Closed For Business: Tales of the Trump Era Shutdown.

In December of 2018, our President shut down the government because our Congress would not fund a wall between the United States and Mexico. As the shutdown continued into the next year, people had to leave jobs, take out loans,go without food and medications, leave school, and more because they no longer received paychecks, funding, or necessary government services. Here are their stories. If you would like to submit your story of 750 words, please email it to [email protected]

[action]

How’s your 2020 going, Tumblr? In a perfect world, your year is going great; Your skin is clear, you’re getting a full eight hours of sleep, you’re not at risk of feeling the effects of voter suppression, climate change is nothing to worry about, and your reproductive rights are never challenged. 

But this isn’t a perfect world. Over the past 12 months, people with power have carefully interpreted laws to throw citizens off of voting rolls, we’ve become more aware of how desperately we need to save our planet, and reproductive rights are a constant battle around the world. This year, we’re committed to bringing important discussions on issues like these to your dashboard. 

We’re calling it #Issues2020. 

It’s not too late to make a change. That’s the crux of #Issues2020. The power is in your hands. Whether you’re gearing up for the U.S. presidential election, in the UK organizing in your community, engaging with the French Senate elections, following the South Korea legislative elections, or participating in any of the many, many elections happening around the globe this year, it’s never too late for civic engagement in your community. At the local, national, and global levels, there are ways to make a difference. You can call your political leaders to support or oppose an issue, endorse a candidate, organize a rally, lead a respectful discussion with your friends, volunteer to phone bank, and so much more. 

We want to give you a space to learn from others while teaching them, too. You can be a valuable resource. To help that along, we’re partnering with six powerful organizations to hold Q&A sessions here on Tumblr.

They’re called Issue Times, and they’ll be held throughout the year:

February - Voting rights with Black Girls Vote (@blackgirlsvote)

April - Mass incarceration and immigration with 18 Million Rising (@18MR)

June - Reproductive rights with Planned Parenthood Action Fund (@ppaction)

July - Gun reform with March For Our Lives

August - Climate change with TBD

October - LGBTQ+ Youth activism with It Gets Better (@itgetsbetterproject)

In addition to our upcoming Issue Times, we’re partnering with other organizations that keep people informed on things that matter. When We All Vote (@whenweallvote) will provide you with resources on registering to vote right on your dashboard if you go follow ‘em.

These organizations are here to help foster discussion, teach all of us how to be better citizens and neighbors, and outline what we’re up against. To make sure you get a chance to ask them your question, follow their Tumblrs as well us here on @action.

This isn’t a perfect world, but we can make improvements. It’s up to all of us. If you’re allowed a voice to safely use, use it. If you can vote, vote. Do it for yourself, for your loved ones, and for the people around you who may not be able to vote themselves.

What kind of commitment can you make this year for your community, Tumblr? What issues are you fighting for? Let us know in a post. Tag it #Issues2020 so other people can easily find it to hear your story and feel a little inspiration. 

[mooniicorn]

“If autism isn’t caused by environmental factors and is natural why didn’t we ever see it in the past?”

We did, except it wasn’t called autism it was called “Little Jonathan is a r*tarded halfwit who bangs his head on things and can’t speak so we’re taking him into the middle of the cold dark forest and leaving him there to die.”

[iamthethunder]

Or “little Jonathan doesn’t talk but does a good job herding the sheep, contributes to the community in his own way, and is, all around, a decent guy.” That happened a lot, too, especially before the 19th century.

[rosslynpaladin]

Or, backing up FURTHER

and lots of people think this very likely,

“Oh little Sionnat has obviously been taken by the fairies and they’ve left us a Changeling Child who knows too much, and asks strange questions, and uses words she shouldn’t know, and watches everything with her big dark eyes, clearly a Fairy Child and not a Human Like Us.”

The Myth of the Changeling child, a human baby apparently replaced at a young age by a toddler who “suddenly” acts “strange and fey” is an almost textbook depiction of autistic children.

To this day, “autism warrior mommies” talk about autism “stealing” their “sweet normal child” and have this idea of “getting their real baby back” which (in the face of modern science)  indicates how the human psyche actually does deal with finding out their kid acts unlike what they expected.

Given this evidence, and how common we now know autism actually is, the Changeling myth is almost definitely the result of people’s confusion at the development of autistic children.

[guyinshades-deactivated20211220]

"more guns cause more deaths" [citation needed]

You want citation, I will give you citation. Now, I assume that you got what you know from Fox news, a media that several studies have claimed that people who watch it know less about worldwide news and current events than people who don’t, so let me inform you on what is happening in the world that you live in.

Ever since the incident at Sandy Hook, there have been 74 school shootings.  

Firearm violence has drastically increased since twenty years ago

Gun homicides are seven times higher in the U.S. than in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. 

Small portions of people with mental illnesses actually are responsible. Most mass shooters are from “normal” people.

In 2010, guns took the lives of 31,076 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings.   

On average, 33 gun homicides were committed each day for the years 2005-2010. 

In 2010, unintentional firearm injuries caused the deaths of 606 people 

The number of gun homicides has been increasing steadily since 1999, having only 28,874 deaths, unlike  2011, which had  32,163  

There are an estimated 81,300 injuries that are non-fatal that are caused by guns 

Now, I am fine with hunting guns. They at least have a purpose. Hunting is not my thing, but there is almost an art to it.  

But then, oh Mr. Zero, then there are handguns. I am going to quote something, and I want you to figure out where it is from 

“This is a 38 caliber revolver, manufactured in Hartford, Connecticut. It is one of the most popular handguns in America. It is not a target pistol. Nor is it useful for hunting animals, large or small, as its accuracy cannot be guaranteed for long-distance shooting. No, there is one thing this weapon is good for, only one reason it’s bought, stolen, or smuggled onto the island of Manhattan. It kills people” 

Use common sense, who are we helping by owning the key to another man’s grave? So many husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, and family brought to an end by the pull of a trigger. Does it satisfy you that this happens?  

Does it satisfy you that it will keep happening?  

Does it satisfy you that it will never stop?  

I gave you your sources. Look through every one.  

Every. Damn. One.

[X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]

[thepoliticalfuckery]

So everyone is clear on the “Witch Hunt”

Hillary Clinton Benghazi “Investigation”

4 years

0 indictments

0 convictions

Hillary Clinton Email “Investigation”

2 years

0 indictments

0 convictions

Trump-Russia Investigation

15 months

41 Indictments/Charges (Individuals) (and counting)

3 Indictments/Charges (Companies)

5 GUILTY pleas (and counting)

4 CONVICTIONS (and counting)

Roger Stone Adviser Obstruction of proceeding SCO 1 Indicted

Making false statements SCO 5 Indicted

Witness tampering SCO 1 Indicted

Indicted: Roger Stone

Indicted: Paul Manafort

Indicted: Rick Gates

Indicted: George Papadopoulos

Indicted: Michael Flynn

Indicted: Michael Cohen

Indicted: Richard Pinedo

Indicted: Alex van der Zwaan

Indicted: Konstantin Kilimnik

Indicted: 12 Russian GRU officers

Indicted: Yevgeny Prigozhin

Indicted: Mikhail Burchik

Indicted: Aleksandra Krylova

Indicted: Anna Bogacheva

Indicted: Sergey Polozov

Indicted: Maria Bovda

Indicted: Dzheykhun Aslanov

Indicted: Vadim Podkopaev

Indicted: Irina Kaverzina

Indicted: Gleb Vasilchenko

Indicted: Internet Research Agency

Indicted: Concord Management

Guilty Plea: Michael Flynn

Guilty Plea: Michael Cohen

Guilty Plea: George Papadopolous

Guilty Plea: Richard Pinedo

Guilty Plea: Alex van der Zwaan

Guilty Plea: Rick Gates

Over 191 Criminal Charges (and counting):

Conspiracy against the USA (2 counts)

Conspiracy to launder money (2 counts)

Bank fraud (8 counts)

Bank fraud conspiracy (10 counts)

I Subscribing to false tax returns (10 counts)

Making false statements (6 counts)

Failure to file reports of foreign bank accounts (14 counts)

Unregistered agent of a foreign principal (2 counts)

False FARA statements (2 counts)

Subscribing to false tax returns (10 counts)

Assisting in preparation of false tax documents (5 counts)

Conspiracy to defraud the United States (13 counts)

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud (2 counts)

Aggravated identity theft (24 counts)

[sarcasticmrfox]

[televisionandchill-deactivated2]

big moods during sotu

[thenib]

From Kasia Babis.

[jeanjauthor]

This is important to grasp.

[crownmalone]

My fellow American followers, read this! This is what created the economic prosperity for our parents’ generation!

[property-is-theft-deactivated20]

I for one wholeheartedly believe we should take 100 percent of the wealth billionaires have

[mediamattersforamerica]

Right-wing media have manufactured a scandal this week about Democrats supporting bills that supposedly allow abortions up to moment of birth — and beyond. Here are some of the anti-choice myths being pushed by right-wing media and the facts about laws protecting or expanding reproductive rights and access to abortion at the state level.

[talesofthetrumpdown]

People Are Still Afraid.

The government shut down mostly affected me with fear of the unknown. As it continued, I learned more and more programs that I am on that would have been defunded. I am a single mom who works hard daily, but I need food stamps and childcare assistance. Those things were set to be cut off if the shutdown continued. It was terrifying not knowing if I was going to be able to feed my family in March, or even go to work. I was also aware that the schools were running out of funding for the free lunch program, which I depend on to get my three children good, healthy meals when I can’t be with them to provide those things. We listened to the news every day frustrated and annoyed that our government was so incompetent that it couldn’t even keep itself funded. I wrote letters to my congressman almost daily, and sent one to my local paper as well. I did not care about the politics, I cared about feeding my family. I did not feel my family was represented by my government at all. It felt like the country’s most vulnerable and hard working people were being held hostage in a political stand off, and it made me lose even more confidence in my government’s ability to represent me and my children.

[talesofthetrumpdown]

Monday Mornings: Haste Makes Waste.

In my own life, I have relied on government assistance and that’s hard for me. I have worked since I was 14, and put a lot of money into this economy. I’m sure the idea that the only child of upper middle class parents working so young is a bit laughable. I was hungry for my bit of the pie. My parents weren’t around much. Both of them grew up very, very poor and they were hard workers.

Instead, I grew up around immigrants who were farm workers, housekeepers and nannies, sex workers, nursing assistants, cafeteria workers, and more. Underpaid laborers that didn’t complain, worked hard, fed and clothed families on tiny paychecks, and aspired for more. 

So when a tiny bookstore needed a kid to shelve books and clean their attic, I did it. When a hotel down the street needed an extra maid, I did that. I worked at Dairy Queen and Pamida before it was Shopko. I worked full time in college. When I found out I was pregnant, I worked full time and took as many classes as I could handle.

What I didn’t realize or account for was that even 14-15 years ago, working full time and being eligible for grants because I had a child - it wouldn’t be enough to make it. It wouldn’t be enough for rent, food, diapers and formula, utilities, gas, just those basics. The fact that I was in a job where I made $9 an hour, had an extra $1200 per month from my grant wasn’t enough - it was so exhausting.

So, I got on every government program that I could. I guess it’s great that I’m a pretty, white, educated female because I didn't have a lot of trouble getting on these programs. I am really grateful. I know we wouldn't have made it without the help. I didn't feel any relief though, instead my anxiety just got worse during those years. There's a lot of shame to it all.

People got nasty when I was buying milk and formula with WIC vouchers or if my food stamps card failed me and I didn't have cash to cover groceries. I would get calls from seedy landlords that wanted me to pay extra for rent beyond what my housing voucher covered or face eviction. Sometimes it was so cold in my house that I used up my gas allotment too quickly and had to pay for heat again midwinter and those bills were always insane.I couldn't afford insurance for my car or regular maintenance because this was when gas was around $4-5 per gallon and where I lived required a lot of driving. I lost almost all of my childless friends who were busy shopping, brunching, going out to bars every night, and basically being normal twenty-somethings. I gained a new set of friends – we worked quietly on homework and watched each others children occasionally so someone could sleep instead of being admitted to the hospital with influenza or pneumonia. If we had $20 extra, we quietly bought extra diapers or milk and left it in each others doorways. We found ways to make extra food for each other, had kids sleepover if boyfriends were violent, and if government help ran out – we helped. So when the government shuts down, I understand the dread and fear from a different stand point. I might not receive a check but I know what it's like to go without so my kids don't. I know what it's like to wake up on the day that your foodstamps are supposed to be in, and when you check on that – they will be ten days late, and oh yeah, $100 short. I know how it feels when an agency just didn't submit your paperwork and the deadline is over, so you just have to wait another 45+ days to get help.

All of that pales compared to not receiving your paychecks because the person in charge of your country is afraid of the southern half of this continent. A good chunk of the women who have shaped the history of my life are Latinx, African American, and Indigenous. These are women who have raised me, shaped my adulthood, become my friends, helped me raise my children, and have not harmed me. These are men who have fixed my car for free because they remembered that I was kind to their grandmothers.

We are being extremely naive if we think 3 weeks will fix anything with our President. I trotted out the old adage of Haste Makes Waste because a temporary solution is a lazy solution. Americans have become complacent in their love of 'good enough'. We used to be a nation of 'this needs to be perfect'. There were nine or more drafts of the Constitution. The final draft was then presented to the general public for consideration and THEN ratification. It took 116 days to write the Bill of Rights. It took even longer for ratification. I don't believe the shutdown should continue, but the executive branch isn't going to come up with a plan or solution in three weeks that will end the conservative obsession with a wall, the continued demoralization of immigrants, or a sound budget quickly. We are allowing people to go back to work and receive paychecks but one must question if halting pay or work should be part of the initial phase of a shutdown.

Instead, let's stop dancing around the elephant in the room. We have been throwing nonsensical solutions in the air for the past few years trying to appease a tiny, angry fascist. A man who colludes with a country that has been considered this nations enemy for almost 100 years and can't control his outbursts. Nobody is asking the real question – Is he even competent? In the last 37 days alone, what competency, strength, intelligence, and moral resolve has he show as the leader of a world power? The United States treats itself like a local burger franchise. It's ok if the leaders show up late to work, blame the peons for their mistakes, steal money from the till, make ineffective scheduling and general decisions, then avoid all conflict resolution or fires the wrong guys. When did we become so ineffective and narrow minded? The worst thing about this is when are we going to realize how easy we have made it for another country to come and take everything we have away? Just a few Monday morning thoughts.

Sincerely,

Georgia

[talesofthetrumpdown]

Submission: The West Family

We're the West family from San Diego. | My husband and I are a young couple with a 1 year old baby, and it's been a struggle to get by here. The rent is so overpriced in San Diego that it's caused a huge homeless epidemic. Families are pushed out of their homes due to constantly rising rent prices, and there's no available low income housing so most people get sent to live in tents that the city put up as temporary housing. We lived in a shelter called Cortez Hill in downtown San Diego until September 2018, when we moved into our TINY overpriced 300 sq ft studio apartment that we pay $1,000/month for. Being a low income family living paycheck to paycheck WITH A BABY- that's a lot to pay monthly while trying to survive with basic necessities like food and diapers. My husband works for and is paid by a government job program for low income families, he's assigned to a thrift store where he works in donations. When the shutdown happened, he left for work like normal but suddenly came back really confused and no one would tell him what was going on at work since they aren't in charge of his pay or schedule. The company that was paying him was closed down, and he was stuck in limbo. Two weeks passed with no pay, and we decided shit is getting real and we need a backup plan, so we started a GoFundMe (www.gofundme.com/governmentshutdownemergency). We live off of $300 in food stamps between three of us which we rely on to eat every month since 95% of our income goes straight to rent. If the shutdown continues and our benefits aren't funded it's going to be impossible to get by! We have no clue what's going to happen, but February is creeping up really fast and we're terrified that we are going to be short on rent. The LAST thing we want after everything we've gone through is to become homeless again. This just plain sucks.

[govtshutdown]

Government shutdown posing ‘risks to national security,’ FBI agents say in 72-page report

The FBI Agents Association said it released the report, “to ensure that Congress, the Administration, and the public are aware of the real and daily challenges faced by FBI Agents and the risks to national security posed by a prolonged shutdown."

Missed this yesterday. This is appalling

[govtshutdown]

Even with shutdown deal, federal workers probably won’t see back pay until next week

Employees who have gone without pay during the 35-day partial government shutdown likely will have to wait well into next week to see a payc

Now everyone is working without pay

[talesofthetrumpdown]

Submission:How The Government Shut Down Trickles down to Us all.

Thank you to my dear friend D for this honest and vulnerable post.

So far, the biggest way our family has been affected is by DHS being shut down. We depend upon those services because my husband is disabled. At this moment in time, we do not have Medicaid due to a snafu on DHS’s end, and I cannot do one single thing about it.

In the interest of needing Medical Insurance for myself, I purchased Medical Insurance and Dental ins. through the Marketplace, which is going to cost us a quarter of the income I bring in as the sole bread winner in my household. Without necessary medicines, my quality of life will not be the same and this will affect both myself and my husband.

That is also going to affect our ability to pay other bills on time or at all.

I am grateful that we do have Food Benefits at the moment but if the Shutdown continues, what happens then?

The stress of the “what ifs” are affecting my families sense of well being.

[talesofthetrumpdown]

Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Ind., Joins Democratic 2020 Race

Mr. Buttigieg has formed an exploratory committee for a run for the White House in 2020, joining an expanding Democratic field.

[shrimplepleasures]

the government shutdown has had a huge impact on native people, who receive funding for things like child welfare, food pantries, and healthcare through indian health services through federal funding. keep in mind this funding was prepaid for through treaties in exchange for our land - land that our congress who has put our people through this financial hardship is living on. if you have the money to spare, consider donating to local native tribes.

this map can show what nations’ land you are on, or you can google “local native american tribes near [city, state]”. some reservations have links right on their website about how to donate either electronically or by mail. other nations, such as the pawnee nation in OK, have set up a gofundme for native families affected by the shutdown.

if you can’t donate, please reblog this. i’ve seen countless posts about the shutdown but none about how it’s affecting indian country.

[symbisexual-disaster-deactivate]

FUCK IT UP, NANCY

[talesofthetrumpdown]

Nancy is the Devil Wears a Skirt Suit. Excellent. Love Her.

[talesofthetrumpdown]

We Want Your Story!

-750 words or less -No obscene or threatening language -Subject matter must be about how the government shutdown is specifically and negatively impacting you. -Try not to use a lot of identifying information in your story. -Submission doesn’t guarantee immediate publication. -Be creative - your post can be a video, a poem, a photo, art, or more! 

We want to know how this is affecting you or the people you know. Your post can absolutely be anonymous. Submit on the blog or at [email protected]