Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education…to prepare each citizen to choose wisely and to enable him to choose freely are paramount functions of the schools in a democracy. Franklin D. Roosevelt SCOTUS was busy last week. On June 29, the Supreme…
Author: carolharriyoung
Carol Harrisville Young has a PhD in Anthropology, a BA in Anthropology and Art, and an AAS degree in Veterinary Technology. My passions are reading and writing, and I’m setting out on a new journey to embrace freelance writing, web content creation, non-fiction writing, fiction short stories, and works of young adult fiction.
Far-Right Culture Wars: An Attack on Democracy
Far-right conservatives and die-hard Trump loyalists have flooded social media and “news” outlets with conspiracy theories of a stolen election, drag queens grooming children, gas stoves, Hunter Biden’s laptop, Disney pandering to the LGBTQ+ community, and claims that immigrants are swarming across our borders. Just this week Lauren Boebert introduced articles of impeachment against Joe Biden for “high crimes and misdemeanors” over his handling…
Barking up the Wrong Tree
Republican-dominated states have passed a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation over the past three years, and many have targeted trans youth specifically, whether it relates to participating in sports, seeking gender-affirming care, or using a public restroom. Although discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals is tragically nothing new, legislative attacks on trans youth and LGBTQ+ individuals have spiked significantly in 2023. This spring, the Republican-led U.S House voted to pass a GOP sponsored…
Dignity Dumped but Not Beaten
Recently, a parish in my neighborhood put out a Pride flag at the entrance to the church, however, not even 24 hours went by before it was torn down and thrown into the mud. Sure, it could have been the wind or a passing thunderstorm, but that was not the case since it was made…
Pride Month: It’s More Than Rainbows
June is pride month, dedicated to the celebration and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month is celebrated all over the world, and its history goes back over 100 years ago when a small number of gay and lesbian organizations, such as the Society for Human Rights, the Mattachine Society, and the Daughters of Bilitis put out gay and lesbian newsletters advocating for the recognition and non-discrimination of the gay and lesbian community. It wasn’t…
Memorial Day: We Beat Fascism Before, We Can Do It Again
On Memorial Day we honor those who have fallen in the line of duty, and we also keep those who have lost someone they love in our thoughts. This includes those service men and women from the Greatest Generation who fought fascism in the 1930s: Americans who volunteered to fight against fascist leader Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War, and those who bravely fought in WWII against the…
Right-Wing Referendum
This week, I noticed a post on a local social media app. The post is about a local referendum movement targeting several bills that were passed during the 2023 New Mexico legislative session. Along with the post was an uploaded image with the title graphic “We the People of New Mexico Say NO to tyranny,”…
Gun-Toting Kakistocrats
My community is mostly rural, just a 30-minute drive from a big city, and in 2019 the town attempted to declare itself a Second Amendment sanctuary city. It’s not uncommon to see vehicles with AR-15 decals on the rear windows, bumper stickers that say “Come and Take It,” “2A,” “This Girl is Packing” or other symbols of proud gun ownership. I…
The GOP’s War on Women
Ever since the Supreme Court gutted Roe vs.Wade last summer, and decided to leave decisions about women’s bodies up to state legislatures, our nation has felt the pain and aftermath of this disastrous ruling. At present, 24 states have banned abortion, some at six weeks and others at 15, with some allowing for very limited exceptions in cases such as rape or a medical emergency. In blue states where…
A Dangerous Precedent
On Tuesday, April 25, the Edgewood Town Commission voted 4 to 1 to pass an ordinance restricting the distribution and receiving of medications used for abortion, as well as the operation of abortion clinics within town boundaries (there are no abortion clinics presently in Edgewood, New Mexico). There are two versions of the ordinance, 2023-002, the more recent version claiming that the…