We are Being Gaslighted

 WHAT IS GASLIGHTING?


The term originates in the systematic psychological manipulation of a victim by her husband in Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 stage play Gas Light, and the film adaptations released in 1940 and 1944. In the story, the husband attempts to convince his wife and others that she is insane by manipulating small elements of their environment and insisting that she is mistaken, remembering things incorrectly, or delusional when she points out these changes. The play's title alludes to how the abusive husband slowly dims the gas lights in their home, while pretending nothing has changed, in an effort to make his wife doubt her own perceptions. The wife repeatedly asks her husband to confirm her perceptions about the dimming lights, but in defiance of reality, he keeps insisting that the lights are the same and instead it is she who is going insane.


We are living in a perpetual state of gaslighting. The reality that we are being told by the media is at complete odds with what we are seeing with our own two eyes. And when we question the false reality that we are being presented, or we claim that what we see is that actual reality, we are vilified as racist or bigots or just plain crazy. 


You’re not racist. You’re not crazy. You’re being gaslighted.


New York State has twice as many deaths from Covid-19 than any other state, and New York has accounted for one fifth of all Covid-19 deaths, but we are told that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has handled the pandemic better than any other governor. But if we support policies of Governors whose states had only a fraction of the infections and deaths as New York, we’re called anti-science and want people to die. 


So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.


We see mobs of people looting stores, smashing windows, setting cars on fire and burning down buildings, but we are told that these demonstrations are peaceful protests. And when we call this destruction of our cities, riots, we are called racists. 


So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.


We see the major problem destroying many inner-cities is crime; murder, gang violence, drug dealing, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, but we are told that it is not crime, but the police that are the problem in the inner-cities. We are told we must defund the police and remove law enforcement from crime-riddled cities to make them safer. But if we advocate for more policing in cities overrun by crime, we are accused of being white supremacists and racists. 


So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.


The United States of America accepts more immigrants than any other country in the world. The vast majority of the immigrants are “people of color”, and these immigrants are enjoying freedom and economic opportunity not available to them in their country of origin, but we are told that the United States is the most racist and oppressive country on the planet, and if we disagree, we are called racist and xenophobic. 


So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.


Capitalist countries are the most prosperous countries in the world. The standard of living is the highest in capitalist countries. We see more poor people move up the economic ladder to the middle and even the wealthy class through their effort and ability in capitalist countries than any other economic system in the world, but we are told capitalism is an oppressive system designed to keep people down. 


So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.


Communist countries killed over 100 million people in the 20th century. Communist countries strip their citizens of basic human rights, dictate every aspect of their lives, treat their citizens like slaves, and drive their economies into the ground, but we are told that Communism is the fairest, most equitable, freest and most prosperous economic system in the world. 


So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.


The most egregious example of gaslighting is the concept of “white fragility”. You spend your life trying to be a good person, trying to treat people fairly and with respect. You disavow racism and bigotry in all its forms. You judge people solely on the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. You don’t discriminate based on race or ethnicity. But you are told you are a racist, not because of something you did or said, but solely because of the color of your skin. You know instinctively that charging someone with racism because of their skin color is itself racist. You know that you are not racist, so you defend yourself and your character, but you are told that your defense of yourself is proof of your racism. 


So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.


Gaslighting has become one of the most pervasive and destructive tactics in American politics. It is the exact opposite of what our political system was meant to be. It deals in lies and psychological coercion, and not the truth and intellectual discourse. If you ever ask yourself if you’re crazy, you are not. Crazy people aren’t sane enough to ask themselves if they’re crazy. So, trust yourself, believe what’s in your heart. Trust your eyes over what you are told. Never listen to the people who tell you that you are crazy, because you are not, you’re being gaslighted.


Sophocles said: "What people believe prevails over the truth."


And that's what the media are trying to exploit.


~~

Why Do We Let Them Call Themselves Liberal? or Progressive?

Liberal is too kind and actually inaccurate a word to describe those at the top of the a Democratic  Party today.  What is liberal about them?  Liberalism in the classic sense is a political doctrine that says that protecting and enhancing the freedoms of the individual is the central problem of politics. Liberals have typically believed that government is necessary to protect individuals from being harmed by others, but have also recognized that government itself can pose a threat to liberty.   Can we seriously and accurately ascribe this term to today’s Democrats?  


Oh they are liberal alright if we use the word in the sense of how free they are to spend other people’s  money like using any crisis to invent or pull from their agenda archive  massive government programs that go way beyond addressing the immediate crisis to try to increase their bureaucratic domain over the lives of individuals and actually repress freedoms further. 


Originating at the turn of the twentieth century, Progressivism was a political movement  believing that the problems society faced such as  class warfare, poverty, racism and violence could best be addressed by providing good education, a safe environment and an efficient workplace. The modern so-called progressives have used this political cause to gain power, for instance, in cities throughout the country, with disastrous results.  You only have to look at the poverty, failing public school systems, rising crime in major cities controlled by these people to recognize that this is the work of a subversive, inept, elitist ruling class who not only can’t fix these problems but has no real interest in doing so.  They are truly not progressive they are inept exploiters of minorities and the poor whose objective is totalitarian power.  


Conservatives and Republicans have been too polite.  We need to start calling out these Democratic socialists for what they truly are and stop using euphemisms  like liberal and progressive for these mean-spirited, self-serving, elitist leftists.    <t. murtha>

Vote by Mail is Safe and Secure - Here are Options

 Voting by mail in Charlotte County is safe and recommended.

 

A vote by mail ballot request is only valid for only 2 election cycles.

 

Voting by mail gives you options.

1: Vote and return the ballot by mail, no postage required.

2: Vote and return the ballot to one of the drop off locationssuper early voting.

3: Vote and return the ballot to an early voting venue.

4: Vote and take the ballot to your polling place on November 3rd.

5: if you change your mind you can go to early or normal voting and ask for a

   replacement ballot.

 

To check on your request for a mail ballot or to request a mail ballot: 

 

Go to https://www.charlottevotes.com/ and answer the questions on the home page.


After you mail in your ballot  you can also check the status of your ballot at this site.


(J Druyer)

Trump’s Accomplishments

 What has PRESIDENT TRUMP and his cabinet accomplished.....

Here you go:
1. Trump recently signed 3 bills to benefit Native people. One gives compensation to the Spokane tribe for loss of their lands in the mid-1900s, one funds Native language programs, and the third gives federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Montana.
2. Trump finalized the creation of Space Force as our 6th Military branch.
3. Trump signed a law to make cruelty to animals a federal felony so that animal abusers face tougher consequences.👀👀
4. Violent crime has fallen every year he’s been in office after rising during the 2 years before he was elected.
5. Trump signed a bill making CBD and Hemp legal.👀👀
6. Trump’s EPA gave $100 million to fix the water infrastructure problem in Flint, Michigan.
7. Under Trump’s leadership, in 2018 the U.S. surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest producer of crude oil.
8. Trump signed a law ending the gag orders on Pharmacists that prevented them from sharing money-saving information.
9. Trump signed the “Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act” (FOSTA), which includes the “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act” (SESTA) which both give law enforcement and victims new tools to fight sex trafficking.👀👀
10. Trump signed a bill to require airports to provide spaces for breastfeeding Moms.
11. The 25% lowest-paid Americans enjoyed a 4.5% income boost in November 2019, which outpaces a 2.9% gain in earnings for the country's highest-paid workers.
12. Low-wage workers are benefiting from higher minimum wages and from corporations that are increasing entry-level pay.
13. Trump signed the biggest wilderness protection & conservation bill in a decade and designated 375,000 acres as protected land.
14. Trump signed the Save our Seas Act which funds $10 million per year to clean tons of plastic & garbage from the ocean.👀👀
15. He signed a bill this year allowing some drug imports from Canada so that prescription prices would go down.
16. Trump signed an executive order this year that forces all healthcare providers to disclose the cost of their services so that Americans can comparison shop and know how much less providers charge insurance companies.
17. When signing that bill he said no American should be blindsided by bills for medical services they never agreed to in advance.
18. Hospitals will now be required to post their standard charges for services, which include the discounted price a hospital is willing to accept.
19. In the eight years prior to President Trump’s inauguration, prescription drug prices increased by an average of 3.6% per year. Under Trump, drug prices have seen year-over-year declines in nine of the last ten months, with a 1.1% drop as of the most recent month.
20. He created a White House VA Hotline to help veterans and principally staffed it with veterans and direct family members of veterans.👀👀
21. VA employees are being held accountable for poor performance, with more than 4,000 VA employees removed, demoted, and suspended so far.
22. Issued an executive order requiring the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs to submit a joint plan to provide veterans access to access to mental health treatment as they transition to civilian life.
23. Because of a bill signed and championed by Trump, In 2020, most federal employees will see their pay increase by an average of 3.1% — the largest raise in more than 10 years.
24. Trump signed into a law up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for millions of federal workers.
25. Trump administration will provide HIV prevention drugs for free to 200,000 uninsured patients per year for 11 years.👀👀
26. All-time record sales during the 2019 holidays.
27. Trump signed an order allowing small businesses to group together when buying insurance to get a better price👀👀
28. President Trump signed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act that provides funding for states to develop maternal mortality reviews to better understand maternal complications and identify solutions & largely focuses on reducing the higher mortality rates for Black Americans.
29. In 2018, President Trump signed the groundbreaking First Step Act, a criminal justice bill which enacted reforms that make our justice system fairer and help former inmates successfully return to society.
30. The First Step Act’s reforms addressed inequities in sentencing laws that disproportionately harmed Black Americans and reformed mandatory minimums that created unfair outcomes.👀👀
31. The First Step Act expanded judicial discretion in sentencing of non-violent crimes.
32. Over 90% of those benefitting from the retroactive sentencing reductions in the First Step Act are Black Americans.
33. The First Step Act provides rehabilitative programs to inmates, helping them successfully rejoin society and not return to crime.
34. Trump increased funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by more than 14%.👀👀
35. Trump signed legislation forgiving Hurricane Katrina debt that threatened HBCUs.
36. New single-family home sales are up 31.6% in October 2019 compared to just one year ago.
37. Made HBCUs a priority by creating the position of executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs.
38. Trump received the Bipartisan Justice Award at a historically black college for his criminal justice reform accomplishments.
39. The poverty rate fell to a 17-year low of 11.8% under the Trump administration as a result of a jobs-rich environment.👀👀
40. Poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans have reached their lowest levels since the U.S. began collecting such data.
41. President Trump signed a bill that creates five national monuments, expands several national parks, adds 1.3 million acres of wilderness, and permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
42. Trump’s USDA committed $124 Million to rebuild rural water infrastructure.👀👀
43. Consumer confidence & small business confidence is at an all-time high.
44. More than 7 million jobs created since election.
45. More Americans are now employed than ever recorded before in our history.
46. More than 400,000 manufacturing jobs created since his election.
47. Trump appointed 5 openly gay ambassadors.👀👀
48. Trump ordered Ric Grenell, his openly gay ambassador to Germany, to lead a global initiative to decriminalize homosexuality across the globe.
49. Through Trump’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) initiative, Federal law enforcement more than doubled convictions of human traffickers and increased the number of defendants charged by 75% in ACTeam districts.
50. In 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismantled an organization that was the internet’s leading source of prostitution-related advertisements resulting in sex trafficking.
51. Trump’s OMB published new anti-trafficking guidance for government procurement officials to more effectively combat human trafficking.
52. Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested 1,588 criminals associated with Human Trafficking.
53. Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services provided funding to support the National Human Trafficking Hotline to identify perpetrators and give victims the help they need.
54. The hotline identified 16,862 potential human trafficking cases.
55. Trump’s DOJ provided grants to organizations that support human trafficking victims – serving nearly 9,000 cases from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018.👀👀
56. The Department of Homeland Security has hired more victim assistance specialists, helping victims get resources and support.
57. President Trump has called on Congress to pass school choice legislation so that no child is trapped in a failing school because of his or her zip code.👀👀
58. The President signed funding legislation in September 2018 that increased funding for school choice by $42 million.
59. The tax cuts signed into law by President Trump promote school choice by allowing families to use 529 college savings plans for elementary and secondary education.👀👀
60. Under his leadership ISIS has lost most of their territory and been largely dismantled.
61. ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was killed.
62. Signed the first Perkins CTE reauthorization since 2006, authorizing more than $1 billion for states each year to fund vocational and career education programs.
63. Executive order expanding apprenticeship opportunities for students and workers.
64. Trump issued an Executive Order prohibiting the U.S. government from discriminating against Christians or punishing expressions of faith.
65. Signed an executive order that allows the government to withhold money from college campuses deemed to be anti-Semitic and who fail to combat anti-Semitism.
66. President Trump ordered a halt to U.S. tax money going to international organizations that fund or perform abortions.
67. Trump imposed sanctions on the socialists in Venezuela who have killed their citizens.
68. Finalized new trade agreement with South Korea.
69. Made a deal with the European Union to increase U.S. energy exports to Europe.👀👀
70. Withdrew the U.S. from the job killing TPP deal.
71. Secured $250 billion in new trade and investment deals in China and $12 billion in Vietnam.
72. Okay’ d up to $12 billion in aid for farmers affected by unfair trade retaliation.👀👀
73. Has had over a dozen US hostages freed, including those Obama could not get freed.
74. Trump signed the Music Modernization Act, the biggest change to copyright law in decades.
75. Trump secured Billions that will fund the building of a wall at our southern border.
76. The Trump Administration is promoting second chance hiring to give former inmates the opportunity to live crime-free lives and find meaningful employment.
77. Trump’s DOJ and the Board Of Prisons launched a new “Ready to Work Initiative” to help connect employers directly with former prisoners.👀👀
78. President Trump’s historic tax cut legislation included new Opportunity Zone Incentives to promote investment in low-income communities across the country.
79. 8,764 communities across the country have been designated as Opportunity Zones.
80. Opportunity Zones are expected to spur $100 billion in long-term private capital investment in economically distressed communities across the country.
81. Trump directed the Education Secretary to end Common Core.👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
82. Trump signed the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund into law.
83. Trump signed measure funding prevention programs for Veteran suicide.👀👀
84. Companies have brought back over a TRILLION dollars from overseas because of the TCJA bill that Trump signed.
85. Manufacturing jobs are growing at the fastest rate in more than 30 years.
86. Stock Market has reached record highs.
87. Median household income has hit highest level ever recorded.
88. African-American unemployment is at an all-time low.(was until Covid bullshit)
89. Hispanic-American unemployment is at an all-time low.
90. Asian-American unemployment is at an all-time low.
91. Women’s unemployment rate is at a 65-year low.
92. Youth unemployment is at a 50-year low.
93. We have the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded.
94. The Pledge to America’s Workers has resulted in employers committing to train more than 4 million Americans.
95. 95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future— the highest ever.
96. As a result of the Republican tax bill, small businesses will have the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years.👀👀
97. Record number of regulations eliminated that hurt small businesses.
98. Signed welfare reform requiring able-bodied adults who don’t have children to work or look for work if they’re on welfare.🙌🙌
99. Under Trump, the FDA approved more affordable generic drugs than ever before in history.
100. Reformed Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging low-income seniors on their drugs—saving seniors 100’s of millions of $$$ this year alone.👀👀
101. Signed Right-To-Try legislation allowing terminally ill patients to try experimental treatment that wasn’t allowed before.
102. Secured $6 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic.❤️❤️
103. Signed VA Choice Act and VA Accountability Act, expanded VA telehealth services, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care.👀👀
104. U.S. oil production recently reached all-time high so we are less dependent on oil from the Middle East.
105. The U.S. is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.
106. NATO allies increased their defense spending because of his pressure campaign.
107. Withdrew the United States from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord in 2017 and that same year the U.S. still led the world by having the largest reduction in Carbon emissions.👀👀
108. Has his circuit court judge nominees being confirmed faster than any other new administration.
109. Had his Supreme Court Justice’s Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh confirmed.
110. Moved U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.👀👀
111. Agreed to a new trade deal with Mexico & Canada that will increase jobs here and $$$ coming in.
112. Reached a breakthrough agreement with the E.U. to increase U.S. exports.
113. Imposed tariffs on China in response to China’s forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and their chronically abusive trade practices, has agreed to a Part One trade deal with China.
114. Signed legislation to improve the National Suicide Hotline.👀👀
115. Signed the most comprehensive childhood cancer legislation ever into law, which will advance childhood cancer research and improve treatments.
116. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by Trump doubled the maximum amount of the child tax credit available to parents and lifted the income limits so more people could claim it.
117. It also created a new tax credit for other dependents.
118. In 2018, President Trump signed into law a $2.4 billion funding increase for the Child Care and Development Fund, providing a total of $8.1 billion to States to fund child care for low-income families.
119. The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) signed into law by Trump provides a tax credit equal to 20-35% of child care expenses, $3,000 per child & $6,000 per family + Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) allow you to set aside up to $5,000 in pre-tax $ to use for child care.
120. In 2019 President Donald Trump signed the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act (CARES) into law which allocates $1.8 billion in funding over the next five years to help people with autism spectrum disorder and to help their families.👀👀
121. In 2019 President Trump signed into law two funding packages providing nearly $19 million in new funding for Lupus specific research and education programs, as well an additional $41.7 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the most Lupus funding EVER.
122. Another upcoming accomplishment to add: In the next week or two Trump will be signing the first major anti-robocall law in decades called the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence.) Once it’s the law, the TRACED Act will extend the period of time the FCC has to catch & punish those who intentionally break telemarketing restrictions. The bill also requires voice service providers to develop a framework to verify calls are legitimate before they reach your phone.
123. US stock market continually hits all-time record highs.
v Because so many people asked for a document with all of this listed in one place, here it is. No links provided to remove bias — as Google search is easy. Print this out for family, friends, neighbors, etc. I encourage you to drop this list off to voters before the 2020 election, too!
v Trump did all of this while fighting flagrant abuse and impeachment charges.
People should start thinking for themselves!