Hello, hello, hello, hello, John Mason. How is everybody? Hopefully you're all well, and I hoping you're and celebrating uh LGBTQ Pride Month. And as a as a as an ally, I keep my mind open about uh such issues as sexual identity, gender identity, etc. And it's a work in progress for me. But as is for all of us. Which is important nowadays now that now that with the assaults in state legislatures against uh LGBTQ uh people, particular particularly uh school kids, I knew this would happen. The Pennsylvania State Senate, which is just up to wazoo with Republicans, has passed a bill that would bar transgendered girls from participating in girls' sports in high school. And that is just the most blatant, shameless uh form of uh of uh uh harass-bin and bullying you can imagine. There are scapegoating uh kids who at that age the kids don't know who they are or what they are or what their future will be. And neither do they uh being in a sexual minority like being gay or trans, what have you, no idea who they are, they it makes it worse for them. And there results that uh just about half of all uh LGBTQ kids in high school have contemplated suicide. And harassment from supposedly leaders in the community does not help. When some person in authority keeps telling you you're an abomination, you're no good, you're w you're a sin on two legs. How does that affect you? Drives you to hate yourself. Of course you try Of course, kids, like I I'm just as guilty of this as a kid, try to do everything they can to make them acceptable to their peer group. And it doesn't always work. And fortunately, Governor Tom Wolfe has indicated that he will veto this bill. And let's make sure we it shows that who we elect and who we vote for and who we run for office is important. We have to pay attention to our elected officials, and we have to involve ourselves in the political process, even ourselves running for an office. And these also bills in state legislatures that prohibit uh teachers from talking about gay issues in high school, accusing them of grooming kids to for sexual pred uh to be victims of sexual predators. I mean, it's the old stereotype of uh game gay men as uh predators and pedophiles hankering for uh uh for young flesh to feast upon. It's it's totally insidious. I mean that a kid's gonna f figure out uh about the time they reach uh puberty that uh what their sexual identity is, even before then. As soon as they figure it out, a s a state legislature telling them that they're an abomination, like I said, that's gonna leave them to be terrorized by other kids. And the adult authority figures the elders were supposed to respect don't do any good. They don't uh support the kid. They they got their prejudices prejudices to uh feast to dump on their kids. And where's the that doesn't help either? And then there and I just know Juneteenth is tomorrow, it's coming up. That is a day when in June of 1865. About uh two months after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, uh Confederate troops uh entered Galveston, Texas, and told the slaves that they were that under the Emancipation Proclamation they were free of their slavery. Of course, the slave owners in Texas informed the slave damn sure the slaves didn't find out uh that about the Emancipation Proclamation. Anything to anything to keep their slaves in line, even on the basis of a lie. And and there's still these bills floating through state legislatures banning the so the dreaded thing known as critical race theory. But race is a real issue, it has to be discussed, it has to be brought to the table, it must be addressed so we can heal from the wounds of racism. But it but he just as insidious as class warfare. Yes, class warfare is on. And for load of these centuries, the upper classes have waged it against poor and working people very effectively. I'm I am thinking about the about the tax breaks that have uh gone on for these billion-dollar corporations that are supposed to uh that gain billions of dollars but don't pay a cent in taxes. It's all bullshit about uh supply side economics. Cut taxes on corporations, give them all kind of corporate welfare, and jobs and they'll have money to hire a job, hire more workers and in invest in more equip new equipment, blah blah blah. And they have invested in nothing but shifting their their manufacturing to other to other to other nations, low wage low wage nations where workers are oppressed, where the minimum wage is what we would think of as pocket change, and and the governments uh in a in a throttle under the pay in the pay of the corporations make damn sure their workers are not organized. That's the real enemy. These corporations that pay for these uh these organizations that that uh that terrorize uh LGBT kids and try to squelch any discussion about race. That's the real enemy. Arguing and fighting amongst each other so we don't recognize uh what they're up to, what they're doing to us. Which is coming to our state legislature. Here's uh the Pennsylvania State Senate has voted along party lines uh to pass a bill that would cut the state's corporate tax rate. It was under the influence and pressure of uh business groups. And the old and it's the old bullshit line make the make the uh state more business friendly, uh attract more emplo employers and jobs glue, all that crap. And the state's corporate tax rate will be dropped from uh 90 9.99% to sixty six point ninety nine percent and and eventually five point ninety nine per cent starting in twenty twenty-six. And and uh legislators of both parties uh swallow that uh nonsense. That's co that's class warfare, baby. And that's what we're up against. We have to it's not either or let's stop this either war stuff. We have to stop the assaults on workers, on low income and working people. We gotta stop treating each other like the enemy. Like the like the guy on food stamps and unemployment, that's not your enemy. The trans kid in high school, that's not your enemy. The same sex couple celebrating pride, that's not your enemy. The black family down the street, that's not your enemy. The corporations that cause us to hate ourselves, hate each other, that's the enemy. Yes, celebrate uh LGBT Pride Month. Celebrate Juneteenth. Celebrate what you've accomplished. But working folks, celebrate yourselves, honor yourselves. Learn what the in it who the enemy is, educate yourselves on the real issues, and get out and vote and get yourselves involved in a political process. Okay, that's my rant. And now advertisements. Himperific is a lovely little CBD product store on Snyder Avenue in near 15th Street in South Philadelphia. There you will find some of the finest cannabis products, such as flour, gummies, candies, teas, drinks, lip balm, hand sanitizer, and dog treats. Look them up please. HamporificLLC.com. And Michelle Snow, my beloved career and business coach. Michelle, like any other good coach, will guide you and urge you on as you move forward your professional career or your business. Let you know what you're doing right, where you need work, and help you network with other small businesses and uh and professionals. Look her up, please. Growwithsnow.com. Okay, cats and kittens, that's it for now. Enjoy the weekend and stay focused and stay conscious. Our enemies aren't so tough. When we band together, we'll meet them and beat them. Thanks.
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
