...and bad Boy Scout leaders.

Oh wait, what do these 3 groups have in common? Let me think...

Strict male hierarchy, God and/or Law on their side, answerable to no one outside their culture, and secrecy. Toxic masculinity at its finest.

Well the Catholic priests, bishops, and archbishops had their years in the spotlight when enough victims found their collective voices. The Boy Scouts likewise.

Time for the police of the United States to have their turn in the harshest of light, and keep it up for years. The victims have been speaking out for decades, but these marches of the past 2 weeks are remarkable for their size and their diversity and persistence.

Maybe, just maybe, we have finally come to a hinge moment history.

...uprising of millions of outraged citizens of all ethnicities. Millions. People have had it up to their teeth with Trump's bullshit and with the systemic and unequal savagery of our police.

Without throwing a wet blanket on the outcry of millions, there have been people, both here in our DU community (which is not "the left" -- we are, as the name says, Democrats across a spectrum) and in the more rational voices commenting in the media (which is also not "the left" ) that people at protests are putting their health at risk.

We've discussed it here. One of the phrases from an MSNBC contributor that struck me was: "A virus doesn't care how noble your cause is" so take what precautions you can.

Twice in this thread you've accused us of "hypocracy." (That's hypocrisy, btw.) I urge you to rethink that -- or thoroughly explain what it is you see that strikes you as hypocritical.

Recommend the entire article at link.

Please take some time out tonight and tomorrow to write and/or call your Senators and Congressional Representatives. I'm going to include some of our heroes of the impeachment for good measure -- Adam Schiff, Eric Swallwell, Ted Lieu and others. Maybe Mme Speaker of the House as well. Don't forget: if yours are GOP, they need to hear from concerned freedom-loving citizens just as much.

These men are all dressed up in combat gear in our nation's Capitol and there's no indication of who they "belong" to and who they answer to. They were included in yesterday's Lafayette Park debacle and here's more "guarding" the Lincoln Memorial. I've expanded the photo on my iPad and could only see a couple of blurry patches. Who the heck are they if not US military?

Lincoln Memorial, copied from DU posts:

https://twitter.com/EliClifton/status/1267962264872783873/photo/1

There are too many disembodied posts showing up here lately, & too many are years old & repeated now for inflammatory & not informative purposes.

We expect disinformation and distortion from the RW, and we have to be careful not to fall into the same habit.

Again, thanks.

Nobody but Black Bloc, Anarchists, Proud Boys, and their ilk.

We are in the midst of a global pandemic that our own government is failing to competently address, yet white men still find time to hunt down black men and kill them. It wasn't cops who killed Aubrey, was it?

We are in the midst of righteous loud and anguished mass anger over the cold-blooded on-camera murder of Floyd by a cop. And who shows up after curfew dressed all in black not wanting to talk to other protestors? White men with hammers and (apparently) well thought out means of arson.

Who does this benefit?

He really does not give a flying fck if we call him a murderous bully with blood on his hands.

But an offense to his vanity, especially by a woman, sends him into a rage he cannot control.

Do not ever mistake what Nancy Pelosi is doing for body-shaming or fat-shaming or whatever your personal anxiety is. Just don't. She's better than that and smarter than that.

Note: this is a class of worker with no safety net, for a variety of reasons.

Housekeeper #1 -- Cita, who's worked for me for almost 3 years. I texted her about 2 months ago that due to our age and doctor's recommendation my husband and I weren't going to be having anyone in the house, but that I would send her some money. (The doctor in question was Dr. Fauci) I told no one, because why would I?

A week or so later I saw a post on the Neighborhood site from someone a street or so away who had obviously given the situation some thought -- he said he realized he could afford to keep paying his housekeeper for the duration, so he was going to do so. That provoked several similar responses.

I was really pleased to hear it. It is the right thing to do, if you can, and in this neighborhood there are few who cannot.

Housekeeper #2 -- Juan and his wife. My old friend friend Leona lives in subsidized senior housing. Her income is very restricted, but on occasion when she can afford it she will hire someone to "do" for her, and that's how she got to know the Juans. Apparently a few of her neighbors do the same and they also know this couple.

Leona recently called Mrs Juan up (she being the one who speaks English) and asked if she could use some canned goods. Oh yes, yes, thank you, can I send my husband over right now?

Leona sprang into action and called on as many of her immediate neighbors as she could. By the time he got there there were two or three grocery bags filled so full he could scarcely carry them.

And this is a neighborhood where -- it's not so easy to share, but they did. Restoration of faith in humanity accomplished.