This post was prompted by Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt, where she gave us the word “cognitive” and a limit of 59 words to write about it.
What came to mind when I saw the word “cognitive” in her prompt, was cognitive dissonance, and I could not write about it in only 59 words. So I responded to her prompt in this 59 word post as an introduction to what I’ve written below.
What exactly is cognitive dissonance? Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person’s behavior and beliefs do not jibe. I have pretty much stopped writing political posts lately because, despite my keen interest in American politics today, I get angry, frustrated, and depressed when I do attempt to write such posts. So despite my desire to write posts about the almost unfathomable insanity and hypocrisy of Republican politics on the right, and the inability of the Democrats on the left to get half of the electorate to see that insanity and hypocrisy, I choose, for my own mental health and well being, not to.
Let me give you just three very recent examples of what’s causing my cognitive dissonance. First, I am appalled that a far-right federal judge in Texas has suspend the FDA’s two-decade-old approval of a medical abortion drug, Mifepristone. How can one individual, a Trump-appointed federal judge, of course, have the ability to unilaterally ban a drug that was approved by the FDA and been safely used by women for the past two decades?
Second, I am disgusted that in Tennessee, where three Democratic lawmakers took to the floor of the Republican-controlled Tennessee House chamber last week to rally for stricter gun control in the wake of the latest school shooting in that state, the GOP majority voted to expel two duly elected members of that chamber, both of whom are Black, while falling one vote short of ousting a third lawmaker, who is White. Does this mean that members of one political party can legally remove members of the opposition party, who were democratically elected to office by the people in their districts, just because they hold a different political position? Where is the Justice Department on this matter?
Finally, I am angered that a Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas, has accepted luxury gifts from a prominent Republican donor for more than 20 years without disclosing them, possibly violating a law that requires justices, judges and members of Congress to disclose most gifts. How does this far-right Supreme Court justice rationalize doing something not only unethical but illegal and not expect repercussions? But will there be any? Don’t hold your breath.
Okay. I said three examples, and while I could go on about many more such example (e.g., Ron DeSantis, Florida, Donald Trump), I’m a man of my word and I’ll stop here.
This, That, and the Other 
that is just outrageous that the federal judge did that and banned that drug!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. Totally outrageous,
LikeLike
I feel the same! It is very depressing but I also think we can’t keep quiet. I feel you🫤
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
LikeLiked by 1 person
How do you feel about the Republican representative Jim Jordan sticking his nose into the Manhattan prosecutor’s business and all the other Republicans rallying around their man Trump who is being persecuted for what they consider to be no reason?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Um, how do you think I feel? It sucks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, I was thinking about politics when I wrote my CD post too, in particular people who worship TFG as a savior, when his behavior constantly contradicts the moral code they supposedly revere. Like how does their brain not explode from the contradictions?!?!?
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’re too stupid to realize the contradiction.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s impossible not to be disgusted by state legislatures these days. Up in North Dakota they approved giving themselves outrageous meal allowances but rejected school lunches for poor kids. All I say is Oink, oink, oink!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So outrageously sad.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😡
LikeLike
Things are not looking good in your country……
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, they are not.
LikeLike
I don’t especially like the style in
which this guy speaks, but…
‘That is Stunning’: CNN Host Goes
Quiet … AOC Says Ignore Court Ruling
LikeLiked by 1 person
Republican Crashes and Burns Live in CNN Interview
LikeLiked by 1 person
CTV Comedy Channel | What America
Gets Wrong About the Southern Border
LikeLike
Tucker ‘Forces’ Texas Governor to Pardon Psycho Murderer
{Abbot’s tweet on the matter can be seen at 3:25 minutes.}
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-gov-greg-abbott-seeks-pardon-man-convicted/story?id=98472082
There are some story contradictions, here, but one thing stands out as an ongoing cognitive dissonance in this country.
Open carry is legal in Texas.
With concealed carry legal in other states, just claiming you’re afraid for nothin’ real is grounds to just kill a man.
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/08/army-sergeant-guilty-murder-blm-protester-austin
A US army sergeant and ride-share service driver has been found guilty of the murder of a protester during a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 in Austin, Texas.
After an eight-day trial and two days of verdict deliberations, a jury in Travis county, Texas, found 33-year-old Daniel Perry guilty of murdering air force veteran Garrett Foster, 28. Perry is white, as was Foster.
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2023/04/08/texas-governor-greg-abbott-will-pardon-daniel-perry-convicted-of-murder-garrett-foster/70095504007/
…
The unprecedented effort [Gov. Greg Abbott assuring … Saturday that he would pardon the convicted killer as soon as he could], which Abbott announced to his 1 million followers on Twitter, came as Abbott faced growing calls from national conservative figures such as Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted in the shooting deaths of two Wisconsin protesters in 2020, to act to urgently undo the conviction.
…………… Perry didn’t testify during the trial.
…………………………
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://cm.statesman.com/offers-reg/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.statesman.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F2023%2F03%2F29%2Fdaniel-perry-trial-shooting-death-austin-protester-garrett-foster-witnesses-say-didnt-raise-rifle%2F70060062007%2F
Witnesses testifying [in Army Sergeant trial]: Austin Protestor [and Air Force veteran] … Didn’t Raise His Gun
LikeLiked by 1 person
For everyone’s increased safety, I think we should rule out these multi-bullet rifles being on the streets or in public venues — and of course any private venue where they are ruled out, too, and the likes of my own home upon my say-so — across the country. I don’t see that as the same thing as banning them fully (to own).
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/nashville-council-expected-consider-reinstating-ousted-former-rep-just-rcna78924 April 10th
Ousted Tennessee legislator Justin Jones reinstated after Nashville council vote
The council suspended the rules to allow an immediate vote on Jones’ seat. Less than an hour later, Jones was sworn in on the steps of the State Capitol.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Metropolitan Council voted Monday to return Justin Jones to the state Legislature after he was removed last week by Republicans for protesting gun violence on the House floor.
The 36 council members at Monday’s meeting unanimously supported reinstating Jones. The council had suspended its rules to allow an immediate vote instead of holding a monthlong nomination period.
~
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners, the body charged with choosing Pearson’s successor, will meet Wednesday to consider action to reappoint Pearson to his seat, Chairman Mickell Lowery announced Sunday.
“I believe the expulsion of State Representative Justin Pearson was conducted in a hasty manner without consideration of other corrective action methods,” Lowery said in a statement. …
…
~
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2023/03/31/daniel-perry-trial-austin-protester-garrett-foster-officer-testifies-victim-warned-way-carried-rifle/70066884007/?itm_medium=recirc&itm_source=taboola&itm_campaign=internal&itm_content=RightRailArticleThumbnails-Redesign
AK-47 rifle bullets can penetrate car doors and police vests, Cleveland said. The officer testified that if he had encountered someone with an AK-47 who was carrying the rifle slung down like Foster was, and that person raised the barrel slightly, then he would shoot them.
[… I, Marleen, don’t know why this account simply says the murderer “stopped” and doesn’t include that he had run a red light to enter the crowd before stopping. Maybe that testimony hadn’t happened yet.) …]
“I made a wrong turn, and I panicked,” [Perry] said [on a call]. He said he didn’t know there were protesters downtown.
A witness earlier in the week showed social media posts that Perry had made saying he might be able to kill protesters if they attacked him or pulled him out of his car.
……..
An officer … told Perry in … video that Perry, who was stationed at Fort Hood at the time, wasn’t supposed to be working as an Uber driver in downtown Austin. There are regulations about where Army members can be off-base, Austin police officer Joshua Visi testified.
…
The trial will continue next week.
This article is from April 1.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Quote: … Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted in the shooting deaths of two Wisconsin protesters …
Besides the fact that Rittenhouse has morally cheapened but likely financially (having by now already made it into his shtick) enhanced his own 2021 court win with his current visible pressure on a governor, this wording in the article is a “tell” — as to the news organization’s tilt — in that the people Kyle killed were likely “protesters” to a similar extent that Kyle was a protesting in 2020; just there with other goals.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In one of the articles, it is said that the murderer stopped because his car hit an orange cone. So he puts his moving vehicle into a crowd via running a light and then is stopped due, not to caution on his part but, to traffic cones.
From me, earlier: [… I, Marleen, don’t know why this account simply says the murderer “stopped” and doesn’t include that he had run a red light to enter the crowd before stopping. Maybe that testimony hadn’t happened yet.) …]
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-nancy-mace-says-fda-ignore-judges-abortion-pill-ruling-rcna79028
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said Monday that the Food and Drug Administration should ignore a federal judge’s ruling Friday that endangers a pill commonly used for [first trimester] abortion.
“This is an FDA-approved drug. Whether you agree with its usage or not, that’s not your decision,” Mace told CNN in an interview.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Texas Abortion Ruling | How the FDA is Regulated
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/08/clarence-thomas-supreme-court-harlan-crow-hitler-memorabilia
Crow denied discussing or seeking to influence the court through his friendship with Thomas and his wife, the far-right activist Ginni Thomas.
Critics questioned that, given Crow’s seat on the board of the American Enterprise Institute, a rightwing thinktank … [*]
~
The megadonor and his wife were “such hospitable Texas hosts”, according to the Washingtonian’s source.
But, the source added, it was “just strange – they had family photos in one room, then all this world war II stuff in another room, and dictators in the backyard”.
> This piece was amended on 10 April 2023. An earlier version said the American Enterprise Institute files amicus briefs with the supreme court, a misstatement of the group’s activities.
> The correction: Accountable.US, an advocacy group, said [American Enterprise Institute*] “has published and taken credit for multiple amicus briefs filed with the supreme court by the group’s president and scholars”. { I added these boldface selections myself. }
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clarence Thomas’ Little Nazi Secret Revealed w/ Lisa Graves
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neil Gorsuch Quietly Sold $1.8M Property To CEO Whose Firm Repped Clients Before SCOTUS: [Reported by] Politico
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/as-gorsuch-joins-supreme-court-scandal-parade-roberts-gaslights-on-ethics-principles-171331141538
As Gorsuch joins Supreme Court scandal parade, Roberts gaslights on ‘ethics principles’
Alex Wagner shares new reporting from Politico on Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch’s involvement in an ethically dubious real estate deal, new Bloomberg reporting on Justice Clarence Thomas’ ignored ethical conflicts, and Chief Justice John Roberts declining a request to testify to the Senate about ethical issues, unconvincingly citing the justices’ commitment to “foundational ethics principles and practices.”
April 25, 2023
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have been out of the loop and hadn’t heard about the gifts Clarence got. Crazy! If only true justice would prevail!
LikeLiked by 1 person