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Garry Blankenship's avatar

I may be a contributing member of identity politics. As a left the left person, also coming from Seattle roughly eight years back, I'm increasingly finding my liberal friends intolerable. Too much rhetoric to spew on the subject, so I choose one subject; independent thinking. It is not allowed or tolerated within the Democrat Party. If you do not walk lock step with the party narrative, you are a racist, misogynist, sexist or some other form of one who practices discrimination. Guilty ! I discriminate. An example is I have always found morbidly obese people extremely unattractive. All my efforts to humanize and/or excuse obesity fail. I also consider positions, policies and actions before I participate in or endorse them. Practicing discrimination and thinking for myself make me a Democrat Party reject. So ironic that the political party claiming by name and espoused practice to be the beacon of democracy does not practice democracy. I want to ask all DNC devotees how participatory they were in choosing their last Presidential candidate - - - s; or perhaps talk about the robust and healthy DNC primary debates. My chosen political identity would be independent, but I'll settle for most anything other than Democrat.

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No One Important's avatar

I, too, identified as a Democrat until Obama ("Ovomit") entered the scene and started lying to us and dividing us! That was 15 years ago. I now also identify as an Independent but find myself as a hard-core Constitutionalist, and perhaps Idealist. This rogue judge debacle is infuriating me, because it is neither Constitutional nor idealistic. And, don't get me started on all the corruption.

Jeff's blog is a breath of fresh air next to the bog of BS slime-- the kind of crap one might expect from Washington, D.C., or Olympia, but in Clallam County? WTF is wrong with us that we elect such corrupt miscreants?

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Billy T Wilson's avatar

It's why I left the Party. They want AUTOMATRONS. Get your daily talking points and spread the propaganda.

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Hollie's avatar

Not easy to do. But, I was shocked at your inapproiate , unkind remarks about the physique of another person. Mr. Perfect . So shallow. I believe that the DEMS are going in many diections, many ideas, many self purposes. That's the subject of Jeff's very good column.

And, thats the problem DEMS have, what is the center strength. What are Dems, All united on , then what are the priorities to help all the folks in USA. But, I understand, that in politics the good old boys, cronies, all the certain ethics stick together, been going on for centuries, with a few stops & starts. This has got to stop now, Dems must form a solid center subject that they can all agree on , like defeating extremely bad , selfish policies . Get elected. Then caucus over your favorite issues.

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Mimi Smith-Dvorak's avatar

can we at least talk about 3 pack a day chain smokers that smell like ashtrays, and moan about "coming down" with lung cancer? How about drug users who O.D.?

I don't see much difference in blaming the "victim" when it comes to morbid obesity -- which is a lifestyle choice (poor diet, lack of activity). I see no difference between someone smoking like a chimney and another person drinking several liters of soft drinks, gluttony, consuming all processed foods, to excess.

We somehow got caught up in the whole "self-esteem movement" which evolved into a culture of pathological narcissism. Excessive acceptance and praise undermines motivation, and leads to "I'm perfect just as I am". Shame has value in a society -- as a deterrent to antisocial behavior and a motivator for moral introspection.

It reminds me too much of "abrazos, no balazos" of ex-Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador --- (hugs not bullets) to stop cartel violence. With the nonstop acceptance and lack of "crime shaming" (and consequences) the world just saw the cartels influence grow, and poor Mexico suffered from an astronomically high murder rate, extortion, theft, trafficking, rape, etc.

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Steve O.'s avatar

One of the cartels dominated my old neighborhood with "grow houses". In addition when we hiked in national parks we were told to stay on the trail because of cartel operated pot farms. Forest fires were often the result of these facilities.

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Susan C Bonallo's avatar

Excessive acceptance(?)

There’s acceptance of differences or there is judgement with labels. He without sin, cast the first stone.

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Susan C Bonallo's avatar

Young women and especially teen girls are so obsessed with being thin that they binge and purge, become anorexic and find street drugs. All because society is so judgmental. These habits take hold and good brain function is reduced. Starving becomes a high. I had a group of pregnant adults with severe eating disorders. They knew the harm to the fetus but

were so deep in their illness, gaining weight

was almost too traumatizing . Who are we to judge without the whole story? What we eat is the one control no one can take away, and it starts at a very young age. Ask a 3 year old.

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Mimi Smith-Dvorak's avatar

Mental illness is a sad thing.

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Jun 1
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MK's avatar

I think there's a societal component to hate.

You're not allowed to hate someone, without a reason. So the reasons are developed to justify the hate.

Example. We hate "X" because they did "Y". Does "Y apply to everyone? No, just"X". Conclusion, you're just a weak kneed hater.

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Steve O.'s avatar

I believe that hatred is a dormant human faculty and cannot be reformed only sublimated. I am more troubled by the lack of self preservation and surrender demonstrated by our fellow citizens. A Sequim man was recently murdered by a career criminal and punishment was replaced by platitudes on the pages of Nextdoor.

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Susan C Bonallo's avatar

If you spent any time on Nextdoor, you will start to question your sanity. I advise people to slap themselves with a cold wet washcloth and never open Nextdoor again.

It is more censorship than any adult should be subjected to. They are crazy with power, and that makes me giggle right now.

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TKfamily 96's avatar

I love everything about this. Thank you so much for sharing. I agree 100% about the hypocrisy concerning inclusion and am so glad that you called it out in such a clear and concise way. ❤️ Everything is a big distraction and so many are blind to it.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

I'm so happy you liked it!

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Mimi Smith-Dvorak's avatar

It's not a political party, it's a cult. Like a cult they use coercive persuasion, isolation, and manipulation to shield members from outside perspectives. Emotional manipulation and fear, fear fear is the message. It's closer to an abusive religious cult. And, every member can quote chapter and verse, ad nauseam, to the point it's cartoonish.

All the fear mongering only makes them sound like a whole chorus of Henny Penny "The sky is falling". Everything is so, so, so horrible, now. Oh the drama of it all.

(Never-mind the last president couldn't find his way out of a paper sack, no one knows who was signing bills with the auto sign machine, multiple dogs were fear biters -- and vicious ones at that, and Kamala tried to buy endorsements.)

Everyone else (not of their cult) is labeled traitor and nazi... except it is THEY who are employing the work of Joseph Goebbels with their incredibly active propaganda machine which includes shutting out all other opinions, and shunning anything not part of the party-line rhetorical monotone.

They flock to this site to harass posters, and the author, but don't seem to notice that their own substacks (example: Clallam Democrats Rising) is about as interesting as a sack of rotting potatoes, plus they have comments turned OFF. So much for the open exchanges of ideas!

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Sarah Kincaid's avatar

Anyone wanting to understand what is happening to our state should read "The Diaries of Paul Joseph Goebbels ". I highly recommend it.

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No One Important's avatar

Bingo! I think it was Obama that first deployed this Marxist strategy of dividing us. Gay vs Straight, Black vs White, Natives vs settlers, Democrats vs Republicans, LWV vs Citizens, Politicians vs constituents, and so on. Lost in this orchestrated shuffle is the fact that we are all Americans. We all live here. We all(?) want harmony, peace, and a clean and growing county.

Had I been at that meeting, I would have started with, "Ann, I will call you by name or anything else that I want. Perhaps you have forgotten that we have a First Amendment and if you try to stop me, I will see you in court." She and her policies have no place in Clallam County. Who voted her into the CRC and appointed her as leader? She is the antithesis of what we, the people, need or want representing our interests! What would it take to recall her?

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

The term is only for one year, and it's almost half over. So a recall would be an uphill battle and probably wouldn't even get underway until it was too late.

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Lawrence Martin's avatar

In 2008 Obama did not support gay marriage. Honestly I was on the fence as well. Mostly because I had never given it much thought. As it rapidly became the law of the land and I saw the ugly resistance by some and the issues came more to the forefront I saw it more of a civil rights issue than a religious issue. That tipped me over. The legal constructs of marriage are numerous and advantageous to building a secure life. Medical decisions, property, taxes, family formation and children. The system grants automatically with a certificate of marriage. Every person deserves to have this fundamental right. For me I was briefly hesitant because of children. I needed to polish up my critical thinking to overcome my emotional thinking because I had many latent stereotypical feelings about gay life. It took a bit (not really too much) for me to come to the realization that we have a lot more in common than not. Yes, it was a bit awkward at first to see the my two mom or two dad thing. But I got over it with the realization that children in a loving home with two committed parents is best. Its been my observation that kids, especially little kids don't really see race or gender so much as they see who's receptive to their needs or who isn't. Who will put down what their doing to attend to their needs. Who engages them. That regardless of your orientation you face the same concerns of all parents. You want to raise kids that grow into good adults.

As far as the Trump Administration being anti Gay? Read this.

https://resistthemainstream.com/meet-the-lgbt-officials-in-trumps-cabinet/

But I'll go out on a limb and shake the tree. I'm anti Radical Queer Theory. I'm against males in women sports. My high school biology taught me their is XY and YY and a third Chromosome creates all kinds of challenges. I don't want anything sexual taught in school till about 5th grade. My reasoning for that is its mostly because the girls mature faster while while boys still want to perfect their fart sounds. Then I want it taught from a biological perspective.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

Candid and honest. This is what makes comments so great to read. Thank you.

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No One Important's avatar

Not to be hyper-critical, but the two natural chromosome pairs are XX and XY. There is no YY-- it cannot survive.

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Denise Lapio's avatar

Terrific article, Jeff! Your friends with children had an experience with airport security because Canada takes kidnapping seriously. Years ago my first husband and I got grilled crossing into Canada with our young children. It is their job! Sorry you have to experience hysteria and paranoia from your long time friends. They should know better. Just know, Jeff, that you are loved, appreciated, liked, and respected by all who know you because of who you are. Have a wonderful and blessed day, everyone.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

You're welcome, Denise. I feel the love, I hope you do too.

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SequimMAGA's avatar

My spouse & I get questioned all the time including why one wears khaki colored socks. We got Nexus pass and went through background checks and have had clearances so we’re use to stricter scrutiny. I’ve experienced much worse in EU, too.

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Susan C Bonallo's avatar

Try bringing your American canine back into the US without a form that was created and required Aug. 1st 2024 after you have left by boat for BC. We were told we should have been monitoring the web site. Dogs were current on shots etc. plus well dog certificates signed by vet, less than 2 weeks prior to leaving. That wasn’t good enough for the US Customs man who kept us on the phone for 25 minutes. We don’t bring a computer on vacation to monitor US customs. But if my dog was running drugs from Central America crossing the southern border, she probably wouldn’t even need proof of birth! Just saying, drunk on power, much?

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MK's avatar

I had no idea you were the wrong kind of gay dude Jeff. What were you thinking?

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

Ha! The answer is, I -wasn't- thinking (for myself) for many years... I'm glad that "lifestyle choice" is over with. Groupthink was just a phase that I tried in my 30s, whew!

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Steve O.'s avatar

Both gay and straight we were all socialists when we were young and faced the world with callow eyes. Gay men should be fiscal conservatives. They live in the most expensive parts of Los Angeles county and must pay enormous property taxes.

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Susan C Bonallo's avatar

Generalize much?

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SequimMAGA's avatar

I grew up in the 80’s Jeff we hung out with jocks, gay, punkers, rockers. Our school could’ve been a John Hughes flick. Heck we even hung out with bikers at the Big Apple Discotheque in Berlin before returning home to the sleepy peninsula. I don’t think it’s a party line issue, for some it could be religion, their choice, I think it’s more about coping skills. Funny age doesn’t seem to make a difference either. Sometimes those 60’s hippies are still the loudest shouting at you. Love the blog and your sign near Bekkevar.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

Glad you like the sign! I loved growing up in Sequim. The school was too small to officially have cliques, we all had to be friends with each other. There was lots of cross-pollination.

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Lee Stohr's avatar

It was the left that wanted to put the un-vaccinated in camps.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

I forgot that! I think King County even signed a lease for an abandoned military camp in King County. They were going to round everyone up that didn't get the shot and put them there. Great point.

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Danetta Rutten's avatar

It’s so sad that our county has become so divided.

League Women Voters spends almost every Hospital Board Meeting telling the Hospital what they should do. Telling the County and Cities what to do. It’s time citizens wake up and let the county, cities, and hospital that they work for us the majority not the minority few Tribe and LWV. Wake up people and write commissioners and city councils. Voice your opinions. We all learned to write and Write makes Right.

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Susan C Bonallo's avatar

LWV: Good organization 105 years ago. Women can vote, your job is obsolete !

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MadreGallina's avatar

Please continue to shine light in the darkness

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Gayle Baker's avatar

The sign of a gifted writer is the ability to make one feel emotions. Jeff, only you can make me laugh and cry in the same article. One correction though: It’s the League of Women Vipers, not voters.

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

Now it's YOU making ME laugh. I may have to steal that line from you.

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Gayle Baker's avatar

I stole it from someone else, but it’s common knowledge that it’s really who they are.

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Steve O.'s avatar

The situation is hilarious because Jeff Tozzer doesn't fit the prototype. His perception must create cognitive dissonance inside the left wing bureaucratic mind. Off topic. I don't think that the Washington State court system has watched a termination to the criminal career of Aaron F.

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Steve O.'s avatar

I think that Jeff's presence in the community is a very important element. He really struck a vital nerve on Nextdoor when he mentioned a project involving a road unfamiliar road to me. "The lady doth protest too much". I am sick of paying taxes in order to line the pockets of government employees.

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Billy T Wilson's avatar

Yes this was a great article!

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john cuny's avatar

What’s with all the flags. We only really have one flag. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Land of the free!

Veteran

Thank you always Jeff for bringing us back to the sad reality of divide and conquer.

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ken wahl's avatar

"Alphabet activism", the new phrase that had me shaking my head and chuckling this morning. And Garry, below, said exactly what the problem is with the Democrat party "...independent thinking is not allowed or tolerated in the Democrat Party". It is not the party our fathers and mothers raised us with, the party of the working class and those needing a voice. "Alphabet activism" has even slipped into our local pickleball club in the form of ByLaw changes. To change a few concise words into a string of gobbley-gook, all-inclusive un-needed legalese. Opps I just spoke out. Sorry.

Fly your flag, speak you piece.

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Steve O.'s avatar

Once upon a time the Democratic Party favored unions and the middle class. The officials discovered that the party could import new voters from The Third World. The Republicans also craved the cheap labor provided by the illegal migration. Simpson-Mazzoli occurred during the Regan Administration. I hope Trump doesn't cave to the petulant NeoCons who are constantly looking for a country to invade.

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ken wahl's avatar

Right Steve. The war machine makes for a good economy. And no one wins.

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Joseph Poole's avatar

Yes Jeff, I am your ally !

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Jeff Tozzer's avatar

And I'm yours :)

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Dude's avatar

Happy Pride Month Jeff & All Of Your Followers 8-)

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Kathy Bare's avatar

Who gave the League of Women Voters the right to speak for ME? Not ME.

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MK's avatar

You're the wrong kind of woman Kathy.

See above comment about Jeff.

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