"If everything you know is passed through word of mouth and from generation to generation—if the land and olive trees are gone, and the places that birthed recipes and stories are gone—stories are all that’s left."
Bagged a couple of high points this weekend along the southern extent of the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. I've found some of the best views in the Ozarks are in this stretch, where exposed bluffs (plus some hoodoos) provide views across the Arkansas River Valley to the Ouachita Mountains on the other side.
Last year, #Arkansas passed Act 372, which requires libraries to create sections of material which are deemed "harmful to minors" and specifies criminal penalties for librarians who don't comply. It specifies, "material or performance that depicts or describes nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse." However, in practice, this law is being used to ban positive views about #LGBTQIA people. Democrats support free speech; Republicans don't. https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2024-02-09/raperts-attempt-to-halt-library-funding-fails
Fraudster Sarah Huckabee refused federal money to feed hungry kids this summer when they are not in school.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders has failed us as a governor and our legislative body has failed us as well. It’s mine blowing to me how many of my neighbors support this regime.
She blocked extended maternal care for mothers. A mockery of christians, jesus would vomit on these criminals.
A disgusting republican. A fascist theocrat who supports a rapist and insurrectionist.
As Christa Brown, who has followed the Southern Baptist Convention's evasions of truth and political machinations for years, when it comes to dealing with sexual abuse of vulnerable people, says, we'd never have gotten the truth about Paul Pressler without lawsuits.
Because the SBC was determined to resist at all costs letting the truth be known.
Brown concludes: Let the lawsuits continue and proliferate.
To wit: "Just last week, in Arkansas, clergy sex abuse survivors filed a lawsuit naming not only First Baptist Church of Benton but also the SBC, SBC Executive Committee, Arkansas Baptist State Convention, and Central Baptist Association. It’s a dreadful case involving allegations that scores of boys were sexually victimized over the course of 20 years…."
The word that should stand out for us as we look at states like Arkansas, which are now dominated by one-party Republican rule, is the word corruption.
The corruption we see on full display among Republican leaders in states like Arkansas or Texas now is unparalleled in recent history and points back to the corrupt 1890s.
Marine Glisovic reports that after Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Jamol Jones to the state Board of Corrections, it was found he had been fired by the Benton, Arkansas, police department for having sex with a 17-year-old girl.
As Austin Bailey reports, Sanders' spokesperson Alexa Henning is defending the appointment because Jones talks about God and family.
I've been finding myself getting wrapped up in the world behind my screen lately and need to touch some grass.
I've not been out in nature as much as usual due to several life changes. While I'm hoping that changes soon, I can post more landscape photos here in the meantime.
Here's a photo from Flatside Pinnacle in the Arkansas Ouachita Mountains, captured in late 2016.
> "Clear through lines between the summer 2020 uprisings and COINTELPRO"
>
> @/aaron_con_choco
and I [@/kandistmallett] investigated federal arrests of activists in Little Rock.
>
> Police, FBI, DHS tracked them for months. Then some got charged w/ 30 year minimums.