ShazzieB
ShazzieB's JournalChicago "No Kings" protest pics
(No, I wasn't there. I attended one of the many suburban events scattered throughout Chicagoland, because I knew I wouldn't be handle the gigantic crowd downtown. And from the looks of some of these pics, I know I made the right decision. 
)
I've been on the lookout for some good pics of the Chicago event that weren't blocked by a paywall, and I found some! Take a look at how the nation's third largest city did No Kings!
Article with lots more pics here:
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/15/photos-no-kings-rally-in-chicago-draws-thousands-to-the-loop/
My signs!
These are the two signs I made for the No Kings protest tomorrow -- one for me and one for my daughter (I'll let her take her pick).
Not particularly original, but I think they will be eye catching and should get the point across!
A prayer for Memorial Day
https://youtube.com/shorts/6DJaMUCouXoO Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer p. 839)
Donald Trunp at the Pearly Gates
This video is very short. I promise you it's worth the click!
https://youtube.com/shorts/oOvGpHqtN4s
Stop the Township of Toms River, NJ from Seizing Christ Episcopal Church
I hope it's okay to post this here. I promised to share it with at least one other person, and I can't think of any likely candidates among my direct contacts. The link below has the full information on it.
On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, less than 24 hours before a scheduled Toms River Township Council meeting, a concerned community member alerted the leadership of Christ Church, Toms River, that the church property had been added to a proposal for an eminent domain ordinance. The mayor of Toms River is attempting to claim the 11-acre downtown church property, to be used as a recreational center and community park. Despite widespread community opposition, the motion passed its initial reading at the meeting on April 30.
This action is unjust. It comes while the congregation is seeking municipal permission to build a homeless shelter on their property as an extension of the church’s many ministries and programs that serve and support those in need in the Toms River community. If the eminent domain ordinance goes forward, Toms River will lose a vital source of support for vulnerable residents.
Christ Church is a large and active congregation with a longstanding commitment to outreach and community support, especially for those in need. Together, the people of Christ Church participate in more than 20 essential ministries that support the Toms River community and beyond. These offerings include feeding and clothing programs, multiple 12-step groups, and more. Christ Episcopal Church has been part of Toms River for 160 years and has a long history of service and outreach.
Now, the congregation of Christ Church, Toms River needs your support. Please sign our petition to tell the mayor and township council that people matter more than pickleball courts. Eminent domain should never be used to control a church’s ministries. We stand together with the congregation of Christ Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, and The Episcopal Church, to oppose the unjust actions of the Toms River mayor and township council.
*snip"
More info: https://chng.it/qsTQcPRvqv
If this is inappropriate for this forum please let me know, and I'll delete it. Thanks!
A brief history of Trump's feud with Pope Francis
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/g-s1-61636/trump-pope-francisTrump and Francis clashed repeatedly in recent years. Trump praised the pope at the start of Francis's papacy, in 2013, several years before Trump reached the White House.
"The new Pope is a humble man, very much like me, which probably explains why I like him so much!" Trump tweeted in December of that year, several months after Francis became pope.
Things soured soon after. During the 2016 election, Francis roundly criticized Trump's campaign proposal to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Much more at the link.
EDITED to add this very telling photo from Trump's meeting with the Pope in 2017.
You can recognize that someone is an enemy without dehumanizing them.
Those are two separate -- not unrelated, but separate -- issues.
First of all, the word enemy has a much broader meaning than someone you want to kill. That's one sense in which the word can be used, but not the only one. I just did a quick Google, and the first definition of "enemy" that came up is "a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something." Ben Shapiro and others like him are obviously enemies of trans people in that respect, because they want to make laws that limit or even eliminate their rights.
Dehumanizing one's enemies is something we should all try to avoid (although it can be VERY hard, especially when they're dehumanizing you), and being able to have a thoughtful conversation with someone you disagree with can be a constructive thing IF the other person is willing to do that (which is not always the csse). Even though I'm just an old, straight, cis, white lady, I can easily see that it can be excruciatingly hard, if not impossible, for a trans person to have such a conversation with someone who literally wants to legislate against their right to exist (and there are plenty of people who want to do so). That's why it's important for cis allies to stand with them and speak up o their behalf, especially at a time like this, when their rights are under fierce attack.
The trans community also needs the rest of us to respect the fact that they know who their enemies are, and that they have the right to call them out. Any oppressed or marginalized group knows damned well who their enemies are, and those who are not a member of such a group do NOT have the right to tell those in the group who their enemies are or are not.
Cis people who want to be allies can do what Neil DeGrasse Tyson did in this video while also being fully aware of who the enemies of the trans community are.
I can actuaily believe he's broke.
Look at how many stores quit carrying his products a while back. When that happened, I figured it was just a matter of time before he was forced to go out of business. From this, it sounds like he's still trying to stay in business, but looking at his company's website, it's on very shaky ground. The main page is full of "closeout" sales on all kinds of merchandise and looks cheesy as hell!
A smarter guy might have been able to figure out how to protect some of his assets, but I don't think Lindell is smart at all. If he was, he'd have filed for bankruptcy by now. Instead he's complaining about how no one will lend him any money. (Of course no one will lend you money, doofus, they know there's no way you'll ever be able to pay them off! And you shouldn't be trying to borrow anyway. The last thing you need is more debt! )
I suppose it's possible he could be faking, but I doubt it. He's nothing but a dumb cluck who got lucky huckstering an overpriced product that a lot of people were willing to buy. He got really rich really fast, and instead of managing his newfound prosperity wisely, he threw all his eggs in Trump's basket and proceeded to piss away money like a drunken sailor trying to "prove" the unprovable Big Lie, that Democrats rigged the 2020 election and "stole" it from Trump.
So yeah, I believe he probably is broke, because he's a stupid idiot who made a whole bunch of terrible decisions. That can happen when someone who's not too bright gets rich quick and thinks he's on top of the world and can do anything he wants. Throw in the Trumpian delusions, and it's very easy to see how he could now be in debt over his head with nothing to show for it except piles of merchandise he's trying to sell off for a fraction of its original price.
I'm sure the court will eventually be able to find out the true state of his finances, and if he's as broke as I think he is, the next step will be liquidating any assets he still has, the way they've been doing with Giuliani.
I actually feel kind of sorry for this mope. No, really! It's true that he brought all his troubles on himself, but he did it because he was stupid, and I think that's sad. I don't think he had any truly evil intentions when he hitched his wagon to Trump's star. He just fell for the hype, the same way a lot of other stupid people did. Stupid people can't help being stupid; they just are what they are, and it's a damned shame that a lying narcissistic jackhole like Trump can fool them into throwing away everything they have for his sake. I'm sure Lindell and Giuliani are just 2 of a long list of people whose lives he's ruined, and worst of all, he's nowhere near done yet. 
Trump Cuts Millions In Funding To Chicago Museums, Cultural Groups
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/04/14/trump-cuts-millions-in-funding-to-chicago-museums-cultural-groups/Lyon received the news from Jeff Hardwick, acting director of the National Endowment for the Humanities, via email April 2. Two days later, Illinois Humanities was informed that 75 percent of the endowment’s staff was placed on leave.
*snip*
Cutting the agency’s funding is “deeply concerning” and “unprecedented,” Lyon said.
In Illinois, the cuts will impact free history, heritage and culture programs, including community book groups, tours of landmarks and museums, festivals and resources for teachers and libraries — things that are always in demand, Lyon said.
Please note that this affects the whole state, not just Chicago. The effect on Chicgo is emphasized because this story comes from a Chicago-based source, but this is going to have a terrible impact on museums and other cultural institutions statewide.
And of course this is happening all over the country. I haven't heard whether he's hitting blue states harder than others, but Schlump obviously prefers that the populace as a whole be as poorly educated and ignorant as possible.
Illinois bill would limit 'crime-free' laws that evict tenants for too many 911 calls
More than two years ago, Diamond Jones worried she and her children were on the verge of homelessness after her landlord gave her 10 days to move out, saying she had violated Richton Park’s crime-free ordinance, though she hadn’t been charged with a crime.
Jones sued the Cook County suburb in U.S. District Court, and she was awarded $250,000 late last year in a settlement. Advocates say Jones’ case highlights the challenges other tenants face in places with similar local laws where 911 calls — even when the person is a victim — can trigger an eviction.
The Village of Richton Park amended its crime-free ordinance after the lawsuit was filed, and now housing advocates are pushing for changes to these local laws across the state. The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, which represented Jones in the federal case, is among those advocating for Senate Bill 2264, which would bar municipalities from penalizing renters for calling 911 for help.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/public-safety/2025/04/06/crime-free-law-housing-laws-challenged-tenant-renter-eviction-illinois-cook-county-chicago
I never heard of these laws until now, but now that I know about them, I think they definitely need to go. In fact, the whole concept makes no sense to me. How in the heck does penalizing renters (but evidently not home owners?) for calling 911 promote a "crime free" community? Sounds like just an excuse to treat renters like second class citizens, which, speaking as a renter, gets my dander up!
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Name: SharonGender: Female
Hometown: Chicago area, IL
Home country: USA
Member since: Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:18 AM
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