Republican VP candidate JD Vance is accusing Gov. Walz of being a “San Francisco-style liberal.” It is unclear how a “liberal” differs from  A “San Francisco liberal” but it must be really, really bad. Maybe in addition to “hating America” one is also queer.      

What is especially stupid about this remark is the Gov. Walz is a 100% all American, Midwestern salt-of-the-earth guy. Tim is a camo-wearing, gun-owning, hunter, football coach and history teacher from Mankato, Minnesota (population 45,000 – YAHOO!). And he is a 24 year veteran the Army National Guard.  

When politicians resort to ugly personal attacks on their opponent it shows their own incompetence. It is a sign of weakness and inadequacy. They have nothing to bring to a debate on issues or public policy. So they resort to name calling.  

Pronouns matter  

Last week the two candidates for president both appeared to sell themselves to the voters. The contrast in messages was telling.   Donald Trump held a press conference at Mar-a-Lago and talked about himself (as usual). This time he emphasized campaign rally sizes. He said, “Nobody’s spoken to crowds bigger than me...”

Not that this matters or anyone cares. But for the Donald this rhetorical phallic symbol proves his superiority.   Kamala Harris was in Michigan at a United Auto Workers event. She spoke about the “dignity of work” and the value working together to solve problems. She said, “Our campaign is about saying, 'We trust the people...We are a nation of people who believe..[in our] ideals...[that] made us so special as a nation.”  

Pronouns really do matter. Trumps is all about “I and me.” Harris talks about “we, us and our.” The contrast is significant.   

A strange definition of freedom   

Ever notice that when the right wing extremists pontificate about “freedom” it involves restricting the freedom of someone else? Their religious “freedom” imposes theocracy on the rest of us. Their twisted notion of 2nd amendment “freedom” endangers us all. Of course, women can not be free to make their own reproductive choices.  

A recent Washington Post headline read, “Masks are going from mandated to criminalized in some states.” Legislators and law enforcement are dredging up old laws that criminalize mask wearing (in response to KKK hoods) to penalize pro-Palestinian protesters who conceal their faces.  

Jay Stanley, at the American Civil Liberties Union, says this could lead to “selective enforcement.” He says, “I don’t understand when there’s a political protest exactly how the authorities plan to sort out those who are wearing masks for health purposes versus those who are wearing masks to protect their identity.”  

We know what the test will be. The constitutional freedom of speech and assembly is “rioting” and “terrorism” when opposing war and genocide.