crimycarny
crimycarny's JournalMark Kelly and Gabby Giffords People interview on their own story about IVF
So many things I'm learning about Mark Kelly and the more I read the more I feel he's the best choice for VP.
-- Astronaut
-- Navy pilot (flew 39 missions in Operation Desert Storm)
-- Currently training Ukraine pilots on F16s
-- Married to Gabby Giffords, very popular in AZ
-- Gun owner but a strong advocate for sensible gun control measures
-- Strong on borders issues (visited border more than once--2023 and 2024, obtained funding for AZ border patrol in 2024). He's often talked about border issues being from a border state.
-- Both parents were cops
What I've just learned is that they had an appointment to meet with a fertility specialist which was 2 days after the tragic shooting. That tragic shooting ended their dream of having a child together.
https://people.com/mark-kelly-gabby-giffords-ivf-reproductive-freedom-exclusive-essay-8664641
I know a huge downside is the potential of losing a Senate seat in 2026. But with Mark Kelly so overwhelmingly popular in AZ, perhaps his campaigning for the AZ senate candidate running in 2026 would help win that seat back.
Interesting Interview of Mark Kelly
Found this interview of Mark Kelly which I found compelling. I can see Mark Kelly appealing to the more conservative white male voters and swing state voters. (I don't mean appealing "exclusively" to conservative white male, I mean he could draw them in as well as already appealing to the Dem base)
https://www.thirteen.org/openmind/breaking-bread/courage-in-flight/7779/
EDIT: I give up. I was simply trying to share an interview I saw of Mark Kelly as I'm trying to learn more about the VP candidates. I didn't mean to imply anything along the lines of worrying more about what white male voters think. I give up, this is why it's so hard to have reasonable conversations.
And the Dems fall for it--hook, line and f*ng sinker
For those idiotic Dem Congressman and Senators who think Biden stepping down is a good strategy, here is what Senator Sherrod Brown's GOP opponent said after Brown's announcement that Biden show step down:
“If Joe Biden is unfit to run, he is unfit to serve,” Moreno said in an emailed statement from his campaign. “I am formally calling on Joe Biden to resign the Presidency because his continued presence in the situation room is a national security threat. I hope Senator Brown will join me.”
And there it is folks. If Biden steps down the media will pivot to "Should Biden resign the Presidency?".
Lest we forget--calls for Clinton to drop out due to "health reasons"
Source: Twitter
"Even Clinton Allies are Hysterical Over Her Health"
Read more: https://x.com/jenniferbkatz/status/1814066608328802812
This looks familiar...
Why aren't Dems controlling the message by highlighting their fight for gun control?
I will never understand why Democrats are so HORRIBLE at messaging. Dems need to control the message after the attempted shooting of Trump, the killing of a bystander, and the critical wounding of two others. GOP has grabbed this event by the horns and is politicizing it to try and muzzle Democrats from criticizing Trump. Dems could counter by pounding the message that this--the shooting at a Trump rally--is a perfect example of why gun control is needed.
It is not being "disrespectful" to advocate for policies that might have prevented the shooting at the Trump rally. In fact, the message could center around empathy for those affected and how it's all the more important to ensure it doesn't happen again.
But, as always, Dems cower in fear of "offending" anyone. Just like with Senator Al Franken, Dems ran around in circles trying to prove "we're better than the other guys" and thus did the GOP's work for them by forcing a great Senator to resign without even giving him a chance to defend himself.
Why, why, why do Dems continue to do this to themselves?
If the man running on zero gun control gets shot at, at his own event which was surrounded by Secret Service and local police, doesn't that completely blow up that argument for no gun control?
The GOP immediately seized on this issue and used it to their advantage to try and attack the Dems most powerful weapon which was to show the danger Trump and Project 2025 is. Why aren't Dems doing the same to the GOP, attacking one of their most powerful weapons (2nd Admendment).
In n Out to ban employees from wearing masks
I apologize if this story has already been posted on DU. I just now saw it on Twitter. Apparently In N Out has banned employees from wearing masks unless they get a note from their doctor. Some states, like California, have made it illegal for employers to ban employees from wearing a mask--but in other states, this ban applies.
This is just insane and so narrowly focused and short-sighted. What if the employee has no health conditions but some of their family members do?
https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679878468748599297?s=20
I got a personal call from Jamie Raskin regarding my son's suicide
I lost my son to suicide 1/27/2022. He was 25. I read Jamie’s Raskin’s book “Unthinkable” where Congressmen Raskin wrote about Tommy’s death by suicide. I was recommended the book by several DU’ers. That book truly might have saved my life.
I wanted to let Congressman Raskin know how much his book meant to me but had no idea how to contact him. I decided to use the same method I did with the White House and just use the generic “contact us” email from the Jamie Raskin for Congress website. This was probably about 2 months ago. I didn’t expect a reply, I just wanted to share how much his book helped me.
Well, yesterday morning I get a call from the 202 area code. (I’ll use “crimycarny” as my first name in my description of the call. Jamie used my real first name of course). I pick up and I hear a cheerful “Hi, is this crimycarny?” I replied “Yes” and the caller says “Hi, crimycarny, this is Jamie Raskin. I’m calling to thank you for your wonderful email. I’m sorry it took me so to respond as I’ve been busy with January 6th”. Yes, it was him. The voice was unmistakable. We didn’t talk long, I just reiterated how much his book helped me.
After I hung up I went downstairs to tell my husband. As I was showing him the number I accidentally hit redial. I hung up right away and I also assumed it was a switchboard type number. Next thing I know a call is coming in from the same number. I pick up and it’s Jamie again! He said “Hi Crimycarny, I saw you just tried to call. Did you need something?” I said no, that it was a mistake redial. He replied “ok, I just wanted to make sure. Well, you have my number if you need anything.”
Jamie Raskin is the real deal. The kindness and caring he exudes in public is the true man he is.
Nothing will bring my son back. Nothing will ease this unbearable pain. But it helps to know people care. DU’ers have been immensely helpful as well.
Pfizer PAXLOVID hope for long haul COVID?
Though anecdotal at this point, perhaps there is hope for long-haul COVID in the form of Pfizer's PAXLOVID antiviral?
Interesting...
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/case-testing-pfizers-paxlovid-treating-long-covid-2022-04-18/
Traumatic deja vu experience with police -- no wonder we have such a mental health crisis.
I posted earlier about my son dying by suicide this January. He was 25. It has been extremely tough, as many can relate. So many of the comments on my post were so helpful to me that I re-read them many times when I'm struggling.
There is such a huge misunderstanding of "grief" and "depression". There is also a MAJOR misunderstanding on how to treat depression period, particularly before it gets to such a debilitating stage as suicide.
So onto my traumatic experience. Two days ago I had to call the company that handles FSA claims (medical claims for reimbursement). Note it is NOT my insurance company, I'm talking about medical expenses that aren't covered by insurance but you can get reimbursed from a health savings account that you contribute to yourself. This company had denied reimbursement for my grief counselor therapy, despite having approved several previous ones. So I was calling to find out why.
The customer service agent who took the call was trying to figure out what the issue was, trying to understand the type of therapy, and I mentioned it was for grief counseling due to my son's death. She told me "I understand, I lost my brother and my father." Of course, I broke down at that. She told me that she was so sorry for my loss, told me she understands the guilt that comes with it and reassured me it wasn't my fault. I thanked her, told her it was very hard, and that I missed my son very much. We got my claim resolved, I thanked her tearfully when she again expressed her condolences, then hung up. I actually thought how nice it was that I got not only a kind agent but one who understood grief.
24 hours later there is a knock at our door. My middle son opens the door and there are two policemen standing there asking for me by name. BTW, this is EXACTLY how we were notified of my son's death by suicide back in January...his younger brother answered the door and they asked for me by name (I've never understood why they didn't mention my husband's name too).
My son comes to get me and I am FREAKING out. Major PTSD. I'm thinking "OMG...did something happen to my daughter?" (she's away at school). Turns out the woman at the claim agency called in a "welfare check" for me. WTF???? The police treated me like I was a criminal. They kept asking me what I said on my phone call with the claim agent 24 hours ago. It was so bizarre, almost like I had called in a bomb threat. They just kept quizzing me and trying to see if what I said matched up with what they were told. I kept reassuring them I was not suicidal and I never mentioned suicide in the phone call with the agent. But they just kept quizzing me like they didn't believe me. It was horrific.
It wasn't until they left, after quizzing me for at least 15 minutes, that I realized they never asked me if anyone else besides my son was at home (you'd think they want to find out if I had support if they truly thought I was at risk). They only asked about what I said on the call...which was 24 hours ago anyway! Who cares?? Isn't what's going on NOW more important? Do I have support? Do I have resources? That's what they should have asked if they truly felt I was at risk.
Humiliating. I was so shaken up. I had full-on "fight or flight" adrenaline for hours. Shaking, heart pounding, feeling nauseous. And the flashbacks to the day we were notified of my son's death wouldn't stop.
No WONDER no one wants to tell anyone if they are suicidal. If this is how they treat someone based on the inexperienced judgment of complete stranger--what the h*ll? And my other son witnessed all of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Traumatic for him because of the flashback, AND I worry it would dissuade him from getting help if he--god forbid--needed it. What the hell are we doing in this country in regards to mental health?
I hate the term "defund the police" but we sure as h*ll need more $$$ towards getting qualified mental health personnel to go out on calls like this. God forbid it was someone truly suicidal.
My son committed suicide 1/27/2022-I heard from the White House staff
I apologize if this thread doesn’t belong in “General Discussion”. But because it reflects on the President Biden White House I thought I’d use this category.
On 1/27/2022 my precious son took his own life—he was 25. I was absolutely destroyed (still am) and was trying desperately to find a place to run to, to hide, to stop the pain. But there was/is no where to go.
This may sound idiotic but I thought of President Joe Biden and all the grief he has had in his life. How he would talk about his losses (wife, daughter, Beau) and try to comfort others experiencing loss. I thought “I wish I could talk to someone like Joe Biden”. So in desperation I wrote an email via the WhiteHouse.gov website. I poured out my heart but never expected a reply.
A couple of weeks after I sent my email I was sitting outside on my porch in absolute despair and agony. Sobbing. Then I see a call from someone in Reno, NV. Normally I’d let a call I don’t recognize go to voicemail but for some reason I answered. Someone asked “Is this ( my first name) ?” I answered “yes, who is this?”. The person answered “This is The White House. I’m calling about the email you sent about your son.”
No, it wasn’t Joe Biden himself but someone working for the Biden administration. The person on the phone talked to me for over 45 minutes. Let me talk about my son as well as tried to help me find resources in my area for support. The person I was talking to wasn’t perfunctory...they were real. They would have let me talk forever. The part about finding resources for me didn’t happen until the very end of the call. The majority was just this person allowing me to talk about my son.
Amazing. I miss my son desperately. I will NEVER be the same. But to have a White House that would read an email out of the hundreds of thousands, and give me a call personally, that meant so much.
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