Anti-War Protest to Be Held in Monroe Tomorrow
It's The People Versus The Money all across America, and right here in Southern Orange County. And The Money wants a war in Iran.
Tomorrow — Saturday, June 21st — from 1 pm to 2 pm at the corner of Lake Street and 17M, will be the next Indivisible Monroe protest. If you don’t like the idea of going to war with Iran for literally no reason, I hope to see you there.
And if you’re like, “Wait. Are we going to war with Iran?” The answer seems to be “Probably! Maybe! No! Yes!” from the Trump Administration. Here’s a good explainer on what’s going on from Leeja Miller.
As a member of the generation that fought a war in Iraq for absolutely no reason — and stayed in Afghanistan for nineteen years after the primary target, Osama Bin Laden, fled Tora Bora and escaped into Pakistan, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask you to do.
Aside, of course, from going to the Monroe Indivisible event tomorrow. You should do that. And if you want to be further involved with Indivisible Monroe, at 2 pm there will be a meeting following the protest in the same location.
Like I said yesterday, there’s a difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
The Republican party will lie right to your face.
The Democrats will wait until you’re not paying attention, and then they’ll stab you in the back. Both parties suck. I say that, because every time someone criticizes the Trump Administration, you’re almost always hit with the response of, “Well, the Democrats suck too!” You’re right! They do. But “Both parties suck” should be the beginning of the conversation, not the end of it.
I mention this, again, because it’s easy to think, “We live in a Blue State. So I bet Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten GIllibrand have my back.” Nope. They don’t. Gillibrand just gave us all a nice recent example of putting the corporations ahead of the people, with her pushing for, and voting in favor of, the GENIUS Act.
So, if you want to make sure Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand support the new War Powers Resolution that was just introduced, you have to call them (most effective) or send them an email (way less effective. Seriously. Call them if you can. Send a message as a last resort.)
Only Congress has the power to declare war. Not the president. The War Powers Resolution will force a vote on military involvement in Iran. If Congress votes no, that will curtail Trump’s ability for the “Peace President” to entangle us in another endless, and pointless, war overseas. As it is, he’s currently trying to entangle us in an actual shooting war with each other. Just ask your brothers and sisters in Los Angeles right now. Or haven’t you noticed yet there’s only an “invasion” of undocumented people in “Blue Cities” but ICE is now laying off the Red States.*
*There’s no such thing as Blue States and Red States, of course. There are States where people can vote, mostly without issue. And states where they can’t. Can you guess which one is which?
While the Iranian government is no friend to anyone, Israel used the verifiably false “They have Weapons of Mass Destruction” excuse to attack them. Let’s not allow history to repeat itself, shall we?
When you’re done calling Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten GIllibrand , take a few minutes to make sure to call Congressman Pat Ryan to make sure he does the same. And if you’re one of our Rockland County readers, yes. I know. Congressman Mike Lawler has his lips planted on Trump’s ass. Call them both anyway or send them both a message. Pressure works.
Remember that calling your representatives is more effective than sending emails, and that protesting is more effective than doing both. Why? Because there’s strength in numbers. And there’s strength in organizing. That’s what we all need to be doing right now.
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The War At Home
Not just nationwide, but here at home. Because this is post is a bit of a fake out. You may think I’m just talking about what’s going on nationally, but I’m not.
What I’m doing is getting you to think and exercise your ability to act.
We have a lot of problems in our area. You can solve them by calling, organizing, and protesting.
-We have State Senator James G. Skoufis spending tens of thousands of dollars to attack a woman he sexually harassed (Councilwoman Maureen Richardson) and a man who exposed Skoufis’s Little Dick Energy to Woodbury residents (Mayor Andrew Giacomazza.) And if you think Protect Monroe-Woodbury is going to go away when the Primaries are over on Tuesday, think again. They’re just getting started. Which is why I’m urging the Monroe-Woodbury Board of Education to send a cease and desist letter to the State Senator.
-We have a white collar crime spree going on in South Blooming Grove perpetrated by Joel Stern and Isaac Ekstein, neither elected, that New York State and the entirety of its law enforcement and judicial apparatus refuses to do anything about.
-We have wealthy real estate developers like Wayne Corts and his friends, using front organizations, such as the United Jewish Community of Woodbury, to advance the political fortunes of a bigot named Brandon Calore.
-We have a Congressman, Pat Ryan, who seems way more comfortable visiting Kiryas Joel and South Blooming Grove than he does supporting articles of impeachment for President Trump (he doesn’t) or supporting a Constitutional Amendment that would get big money out of our politics (he doesn’t.)
-We have an Attorney General, Letitia James, who has zero interest in enforcing any laws where South Blooming Grove is concerned, but actively threatening and harassing the Village of Monroe — and other municipalities — when the wealthy real estate developers don’t get what they want.
-We have a Governor, Kathy Hochul, who just delayed substantial educational equivalency requirements for Yeshivas. For no other reason than that she was up for re-election, and whom previously vetoed legislation that would have allowed for land preservation in Blooming Grove. Thanks in large part to specious claims peddled by Joel Stern and his friends. (Not to mention, she’s sent a representative to Woodbury over the ACE Farm annexation. When was the last time you heard of a governor sending a representative for any local annexation in our area?)
-Finally, neither Assemblyman Chris Eachus (or his Chief of Staff, David Rabbitts) or State Senator James G. Skoufis, voted for the New York Heat Act, the New York for All Act, and the New York Health Act. Despite the fact that all three bills would save you and I money, help protect the most vulnerable among us from ICE, and provide quality, affordable medical coverage to all New Yorkers regardless of what the MAGA Murder Bill winds up doing to Medicare and Medicaid. These three men, as well as Governor Kathy Hochul, just demonstrated to you emphatically their political cowardice, and their desire to put the corporations and the wealthy ahead of the people. Are you going to take that sitting down?
So, I may be talking about Iran here. But regardless of the specific problem, the solution is the same.
“We The People of Woodbury”? Get your ass to these Indivisible Monroe Protests.
South Blooming Grove residents upset about the lack of water and the lack of interest on the part of both Orange County Republicans and New York State Democrats to assist you? Get your ass to these Indivisible Monroe Protests.
You’re all fighting the same battle. You just don’t realize it.
Because the real battle is about big money warping our elections and the functions of our government. The solution is to unify. Because Trump and Skoufis and Hochul and Joel Stern and Isaac Ekstein all do what they do because of the money. Not because of the politics. Forget the Republicans vs. Democrats narrative. It’s not that at all. It’s The People versus The Money
So, my suggestion is this: You should all start gathering together. Compare notes. Democrats. Republicans. Everyone’s welcome. 17M and the corner of Lake Street, tomorrow at 1pm. There will be more events. I will let you know as they come up.
You want to hold up an anti-Trump sign? Welcome!
You want to hold up an anti-Skoufis or anti-Hochul sign? Welcome!
It’s The People versus The Money. That’s the fight. That’s the fundamental infrastructure that all of this other stuff is built on. Because if you look real close? You’ll find a lot of The Money are funding both sides. Just take a look at the amount of money both Congressman Mike Lawler and Congressman Pat Ryan have both received from AIPAC.
What matters is that you’re getting offline. You’re gathering. You’re networking. You’re talking, and you’re organizing.
For over fifty years, Southern Orange County has not had a group to provide a counterweight to the wealthy real estate developers. You can be that group.
But now is the time to act.
Because you have State Senator Skoufis trying to buy himself both the Monroe Town Supervisor job and the Village of Woodbury Mayoral job. The second he has both, you’re going to kiss both towns goodbye because the real estate developers are going to control both. And in exchange, they’re going to reward him with funding for his Congressional bid.
Want to do something about it? Because the time for talk is over.