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Groups working to reduce gun violence ALWAYS NEGLECT to oppose war and military violence, which set the tone for gun violence within the U.S.

July 30, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Just now I responded to an e-mail survey sent out by a prominent nationwide non-profit org that works to reduce gun violence throughout the U.S. They asked what their top priority should be. I said they should work to stop all of the U.S.’s war’ and de-militarize our foreign policy. I told them that the U.S.’s addiction to war and military violence create a culture that assumes shooting people is a good way to solve problems. The U.S.’s persistent militarism sets the tone for gun violence within the U.S. This really is “the elephant in the room” that the anti-gun […]

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Car owners must carry liability insurance. Why not require gun owners to do that?

July 30, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Conservatives and many other people trust the “free market” to guide people’s behavior in the right direction. Laws require car owners to carry liability insurance, because if they handle their car badly or an “accident” occurs some person or property is likely to hurt.  Liability insurance pays for that.  People with bad driving records (many violations, DWIs or accidents) must pay more, according to our “free market” insurance companies, which charge bad drivers more money for their car insurance. Why not require gun owners to do what car owners must do?  Then the “free market” insurance companies would charge higher […]

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More news on death penalty — and a PETITION YOU CAN SIGN to abolish it

July 30, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Despite Faulty Drugs & Racist Implementation, Trump Is Bringing Back the Federal Death Penalty:  The radio broadcast and website “Democracy Now!” reported this news and information on July 29, 2019:  https://www.democracynow.org/2019/7/26/trump_administration_federal_death_penalty_announcement?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=9399cc86c2-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-9399cc86c2-191704661     For more information on Attorney General William Barr’s promotion of federal death penalty, see the second news item in this collection of news items.  The death penalty article includes some links for additional information.  https://www.truthdig.com/articles/barr-injects-death-penalty-into-the-2020-race/     California’s vigorous non-profit org working to abolish the death penalty is called Death Penalty Focus (www.deathpenalty.org).  On July 29, 2019, they reported that even though California’s Governor imposed a moratorium […]

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Trump’s Atty. Gen. Barr revives federal death penalty and will start executing people again

July 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

On July 25, 2019, this bad news came out.   Brand New Congress (www.brandnewcongress.org) reported this: Earlier today, Attorney General William Barr ordered the reinstatement of the federal death penalty for the first time in 16 years. Only 3 federal executions have taken place since 1988. Despite this, the Trump Administration has authorized executions may take place as early as December of 2019. The death penalty is an inhumane practice. It doesn’t deter. It doesn’t rehabilitate. It isn’t moral. It only punishes. It’s time for America to ban legalized murder.  … We have watched this Administration openly peddle in racism […]

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Other states’ progress toward abolishing the death penalty

July 4, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

A strategically smart way to reduce the death penalty’s usage is to change laws to exempt people with severe mental illness.  See a page of information I wrote in 2005 and updated in 2013.  It’s at this link:  Mental Illness – Evolving Standards – April 2005 handout I have been pushing for that for many years, and I got the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty to push for such legislation.  Although we got a committee hearing a number of years ago, the bill did not pass out of committee. Some other states have been considering this approach.  One […]

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We’re All in This Together

May 24, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Oppressors like to use “divide-and-conquer” strategies to disempower the 99%. The Olympian published an op-ed I wrote in May 2019. Here is the article as a Word document: BOC — 2019.05.16 FINAL version — We’re All in This Together Here is the article as it appeared on the editorial page on May 23, 2019: https://www.theolympian.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article230676584.html?     

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Most of WA House members wanted to abolish WA’s death penalty, but House leadership failed.

May 17, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The WA State Senate’s bill to abolish the death penalty passed the State Senate. The article at the link below says 54 House members wanted to pass it, but the House leadership (Democrat Frank Chopp) did not bring it up for a vote. Chopp has been opposing efforts to repeal the death penalty in WA State. House leaders said they wanted to focus on higher priorities than this bill. https://www.thenewstribune.com/latest-news/article229414449.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=fff8ef07-20b2-4c78-8559-6bca7143c5ca      

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New Prison and Jail Population Figures Released by U.S. Department of Justice

May 17, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The Sentencing Project (www.sentencingproject.org) is a long-standing expert non-profit organization that researches our criminal justice system (especially prison sentencing) and provides advocacy to promote fairness.  They are highly credible.  I have been financially supporting them for many years. The Sentencing Project released this information on April 25, 2019: New Prison and Jail Population Figures Released by U.S. Department of Justice By yearend 2017, the United States prison population had declined by 7.3% since reaching its peak level in 2009, according to new data released by the Department of Justice. The prison population decreases are heavily influenced by a handful of […]

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Political parties and serious problems

May 9, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Both of the big political parties cause serious problems. Republican Party leaders deliberately and enthusiastically make problems worse. Republican Party members obediently follow along. Democratic Party members want to solve problems (Green New Deal, Medicare for All, Impeach Trump, promote diversity in the party, etc.) Democratic Party “leaders” refuse to solve those problems. Dem “leaders” rebuff their members – and wonder why Dems don’t win more elections.

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Restore and protect felons’ right to vote

April 30, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Elections would turn out MUCH BETTER if people were not denied their right to vote.  This pertains to people of color, poor people, students living outside of their home districts, and people who have been convicted of felonies.  Only Maine and Vermont allow imprisoned felons to vote, and some are allowing people to regain their voting rights after being released from prison.  Those reforms need to be strengthened and expanded to all states. Here are some items to help with that:   SIGN THIS PETITION:  On April 28, 2019, Democracy for America (www.democracyforamerica.com) sent this e-mail (edited here to reduce […]

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Yes, we can organize more effectively at the grassroots for many important issues.

April 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Globally, nationally, and locally, we are confronted with very serious problems. Some people feel overwhelmed and disempowered, so they feel powerless to solve the problems.  But that only allows the horrible problems to get worse. I strongly support the opposite approach:  Recognize that WE CAN INDEED LEARN HOW TO ORGANIZE EFFECTIVELY at the grassroots level (“Think globally and act locally”) to solve the problems. Sometimes people and organizations merely vent or flail about with random activities without a clear strategy for how to make the political and social changes we want.  We can do better than that! Specifically, I seek […]

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Do not let assumptions about “human nature” interfere with the bold social and political reforms we are working toward.

April 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Sometimes when we work to significantly improve our society or our politics, people will try to inhibit our efforts by saying, “You can’t change human nature.” They assume that “human nature” is fixed and impervious to improvement. Actually, history has proven otherwise. People have indeed made radical progressive changes, and we can accomplish more. We do not need to “change human nature.” If we change our society so it will function better, people will change for the better too. So, for example, instead of assuming that “human nature” causes people to be greedy, let’s change our economic system and our […]

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Death penalty cases at U.S. Supreme Court: Information and insights

April 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The death penalty is wrong in so many ways, but the conservative Republicans who dominate the U.S. Supreme Court have trouble recognizing the problems.  Although they claim to be “pro-life,” they keep supporting death. This article provides interesting information and insights: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/04/13/1850008/-Death-At-The-Court?detail=emaildkcs        

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The Sentencing Project performs excellent research and advocacy. Here is their 2018 Annual Report.

April 13, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

For a long number of years I have been impressed by the very high quality of research and advocacy conducted by The Sentencing Project (www.sentencingproject.org).  I have been donating financial support too. In March 2019 The Sentencing Project released its 2018 Annual Report.  Among other things it shows how this great non-profit organization has been intelligently and vigorously been supporting what it calls “a rapidly growing consensus that we must reduce the country’s misguided reliance on mass incarceration.” Read their 2018 Annual Report at this link: https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Annual-Report-2018.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=3c52607d-63f7-47e6-b14c-7e3ac7965612