Monday, November 7, 2016

News and Commentary Tidbits: Election Edition

Infidel753: Going nuclear

Rosa Rubicondior: Time For Positive Thinking!

First Draft: We Don't Need to Heal. We Need to Win.

Talking Points Memo: Trump Rolls Out Anti-Semitic Closing Ad

Washington Post: A Catholic priest put an aborted fetus on the altar in an appeal for Donald Trump

Huffington Post: Catholic Church Bulletin Says You’ll Go To Hell If You Vote Democrat

New York Times: The Religious Right’s Trump Schism

Boston Globe: How the religious right embraced Trump and lost its moral authority


Get Out and VOTE Tomorrow

I may have been absent from the blogosphere, but I haven't ignored developments in the 2016 presidential election. This summer and fall, each day has shown us more horrors involving Donald Trump, from violence at Trump rallies, to support for Trump among Alt-Right and white supremacist figures, to Trump's alliances with the Religious Right, to Trump's shocking comments about nuclear weapons, to his utter cluelessness during presidential debates, to an audio clip of Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women, to accusations of sexual assault from multiple women against Trump -- and that's just off the top of my head.

It should be obvious that Donald Trump would be incompetent and dangerous as president of the United States. His history of hateful rhetoric and foolhardy proposals should convince us that he is unsuited for one of the world's great seats of power. Hillary Clinton, while imperfect, is the much more competent and experienced choice.

Recent polls give us reason to be optimistic. Most election polls show Hillary Clinton with a substantial lead over Trump, according to the New York Times. A recent Gallup poll found that 69% of respondents were dissatisfied with the Trump campaign. Ultimately, though, polls mean nothing. Votes mean everything.

The candidate we Americans choose for president tomorrow will wield immense power over policy, foreign relations, military deployments, Supreme Court justice appointments, and the image of the U.S. across the world. As voters, we have a responsibility to choose our next president wisely. Our collective decision will have massive ramifications for the U.S. and world.

Tomorrow, go out and VOTE for Hillary Clinton.


My Recent Absence from the Blogosphere

My apologies for being absent from Republic of Gilead for the past few weeks. Several of my readers have worried about me during my absence, so I owe everyone an explanation.

Back in January, my father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and received chemotherapy treatments soon thereafter. As the year went on, my father declined, growing weaker each month as the cancer spread through his body. My mother served as his primary care giver (with the help of a visiting nurse and home care aid) during his final weeks. I took over yard work, errands, and other chores for my parents, leaving little time for my blog.

My father passed away during the early morning hours of Saturday, October 29th. My mother and I have spent the past week arranging the cremation, clearing out my father's belongings, and taking stock of finances and home repairs.

With so many responsibilities demanding my attention right now, I have little free time to blog. I'm not abandoning the blog, but I won't be able to post as often, at least for the time being.

Please keep my mother and me in your thoughts.


The Sociopath



Ben Howe of the conservative political blog RedState wrote and directed The Sociopath, an unsettling documentary on the Trump presidential campaign. A must-see before tomorrow's election!

BBC Documentary on Hate Preacher Steven Anderson



In the BBC documentary America's Hate Preachers, Hannah Livingston spends several months observing hate preacher Steve Anderson of of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. The result is a disturbing and insightful look at extreme fundamentalist Christianity.