Tag: Behaving Badly

Rage, Thy Neighbor

The fury in this country is palpable. It boils over somewhere every day. On this day, it jumped out of a pickup and threatened a kid right in front of me.

This is us now?

Enjoying some sunshine for a change from the grey blanket we’ve been under for the most of the past couple of months. Minding my own business. Feeling pretty doggone good. Out with the dogs for our mid-day constitutional in our South Fargo, N.D., neighborhood.

All of a sudden a pickup screeches to a halt on the street parallel to the sidewalk we’re on, or screeches as much as is possible on the black ice that doubles for pavement in our winters.

Door flies open and a man jumps out.

He’s about 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-6 with straight white hair combed straight down on his forehead. Caucasian. Glasses. Wiry. Looks to go about 150-160 pounds. Wearing a light colored jacket. I don’t register all of this at first, though. I just see, out of the corner of my left eye, a white flash rush out and start stalking toward the back of the truck.

The white blur starts shouting and pointing.

Continue reading “Rage, Thy Neighbor”

Dear Senator:

Trump is already impeached. Now he must be convicted. Cut and paste this letter to send to your senators. Or write your own. Either way, let them know they have a duty to protect our republic by removing the president from office.

The impeachment case is clear, logical and evidence-based. So convict President Trump.

The case against President Trump being presented in his trial in the Senate is strong. The defense isn’t just weak, it’s based on distortions of the Constitution.

Today I wrote to North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, and Sen. John Hoven, R-ND, asking them to vote to convict Trump (see below). Please feel free to cut, paste and edit the letter in any way you see fit, and follow the links at the end of the post to send a letter to your senators. It’ll cost you less than three minutes.

Continue reading “Dear Senator:”

Cramer Sucks… The Kool-Aid

Sen. Kevin Cramer will be a juror in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the U.S. Senate next week. Sadly, his response to constituents regarding impeachment proceedings reveals an irresponsible – and potentially dangerous – level of dedication to his “100% with Trump” promise.

Kevin Cramer, one of North Dakota’s U.S. Senators, is sucking down the Trump Kool-Aid so fast and so completely that one has to wonder if he’s being waterboarded with the stuff. Case in point: impeachment.

Graphic of quote about "Kool-Aid" to accompany impeachment postMind’s eye – Ivanka and Jared, laughing hysterically as they pour the Kool-Aid down Cramer’s smarmy gullet.

I recently contacted Cramer’s office to urge him to vote “guilty” to impeach President Trump at the end of the Senate trial. Cramer’s response was, “…I see no evidence of an impeachable offense.” Continue reading “Cramer Sucks… The Kool-Aid”

perhaps to die

sundown america, one-six-twenty.
two-eleven morning tehran, where
the clutter flutters, shaking down
avenues of the blood oath.

vengeance! the echoes cry
voices of thousands
ricochet stone wall to stone wall,
sleepless to sleepless, dust to dust.

their general is dead.
ours is mad.
eyes wild, master of all
self images on multiple screens.

genius! the compliment flies
inner voice of one
ricochets lobe to lobe
sleepless to sleepless, dust to dust.

eyes of millions see
– perhaps to die –
sons of a something, both,
dead bodies, dead minds, dead souls.

© 2020 Martin C. Fredricks IV
Photos by AFP

Photo of mourners in Theran, Iran, 1-6-20, AFP/Atta Kenare

Quoth the Climate Crisis Raven: Dumbermore

The editorial page is – or should be – a place for sharing ideas and stimulating conversation on important issues, not for character assassination, name-calling or generally behaving like a schoolyard bully with limited intelligence….

So-Called Columnist Needs to Back His Arguments, Not Resort to Name-Calling

Dumb. That’s what a blogger and columnist for The Forum, Fargo, N.D., calls the kids who joined the Climate Crisis Strike this past Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. Continue reading “Quoth the Climate Crisis Raven: Dumbermore”

Racial Profiling in the Heartland

When a police officer stops a white woman for a minor infraction and asks to see her black passenger’s ID, is it justified? No, it’s racial profiling. And it’s illegal.

Passengering While Black/Brown (PWB). Or Is It Plain Ol’ LWB?

The police officer approached the idling car from behind in a Fargo, N.D., parking lot off of 13th Avenue South. He flipped on his flashers, opened his door and approached the vehicle. Continue reading “Racial Profiling in the Heartland”