Open Thread June 25, 2022

Yesterday, I woke up to over 100 emails – mostly about Roe. And they kept coming in all day (and will probably continue indefinitely.) I have been fighting tears. I never personally needed an abortion, and I certainly won’t now, but I find myself grieving over the women who will die (and who already have died) as a result of this abomination. And then the other decision this week – if life-threatening pregnancies and coat hanger abortions don’t kill us, they will do it with guns. My next thought may sound unrelated, but it isn’t really – I’m beginning to think every man, woman, and child in the US needs to be required to go through a course in anger management (and after that’s done, every child as part of middle or high school – or before earning a GED.) And then again as part of every sentence for a crime involving violence, as a prerequisite for release. Because all this hate comes from anger, and anger is a natural and normal part of the human condition, and we need it – but we don’t like it because it gets ugly, and we think the answer is to eliminate ie. It isn’t. the answer is to learn how to (a) express it in a disciplined and non-hurtful way, and (b) to use the adrenalin to fight politically for policies which are worth fighting for. In other words, anger needs to be well regulated. And people don’t learn how to do that throug osmosis. We need to be taught. And we need role models as part of the learning process. And I wish I had the faintest idea how that could happen. End of rant. I’m sticking woith unrelated short takes – I know you won’t have any difficulty reading about this decision.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Daily Beast – Intel Reveals Putin Plan to Weasel His Way Into American Hearts
Quote – [R]ather than counting on exiting the political scene in dramatic fashion, Putin might be betting that he can somehow outlast his detractors as well as the Biden Administration, whose security assistance for Ukraine has been pivotal in keeping a Russian win at bay. And part of Putin’s plot to outlive the Biden administration is likely to include influence operations aimed at securing an American political environment that’s more favorable to his goals, former CIA and Department of Homeland Security officials told The Daily Beast.
Click through for details. I gather the Transylvanians just loved Vlad Dracula too – considered him a Defender of the Faith. (At least if you have friends like that, you have no need of enemies.)

NM Political Report – NM Game and Fish urges people to be ‘bear aware’ during drought
Quote – [Nick] Forman [the carnivore and small mammal program manager for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish] compared [bears] to giant racoons because they are inquisitive and know how to manipulate their environment. [He also] acknowledged that it can be exciting to see a bear, especially for young children. He said parents can encourage their children to “leave wildlife wild” and “give them their space.” He said parents can take the opportunity to observe the bears with their children from afar, especially if there is a safe viewing area.
Click through for more. Neither the drought nor the bears are confined to New Mexico. We have friends on the west side of town who have had bears amble down their street, and I know California has bears. They used to be all over what is now the United States, so there’s no telling where one might pop up. It’s great to have them, but not so great to be mauled by one. I thought it was worth a little cautionary note.

Food For Thought