The Mason Moment with John Oliver Mason, July 26, 2020

The Mason Missile, July 24, 2020

Greetings, Americans! It’s official-the United States of America is a pariah state, “thanks” to the Coronavirus and trump’s negligence. The states of the European Union have announced a list of nations whose citizens are welcome to enter the block-and ours is NOT one of them. (https://www.dw.com/en/eu-agrees-to-reopen-borders-to-14-countries-extends-travel-ban-for-us-tourists/a-53986435?maca=en-newsletter_en_bulletin-2097-xml-newsletter&r=77175521877467155&lid=1528755&pm_ln=36039 ) I can’t say I blame them, though; after much suffering and labor, they have managed to diminish the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities to rock-bottom, whereas, under the leader-shit of the tangerine tumor, new highs in infections and deaths are being set. I lament, is there NO way to eliminate him from office NOW? Pence would be no improvement, since he bootlicks trump as every opportunity. Trump has also been calling for schools to reopen in the fall, no matter that the COVID is still lurking around in the atmosphere, and trump’s disciples keep talking about how young kids can’t get the virus, but the virus is an equal-opportunity killer. I also lament the police state tactics that federal agents have been using in Portland, Oregon. (https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-law-enforcement-unmarked-vehicles-portland-protesters/) (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/portland-protests.html) (https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/oregon-expanding-criminal-probe-of-unmarked-federal-troops-88038469617?cid=eml_mra_20200721) This, from the party of “small government” and “get the government off your backs!” This is the culmination of what the Republicans have long advocated, since at least the New Deal: return the government to the enforcers of plutocratic power, and prevent it from being utilized on behalf of working and low-income people. These agents have been recruited from such agencies as the US Marshall’s Service, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Bureau of Prisons; they have been wearing military gear (like they’re at war with-US? Their fellow Americans?), grabbed peaceful protestors, and anyone else they thought “looked funny,” hauled them into unmarked cars-their “due process,” the kind of stuff your recall from Chile under Pinochet. trump has also prepared to send these agents to other cities in the nation-Chicago, New York, AND Philadelphia-“all run by liberal Democrats-” without any input by the municipal governments, calling the cities “stupidly run.” (https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-chicago-police-dhs-deployment-20200720-dftu5ychwbcxtg4ltarh5qnwma-story.html) Yes, a dictatorship CAN happen HERE, in the “land of the free,” and we must NEVER allow it! At this time, we remember and work and example of Congressman John Lewis-a leader of the Civil Rights struggle of the Sixties, who organized sit-ins at segregated lunch counters, who was the youngest speaker at the March On Washington For Jobs and Freedom in 1963, and who led the March on Selma in 1965 for voting rights-and, as the state troopers and other police assaulted the marchers, one trooper cracked Lewis’ skull; but through the sacrifice of Lewis and other brave activists, Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. Lewis risked his life to make sure ALL Americans have the right to vote, to elect their public officials who run our society. Let the history of the Civil Rights movement, and the lives of its brave freedom fighters, guide us as we struggle against trump and his minions. This is the basis of the long-time Republican-conservative disparagement of utilizing the government to redress grievances; the same people who have been long oppressed finally asserting and attaining their rights. Can we do any less than what Lewis and his cohorts did? We, regular working and low-income Americans can indeed band together and improve our communities-and in this situations, save our country. On the same day Lewis died, so did another titan of the Civil Rights struggle, the Reverend CT Vivian (https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/17/us/ct-vivian-death/index.html). Both Lewis and Vivian emphasized the right to vote as the height of a people’s empowerment, and they both advocated for non-violent resistance to oppression. But alas, trump and his disciples are happy to apply violence against their enemies; you’ll recall trump cheering as his fans at his rallies beat up protestors-“Knock the crap out of them, will yuh?”-and promising to pay their legal bills for beating them up. The brute force applied by the federal agents is one more example of the disregard trump and his minions have for the rights of working people, low-income people, and minorities, or anyone who stands against him and for their rights. With the police-state tactics emanating from the regime, and rightist thugs carrying assault rifles to terrorize legislators (and just while going to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk) is treated like free speech, the idea of progressives and leftists carrying guns and learning, how to use them, is inevitable-you can only push a person SO far. (https://www.salon.com/2017/09/03/6-gun-groups-that-arent-for-white-right-wingers_partner/) (https://philadelphiapartisan.com/2017/08/12/armed-and-revolutionary/) (https://harpers.org/archive/2020/04/good-guys-with-guns-socialist-gun-club/) One is the John Brown Gun Club (affiliated with Redneck Revolt), mainly comprised of white leftists, and modeled on the Young Patriots, a radical group allied with the Black Panther Party. (https://www.redneckrevolt.org/) There is also the Pink Pistols, for LGBTQ Gun owners. (http://www.pinkpistols.org/). There is also the National African American Gun Association (https://naaga.co/), the Liberal Gun Club (https://theliberalgunclub.com/) the Huey P. Newton Gun Club ( https://hueypnewtongunclub.org/), and the Socialist Rifle Association. (https://socialistra.org/). I would never condemn a person for doing what it takes to protect their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We are up against people who have no respect for the rights and lives of working-class people, low-income people, or people of color-the same types of people John Lewis, CT Vivian, and the other Civil Rights activists stood up against, and finally defeated, through their bravery and collective effort. But an even mightier weapon for us Americans it our vote-it’s our first line of defense against tyranny, and let’s never allow anyone to take it from us. Let us band together like the Civil rights heroes to fight this dime-store despot wannabe contaminating the White House-we’re in this together. Stay safe, stay strong, and stay together, and America will be free! Bye! ADVERTISEMENT Since this publication takes a good deal of work and time, I welcome any donations, and I am willing to discuss selling ad space. For a fee I will be happy to advertise your business on the Missile. Please contact me and we’ll talk about it.

The Mason Moment with John Oliver Mason, July 20, 2020

The Mason Moment with John Oliver Mason, July 12, 2020