in Politics 414 Words

Not what I planned to blog about today

If you read my blog post yesterday, you expected me to blog about something “good and exciting” today. Unfortunately, I must postpone that post due to some technical difficulties. I have an announcement to make, but I want everything to be in place before I make it. Stay tuned!

A Town Hall for U.S. Senator Thom Tillis

I do have something timely to blog about today instead.

Last night I went to my very first “town hall” held for a United States Senator. It was sponsored by a variety of non-partisan civic organizations and not by the Senator’s office. I prepared a question to ask Senator Thom Tillis.

Unfortunately, Senator Tillis did not show up.

Lots of concerned citizens showed up.

A panel of people representing everything from veterans — to education — to health coverage — to a group that works to try to get the North Carolina General Assembly to pass the budget they were required by law to pass before July 1, 2025, but haven’t passed yet – to immigrant issues – to voter rights — all showed up.

The panelists fielded questions from the moderator and from the audience. Then, members of the audience were given the opportunity to ask Senator Tillis questions. The meeting was video taped and will be sent to Senator Tillis. Those of us who wanted to ask Mr. Tillis a question went to the microphone and addressed our questions to a cardboard cutout of the Senator.

Cardboard cut-out of U.S. Senator Thom Tillis at Town Hall

Questions ran the gambit from Congress relinquishing its responsibilities and power to the Executive Branch – to how can transgender citizens feel safe to continue to live in North Carolina – to what can a young person who went to college and has the credentials to do research do now that all federal research funds have been eliminated – to how to mentor and encourage young people to exercise their right and responsibility to vote — to how can we as Americans of all colors, ages, and backgrounds work together to stop the destruction of the U.S. Government as we knew it before January 20, 2025? After all, we all have so much in common.

Of course, the cardboard cutout of our United States Senator did not have any answers.

It was an interesting evening. It was encouraging to hear the passion and determination in the voices of the panelists and the members of the audience.

Perhaps all is not lost after all.

Janet

16 thoughts on “Not what I planned to blog about today”

  1. All very good questions and questions that indeed need to be answered by the Senator. I hope he gets back to all those who questioned these things, then all will not be all lost, but you know how politicians are. They never reply directly and use questions to go on and on about whatever it is that they want to say.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. It was what everyone expected. We didn’t expect him to show up. It is happening all over the country. Members of Congress just don’t show up when they are supposed to meet with their constituents to answer questions. They think they owe us nothing. The latest from Washington is that the FBI is raiding the home and office of Trump’s former National Security Advisor, John Bolton, allegedly looking for classified documents Trump claims he knows nothing about the raids, although after Bolton wrote a book about his 18 months in the first Trump Administration, he said that Bolton should go to jail. Bolton has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump. Hence, now there is a Dept. of Justice “investigation” and Trump claims he knew nothing about the raids until he saw it on TV this morning. He is wearing a new and even more ridiculous-looking baseball cap: “Trump was right about everything.” All in capital letters, of course. He also claimed this morning that he is the chief law enforcement officer of the nation, although the U.S. Attorney General actually holds that position. In the same rambling rant this morning he said he is going to put the very best asphalt on the streets of Washington, DC and he’s going to change the light bulbs in the streetlights. He is going to “beautify” D.C. God help us, if he “beautifies” it like he has “beautified” the Oval Office. A real U.S. President would not have time to dictate such trivial things as asphalt and lightbulbs. He was on his way to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to personally oversee the remodeling of the facility. He is ruining it, and we know when all is said and done it will be the Trump Center for the Performing Arts. Most self-respecting artists are now refusing to perform there as long as he has anything to do with it. Russia bombed a US-owned manufacturing facility in Ukraine Wednesday night, but Trump hasn’t said a word about that. Rewriting our history at the Smithsonian. Turning D.C. into a police state. Claimed this morning that politicians are “begging” him to do that in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. There is nothing he will not harm or destroy. Right out of the authoritarian playbook. He is a danger to the entire world. Yet, no one does anything to stop this convicted felon. No one.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Of course, anyone that has ever gone against him, he thinks deserves to now be in jail. It is incredible and a shame Janet. I have no words any more to express my dissatisfaction with what is going on… I do appreciate your articles as they bring us news that we do not get here in Europe. All the best to you and I hope that your weather is nicer now. Ours has cooled off a bit and it is not as hot as in July, but still nice and sunny.

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  8. We’ll never know. Perhaps it was. It’s a sad state of affairs that so many elected officials in Congress are now refusing to meet with their constituents in a public setting to answer questions.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. I thought the military would take him out during his first term, but it didn’t happen. Now he only has supporters in the top ranks of the military, so that ship has sailed.

    Liked by 1 person

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