Category: Politics

#OnThisDay: 26th Amendment Ratified, 1971 – Part One

I can always remember the year the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. It lowered the legal voting age in the United States from 21 years old to the age of 18.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

The argument that ultimately won the day and the ratification of the 26th Amendment was that if 18-year-olds were old enough to fight a war in Vietnam, they were old enough to vote.

I just happened to turn 18 years old in 1971. My high school male classmates were receiving draft notices (and at least two of the females in my senior class did, too, because their first names could also be the first names of males), so the argument made sense to me.

What puzzled me was the fact that 18-year-old males had been drafted and sent to war as early as 1778, so why did the voting age not get lowered to 18 before the last years of the Vietnam War?

To find the answer to that question, I went down a rabbit hole. When will I learn that nothing has a simple answer?

It turns out that the question of the draft and the question of at what age an American should be given the right to vote have been intertwined for a very long time and started coming to a head during World War II.

I found it impossible to address the voting age without addressing the age of conscription.

Keep in mind that until 1920 women could not vote in the United States, and black men were not drafted until 1943. And black men and women were not allowed to vote in various states until the 1960s despite the adoption of the 15th Amendment in 1870 which gave black men the right to vote.

Depending upon your age, this might seem like ancient history, but I assure you it is not.

I have divided today’s post by wars or eras up to but not including World War II, in case you aren’t interested in the total progression of this and how the 26th Amendment became part of the US Constitution in 1971.

Tomorrow’s post will pick up with World War II to the ratification of the 26th Amendment.

Revolutionary War

A regular army (the Continental Army) was raised from 1775 until 1783 by men who enlisted given cash bonuses and a promise of land “on the western waters) when the war was over.

My great-great-great-great-grandfather Morrison’s youngest brother took advantage of that offer. After 84 months of service, he was awarded 640 acres of land “on the western waters”, i.e. in Tennessee. Six of his 11 children pulled up stakes in piedmont North Carolina and moved to that land approximately 400 miles away in Tennessee.

War of 1812

The US Government recruited men to serve for 13 months. They were given a $16 sign-up bonus and were promised three months’ pay and 160 acres of land after their service. The US Congress authorized President James Madison to call up 100,000 militiamen from the states, but some of the states refused to cooperate.

Mexican War (1846-1848)

One-year enlistment times for many troops expired and military operations had to wait for replacements to arrive.

Civil War

In the North, Congress authorized President Abraham Lincoln to draft men from 20 to 45 years old. For $300, a rich man could hire another man to serve in his place. Draft riots occurred for four days in New York City on July 13, 1863, after Governor Horatio Seymour declared the conscription act unconstitutional. Government offices were burned, shops were looted, and black men and anyone else refusing to join the protest were tortured. Less than two weeks after the Battle of Gettysburg, New York soldiers there were called home to put down the riot. Approximately 1,000 people died! Governor Seymour finally gave in and the draft in New York started again.

In the South, the Congress of the Confederate States of America passed a conscription law in April 1862. All white men ages 18 to 35 were required to serve for three years in the military. As in the North, substitutes were allowed which contributed to low morale and low number. That eventually resulted in conscription between the ages of 17 and 50. By 1865, slaves were being called into service.

Spanish-American War (1898)

The US Congress made all white men between the ages of 18 and 45 subject to the draft.

World War I

In May 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed by the US Congress. It established local, district, state, and territorial civilian boards to register white men between the ages of 21 and 30 to serve in World War I. There was widespread opposition to the Act which resulted in tens of thousands of men applying for exemptions. More than 250,000 men did not even register. Arrests were made, including one round-up of 16,000 men in New York City in 1918. In light of all that, all attempts to set up military training standards and service were defeated in Congress in the years immediately after the war.

The National Defense Act of 1920

That act established a system of voluntary military service. After all, World War I/The Great War was supposed to be “the war to end all wars.”

Leading up to World War II

The US was reticent to get involved militarily in World War II. The Burke-Wadsworth Act passed in both houses of the US Congress in September 1940. It imposed the first peacetime military draft in US history. In December 1940, all white men ages 21 to 36 were required to register for the draft. Although 20 million men fell into that category, half of them were rejected for military service during the first year due to either health reasons or illiteracy. (An astounding 20 percent of them were illiterate!)

Hurricane Helene Update

Surprise news: I-40 reopened on Friday, just two days after Tennessee Department of Transportation indicated they were trying to get it reopened by July 4.

More good news: Chimney Rock State Park has reopened after being closed for nine months due to hurricane damage to the park and the Town of Chimney Rock.

As of Friday, 62 roads in North Carolina were still closed due to Hurricane Helene. That count included five US highways, nine state highways, and 48 state roads.

Like my report as of Friday, June 20 showed an increase in closures due to Hurricane Helene over the Friday before, this report is a slight increase in closures over the one for June 20. There is no explanation, just a chart showing each category of closures by NC DOT district. I assume some damages were longer showing up than others and/or some roads that were passable for the months immediately after the storm have now been closed for repairs.

Until my next blog post, which will be tomorrow

I hope you have a good book to read.

Keep family and friends close in your thought, prayers, and activities.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

A little fascism here, a little fascism there…

I’ve read that some people who blindly voted for Donald Trump are having buyer’s remorse now. As far as I know, I don’t know any of them personally. If you now wish you had not voted for Trump, please tell me.

Not a day passes that we don’t learn of another fascist step the Trump regime has taken.

It is exhausting to watch the news. It is exhausting to try to digest it and condense it into a blog post. I refuse to stop. I love my country too much to give up or give in.

I love my four young adult great nieces too much to stop watching the news and scanning the internet for multiple reputable resources. I love them too much to leave them a tyrannical government in which they are commanded to march lockstep with the-power hungry freedom haters in charge.

I worked too hard to get an education and they have worked too hard to get an education for them to be doomed to a life of barefoot and pregnant, which is what the Trumpers apparently want for them.

Wannabe dictators don’t sweep in and convert a democracy into an authoritarian state overnight. They chip away at rights bit by bit. They ban a few books today, and they ban more books tomorrow. They institute laws that make it more difficult for citizens to register to vote.

They call the press “the enemy of the people.” They attack education. They push the envelope to see what they can get away with. They attack judges. They slowly but surely undermine the citizens’ confidence in everything until those citizens start questioning their own instincts.

They normalize lies and hate.

They exaggerate civil unrest so they can bypass a state governor and send in the National Guard. They overwhelming exaggerate civil unrest so they can deploy the United States Marines to a city.

They invent crises so they can declare martial law.

I am trying to sound the alarm bell out of a place of low and not anger.

Last Monday, June 16: Dr. Fiona Havers, a top scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resigned because she could not in good conscience stay with the agency after Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices on June 9.

Photo of a nurse giving a little girl a shot.
Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Huffpost.com (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cdc-vaccine-expert-resigns-warning_n_6853013ee4b0ed75e67535cd) quoted Dr. Havers as saying, “It is a very transparent, rigorous process, and they have just taken a sledgehammer to it in the last several weeks. “CDC processes are being corrupted in a way that I haven’t seen before.”

Reuters reported that Dr. Havers’ email to her colleagues said that she had lost of confidence that her team’s output would “be used objectively or evaluated with appropriate scientific rigor to make evidence-based vaccine policy decisions.”

Dr. Havers’ fear is that “a lot of Americans are going to die as a result of vaccine-preventable diseases.”

She told The New York Times, “I could not be party to legitimizing this new committee.”

On June 11, Secretary Kennedy appointed eight new members to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. Several of them have questionable qualifications for developing vaccine policy for the United States.

If you wish to read about the backgrounds of the eight new members, here is a link: https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2025/06/12/acip-members.

Last Wednesday, June 18: The Associated Press (https://www.npr.org/2025/06/19/g-s1-73572/us-resumes-visas-foreign-students-access-social-media) reported that the US State Department will restart the process of vetting foreigners who apply for student visas. The new restriction is that applicants will have to set their social media accounts to “public” so they can be reviewed by US officials.

The report said, “The department says consular officers will be looking for activity, posts and messages showing ‘any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.’”

That would probably prevent me from coming here to study. So much for free speech.

Last Thursday, June 19: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem instituted a new policy (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/us/politics/ice-congress.html) that members of Congress must give 72 hours’ notice if they wish to fulfill their duty and responsibility to visit ICE Field Office. That is in direct violation of the annual appropriation act that states that members of Congress are not required “to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility.”

The ICE Field Offices and detention centers house undocumented immigrants, sometimes legal immigrants, and sometimes American citizens because the ICE agents who are clothed in black glasses and face masks apparently cannot see or hear well enough through all their Gestapo-reminiscent garb to tell a citizen from a non-citizen. Why don’t they just wear white hoods like many of them probably do when they are off the clock?

What do they want to hide from the members of Congress?

This is another in a long line of cases in which Trump or one of his appointees decided they don’t have to obey the law.

Also on last Thursday, June 19: Trump put on social media that we have too many holidays in the United States. Posting that on Juneteenth was no accident. He posted that “the workers don’t want it [a holiday] either.”

Photo of a couple enjoying the beach with their toddler. The little boy is sitting on his father's shoulders and laughing.
Photo by CDC on Unsplash

If you work for the government, at a bank, or the stock market and don’t want a paid holiday, raise your hand. Go ahead. Raise your hand.

Last Friday, June 21: Axios reported that on June 12 Trump pulled the plug on the 2023 Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement. The Biden Administration dedicated $1 billion through 2033 toward restoring salmon to the Columbia River Basin along with supporting tribal-led clean energy projects in the region. Trump called the agreement “radical environmentalism.”

It’s certainly not the first time the federal government has broken its promises to indigenous peoples, and it won’t be the last. Apparently, the hydroelectric industry, agriculture, and shipping had a stronger lobby at the White House than the Yakama Tribal Council. (https://apnews.com/article/columbia-river-snake-river-dams-tribes-salmon-745894c815e8951e9897b7a5a3544bfb) Money talks; salmon don’t.

Also last Friday, June 21: NBC News reported that on social media that day Trump called for a special prosecutor to investigate the 2020 elections. That’s the one he lost. Despite a raft load of lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign since then, no evidence of mass voter fraud has come to light. (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/trump-posts-social-media-calling-special-prosecutor-investigate-2020-e-rcna214099) Here we go again….

Also last Friday, June 21: It came to light on several media outlets that the US Ambassador to Senegal had denied visas for two representatives of the Senegalese basketball federation, the team doctor, a physiotherapist, five players, a steward, the general manager, and the ministerial delegate. They were scheduled to come to the United States for ten days to train for the biennial AfroBasket Tournament to be played July 26 – August 3 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. No reason was given for the visa denials.

This does not bode well for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In fact, nothing that has happened since January 20 bodes well for those games.

Also last Friday, June 21: I desperately look for signs of hope. I found one on Friday. It has been reported that the section in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” that would make it almost impossible for the Trump Administration to be sued for dictatorial behavior or almost anything else in federal court – has been removed from the bill being considered by the US Senate. The US House of Representatives passed the bill, but a few Senators and the Senate Parliamentarian have removed some parts of it. (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-parliamentarian-knocks-pieces-out-of-trump-s-megabill/ar-AA1H6dqB)

Last Saturday, June 22: In a statement that would be laughable if it weren’t so dangerous, this was published by The Washington Post:  “President Trump is restoring the integrity of the Executive Branch following four years of relentless abuse through weaponization, lawfare, and unelected bureaucrats running the nation via autopen,” [White House spokesperson] Harrison [Fields] said in a statement. “The President and his administration are the most transparent in American history, seamlessly executing the will of the American people in accordance with their constitutional authority.”

The article contrasted the post-Watergate actions the US Congress took to rein in the power of the president with the undoing of power of the legislative branch by Trump.

The article, written by Naftali Bendavid and which can be found at https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-undermines-watergate-laws-in-massive-shift-of-ethics-system/ar-AA1H8Xbx. The article includes this example: “Watergate-era lawmakers, furious at Nixon for refusing to spend money they had authorized, passed a law forbidding “impoundment.” Trump ignored that when he temporarily froze government grants, and he has all but dismantled an agency created by Congress, the U.S. Agency for International Development.”

It goes on to say, “In response to Nixon’s push to replace civil servants with political loyalists, Congress created the Merit Systems Protection Board in 1978 to hear cases of federal employees claiming unjust termination. Trump, who wants to force out thousands of workers, has dismissed a key member of the board and sought to neutralize it.”

On Monday, June 23: The US Supreme Court struck down a lower court ruling and said that it is perfectly find for the Trump Administration (and, therefore, all future administrations) to deport eight immigrants from various countries, including Vietnam and Cuba, to South Sudan even though none of them are from that country.

Photo of US Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC
Photo by Brad Weaver on Unsplash

Imagine being deported to a country where you know no one and don’t speak that language! It turns out the eight people had already been deported to Djibouti before the US Supreme Court handed down its 6-3 ruling on Monday. 

Until my next blog post

I will give you my weekly post-Hurricane Helene in North Carolina road update when I blog about my historical fiction writing and the little about the devotional book I’ve written but not yet published.

I hope you are reading a book that has you so captivated you can’t put it down except long enough to read my blog!

Don’t take anything or anyone for granted.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

How do we get out of this mess?

Many of my blog posts this year have been about the mess we’re in. American democracy is being challenged like no other time in recent history, if ever.

Some people have been known to say in the last six months that we could have another civil war in the United States. Perhaps you’ve thought it yourself or heard someone else say those words.

Series of Webinars Sponsored by The Carter Center

Photo of President Jimmy Carter
President Jimmy Carter Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

This spring I watched a series of webinars sponsored by The Carter Center about our divided country. Panelists explored how we got to this place, how we can learn from other countries, what we can do to avoid what other countries have experienced, and where we can start.

The country that served as the example in the four webinars was Northern Ireland.

The facilitator for the webinars was the Rev. Dr. Gary Mason, a Methodist minister, peacemaker, and peacebuilder from Northern Ireland. Dr. Mason founded Rethinking Conflict in 2015. It seeks to model the principles of Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement.

That agreement finally ended the conflict on Good Friday, April 10, 1998. Dr. Mason has taken this model to the Middle East and now, to the United States.

Dr. Mason spoke from personal experience growing up during “The Troubles.”

If you are interested in watching the four “Why are we divided?” webinars, here’s the link: https://georgiadrn.org/divided-webinar/.

What if “The Troubles” happened in the United States?

British troops occupied Northern Ireland in August 1969. Everyone thought it would be over before Christmas, but there was an amazing amount of violence over the next 30 years. It was the longest occupation by the British Army in history.

To give Americans some perspective on the amount of violence that took place in Northern Ireland during “The Troubles,” Dr. Mason gave the following statistics: At that time, Northern Ireland had a population of 1.5 million. During The Troubles, nearly 4,000 were killed, 47,000 were injured, there were 37,000 shootings, 30,000 people went through the penal system, there were 22,000 armed robberies, and 16,000 bombings.

He extrapolated that out to compare with the population of the United States over a 30-year conflict. If we had such a civil war in the US, we could see 800,000 killed, 9 million injuries, 7 million shootings, 6 million political prisoners, 4 million armed robberies, and 3 million bombings.

Imagine that level of carnage in America. I can’t.

An estimated 618,000 Americans died in our Civil War in the 1860s. To bring it “home,” I’ve studied the local losses in my own church in that war. Out of a membership of 400 white members and 200 black enslaved members, the congregation lost 74 men in the war. I cannot imagine that number of deaths in this community.

Just like it, undoubtedly, took decades for my community to recover from the war, 27 years after the Good Friday Agreement, Dr. Mason says in Northern Ireland “we are still wrestling with the legacy of the conflict. It’s really the one piece of unfinished business of the peace process.”

Indeed, in the United States we’re still wrestling with the legacy of our civil war. Confederate statues were taken down, but Trump wants them put back in place. Confederate names were removed from US military installations, but now the names are being restored, albeit technically they are not being renamed for the Confederates.

For example, Fort Bragg here in North Carolina was originally named for Braxton Bragg, a Confederate Army General who owned slaves. His name was removed, all the signs and letterhead replaced to say “Fort Liberty” in June 2023, and then in February 2025, Fort Liberty was renamed Fort Bragg but this time for a decorated Private in World War II, Roland X. Bragg.

We are still wrestling with the legacy of our Civil War, so it is not surprising that 27 years after the fact, the people of Northern Ireland are wrestling with theirs.

In Northern Ireland, People Hated Each Other

When peace talks began in Northern Ireland, the people in the room hated each other. No wonder it took so many years for them to develop a peace agreement.

Is that where we are today in the United States of America?

In polite society, we generally get along with each other. But, as I wrote about in my April 17, 2025, blog post, Is your family getting together during Holy Week? Brace yourself!, it only takes one person making an inflammatory remark and a heated argument can break out even among a group of friends or a family gathering.

Do Americans hate each other?

I don’t hate anyone, but I hate what some individuals and groups are doing to our country.

I hate that the US Congress has relinquished its legislative responsibilities to a US President who is legislating via Executive Orders.

I hate that thousands of federal employees have been fired or forced to take early retirement.

I hate that medical research funds and researchers have been eliminated.

I hate that people are being shipped off to a prison in El Salvador without due process.

I hate when people are shipped off to a prison El Salvador by mistake, the US President says he is powerless to do anything about it.

I hate that USAID was halted and will result in people starving.

I hate that universities, museums, and libraries are being targeted and punished.

I hate that Moms for Liberty think they have the right to dictate which books should not be read.

I hate that the Heritage Foundation was able to slide Project 2025 into the White House while the Republican Presidential nominee denied having anything to do with it.

I hate that many of the most vocally hateful voices in this country come from people who claim to be Christians. They give Christianity and Christians a bad name.

So how do we get out of this mess?

If we take the peacemaking and peacebuilding experience of Dr. Gary Mason into consideration, since he has lived through a civil war, we will open avenues of communication with people with whom we disagree.

The core advice from How to Have That Difficult Conversation in Uncivil Times, by Janet Givens is that we start by finding common ground to break the ice with people we need to have that difficult conversation with. Surely, there is something you and they have in common. (See my August 22, 2022, blog post, <em>L.E.A.P.F.R.O.G.: How to hold a civil conversation in an uncivil era</em>, <em>Third Edition, </em>by Janet Givens.)

Photo of cover of L.E.A.P.F.R.O.G.: How to hold a civil conversation in an uncivil era, by Janet Givens
LEAPFROG: How to hold a civil conversation in an uncivil era, by Janet Givens, M.A.

Taking Dr. Mason’s advice, we will then calmly and sincerely ask the person or persons why they feel the way they do about the topic with which we know we disagree with them, and then we will respectfully listen to their story.

Hopefully, they will be equally curious about our story and allow us to explain our position and why or how we arrived at it. Without honesty by both parties and a genuine curiosity by both parties, and a real listening by both parties… it won’t be a successful conversation.

Then, we move on to another person with whom we disagree and repeat the process.

Hmmm. Sounds easy on paper?

No, it doesn’t even sound easy on paper, much less in real life.

Bottom line is, I don’t know how we get out of this mess.

It has been my experience that people who stand on the opposite end of the political spectrum from where I stand, are not interested in hearing my story. They tend to be loud, rude, and condescending. They tend to call names and belittle, like their political leader on Pennsylvania Avenue.

So I really don’t know how we will get out of this mess. When I consider having “that difficult conversation” with anyone I know who supports Trump, I honestly cannot imagine that I would be able to have a productive conversation with them about politics. Our worldviews and core beliefs about democracy are just that far apart.

A chilling perspective

I just reread White Robes and Broken Badges: Infiltrating the KKK and Exposing the Evil Among Us, by Joe Moore. I blogged about that book on October 7, 2024, in What I Read Last Month & a Hurricane Helene Update, and I will blog about it again on July 7.

Photo of book cover for White Robes and Broken Badges by Joe Moore
White Robes and Broken Badges, by Joe Moore

Speaking from the unique place of having infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan twice for the FBI, Moore stated in his book, “The radical right cares nothing about process, only outcome. They’re not interested in a civil discussion to work out differences, because they are so consumed by ideology that it has hijacked their civility. They have a clear vision of what they want the country to look like, and democracy itself is the only thing standing in their way.”

That leaves us in a hopeless situation. I don’t want to be hopeless, but I admit I don’t know how to have a productive conversation about politics with anyone who supports Donald Trump.

Even when Donald Trump is no longer in office, the people who agree with his tactics will still be with us. Our mess is bigger than an election or two can clean up.

Until my next blog post

How do you think we can get out of this mess?

What have you tried? Did it work?

It is going to take all of us to get our country out of this mess. The politicians certainly aren’t going to save us!

Remember the people of Northern Ireland, Ukraine, and western North Carolina.

Janet

P.S. I wrote and scheduled today’s blog post before the United States bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran on Saturday night, Eastern Time.

Concerns over the Smithsonian on Juneteenth

There are more pressing worries today in the Middle East than what is happening at the Smithsonian Institute, but I am posting this as planned.

I mentioned my concerns about the Smithsonian Institution in my March 31, 2025, blog post, Words Trump wants federal agencies to “limit or avoid”, but like many parts of the US Government that don’t directly affect our lives on a daily basis, the Smithsonian has dropped from the headlines.

Photo of The Castle -- the most iconic building of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC
“The Castle” – the most iconic building of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Photo by Sara Cottle on Unsplash

My only other substantive mention of the Smithsonian in my blog since then was on June 3, 2025, when I wrote, “On Friday, Trump fired Kim Sajet, the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. She had held the position for 12 years. Her crime, according to Trump was for being ‘a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI.’”

President Trump replaced Ms. Sajet with Lindsey Halligan, Esq.

I have wondered since then what Ms. Halligan is up to, but I’m afraid to ask. Plus, who would I ask? My United States Senators and my US Representative certainly would not know.

Just out of curiosity, I wondered what Lindsey Halligan’s qualifications were for being named Director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. I found most of my answers in The Washington Post’s online article on April 21, 2025: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/she-told-trump-the-smithsonian-needs-changing-he-s-ordered-her-to-do-it/ar-AA1DiUy4.

Photo of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC
The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC
Photo by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash

On March 27, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” I don’t know about you, but as a student of history, the title alone makes me cringe.

It turns out there is one person mentioned by name in that Executive Order: Lindsey Halligan, Esq.

The Executive Order states that Halligan will consult with Vice President J.D. Vance to “remove improper ideology” from Smithsonian properties. That sounds like she is going to have some say so in more than the National Portraits Gallery.

So, again, what are her qualifications? I ask, because so many of Trump’s appointees have no qualifications for their jobs. You know who they are, and they know who they are.

According to Maura Judkis’s article in The Washington Post, Halligan is a Trump attorney who moved to Washington in January. She visited the Smithsonian museums of Natural History, American History, and American Art and she did not like what she saw.

It seems that she thought the Smithsonian was “weaponizing history.” To me, those words coming from a Trump associate translate into “We don’t want to be reminded that America was never perfect.” Halligan told the newspaper that she reported her concerns to the President.

Poof! She is now consulting with the Vice President to apparently rid the Smithsonian of collections and exhibits that offend her sensitivities.

But how did she get in a position to have such a level of access to and influence over Donald Trump? She competed in the Miss Colorado USA Pageant back in 2009 when Trump co-owned the parent organization of the Miss Universe pageant, for which the state Miss USA pageants is a preliminary event.

Ms. Halligan might be a well-qualified attorney. What she knows about art or portraits was not covered in the newspaper article.

The Smithsonian’s Mission

According to the website for The Smithsonian Institution (https://www.si.edu/), its purpose is: “The increase and diffusion of knowledge.”

The Smithsonian’s stated vision: “Through our unparalleled collections and research capabilities, and the insight and creativity we foster through art, history, and culture, the Smithsonian strives to provide Americans and the world with the tools and information they need to forge Our Shared Future.”

In other words, the Smithsonian Institution is for the whole world. Keep that in mind, as we delve into what Lindsey Halligan did not like when she visited a few of its museums in January.

What is “improper ideology” at the Smithsonian?

More troublesome than Ms. Halligan’s credentials is, “What is considered ‘improper ideology’ for the Smithsonian?”

I will quote two paragraphs from Maura Judkis’s newspaper article:

“During her visits to the museums, Halligan says she saw ‘exhibits that have to do with either another country’s history entirely or art and sculpture that describes on the placards next to it that America and sculpture are inherently racist,’ though she did not offer specific details.

“She says she also saw exhibitions that did not focus on America at all. ‘There’s a lot about other countries’ history that has nothing to do with America, and I think, you know, America is so special,’ she says, adding: ‘We should all be focused on how amazing our country is and how much America has to offer.’”

What happens to the history of slavery in the US?

Today we mark the 160th anniversary of the day that the last black slaves in the state of Texas found out that they were free: June 19, 1865. That’s the day U.S. Army Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas. It is now a recognized holiday known as Juneteenth, a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth.”

But what is happening to the history of slavery in the United States, when the Trump Administration wants to erase all traces of the unpleasant chapters in our national history?

Photo of a rope around an up held wrist below a fist
Photo by Tasha Jolley on Unsplash

We know certain museum exhibits have been removed from the Smithsonian. What happened to them? Were they thrown in the trash?

We know the Trump Administration doesn’t want any mention of slavery in our children’s history textbooks or any discussion of such things in our classrooms because it might make the white children feel bad. That is absurd, short-sighted, and evil.

Need we know more?

If you want to know more, Ms. Judkis’s article gives many more details, but I think those two paragraphs tell us everything I need to know.

Ms. Halligan’s statements as quoted above are in direct conflict with the stated purpose and vision of the Smithsonian.

I hope when the Trump regime is a distant memory, people who have knowledge of world history and how to operate museums will be able to piece the Smithsonian back together.

Crackdown on ideology to the extreme

It has been reported that there are now signs up (or will be soon) at the National Zoo in Washington, DC instructing visitors to report anything they see that they think is in conflict with the ideology of the US Government.

It is a zoo, people! It. is. a. zoo.

This does not bode well for Bao Li and Qing Bao, the two pandas on loan from China. I hope they will keep their anti-American thoughts to themselves!

Photo of a panda at a zoo
Photo by Harrison Mitchell on Unsplash

If they aren’t careful, Trump will place a tariff on them like he did that island inhabited only by penguins.

You can read more about the Executive Order on the White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restores-truth-and-sanity-to-american-history/.

Until my next blog post

Read everything you can get your hands on. Watch a little bit of the news every day.

Learn the history of your country and the world. Your democracy and way of life might depend on that someday. The knowledge of history needs to influence for whom you vote on every level of government.

Do whatever you can to make this world a better place.

Remember the people of Ukraine and eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. I-40 in Cocke County, Tennessee sustained major flooding again yesterday and a new landslide. The interstate highway is closed in both directions near the TN/NC line until damage can be cleaned up and assessed. Motorists must use I-40 to I-81 in TN to I-26 to Asheville, NC to I-40. The Hurricane Helene saga continues. That area just can’t seem to get a break as we approach ten months since the hurricane.

Janet

The US President’s True Colors

After I settled on the title for today’s blog post, I realized you might think this is going to be about cosmetics and shades of makeup. That’s not where this is going.

Saturday’s parade

Photo of soldiers marching in camouflage uniforms.
Photo by Filip Andrejevic on Unsplash

I think we all know what Saturday’s parade in Washington, DC was about, and it wasn’t for the US Army’s 250th birthday. The reason for the parade was to stroke President Trump’s fragile ego. He wanted a North Korean-style military parade and he was finally about to finagle a parade of sorts under the guise of celebrating the US Army. Oh, and it was also Flag Day. And, by the way, it was his birthday.

The adoring crowd was not what he expected. It turned out that the patriotic and enthusiastic crowds were too buy participating in the “No Kings” protests all across the country to be bothered by Trump’s birthday parade.

I understand from a former US Army NCO that the lack of crispness and precision in the soldiers’ marching in the parade was a sign of low morale and their way to have a silent protest against Trump. It was quite noticeable in the photos I saw. I did not watch the parade.

That gives me hope that at least some members of the US military remember that they do not have to follow an order if it is for them to do something illegal. I don’t think their commander-in-chief understands that or cares.

I couldn’t help but wonder why the soldiers representing the Revolutionary War were wearing red jackets and white wigs. I thought the British were the “redcoats,” and I really don’t think our soldiers were issued white wigs! It just looked odd.

We can all hope that’s Trump’s last attempt at a grand military parade. That kind of thing really rubs Americans the wrong way. He didn’t know, even though his military advisors during his first term in office tried to explain it to him.

Why the “About Face!” on US Steel-Nippon Steel Merger?

Photo of white hot liquid being poured into a vat
Photo by yasin hemmati on Unsplash

In case you wondered why President Trump was against the merger of US Steel and Nippon Steel until he was suddenly in favor of it, the truth came out last Thursday. According to The Associated Press, “President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will gain control of U.S. Steel as part of a merger deal with Japan’s largest steelmaker.”

The report quoted Trump as saying, “We have a golden share, which I control.” He went on to say he was “‘a little concerned’ about what future presidents would do with their golden share, ‘but that gives you total control.'”

The New York Times reported the so-called “golden share” “would effectively allow Washington to inject itself into the fabric of a foreign-owned, yet strategically critical, American enterprise.”

I have not read the agreement, but what jumps out at me is how The New York Times is reporting “Washington” will have some say so in how the new company is run, but Donald Trump said he will control the company.

That’s cringe-worthy, especially considering how many businesses Trump has bankrupted. It is cringe-worthy since doing the merger talks Trumps referred to Nippon Steel as Nissan three times. Does he think Nippon Steel makes steel, or does he think it makes cars? It’s also cringe-worthy if by “Washington” The New York Times means the US Government will control it. That sounds like the nationalization of a company.

What happened to the Republican Party’s support of private enterprise? The Biden Administration opposed the merger due to national security concerns. Did those concerns magically disappear on January 20?

It is a done deal, so it remains to be seen how it plays out.

Trump’s true colors

Photo of a pile of bullets
Photo by Jay Rembert on Unsplash

We saw two political assassinations and two attempted political assassinations in the United States in the wee small hours on Saturday morning.

President Trump and the White House were silent about the events for hours. And hours. Would Trump and his spokespeople have been silent for so long if the Minnesota elected officials had not been Democrats? Or maybe Trump would have picked up the phone to call the Minnesota governor if that governor were a Republican?

Trump showed his true colors on Sunday morning when ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott reached him by telephone more than 24 hours after the assassination. Scott reported on ABC’s Sunday morning news commentary show that when she asked him if he would call Minnesota Governor Tim Walz regarding the tragedy, he responded by saying he “might call him” and then immediately said that Governor Walz is a “terrible governor” and “grossly incompetent.”

Those were Trump’s personal, political opinions and they had nothing to do with the truth or Saturday’s horrific assassinations. His words were tacky and small-minded.

Trump’s reckless rhetoric fuels political violence.

As of yesterday, Trump still had not called Governor Walz. Former President Joe Biden called Walz early Saturday morning.

The assassin was apprehended on Sunday night.

Until my next blog post

I hope you have a good book to read.

Take care and stay informed. As I write this on Monday night, June 16, it appears that the United States is gearing up to get directly involved in the war between Israel and Iran. Israel started the war, and we’re being told “the United States will have to finish it.” Thanks a lot, Netanyahu! The US Government supports Israel, no matter what it does. Trump is suddenly leaving the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta tonight to return to Washington, DC without meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.

Don’t forget the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

Tomorrow is Flag Day in the US

There will be a parade in Washington, DC tomorrow to supposedly mark the 250th anniversary of the creation of the United States Army. June 14th is, coincidentally, Flag Day in the US.

The United States flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing, according to the official Flag Code.

Photo of the US flag unfurled against a blue sky with white puffy clouds
Photo by chris robert on Unsplash

The US flag is never to touch the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

The US flag cannot be thrown in the trash when it becomes damaged or is updated with an additional star when a new state is added to the union. It must be disposed of in a flag retirement ceremony.

Those flag retirement ceremonies are conducted by organizations such as the American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In those solemn ceremonies, the flag is burned.

Setting fire to a US flag other than in on officially-sanctioned retirement ceremony is considered desecration.

Flying the US flag upside-down is a distress signal.

President Woodrow Wilson declared June 14 as Flag Day in 1916. Although not an official holiday on which banks and government offices close, since 1916 it has been a day set apart for us to stop and think about our flag and the sacrifice and freedoms it represents.

But then came Donald Trump

Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, and therein lies a problem.

Trump wanted a big military parade in Washington, DC during his first term in office, but he had rational military advisors then who told him (1) that’s not what we do in America and (2) the city streets in Washington, DC were not constructed to withstand the weight of army tanks. The military advisors in place then were able to shut down the idea.

But fast forward to 2025. All the military brass in a position to or with the courage to say “No” to President Trump are gone. Therefore, there will be a military parade with tanks on the city streets in Washington, DC tomorrow.

This parade is estimated to cost the American taxpayers $45 million. According to The Huff Post online, it is estimated that $16 million of that is what the taxpayers in the District of Columbia will be on the hook for in street repairs. (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/road-repairs-cost-trump-army-parade_n_683d7252e4b095a13840e070)

Is Trump concerned about that? Of course not! In fact, The Huff Post on June 2, 2025, quoted him as saying that $16 million is “peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”

US Army tanks from Fort Cavazos in Texas were transported to the nation’s capital just for this event. That is 1,500 miles. Soldiers need practice in transporting tanks, but 1,500 miles just for a parade seems excessive.

One-inch-thick steel plates have been placed at strategic places on the streets in Washington, DC and the tanks have been outfitted with new track pads to minimize street damage.

Members of the US Army Golden Knights parachute team are scheduled to drop in to hand a US flag to Trump.

What a spectacle it will be all while the US Congress, at the instruction of President Trump, cannot find the money to fund the National Park Service or USAID or medical research or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or Medicaid or the National Weather Service or….

It is beside the point that democracies don’t have military parades in their capital cities to show their military might. That’s what the Adolph Hitlers, the Vladimir Putins, the Kim Jong Uns, and the Xi Jinpings of the world do.

But Donald Trump was jealous of them and their grand parades.

So Donald Trump will have a military parade on his birthday, and the US taxpayers be damned.

Until my next blog post

I hope all the American taxpayers who are working two jobs just to make ends meet have a nice Flag Day.

Tomorrow is also “No Kings Day” in the United States. We thought we made it clear in 1776 that we didn’t want a king. Someone will be reminded of that in 1,800 scheduled protests tomorrow.

Janet

Blackmail & Scare Tactics are the rule of the day

I had hoped to not blog today, but here I am.

I decided yesterday to write a blog post for today about how Trump blackmails people, universities, states, etc., and I will get to that in a minute.

Calling up the Marines

But first, after a seven-hour power outage when I was blissfully unaware of what was going on in the world, Trump decided to ramp things up in Los Angeles. When my electricity was restored around 8:30 last night, I turned on the TV and lo and behold on the bottom of the screen it said, “700 active-duty US Marines being sent to Los Angeles.”

Sending active-duty US military personnel to scare the American citizens into submission? Is this what it has come to in the country I love? Will the two active-duty US Marines I know answer the call?

I pray for all who serve today in all the branches of the US military. I pray that when the current Commander-in-Chief orders them to turn on their fellow citizens they will do the right thing.

We are in a very bad place in the United States, and I don’t think I can forgive the people who voted for this. God, help me.

Blackmail

Day-by-day, our democracy in the United States takes another hit. The people in charge are taking chisels, sledgehammers, and chainsaws to the foundations of our long-held values and way of life.

When the US President can boldly say without any outcry from his political party that if Elon Musk gives any money to support Democrats, there will be “serious consequences,” we are in a dangerous place.

The public spat Musk and Trump had last week should have embarrassed both of them, but I doubt either of them can be embarrassed.

Trump has already threatened to halt all the contracts Musk has with the US Government. Granted, that wouldn’t be an altogether bad thing, but I don’t like to see a US President blackmailing anyone… not even Elon Musk.

Trump tired to blackmail other countries by threatening tariffs up to 145%. All he did was make all our allies mad… and rightfully so. You have to be pretty low on diplomatic smarts to attack Canada.

Trump’s blackmailing of universities has been going on for weeks now. His latest threats are against not only the university system in California, but he threatens to withhold all federal funds from the state because a transperson was allowed to participate in a sporting event.

By the way, California sends more money to Washington, DC than it gets in return.

The President thinks he can bully corporations, states, cities, and countries to cave to his lame desires and threats. So far, it has worked with the US Congress, and some days it appears to have worked with the US Supreme Court.

It is his modus operandi. He does not know any other way to operate, and it is a disgusting and hideous way to run the greatest experiment in democracy the world has ever seen.

Where does this end?

Until my next blog post on Friday…

I hope you have a pleasant and peaceful week in preparation for June 14. I fully intend not to blog again until Friday. I will explain later.

Remember what the core values of our country are and be ready to defend them.

Take courage from the people of Ukraine.

Janet

Demise of the Digital Equity Act

One aspect of the things the Trump Administration has cut that I have not blogged about is the Digital Equity Act.

In their slash and burn attack on the federal government to supposedly eliminate waste, Elon Musk and Donald Trump simply took a chainsaw to everything that included the word “equity” and cut it off at the ground. Then, they pulled up the roots and tossed them away.

So, the Digital Equity Act had to be defunded. After all, this is what the Act did, according to the Congress.gov website (https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1841/all-info):

“This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to establish grant programs for promoting digital equity, supporting digital inclusion activities, and building capacity for state-led efforts to increase adoption of broadband by their residents.

“Specifically, the bill establishes the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program to make distributions to states based on their populations, demographics, and availability and adoption of broadband. The bill also establishes the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program for supporting efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion, and stimulate adoption of broadband.”

The objective of the Digital Equity Act was to help expand broadband internet service to rural and underserved parts of the country. It was meant to help level the playing field.

Photo of the word internet spelled out in capital letters in white against a black background
Photo by Stephen Tauro on Unsplash

Trump has pulled the funding for the Act. If the rural and underserved parts of the US do not get broadband internet service, he doesn’t care.

Public libraries in underserved areas were the recipients of some of the grants until the program disappeared. Donald Trump cannot imagine being in a situation where his only access to the internet would be the local public library – which might be 25 miles or more from his home.

As he said in his campaign for office, “I love the uneducated.” Wannabe dictators love the uneducated because they are easily tricked and easily led.

No one knows what goes on in Donald Trump’s mind. Does he want to keep the populous uninformed, or is he so narcissistic and uncaring that he does not ever for one second consider the human ramifications for the services he slashes with a scratch of his pen?

Trump has loudly and proudly bragged about doing away with everything having to do with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). With the full support of the Republicans in Congress, Trump has said that anything DEI is discriminatory against white males.

White males have always been in charge in the United States, ever since they arrived and immediately started killing and pushing the indigenous peoples off the land.

White men got used to being in charge, so when black people and women of all colors started taking their rightful place as citizens in the 1960s, white men had to make some adjustments. In most cases, they did not adjust gracefully.

I came of age in the early 1970s, so I met some white male backlash head-on when I entered the workforce. Now, after 50 years of advancement toward equality, it seems that Trump and his ilk have had enough. The Trump Administration has come down on diversity, equity, and inclusion with a sledgehammer.

The sledgehammer is hitting diversity, equity, and inclusion across the board with no concern for the inflicted damage. Trump and his ilk don’t see it as damage. Damage to people of color and women is not damage to them; it is just the way things should be.

One example I read about was medical research being done about a correlation between menopause and Alzheimer’s Disease. The research had to end because it only studied women. Have any studies of prostate cancer been halted? I doubt it.

It will take years for us to see the full ramifications of what the Trump Administration and his supporters have done to our society – to education, to scientific and medical research, to our military, and to our workforce. People of color and women will be passed over for college scholarships and job opportunities. It might not be as blatant as it was in the 1960s and 1970s, but it will be there. It already was there, but now the Trump Administration has put its seal of approval on the practice and once again made it “the way it is supposed to be.”

Hurricane Helene Update and the Acting FEMA Director

As of Friday, 50 roads in North Carolina were still closed due to Hurricane Helene. That count included five US highways, three state highways, and 42 state roads.

I-40 near the Tennessee line remains at just one lane in both directions with a 35 mph speed limit. And, most of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina is still closed due to landslides and the downing of thousands of trees during the storm.

The long-term ramifications on the entire state of North Carolina are massive, although the hurricane only hit the western part of the state. For instance, rebuilding and repairing state highways and roads from Hurricane Helene takes that money away from regular road and bridge repairs. It is estimated that the Hurricane Helene transportation expenses for the state will amount to $1 billion, which is what the state would normally spend on highways and bridges in a three-year period.

Last Tuesday, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and various TV media reported that the Acting Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) David Richardson said he was not aware that the United States had a hurricane season.

We do. It begins on June 1 and ends on November 30. Every year. Those are the months, Mr. Richardson, when tropical storms and hurricanes are likely to form in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico due to seasonal weather patterns and the temperature of the sea waters. It’s called science and common sense. Study history, Mr. Richardson, and you might notice a trend.

Are you wondering what Mr. Richardson’s qualifications are for the job? He is a former US Marine who has been a Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction. I couldn’t find that he has any experience in responding to natural disasters.

I’ll take this opportunity, since I have some new blog readers, to repeat that I know there are other places where the people are suffering from natural disasters; however, I am a North Carolinian, so I will continue to concentrate on the unprecedented damage Hurricane Helene did in western North Carolina last September.

Disasters are covered for a short time by the media, but then other matters and events grab the headlines. I want my readers to be reminded that recovery from any natural disaster is not an easy undertaking and cannot be accomplished in a short period of time.

Thank you to my loyal readers who have hung in there with me as I’ve reported on Hurricane Helene weekly for the last eight months. That will continue.

The parts of the mountains in NC that are open desperately need our support, as much of the economy there is based on tourism, So, plan your trip carefully and concentrate your travel dollars on supporting small businesses. Remember to pack patience for when you run into road construction or detours.

It was announced on Friday that Chimney Rock State Park will reopen on June 27, exactly nine months after the hurricane. It is normally open year-round.

Until my next blog post

I’m going to take two or three days off from blogging this week. I need a break, and you probably do, too! If all goes as planned, my next post will be on Friday, June 13. Let’s all try to have a pleasant week.

By the way, when you finish reading a good book, take the time to leave a brief review of it or at least a four- or five-star rating for it online. That really helps the author, especially if it is their first book.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

My US Representative’s Newsletter

I was having a pretty good Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t raining and it was warm. My fibromyalgia pain was lessening with the dry day and temperatures in the high 70s. The incessant wind had brought some of the smoke from the wildfires in Manitoba to the southern piedmont of North Carolina, blocking the sun, but I was inside doing Saturday chores and catching up on some filing and correspondence.

Then, I made the mistake of clicking on the newsletter from my Representative in the US House. I use “Representative” loosely because he does not represent me at all.

Photo Credit: Andra C. Taylor Jr on unsplash.com

I have had Republicans represent my district in the US House, and I have had Democrats represent me in the US House. I have read their newsletters and emails through the years, but I must say the newsletter I received today from Representative Mark Harris (that’s the Rev. Mark Harris) is by far the most partisan, biased, and lie-filled communication I have ever received from any of them.

I will let Rev. Harris’ May 31, 2025, newsletter speak for itself, so no one can accuse me of slander. I hate to give Harris any publicity, but his newsletter is so off-the charts for someone who is supposed to serve all his constituents, I just have to share it.

Here it is, in all its glory and entirety, minus all the photographs because they would have copy and download into WordPress:

“Dear Janet,

Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have diligently worked to identify waste, fraud, and abuse, ensuring responsible use of taxpayer funds. Now, it’s time to make DOGE’s reforms permanent.

“Rescission authority” allows the President and Congress to cancel previously allocated spending which would solidify DOGE’s efforts.

Next week, the White House is scheduled to submit a rescissions package to Congress, incorporating many of DOGE’s proposed cuts, including frivolous expenditures such as:

  • $45 million for diversity scholarships in Burma
  • $6 million for tourism promotion in Egypt
  • $9 million for gender norm initiatives
  • $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia

These extravagant pet projects are unjustifiable. American taxpayers should not be footing the bill for the Left’s wish list. I promise to fight to cement DOGE’s legacy and rein in the Swamp’s out-of-control spending habits. 

Defunding NPR

Let me be very clear: there’s nothing in the First Amendment that requires taxpayer dollars to prop up Left-wing propaganda.

In addition to making good on DOGE’s diligence, the upcoming rescissions package from the White House is set to include measures to cut government funding for NPR – a mouthpiece for radical progressive ideas.

For decades, these institutions have dispersed left-wing narratives on the taxpayers’ dime.  NPR’s reporters and editors purposely created and promoted news articles designed to damage President Trump during the 2016 and 2020 elections, including promoting the Russian collusion hoax.?NPR even went as far as to refuse to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story due to fears it could help President Trump’s 2020 reelection bid. As recently as 2023, NPR put out an article denying the clear athletic advantage biological males have over girls in sports, attacking young women who have spoken out about this issue.

It’s time to separate partisan propaganda from the taxpayers’ wallets.

President Trump is Restoring Justice

The Biden administration’s Department of Justice unfairly targeted Christian organizations, pro-life grandmothers, and even the current President, all while overlooking violent acts by radical groups like Antifa as well as alleged misconduct by figures such as Hunter Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

That era of politicized justice has ended. President Trump is restoring integrity to the Department of Justice.

Following recent unprovoked attacks on peaceful Christian gatherings in Seattle, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has pledged to prosecute groups engaging in targeted violence against religious communities.

Similarly, the FBI is reopening investigations into high-profile cases previously ignored under the Biden administration, including the 2023 discovery of cocaine in the White House and the leak of the Dobbs Supreme Court opinion, which incited threats against conservative justices.

President Trump and Republicans are committed to upholding law and order across the nation.

Joining Bo and Beth Weekly

Are you interested in hearing regular updates about what I am working on for you? Tune in every Friday at 7:20 am on WBT Charlotte News Talk as I join Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman to discuss the latest from Washington and what I am doing to serve the people of North Carolina’s Eighth District! You can listen live on their website at this link here or tune in on 99.3 FM. 

Here are some other news stories about what I’ve been up to lately:

Constituent Corner

I was absolutely blown away by my tour of Conn-Selmer’s Ludwig plant. Crafting a wide range of musical instruments for the students of North Carolina’s Eighth District, they’re truly “making some noise” and inspiring creativity in our community.

During my visit to the DaVita Kidney Care Facility in Monroe, I was impressed by their commitment to providing top-notch care for their patients. Thank you for your outstanding work in serving the healthcare needs of North Carolinians—keep it up!

Serving YOU!

My team is currently working to resolve cases for nearly 150 people across our district. If you or someone you know is unable to get answers from the federal government, please do not hesitate to call my district office. Whether you need help with the IRS, VA, Social Security, or even getting a passport for an upcoming trip, we have a team of constituent service representatives ready to serve you. You can call us at 704-218-5300 or visit my website at https://markharris.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency.

If you want to keep up with what I am doing every day on your behalf, you can follow all of my social media links down below!

If your friends, relatives, or neighbors would also like to sign up for these weekly updates, they can do so by sending my office a quick email or simply by signing up here. For more up-to-the-minute updates, you can follow my press team on Facebook and Twitter.

Sincerely,

Mark Harris
Proudly Serving North Carolina’s Eighth Congressional District

What I want to say

What I want to say, I cannot put in my blog.

Suffice it to say that I live in one of the most-gerrymandered districts in a completely gerrymandered state, and I am not represented in Congress by Mark Harris, Ted Budd, or Thom Tillis because they only represent the man who lives in the White House. Rev. Harris has obviously never watched PBS.

Mid-term election for Harris and end-of-six-year-term election for Tillis on November 3, 2026. That day can’t come soon enough!

It could be worse

At least I don’t live in Marjorie Taylor Green’s district in Georgia. Regarding that “big, beautiful bill” she voted for last week, Green posted on X: “Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years. I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in….”

On the other hand, Mark Harris probably still doesn’t know it.

Until my next blog post

I hope you have a good book to read, and I apologize for ruining your day by inflicting Mark Harris’ newsletter on you.

Make sure your voter registration is in proper order and intact well before November 3, 2026.

Remember those of us who have taxation without representation, just like we did 250 years ago. That time it resulted in a revolution.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

I did not plan to blog today

I was determined not to blog today. I had already planned a post for tomorrow, and I will leave it for then.

Last night I read an article by Lisa Desjardins, a correspondent for PBS NewsHour. I felt it was important to share with you what she reported. I received it in an email as a subscriber, so I cannot in good conscience copy it and post it here.

Here is the link she provided for the “Technical Supplement to the 2026 Budget Appendix” from the Office of Management and Budget: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2026-APP/pdf/BUDGET-2026-APP.pdf?utm_source=PBS+NewsHour&utm_campaign=968c809e4c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_05_14_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47f99db221-968c809e4c-504663930. It is 1,215 pages, but it includes an index. The table of contents gives the page numbers for each federal department.

A computer-generated photo of a stack of blue dollar signs
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Lisa Desjardins’ email listed 46 agencies and programs President Trump wants eliminated. Some of them are:

Economic Development Administration.

Job Corps;

AmeriCorps;

Minority Business Development Agency;

NASA’s Office of Science, Tech, Engineering and Math Engagement;

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (a watchdog to make sure there is no discrimination in federal contracts);

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board;

Administration for Community Living (which assists older adults and disabled individuals live independently);

Department of Health and Human Services’ Prevention and Public Health Fund;

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program;

Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve; Legal Services Corporation (a funder of civil legal aid);

US Agency for Global Media (includes Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe);

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System);

Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs;

National Endowment for the Arts;

National Endowment for the Humanities;

Institute of Museum and Library Services;

Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development;

State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program;

Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund; and

Marine Mammal Commission.

Lisa Desjardins’ email states, “Congress must pass the next funding bill by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.”

It’s unfortunate that the US Congress can only figure out a budget three months at a time. I should be so lucky.

Until my next blog post

Keep reading and watching reputable news reports.

Always have a good novel within arm’s reach.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet