social Security.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

Yemen Airstrike

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 26, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions

Dear Representative,

I am writing in regards to a Yemen airstrike fiasco that should never have happened. In an open chat, on an unsecured platform, Pete Hegseth, JD Vance, Mike Waltz, Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, John Ratcliffe other high ranking officials and Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic Magazine, war plans were discussed in detail, including types of weapons and times and places.

I have seen parts of interviews where congressmen have made excuses or outright lied about this event. I watched a video by Pete Buttigieg where he described the layers of protection and secrecy required for our nation’s protection. I even watched Trump say he knew nothing about the event, however the strike was a tremendous success. I have never heard a president say he didn’t know what was going on with the planning of an air strike before.

With at least 53 people killed and 98 injured, and since most of the casualties were Yemen civilians, how can this strike be seen as a success? I thought the strike was supposed to target Houthi terrorists? I see this military action to be a total loss. I see this entire regime as careless, reckless and detrimental to our nation. I believe that everyone in that text message should be fired and jailed for treason and espionage.

Please keep working hard to encourage all of Congress to do their job.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

Budget Proposal

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 25, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions

Dear Representative,

I am writing regarding a post I saw about a budget proposal that includes the highest tax increase in Washington State history. The writer of this post believes that because of record breaking spending, we are consistently spending more money than we bring in. If this is the case, then before you raise our taxes, it seems you should take an honest look at our budget and reign in spending now before you spend another dime.

At this time, United States citizens are already spending a lot of money just to live and are worried about where we will be in a few months as our president has placed us in a tariff war and a recession might be on the way. We are not interested in increased property taxes, a 50% business and occupation tax increase, or to have not only national but statewide increases on costs of goods and services.

My friend, I strongly encourage you to rethink your budget if you want to remain in office.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

I Am Choosing to Be Brave

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 21, 2025 | Cancer, Opinions, Politics, Queer Community

I’m thankful because I’m starting to get better at getting my self care routine down every day. Getting hit with the need for radiation for my cancer and DJT as president at the same time, leveled me. I have accepted that radiation is my next step and although I am afraid, I am choosing to be brave.

The hell that our president and the republican congressmen have created or allowed, is, at the very least exhausting. It is hard to watch evidence of hatred, selfishness and power mongering. My pain levels have increased. It is hard to get out of bed. Since I can’t take pain meds, I sleep when I hurt. This is why I don’t have a job. No employer would be able to rely on me. This is why my disability check helps my family every month. Hopefully I will still get one in April and the following months.

My disability check supplies a tiny amount of money that goes into savings, a payment to my doctor bills and three creditors, it pays for our car insurance, our phones, some groceries, our toiletries, our cleaning supplies, it pays for my sister’s cat’s supplies because she needs help with that, it pays for my doTERRA and other supplements that we rely on for our health and our one splurge, Karen’s ESPN app. When all these are paid, my check is gone and Karen G Clemenson pays for everything else, including what my insurance doesn’t cover on my 14 prescriptions. I am blessed to have a wife that can and will work 3 jobs to take care of us.

We never go on holiday. We have never been on a honeymoon. We might get to go to a movie if someone gives us movie passes. We are very boring people and it is good that we like to be at home because we can’t afford to go much of anywhere else. I do my best to make sure there is food in the fridge for when Karen runs in, so she can eat something. I clean and mend her clothes so she always looks presentable. All our clothes are secondhand. We help others where we can and we are helped by loved ones too.

I resent our president. I resent DOGE. The inspectors generals that DJT fired in his first week already did the job that DOGE is supposedly doing without firing tons of United States citizens, closing important programs and cutting off funds that saved lives around the globe. Stress doesn’t make my life better. It makes me sicker. Donald J. Trump is making me sicker. He is allowing children in impoverished countries to starve to death.

There is a video I saw on Facebook of a democratic legislator. I don’t know his name. It was not written anywhere in a caption or on the video but he described that there is food that both democrats and republicans voted to send to Sudan and Ethiopia that was grown in the United States. We paid for it and we sent it to these countries. It is sitting in warehouses in these countries. Current government officials have said we need to make it available, yet DOGE won’t make the funds available to open the warehouse doors. 150,000 people will die without this food. If you want to see the video, there is a link at the bottom of this article. Why is DOGE able to override our government?

I don’t want to live in a dictatorship. I don’t want to live in a country where the president can pick and choose which laws he will follow; where he will dishonor judges, whose job it is to interpret the law. 47 is a man without honor and no regard for law, unless he can bend it to benefit himself. He is a draft dodger and a liar. What will it take for the MAGAs to wake up?

What will it take for everyone to realize the value of every United States citizen and stop trying to politicize everything human? When I was growing up teachers taught me that people were different and that was ok. What was important was that we cared about and respected each other. If we didn’t like someone, we were kind to them, but we found someone else to play with. This philosophy has served me well for my entire life and I wish more people would adopt it.

I’m a sensory person, certain sounds and lights and feelings hurt me. I have learned to be patient with myself but high voices make me feel crazy. Some sopranos hurt my ears and sometimes make my skin crawl. But I am not asking for legislation to outlaw sopranos. I see videos of legislators making arguments about public schools, without proving that the problems originate from the school system. I see a lot of statements but I never hear any questions or answers to my questions when I want clarification. Men want to regulate what women do with their bodies and straight people want to regulate what transgender people do with theirs; but I believe that if you are not part of the group, you don’t have a right to define it.

Just because you don’t understand transgender or queer people doesn’t make them bad. They are humans, trying to live their life and be happy. If you don’t know them, how do you know if you don’t like them? Because someone told you they were bad? What if those people were wrong or misinformed? Why would you let your fear run your life? That would be like me letting cancer take over my body because I am afraid of radiation. It doesn’t make sense.

Removing women and people of color from history on military websites and maps at Arlington Cemetery is pathetic. Removing flags that represent Native tribes from Veterans Services buildings is a slap in the face to people that don’t deserve to be disrespected. Not allowing certain words like women or trauma in applications for government grants sends quite the message that our government is no longer caring for people or the very women that gave birth to all of us.

This is much bigger than my worries about losing my disability check and health insurance, although I am. Money and power are not the most important thing. DJT doesn’t believe this and this is the way he is leading our country. His goal is to make the rich richer and to hell with the rest of us. He doesn’t care about the national debt; he wants to increase it. Everything he is doing is making the United States of America weaker. But we don’t have to allow this. Folks, we are allowing some very dangerous things to happen. We can’t be silent. We must speak or stand or write or walk or do whatever we can to maintain our democracy and take it back from the Trump administration and the MAGA republican congressmen that have given up their power to DJT and his followers or we are going to become like Russia, Trump’s favorite friend.

More Information:

Watch the TYT Investigates video: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16Ma5SuMrh/

Feel free to leave your comments below!