The Right Of Free Speech

+++It will be interesting to see what others think+++

Note:  I apologize but this will be my only offering today for it is chemo day and the aftershock takes me some time to recover.

This is the first part of a series where I look at promises made within the Constitution….are they doing their part or are they falling short?

There has been much debate on this so-called right and since Donny and his cutthroats have come to power that ‘right’ is being what some say under attack.

Like now with this activist problem that Donny is having…..

Free speech groups across the country are sounding the alarm over the Trump administration’s surveillance of social movements in Minnesota and the prosecution of the Minnesota 15, a group of activists from Minneapolis-St. Paul who face federal conspiracy charges after organizing protests against brutal immigration sweeps earlier this year.

President Donald Trump and his allies in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice Department have targeted the First Amendment-protected expression of protesters, civil society groups, journalists, universities and the lawyers representing them at a scale that has “not been seen since the Second Red Scare,” according to an amicus brief filed with a federal court in Minnesota on Aug. 25 by Protect Democracy and other groups.

Documents recently released in court filings show that DHS agents spied on churches, schools and libraries to gather information on labor unions, nonprofits and community groups large and small. In June, the Minnesota 15 were arrested and charged with conspiracy to stalk, impede and assault immigration officers under a section of federal law the Trump administration has used to arrest anti-ICE protesters across the country.

The ‘Red Scare’ Repression of ICE-Watch Activists

Is anyone surprised at this turn of events?

Maybe you should not.

The right to free speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment, which stops the government from making laws that limit what people say, write, or peacefully protest.

  • Political opinions: Expressing views about government leaders, policies, and public issues is the main goal of the First Amendment.
  • Symbolic actions: Non-verbal actions like burning an American flag as a protest are protected as free expression.
  • Offensive ideas: Saying things that people find unpopular, rude, or offensive is generally legal and protected from the government.

That is the short version of what most people believe…..that our right of free speech is guaranteed by the Constitution which is after all the laws of the land, right?

If all that is true why is Donny curbing our right?

First of all the Constitution means nothing to him or his minions….if so then who guarantees our right to free speech?

Since the Constitution is the laws of the state then it would be the state.

A blogging friend, Tina, recently posted an article on this subject.

Do Anarchists Support “Free Speech”?

Now if one has a critical thinking mind then what was written holds true….at least in these days.

Just look at what is happening now…..

The freedom of speech and of the press is not a gift bestowed by a president, Congress or a federal agency. It is a natural right of all persons. The First Amendment does not create that right; it prohibits the government from infringing upon it. The ability to think, speak, write, criticize, ridicule, persuade, offend, dissent and challenge those in government is among the most fundamental preconditions of the exercise of human liberty.

It is also indispensable to personal happiness. A person who cannot speak his mind, question authority, express unpopular ideas or tell the government that it is wrong is not fully free. And free speech is essential to the survival of the republic because a government that cannot be criticized cannot be effectively held accountable.

Today, government power is being brought to bear against institutions, journalists and universities because their speech is considered objectionable by the president and his political allies.

This is hardly the first time an American administration has made that mistake.

https://original.antiwar.com/andrew-p-napolitano/2026/09/17/more-threats-to-the-freedom-of-speech/

Your freedom of speech should be protected…..instead it will be used against you by these ‘Black Shirts’ of Donny and his ICE thugs…..

Discuss

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Meaning Of Political Protest

Now a days there are too many that are willing to sit on the sidelines and shrug at the events that are killing this country….their excuse is ‘there is nothing we can do about it’….well that is defeatism plain and simple and I for one will not embrace that cowardly situation.

About ten years ago I wrote a post on the meaning of protest and I offer it here for those that may not have been around that far back.

The Meaning of Political Protest

It is a simple thing….either you want change or you are happy being bullied by the government but are too meek to do anything about it.

Me I will do what I can to change things….I know I am a small voice but I will not accept this crap as my country is dying under the boot of stupid.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

“I Can Do Anything”

That is the way Donny sees his presidency….that he has the power to do crazy things….and so far it looks like he may be right….

President Trump took some time from his Thursday evening Rose Garden speech to revel in just how much “crazy” power he has.

The president addressed a crowd of American hunters and outdoorsmen, which included billionaire Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris.

“That means you can sell a lot of fishing rods, Johnny. You’re going to sell a lot of rods. I could have made it so you couldn’t sell,” Trump said. “You couldn’t sell anything. I could have banned fishing,” Trump said, referring to his presidential powers.

“I’ll tell you what. The power of this office is crazy. I could have banned fishing and driven Johnny right the hell out of business. OK. I think I’m going to do that. Just maybe just a quick order, just for a day or two, till he calls me and he says, ‘Please, President, please, you’re putting me out of business, sir.’”

His fishing comment was met with disdain and confusion online.

“The Constitution continues to offer impeachment and removal as an option,” The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf wrote.

Others saw it as a chance for Alaska’s Democrat Senate nominee and fisherwoman Mary Peltula to take advantage of yet another Trump gaffe, as “I could have banned fishing” seemed tailor-made for an attack ad with Trump’s face all over it.

(newrepublic.com)

After making his statement he goes off on some tangent that no one knows what he is talking about…..just babbling for dollars.

This is not a big deal but what is in his statement that he can do anything with his ‘crazy’ powers….apparently that is true for he has been proving it for almost 2 years now.

Can we eliminate this tool….please.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Donny At The UN

As per tradition the US president gives a speech to the UN…..but most presidents touch on issues that represent a grasp of world affairs….and then along came the babbling buffoon…..and threatens genocide in front of the General assembly….

In his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, President Trump threatened Iran with “annihilation” and “hell,” but said he believes there would be a deal after the midterm elections, and said later in the day that his envoys held talks with Iranian officials.

Trump told the General Assembly that he has a “big decision to make” regarding Iran, repeating a talking point he’s used in recent media interviews.

“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?” the president said.

“But I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to. They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realize is that I’m not running. I did that already and won in a landslide. We won in a giant landslide, and I’ll be here for two and a half years. The Republican Party is running, and I’ll be helping them. But I am not running. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran,” he added.

Trump also boasted of his attack on Venezuela and takeover of Venezuela’s oil industry, saying “to the victor belongs the spoils.” He also took aim at Cuba, where civilians are suffering under a ramped-up US oil embargo, calling it a “failed state.”

(antiwar.com)

All that smacks of authoritarian bullshit…..can it be used against his loud obnoxious mouth?

The rest of the speech was pretty much….blah, blah, blah….same regurgitation as always.

After thumping his chest like a sex crazed primate he them attacks the media….

President Donald Trump lashed out at a CNN journalist Tuesday morning at the United Nations, telling her, “You should not be here covering me,” as the Department of Justice prepares to defend in federal court his ban on that media outlet, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins had asked Trump about a new poll that found two-thirds of Americans do not think the U.S. is winning its war with Iran.

“When will it end?” Collins asked the president.

“So it’s an honor to be here. I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” Trump told reporters as he gestured at Collins, before he entered the General Assembly in New York to address that body.

Collins interjected, “The United Nations allowed us in here, sir.”

(cnbc.com)

The world is really starting to see what an infantile bully this moron truly is and they will make work arounds….

Once again the clown prince of absurdity embarrassed himself and the country….any wonder why people do not like this twat?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

2026–Here We Go Again

The mid terms are about a month away and the former Dem candidate is inserting herself into the races where she can….

As Kamala Harris considers whether to run for president again, she’s throwing herself into the midterms by campaigning with fellow Democrats, starting with a Tuesday trip to Michigan on behalf of Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. It’s an especially notable destination for the former vice president. Michigan was one of seven battlegrounds she lost to Donald Trump two years ago, and it’s now one of six states that will start Democrats’ next presidential nominating process. Harris has rallies scheduled in Nevada and Georgia, the AP reports; her campaigning could serve to solidify or undermine her status as a potential Democratic front-runner.

Although Harris is one of the nation’s best-known politicians and a barrier-breaking figure, there are others eager to turn the page after she failed to defeat Trump when she replaced Joe Biden on the top of the ticket. “I think she’s run her course,” said Barry Goodman, a Democratic National Committee member from Michigan who raised money for Biden and then Harris. “I just don’t think her running again would be the right thing for America moving forward.” Some Democratic candidates, especially in places Trump won handily, have curtly dismissed any possibility of campaigning with Harris. “No thanks,” Iowa gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand told Politico. “Let’s move on. We need some new leadership.”

But plenty of Democrats said she has earned the space to consider her options without being rushed or pilloried. Underscoring her unique position, California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently told CNN that he would not seek the nomination if Harris does. “Kamala isn’t under any deadline to run for anything,” said Donna Brazile, a former Democratic National Committee chair who managed Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000. She called it a “waste of time” to relitigate Harris’s truncated 2024 campaign and said any White House hopefuls “should follow Kamala’s lead and get out there” by trying to help midterm candidates.

She wants new leadership?

She is the same as all other centrist Dems….playing the game for cash.

Make no mistake unless something hits the fan she will run in 2028….and apparently some are looking at Newsome for the second spot….but will that be in our best interests?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he might not run for president after all – depending on who’s in the race with him.

In a new 40-minute interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, the pair spoke about a range of topics, including his potential presidential bid, while fly-fishing in Montana. Tapper asked what would happen if former Vice President Kamala Harris were to enter the race as well.

“I wouldn’t do that to her,” Newsom said. “I wouldn’t do that to you. I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?”

It was a shocking declaration, because Newsom has long been considered a front-runner in the 2028 presidential election. He clearly seems to aspire to higher office.

Even the interview itself – the appeal to the everyman through Newsom’s choice of dress and activity, as well as the affectation of his speech as he answers Tapper’s questions – gives off the vibe of someone who is going to run. But perhaps it’s a sign that he has different aspirations – still a desire to be in the Oval Office, albeit in a different role.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/09/16/newsom-harris-president-2028-california-democrats/91774550007/

I cannot state loud enough what a horrible idea this will be….these to running in 2028.

Why?

They talk a mean progressive game but at the first chance they will run for the center and be no better than countless others that have come before them.

I agree that this country needs new leadership….but these two are NOT it.

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Donny And His Bullsh*t

We all know that Donny is a master at the lie…..no matter the subject…..but there are those that we hear very little about from what is deemed the MSM, a worthless bunch at best….

This issue maybe a minor lie but it still needs to be aired….I mean it is not like he never lied to us before and we should expect this and a lot worse in the days to come.

Donny is thumping his chest over a deal with Belarus…..

Alexander Lukashenko is throwing cold water on a key piece of President Trump’s trade talk. After Trump touted a “massive Deal” to buy discounted potash from Belarus on Monday—calling it “very good news” for US farmers and ranchers—the Belarusian leader said the country doesn’t have any to spare, the Hill reports.

  • “The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada, very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday morning.
  • In remarks published by his office, Lukashenko said that even if Belarus wanted to supply the fertilizer ingredient “to other, Western markets, we simply do not have those volumes—everything is contracted.”

  • The overwhelming majority of potash used by American farmers currently comes from Canada. Fertilizer analyst Josh Linville tells Reuters that even if Belarus exports a substantial amount to the US, it won’t make much difference to the prices farmers pay. “I’m afraid the impact would be limited. We have not struggled to find potash,” he says. “We have more than enough to go around. It is phosphate and nitrogen that we need help with.” Supplies of those ingredients have been hit hard by the Iran war.

  • The confusion lands as Washington has been courting Minsk through Trump’s special envoy John Coale, who is offering sanctions relief in exchange for prisoner releases, the Hill reports. Coale has helped free hundreds, though rights groups say Lukashenko is cycling new detainees in as others get out—a claim he denies, insisting, “There are no political prisoners in Belarus.”

All this because he has a hard on for Canada?

He thumps his chest and pretends that he is the master of the deal….when he is a floundering fish out of his depths….

If this guy is a ‘stable genius’ then I am a Mexican gardener.

What will be the rest of the story?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Return (Why) Of Mitch

After many months in the hospital Sen. Mitch McConnell returns to the Senate to resume his duties….

But the first vote he almost voted with the Dems (god forbid)….

Senator Mitch McConnell drew attention during a Senate Agriculture Committee vote on September 16, when other Republicans spoke to him as he prepared to cast his vote on the Farm Bill.

McConnell, 84, had recently returned to the Senate after a roughly three-month absence following a fall and hospitalization.

During the latest vote, he first appeared ready to vote “aye,” but Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota leaned toward him and said “no.”

When the clerk called his name, McConnell quietly said “aye,” but his response was apparently not heard clearly.

Hoeven again said “no,” while Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman and a staff member also spoke to McConnell.

McConnell then gave his answer again, more clearly: “Aye.”

Video of the moment quickly spread online, with some reports initially suggesting that McConnell had almost voted with Democrats before being corrected, per The New Republic.

However, it seemed to most likely be a misunderstanding.

McConnell’s vote helped the committee advance the Farm Bill by a 12-11 vote along party lines.

After the vote, McConnell posted a statement on X saying he was proud to support the legislation.

He wrote, “I want to commend Chairman Boozman for his work on the Farm Bill. I was proud to vote yes on the Farm Bill on behalf of the hardworking farm families across Kentucky. America’s farmers are the cornerstone of our nation and the backbone of Kentucky’s economy.”

The vote came during McConnell’s first week back in the Senate after an extended absence.

He had been away for about three months after a fall at his Washington home and a hospitalization that included treatment for pneumonia.

After the bill hearing, he told Reuters, “I must admit. After ‌two years of, decades, actually, dodging your questions, I wasn’t sure how many of you would be here today. But I’m glad to see you. Time to get back to work, finish the ​job for this Congress.”

His return has drawn attention because his Senate vote can be important on closely divided committee decisions. The Farm Bill vote was one such case, passing by a single vote.

(knewz.com)

Come on…..seriously?

His mind is gone and time for him to pack it in and go way.

The media is doing all they can to make it look like it was someone else at fault not this aging dinosaur.

A great example of why all politicians elected must retire at age 70 so there is not a news report on incompetence.

I guess we will have to hire someone to follow his around to make sure he does not embarrass the GOP.

We deserve better than Mitch is delivering.

More on the on-going saga of the politician that would not go away….

Apparently, Sen. Mitch McConnell Can’t Vote On His Own [Op-Ed]

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Is There A Coming Revolution?

First before anyone freaks out I am talking about a political revolution not one with bombs and shit.

Donny has crapped up this nation and we have at least 2 more years of his stupidity….but on the outside chance that we can send this pasty asshole to Florida we will have a mountain of work to do….that is those gutless twats in DC will have a mountain of work that will need doing.

Americans’ celebration of 250 years of independence invites reflection on the Declaration of Independence and its values of equality, liberty and democratic renewal. Those values are a beacon to guide where our nation must go to live up to its promise—to make sure we have a democracy where your vote counts no matter how much money you have or where you live.

We have work to do. Democracy is under profound stress. Twentieth-century rules and norms are straining under 21st century realities: increasing polarization, weakening media, rising economic inequality, and loss of trust in political parties and governing institutions. Americans have elected a president ready to push the boundaries of autocracy and kleptocracy.

But out of the ashes comes hope. Sustaining American democracy depends on a new wave of major change that speaks to the moment.

Here’s a rundown of reforms within reach—and what each reform would mean for rural Americans.

read the list and say whether you agree or not)

A Coming Revolution in American Democracy

I can say that I agree with every one of those changes….but will there be a will once Donny has fled the country?

To be fair I will post what the fearmongering Right thinks about a new American Revolution….

Sorry I would post the link but there is a paywall and I will be damned if those lying bastards will get any of my money….

Let’s say their are concerned about the rise of the DSA and in true fashion will like it to the Russian Revolution and the rise of Lenin.

Now you can choose to believe that crap and if you do then I have a bridge for sale.

Now back to the main body of the post….we desperately need political reform….but I do not see much of it materializing….do you?

Educate, Agitate

I Read, I Write, You Know

cogito ergo agito

Last Week At The Sh*t Show–20Sept26

AS the midterm election creeps into sight you would think that the silliness of Donny would take a back seat to trying to help win elections….but it looks like we would be mistaken.

It has been an interesting week….from Donny encouraging people to commit voter fraud to to him pouting about the Kennedy Center….

Far-right President Donald Trump on Thursday night asked his Republican supporters at a party convention event to raise their right hands and vow fealty directly to him in a mocking version of the “pledge of allegiance” in which he also called on them to “cheat like hell” at the ballot box in November in order to secure a midterm win against Democrats.

“Please right your right hand,” Trump told attendees at the first-ever GOP midterm convention in Dallas, Texas.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-pledge-cheat-like-hell-in-midterms

Then of course was Donny’s promise to pay for votes….

Speaking at the rally, Trump pledged to pay every American adult $5,000 if Republicans kept control of both houses of Congress in the Nov. 3 elections. The next day, Trump said the administration would pay $500 to nearly 1 million Americans in 30 states as part of an Obamacare refund.

Will Americans really get these payments? Here’s what we know.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/12/trump-5000-dividend-checks-midterms/91729708007/

It is the public record….use it!

Donny seems to think that the US would not exist without him…..

Urging support for Republican candidates ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, the 80-year-old president argued that before his victory in 2024, the country was “going down the drain” due to what he described as “stupid policies.”

“Their policies are, you know, they’re common sense. I heard so many of the wonderful politicians who spoke… It’s really about common sense more than anything else. It’s not about stupid policies that led us down the drain. We were going down the drain. If we hadn’t won the last election, I’m not sure that our country right now would even exist. It was going so bad,” he said

(okmagazine.com)

What a deluded POS!

It seems that Dimwit Donny has not forgotten about Greenland…..

After months of threatening to take Greenland by force, President Trump posted Friday on social media that he’s reached an agreement designed to boost the US military presence on the Arctic island and shut out rival nations. The deal, which does not include a US takeover, “gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns,” Trump wrote. Greenland and Denmark, which owns the Arctic island, issued a joint statement saying they plan to sign the deal with the US next week, the Hill reports.

“The agreement recognizes Greenland’s interests and our place in international cooperation,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen, chairman of the Greenland government, said in a statement. “It is to the benefit of us all.” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark said the agreement “recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.” Trump said the US will be able to expand its military footprint while keeping “adversaries” from building bases.

May I suggest that Denmark not trust the SOB…..

You know there is a data base that tracks police misconduct….well not any more….

Last year the Trump administration shut down a national database of misconduct by federal law enforcement officers. Now it’s facing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for refusing to release records about that decision.

A coalition of civil rights and police accountability groups filed a FOIA lawsuit on September 4 after waiting 10 months for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release records about why it pulled the plug on the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD), a nonpublic database tracking misconduct by federal law enforcement officers.

The Justice Department launched NLEAD in 2023 to assist federal agencies with hiring and oversight. However, in one of his first acts after returning to the White House in 2025, President Donald Trump ordered the department to delete it. In a written statement to The Washington Post, the White House said former President Joe Biden’s executive order creating the database “was full of woke, anti-police concepts.”

https://reason.com/2026/09/15/the-trump-administration-shut-down-a-police-misconduct-database-now-its-facing-a-foia-lawsuit/

This should make getting away with murder, both literally and physically, much easier now.

All you activists please take note….

In mid-August, a conservative activist using the digital moniker “Datarepublican” quietly admitted she was employed by the Pentagon as a “special government employee.” For months, she’d been pocketing a government paycheck while intensely lobbying for President Trump’s imperialist misadventures online and tracking their most vocal critics in a digital database.

Datarepublican was identified in 2025 as Jennica Pounds, a Utah-based mother with nearly a million followers whose stated raison d’etre is “fighting communists” – a moniker she applies liberally to anyone perceptibly to the left of Barry Goldwater.

…

The operation appears to be in breach of two federal laws, the Hatch Act and the Smith-Mundt Act, which prohibit government employees from engaging in political activities while on the clock, and forbid them from directing their propaganda efforts at the US population, respectively.

Covert Pentagon propagandists are tracking anti-war Americans, skirting the law

Another lake may be in the crosshairs for a naming update….

Pennsylvania’s lone Great Lake is apparently in need of a rebrand, according to one Republican lawmaker. State Rep. David Maloney has urged President Trump to rename Lake Erie as “Lake Pennsylvania,” arguing the state deserves sole billing on the waterway that borders three other states and Canada, the Hill reports.

  • “This is Pennsylvania’s only Great Lake. Its modern economy and identity are increasingly tied to the boaters, anglers, families and tourists who come to enjoy it,” Maloney said in a statement. “Ohio has plenty of shoreline. New York already has two Great Lakes. Canada has four others. Pennsylvania has one. Let’s call it Lake Pennsylvania
  • Maloney’s resolution asks Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to make the switch, building on Trump’s earlier executive order that rechristened Lake Ontario as “Lake America” amid tensions with Canada over trade. Trump has also floated renaming New Mexico to “New America,” a suggestion that drew backlash from the state’s Democratic lawmakers. The Times Observer reports that Maloney’s proposal is unlikely to get far in Pennsylvania’s Democratic-led House of Representatives.

This is all so damn silly that it is beyond laughable and approaching pathetic.

That Was The Week That Was

The news is not always that good especially these days and I am sorry to be a bummer so to try and sooth your mind I post this video of dogs bringing home a new friend….

A little something extra….

Today will be a great day to go out and spend some time with friends and family….and as always…..Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”