What DWI teaches us about the GOP's long history of GWI.

"DWI", of course, is "driving while impaired." It's a persistent, lethal problem (every 51 minutes in America, someone's killed by an impaired driver) and it requires resources and attention from the health, social, business and legal sectors to address with any efficacy at all.

The health sector? Critical- they must have training, tools, and procedures to do quick assessments, interventions and referrals at any sign of problem intoxicant use. And the resources to provide comprehensive treatment and long-term support for problem intoxicant users.

The social sector? Education, public awareness, a social stigma attached to the horrific consequences of DWI, and a steadily decreasing tolerance for any level of impaired vehicle operation, along with support and impetus for the other sectors to provide their interventions.

Business sector? Hospitality and entertainment establishments have to be proactive in preventing impaired customers from getting into a driver's seat. All businesses that use any kind of vehicle operator have to have policies and monitoring in place. Vendors have to work with, rather than against, broader limits on supplying intoxicants in situations that promote impaired vehicle operation.

Legal sector? They're the pointy end of the stick in getting impaired drivers off the road, providing escalating levels of consequences for impaired driving, testing new laws and enforcement procedures to address the problem, promoting prevention policies and supporting all the other sectors.

The single worst aspect of the DWI problem, responsible for many deaths and injuries every year, are recidivists. Addressing recidivism is the biggest challenge of all.

Why?

Research has shown that the average impaired driver gets caught once in eighty incidents of driving impaired. Think about that. Average. So while many people may get caught on their first, third, or ninth intoxicated spin, many are also driving intoxicated more than eighty times before they're caught. A hundred times? More?

Here's what we know about how that affects recidivism: When they DO get caught, habitual impaired drivers tend to blame, not themselves and their poor judgment and their problem intoxicant use, but the officer that pulled them over, the lawyer that didn't get them off, the judge that mandated them to go to DWI class or spend time in jail. They blame the system.

Why shouldn't they? They've been driving intoxicated for weeks, months, years. Never been caught before. Obvs the prob isn't them. It's the system!

Unless, of course, they're unlucky enough to add to the morbidity and mortality statistics. Sometimes that shakes them up.

Sometimes, not.

What we know is that the more quickly we can identify a likely habitual DWI offender and catch them driving impaired, the better chance we have to educate and prevent them from picking up the habit. It's difficult, but we're learning a few things about who those likely ones are, and beginning to focus prevention programs better to reach them.

Now let's talk about another lethal and horrifying problem: Governing While Impaired.

This is the GOP's problem. They've been governing while impaired- by corruption, incompetence, ignorance, greed, and malice, for decades. And they've gotten away with it!

Again, and again, and again. They've flown under the radar, they've gotten a pass from lackadaisical and corrupt media and ethics systems, they've played the "everybody does it" card successfully, the "it didn't kill anyone this time" card, the "got no other way to do it and it's got to get done" card, all the excuses for their lousy anti-democratic governing that's slowly degenerating our republic and killing thousands, indirectly at first but now increasingly, directly (here's one).

They've gotten away with it when they've funneled money to their corrupt business partners. When they've profited by insider trading. When they've bent campaign finance laws like a pretzel and even when they've shattered them like a crystal goblet dropped ten stories. When they've enacted laws that cost taxpayers billions and enriched a few wealthy buddies. When they've changed regulations to pay back campaign contributors.

They get away with it, again, and again and again.

Now... all of a sudden, there's a critical mass, like the 'explosive growth' stage in yeast. And for the first time in decades, they may --just may start getting 'pulled over' for GWI. Possibly even face a few consequences.

Here's the deal: Anyone thinking these assholes are going to "learn their lesson" has never been to a DWI court. It's not their fault! They're not doing anything wrong! They've been doing this shit for decades! Obvs it's okay! The problem isn't them-- it's the SYSTEM. Those corrupt Democrats who have a down on them. They should NEVER be allowed to have power, right?

We have a long way to go, people.

This problem isn't going to clean itself up, and it's not going to yield to fast, cheap solutions.

We need a major "help stamp out GWI" campaign, and it's got to run for years, maybe decades, and it's got to involve many key sectors.

wearily,
Bright

On the First Day of Muellermas...

...Fox News gave to me,
A grifter up his last tree.

On the second day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the third day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the fourth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the fifth day of Mullermas
Fox News gave to me,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the sixth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the seventh day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the eighth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the ninth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Nine staffers leaking
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the tenth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Ten lawyers dancin'
Nine staffers leaking
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the eleventh day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Eleven Russian condos,
Ten lawyers dancin'
Nine staffers leaking
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

On the twelfth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Twelve grand jurors voting,
Eleven Russian condos,
Ten lawyers dancin'
Nine staffers leaking
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

merrily,
Bright

TygrBright sez: I will not let them win the War on Christmas

The Qualifications This Democrat Seeks in a 2020 Presidential Nominee

First, and most important: Family values. The candidate I support must understand that the well-being of families of ALL types and configurations, of all races, faiths, national or ethnic origins is the most important concern of the Federal government. This certainly includes basic security (especially security from Russian propaganda, economic and political manipulation) but also educational and economic opportunity and - MOST CRITICAL - breathable air, drinkable water, sustainable food production from the earth for generations to come.

Second, and almost as important: A character appropriate for leadership of a complex and diverse people. The candidate I support must have maturity, compassion, intelligence, and an innate sense of ethical grounding. They must be able to weigh the benefits of a compromise against the costs- especially the non-monetary costs. They must be able to see the long-term as well as the short-term possible outcomes of a policy. And they must be able to make difficult decisions when competing interests and priorities among their supporters are at stake, and communicate effectively their reasons for a particular decision.

Third, and very important indeed: Political viability. This is a complex quality that balances experience and accomplishments against charisma and communications skills. It includes a "clean closet", a minimum of burned bridges, and enough humility to acknowledge what they don't know as well as what they do know. It strikes a balance between standing up firmly for core principles, and being flexible in accommodating differing agendas and priorities.

Fourth, and also important: The candidate should be in some way symbolic of the end of white heterosexual Christian patriarchal privilege. This doesn't mean that I won't support a caucasian male under any circumstances. It does mean I'd prefer someone who isn't a caucasian male, and if a caucasian male does want my support, their experience and their record should demonstrate their clear commitment to ending the privilege that comes with their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. "Clear commitment" including risks taken and accomplishments already achieved.

I do realize that I'm unable to get everything I want. While I've listed these qualifications in a rough order of importance, that doesnt' mean that I wouldn't weight them differently in combinations unique to distinct individuals.

Some of the definitions of terms I've used are also pretty individual to me as well- my definition of "innate sense of ethical grounding" will probably have ramifications that others may not have. But I'll know it when I see it.

hopefully,
Bright

Here's What They'll Do Next if Tuesday Brings an Overwhelming Blue Wave

I have seen it before, in many forms.

When they lose, this is what they do: They look for a fault line.

Then they start inserting wedges. Small ones at first. Silly-seeming ones.

They get lots and lots of wedges in.

Then they start banging on the wedges, trying to fracture and divide the ones who defeated them. Rob us of effectiveness and capability. Get us fighting one another, rather than pursuing the agenda that brought about their defeat and promised hope, making liars of us.

And we have one BIG fault line offering itself as a target.

So let's prepare.

What fault line am I talking about?

We're fighting back against racism and misogyny. We want to redress centuries of oppression of those marginalized for their brown skin and non-european ancestry. We want to root out the systemic patriarchy that has deprived half of our citizens of agency and equality. This is essential, if we are to secure the existence of this planet and a future for all children.

And therein lies the fault line.

All those white women who pick up the cell phone to tell the police about black people doing the scary stuff of daily life, not to mention the 'soccer moms' who voted for [Redacted].

All those rap lyrics about "hos" and "bitches" and the machismo cultures that produce stunningly toxic misogynists with brown skins.

It may be all too easy to divide us along that fault line. What are we going to do about it?

Can we prepare?

If we are lucky, Tuesday night may usher in an unprecedented wave of new leadership: Black and brown leadership. Female leadership. Young leadership. Exactly who we need to map out new paths to a better future.

Unless they successfully exploit that fault line and get us wasting all that energy against ourselves.

Can we be ready?

Strategies?

Suggestions?

Analysis?

Disagreement?

This enquiring mind wants to know.

thoughtfully,
Bright

Here's the thing about "Birthright Citizenship":

UNLESS you are a naturalized citizen, you are a "birthright citizen."

I'm a birthright citizen.

My mother is a birthright citizen.

Her mother was a birthright citizen.

Her mother's mother was a naturalized citizen.

My daughter is a birthright citizen.

My grandson is a birthright citizen.

If [Redacted] wants to 'end birthright citizenship' NONE of us would be citizens. Except maybe my great-grandmother who was naturalized.

What is [Redacted] even talking about?

Amendment 14, Section one, says: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

So if [Redacted] takes out the words "born or", we're left with... what? "All persons naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

WTF is he babbling on about? Disenfranchising millions of Americans?

Why is the country not rising up en masse and demanding his resignation?

bewilderedly,
Bright

..."and there were no Nazis in Hamburg"

Watching America tear itself apart is painful.

Looking at somewhere between a third and half of my fellow Americans being willfully, obdurately ignorant is painful.

Watching the undisguised racism, xenophobia, and misogyny taking victory lap after victory lap is painful.

Watching the expectations and assumptions of institutionalized norms like deference to factual information, maturity, self-control, and judicious temperance of public demeanor get gleefully tossed under the bus is painful.

Like many others, I've had the dark thoughts... "How can I share a nation with these people? If things ever get back to some kind of functional or normal governance, how can we patch up these divisions and restore a polity that will allow us to build a positive future together? With THEM?!?"

And then I remember the story my stepfather told me, about when he was in the Merchant Marine during and after WWII.

It was not too long after VE-day, and his ship was one of the first Allied merchanters to dock in Hamburg. Allies had been doing bombing raids throughout the war, right up through a couple of weeks before the official end of hostilities. The city was a mess. Nevertheless, the merchant ship crews were given shore leave; they'd been on duty for months without a break.

It wasn't pretty. People swarmed "the Americans" wherever they went, begging for food, cigarettes, items of clothing, anything. And they handed out what they had, appalled by the degradation.

There was one thing my stepfather and his shipmates were absolutely determined about, though: They weren't going to give NOTHIN' to NO NAZIS. So they'd always check, before trying to help, whether the ones asking for help had been members of the Nazi party, or Nazi sympathizers.

They were in port for more than a week, and roamed over quite a bit of the city, and you know what?

They didn't find a single Nazi. Not one!

People they talked to, the ones who spoke English, assured them that there WERE no Nazis in Hamburg, there had never been any Nazis in Hamburg. They hated the Nazis! They just did their jobs and tried to raise their kids and stay out of the way of the military types- THOSE were the Nazis and they were all gone, of course.

None of them had been from Hamburg itself, anyway. The people of Hamburg were horrified by all that Nazi stuff. They were thrilled the Allies had won and glad to see the Americans.

Nope, there wasn't a Nazi left in Hamburg. And there hadn't been many to start with. Except those outsider military types.

Of course, my stepfather and his buddies knew they were being scammed. Hamburg was a Nazi hotbed all along, horrible things were done there and prominent members of the Nazi party were from there and based there.

But apparently, as soon as the Nazis lost the War, they all mysteriously vanished into thin air!

And were replaced by the kind of people who rebuilt West Germany- first with Allied help into a determined liberal democracy, and then as a bastion of NATO and the European Union.

I know it wasn't easy for Germany to overcome its Nazi past, for pro-Nazi and anti-Nazi and fuck-it-leave-me-alone-I-don't-want-to-take-sides Germans to cobble together some kind of polity and redirect their energy into building a modern economy and a democratic state.

But they did, somehow.

So I have to believe that someday we will be able to, as well.

Because, after all, after they lost, there were no Nazis in Hamburg.

reflectively,
Bright

So I'm seeing a "double false flag" operation in progress, here...

Bombs being sent to lefty targets. oooo....

But... none of the bombs actually explode, no one gets hurt... ::squinty side-eye::

Could it be... this is just a leftwing 'false flag' operation to gin up sympathy and outrage and get those leftwing 'mobs' to the polling places? OUTRAGE!! October surprise!!! False Flag!!!

Or...

Or...

Could it be... just maybe...

Some very well-planned and expertly-executed RIGHTWING conspiracy to make people THINK the leftwing is doing a false-flag October Surprise operation...???

hmmmm.... on their previous records, what do leftwing domestic terrorists and those wacky "antifa" supporters generally do?

If I recall correctly, they generally march in the streets with signs, chant things, and occasionally damage property or mix it up with rightwing hecklers.

hmmmmm.... on their previous records, what do rightwing domestic terrorists generally do?

The Murrah Federal Building comes to mind. Driving cars into crowds. Mass shootings...

Yanno, it's really hard to tell.

'scuse me while I go pick up the pieces of my head. It exploded a while back...

wearily,
Bright

Me n' Mister Bright Voted Today

The closest- to us- Early Voting Site for our county was right on the county fair grounds where it usually is.

Except for one change.

Normally they set up in the 4-H "Small Animals" barn, which is plenty commodious for two or three tables with two volunteers at each table to check voters on the roll and hand them ballots.

Not today.

Today they set up in the Exhibition Hall, the largest indoor space on the fair grounds. Voting opened at noon, and we got to the fair grounds about a quarter after. There were a LOT of cars turning in.

The regular lots among the buildings were full. We had to park at the closest 'main' fair lot, essentially a dirt field across the road from the buildings complex.

When we got up to the buildings complex we saw The Line.

It was out the door of the Exhibition Hall, almost to the end of the covered portico.

We joined the line and noticed it was moving at a fairly regular pace. Not too fast, but regular.

Got into the 'porch' area, the line wound past a table full of pamphlets from the Secretary of State, explaining the two State Constitutional Amendments on the ballot, and the various bond issues. Nicely presented with both the 'legal' language version and the plain-language version for each, plus a statement of intent for each of the Constitutional amendments, and lists of specific funding targets for each bond issue. The Constitutional amendments also had nicely-summarized major 'pro' and 'con' arguments for each.

We had time to read the booklets, which were in English and Spanish, as the line wound through the porch and into the main Exhibition Hall.

When we got in there, we saw there were SIX tables with two volunteers each doing the checkoff and ballot distribution. Other volunteers were maintaining separate lines for each volunteer, gesturing the people at the front of the 'main' line which of the twelve volunteer lines was shortest.

The volunteers totally had their act together. You had to state your name and year of birth, and they'd find you on the rolls, then ask you your address, then double-check 'full name' and birth year again before you signed the little electronic pad to receive your paper ballot and your 'stub'.

Then you took the ballot to one of more than fifty (five rows with about 10-15 standup booths each plus three or four sitdown ones for people with mobility issues) booths and completed your ballot with the pen provided, filling in the little ovals COMPLETELY.

Which I did.

For every single candidate that had "Democrat" listed under their name. And turned it over and voted on the amendments and bond issues.

Then took it to one of two scanner machines. Short line there, only two people ahead of me, handed them my 'stub' and ballot, put the ballot in the scanner, got a receipt and a sticker and I was done.

Mister Bright was right behind me.

We went back out through the 'porch' area and the line was EVEN LONGER. It was about a quarter to one by then.

The early voting site is open noon to eight p.m. Tuesday through Friday and ten a.m. to six p.m. Saturday, until November 3rd.

If the lines stay that long we will have a record turnout, not just for a midterm year, but in all of New Mexico history.

hopefully,
Bright

Weehands McNodick is now absolutely right about ONE THING...

Hear me out! (or, well... read me out, I guess...)

Let's talk about that one thing. He started banging on about it way back on the campaign trail.

He used it to gin up his numbnuts base, to stoke their outrage against the leaders responsible.

Then he promised to fix it. To make it right again.

Cast your minds back, remember?

He hooted on about how "other nations" think we're patsies. They can fuck with us, with impunity. Shaft us in trade deals, laugh at us behind our backs, sell us a bill of goods that benefits them and leaves us with egg on our faces.

He fed the mouth-breathers' outraged 'manhood' with the garbage about how any bad actor country in the world could snooker Uncle Sam because our leaders weren't Real Manly Men who would Stand Up for the Red White and Blue (especially the WHITE!) and Throw Down with those nasty foreigners.

"They're laughing at us!" he would tell the hate-slavering wankfesters at his rallies back then.

Back then, of course, it wasn't true.

BUT NOW IT IS, and bless his shrivelled little whatever organ is in that massive lard-torso that keeps him breathing, HE'S THE ONE WHO MADE IT SO!

They're laughing at us, all right.

They've put it over on us, big time.

North Korea.

Russia.

China.

Saudi Arabia.

They've all figured out exactly how to play us, by PLAYING HIM.

We are now the Top Mark for every geopolitical bunco hustler and flimflam gangsta out there. Our former allies can only stand back, shaking their heads in a kind of horrified regret, watching us take every bait, fall for every scam from the worst actors on the globe.

So yep, he's right, now, about America's image in the world.

And it's all down to him.

Hope he's real proud of that. He and all his knuckle-dragging sploogefest drooler fans.

disgustedly,
Bright