Author Gift | Trouble in Censorville: The Far Right's Assault on Public Education and the Teachers Who are Fighting Back

I received both a free digital and physical copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is easily one of the best, most important books I've read this year. If the attack on our education system does not alarm you, you are part of the problem.

Let me be very clear: teachers are not trying to indoctrinate students. If that was our goal, everyone would be kind, wear deodorant, and turn homework in on time.

What we ARE trying to do, however, is provide safe environments for ALL students, and foster communities of inclusion and kindness so that all students know they have a place they belong. Representation matters and I will scream this at the top of my lungs from the top of the mountain until the day I die. All students deserve to see their reality reflected in the books they read and the tv shows and movies they watch. This includes books and graphic novels in classroom libraries and school libraries.

Across the country starting at local levels, the attacks have begun. The curious part of this is that these attacks often start with individuals who don't even have children in the school(s), or district as a whole, that they are targeting. They seem to get the ball rolling in many instances, and then it snowballs from there.

By now most people heave heard of Florida's "Dont' Say Gay" law. You can find more information about what this all entails at Human Rights Watch. Laws like this are so detrimental to the children we serve. Are we just supposed to pretend LGBTQIA+ people do not exist, even within our own classrooms? If so, what does that teach those children? That they don't matter? Their identity is not important? How many more children are we willing to lose, kids who kill themselves because to them it is the best solution for what they are going through?

Aside from that fuckery, we have agitators calling for book bans in school libraries - often books that those calling for such bans have not even read. Yet they attend school board meetings, railing against books they call pornographic, declaring teachers to be pedophiles for giving students access to them. Upon hearing such words as porngraphic or pedophile, it is easy for others to quickly be up in arms, without bothering to find out if this is actually true or not.

This book contains essays from across the educational spectrum - from elementary to high school - art teachers, social studies teachers, principals, and librarians at all three levels. Their experiences range from disheartening to traumatizing. Their jobs and lives are threatened, they're doxxed, called groomers, put on leave, or fired - all because they dared to make their spaces welcoming for ALL students, or because they dared to teach historically accurate information.

In one case, it was not even anything that happened in the classroom, but perception that a teacher was not 'feminine enough' in their dress; the teacher also used they/them pronouns, and the non-binary Mx instead of Ms. Less than a week into the school year, parents in their school district found their Insta account that showed various art projects they'd completed during their college coursework and proceeded to insist the work promotoed pedophilia (images were actually charcoal work showing nude ADULT models) and suicidal ideation (because of a performance piece that involved a plastic bag NEAR their face. The teacher was placed on leave four days into the new year and eventually signed a separation agreement that came with fantastic letters of reference. So this teacher, who could have been a candidate for Teacher of the Year, was run out of the district because some parents did not like how they looked. That is what this all boils down to, and it is disgusting. Not once did this teacher discuss their appearance, gender roles, or anything related to those topics in their classroom. They were hired to teach art to pr-k through 4th grade, and that is what they did. Yet they lost their job, ultimately because they looked different than all the other teachers on campus.

Something the book does well, aside from sharing a wide variety of ways teachers and school librarians have come under attack is to share a timeline of just such events. It begins in the period of 1865-1877 during Reconstruction in the South after the Civil War. Communism, the "Lavender Scare", Brown v. Board of Education, school vouchers, and so many more court cases come up, several commissions, and then specific events that target public education directly are all outlined. It is eye-opening to see that this is nothing new, but this round is the most dangerous given the speed with which misinformation spreads thanks to social media and those purposely agitating with false info.

An unfortunate theme that emerges here is that of passive admins who don't support their teachers because they don't want to upset the parents, or lose their own jobs. The teachers sharing their stories here all experienced this in some form, from admins to basically giving in, to those outright hostile to them. Some also spoke of lack of support from colleagues who did not want to get involved, for fear of being placed on leave or being fired as well.

It is little wonder then, that these educators also spoke of the debilitating mental, emotional, and physical effects on their health as they struggled to understand how doing their jobs, or simply existing, was cause to get them removed from a profession they had once loved so much. These are qualified educators, some of whom had been in their positions for several years with zero issues before. Along with often being forced out of their jobs or being moved to other teaching positions, these educators reported an increase in feeling unmanageable amounts of stress/anxiety, depression, panic attacks, weight loss or gain, insomnia, panic attacks, and more.

Another thing I loved about this book was hearing from the educators themselves. Here, they control their own stories and share the impact from start to finish, both on their careers and themselves, with no chance for the media to distort or deceived (always looking at you in general, Faux News). I think this is crucial in order for people to understand just how massive these problems are, and how widespread this is becoming. For the 14 stories shared here, I can guarantee there are hundreds more we may never hear about.

This book is a must-read for everyone who sees where this road leads. I also highly encourage you to check out the website Censorville for videos from the teachers themselves (or those with actors portraying them), more information about the book, resources, and so much more.

Highly highly recommended.

Publisher Gift via NetGalley | The Fighting Bunch: The Battle of Athens and How World War II Veterans Won the Only Successful Armed Rebellion Since the Revolution

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. In this instance, the publisher contacted me by email to ask if I would be interested in reading the book.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As someone who takes great pride in their reading abilities, I nearly missed out on this fantastic book because I DIDN'T FULLY READ THE SUBTITLE.

I know, right?

When I receive the email from St Martin's Press inviting me to read the book, I saw 'The Battle of Athens' and my mind immediately went to Greece. I assumed it would have something to do with Greece's civil war that erupted in 1946, and that was not something I had much interest in. The book cover showed up rather small in the email as well, so I could not clearly see the cover.

THANK GOODNESS I CHECKED GOODREADS BEFORE DECIDING YAY OR NAY.

Turns out, this book is fucking brilliant and I am so glad I did not pass up the chance to read it.

DeRose has crafted a masterpiece that details little-known events in Athens, Tennessee. To say that local government officials in McGinn County were corrupt would be putting it mildly. The political machine hard at work in Tennessee did everything possible to ensure that their candidates remained in power. Voter intimidation was a constant, ballot box stuffing was the norm, and anyone who spoke out against it regretted their decision pretty quickly.

One can see then why returning WWII veterans might take offense to this chicanery and blatant law-breaking. These men fought in the worst of conditions all over Europe and the Pacific, only to return home to find their own local governments were not abiding by the very rules and laws set down by our founders. They could not abide this.

The non-partisan GI all-veteran ticket would make sure that Election Day, 1946 (August 1st) would be the dawning of a new era in politics in McGinn County. Naturally those in power had no intention of giving up their voter-intimidating, voter fraud-committing ways without a fight.

A fight is certainly what they got, as the literal battle waged long into the night, carrying over into the early hours of August 2nd before finally wearing itself out.

What occurred prior to that ending is one of the craziest stories I have ever read, and I am so glad that DeRose has brought these heroes into the light where they belong. Once I began reading, I could not put the book down.

As Election Day wore on, the GIs realized that they were not going to get a fair vote, no matter how much they lobbied for things to be done the right way. Polling places were randomly closed, ballot boxes were hidden from view when the counting began, and the all-veteran ticket found themselves and their supporters under assault in some instances. They were arrested, voter intimidation went on like crazy, and a few voters were shot. A small band of veterans decided to take matters into their own hands. Called the Fighting Bunch, this group took up arms and headed to the heart of the ballot-counting, to the town's jail. They demanded a fair and honest count and were immediately rebuffed. The Sheriff and his deputies refused. The battle was on.

It is a miracle that despite the battle waging on for hours as gunfire ricocheted off buildings downtown, not a single person was killed when things finally came to an end. Instead of gloating about their victory, the GIs and the Fighting Bunch in particular realized they might be in some major trouble. After all, they had just lead an armed rebellion that put dozens of people in danger. Criminal charges were possible, and would not have been a surprise. So, instead of glad-handing and celebrating in the streets, the young war-weary men quickly blended back into the crowds of citizens and the incident was rarely spoke of again. In fact, many children didn't even know their fathers had taken part in the event that they had heard whispers and bits and pieces of their entire lives. The veterans had accomplished their goal - a free and fair election. They could return their town and county to respectability again.

Had DeRose not undertaken this project when he did, the truth of that night might really have been lost forever. He conducted extensive interviews with those related to the men who fought just as valiantly for their town as they had their country in the years before. Few witnesses are left, making this book all the more crucial. Many artifacts also helped paint the picture, including radio broadcasts from that evening, previously recorded interviews, journals, letters, and more. It seems that for once, the second amendment did exactly as it was intended - saved democracy in this section of the country.

To be clear, those opposed to the corrupt government of Athens and McGinn County, lead by Boss Crump out of Memphis and Sheriff Paul Cantrell right there in town, tried to call attention to what had been happening for years. Cantrell and his deputies (some of whom were known murderers/criminals, deputized at certain times to 'help out') made sure that their party would always come out on top. Elections were rigged so their candidates won by large margins often - a feat almost unimaginable seeing as how there often ended up being far more votes cast for one of their men than there were eligible voters. They randomly closed polling places with no warning, harassed those who did not vote the way they wanted, threatened voters who asked (as was their right) to witness the vote-counting, and were not above assault and even murder. The corruption extended far beyond election day however, as the elected officials made sure to line their own pockets, as well as the pockets of the men above them that they owed their positions to. the sheriff and deputies often made false arrests and charged the supposed offenders exorbitant sums of money. They also targeted tourists and those passing through. Word got around rather quickly that it would be best to by-pass Athens altogether whenever possible, and in general to just stay out of McGinn County.

This is a fascinatingly comprehensive look at the lives of those involved and the events leading up to that fateful day where a group of residents decided that enough was enough. They would not live in fear, and they would make sure that every vote was counted as it was cast. This is a story of courage, grit, and determination. These men had spent significant portions of their young lives fighting in a war on the other side of the world, only to come home and find there was more fighting to be done.

DeRose is thorough in his research, including scores of footnotes (we all know I LOVE footnotes) and plenty of sources for further perusal. He truly brought this story to life and this is as timely as ever here on the eve of what I believe will be one of the ugliest elections in our nation's history.

I already have two people I will be giving this book to for Christmas. I can not recommend it highly enough. This is a must-read.

Election Eve Jitters

I am at the point tonight where I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about tomorrow.

Please, please, please...

...if you have not voted yet, make sure you know where your polling place is in case it has change from midterms.

...be prepared for long lines.

...wear a mask and gloves; bring your own pen.

...if you are in line when the polls close, STAY IN LINE. This is so critical. They can not turn you away if you are in line before polling stations close.

...know the phone numbers you need to call in case there is any shady business, voter intimidation, etc. going on.

Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.

Our constitutional democracy will not survive four more years of trump's law-flouting, divisive, and violence-inciting rhetoric. He is using our government for his own personal gain to enrich himself, his family, and his friends. He is using the Justice Department as his own private law firm, and repeatedly tries to intimidate agencies into doing what he wants.

This can not stand.

Vote him out.

Book Review | A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America

Rating: ...fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck..........

Honestly, I don't even know how to rate it at this point. I will say that of the books I have read so far regarding this joke of an 'administration', it is one of the best. Aside from Bob Woodward's Fear: Inside the Trump White House, this is the only one I have read so far that is actually written with journalistic integrity.

It's all still a bunch of bullshit, but we will get to that in a minute.

First, I would like to reiterate once again that if you have to repeatedly tell people that you are a genius because otherwise they would not know it by your words and actions, then you are not, in fact a genius. And in this case specifically, you are a fucking moron who was propelled to the presidency by a bunch of other morons and a media that would not stop shining a light on your circus.

Back to the 'bullshit' part now. I think it is absolutely terrible that these people are willing to speak out after they're gone from trump's inner circle, by their own doing or otherwise. That's nothing but cowardice, I don't care how much you say you covertly you repeatedly swiped things off trump's desk because he is an idiot who will sign anything put in front of him. 

Nothing here is too new or surprising, although the update from Woodward's Fear is that we get that start of the attempted Ukraine bribery. We get more details of the behind-the-scenes stuff, more of the direct conversations, but nothing new or earth shattering. This will be one of the text books used when colleges start offering courses on how democracies fall apart when you let a giant orange man-child and his grifter children occupy the highest office in the land.

One thing I did appreciate was clarity on the whole Mueller Report and Barr's release of the stupid memo that actually said nothing close to the truth and presented a 'conclusion' with no context. The situation was made much clearer and I am shocked that Mueller's people declined to read what was written before Barr put it out there. That is a whole lot of trust that does not surprise me, because Mueller expects things to work in a trustworthy and appropriate way. But that's not what happened at all though, because we are dealing with an 'administration' that is anything but trustworthy and appropriate, so it looks like the investigation was all for naught, even though it is beyond a shadow of a doubt obvious that trump is guilty as fuck and should have been removed from office by our worthless Congress.

So in the end, have at it or don't. If you are a trump supporter I don't even know what you are doing here to begin with. If you are not, you might find the book of interest, and/or you might end up paying damage fees to the library because of how many times you slammed it against a wall.

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership

Rating: 4 Stars.

FYI, this is not really a review, it is a short rant because I am just TIRED of it all. I have the luxury of choice when it comes to whether I pay attention to politics or not because my race and socio-economic status allow me said luxury. Yet I know that I MUST pay attention and #Resist, and do all I can for those who do not have a voice. I am especially fired up today because of everything that has gone down so far.

When I heard Comey on NPR talking about his book, and he had the audacity to say, when asked about whether or not his memo impacted the outcome of the election, "I hope not"...BOY, BYE! Regardless of his own perception, he HAD to know how the memo releases would be perceived by the public at large. Come on bruh, you KNOW they did, no matter what the FBI's intentions were. Even so, I must begrudgingly say that Comey did the best he could with what he had to work with. I couldn't stand either candidate, but at least I knew that Clinton would not complete tear our country to shreds. She didn't "deserve" to be the nominee, it wasn't "her turn" after "letting" Obama go first. Comey certainly gives his well-thought-out argument for why he did what he did, and when, but it does not make it any easier to handle. I am to the point that I can not even see that douchebag's face anymore without wanting to vomit. His voice grates on my ears. And today, as he is once again propelling us toward a scary future with Mattis resigning, no plan to stop a government shutdown (because of a stupid fucking wall that isn't even going to work), and him insisting that pulling out of Syria is a great idea (great of course, for Russia. And ISIS), we once again see why that 25th Amendment is a pretty good idea.

But I digress. That was a tangent that has nothing reeeeeally to do with the book, except that I abhor trumplethinskin and look forward to the day when his ugly face is out of the White House for good and we can get this ship righted.

There are some interesting stories I had not yet heard before, and Comey is actually a good writer, even if it is a little - I don't want to say pompous, because that is not quite right, almost like he is trying to be too humble and it comes off as not humble at all, does that even make sense? - sometimes.

A few quotes I thought were #OnPoint:

"I did not know Priebus well. He often seemed both confused and irritated, and it was not hard to imagine why. Running the (trumplethinskin) White House would be a difficult job for even an experienced manager, which Priebus wasn't" (page 246).

"(trumplethinskin)'s presidency threatens much of what is good in this nation. We all bear responsibility for the deeply flawed choices" (not me, I caucused for Bernie) "put before voters during the 2016 election, and our country is paying a high price: this president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values...His leadership is transactional, ego driven, and about personal loyalty. We are fortunate some ethical leaders have chosen to serve and to stay at senior levels of government, but they cannot prevent all of the damage from the forest fire that is the (trumplethinskin) presidency. Their task is to try to contain it" (page 275).

Except, there is no containing it now. We are literally going headfirst into a complete clusterfuck and no one seems to know how to stop it - and the GOP doesn't care to, so...

Fear: Trumplethinskin in the White House

Rating: 5 Stars

Fair warning before you read any further:



In this review especially, I cuss a lot (and I actually do own a shirt that says this. I wear it to church sometimes. And my pastors still love me)

You'll have to excuse my not posting a cover. I honestly can't stand to look at his face any more than I can stand to hear his voice. So, we all know what that goober looks like, let's save ourselves the trouble and just go right into the review.

This book once again reiterates why Bob Woodward is such a fantastic journalist. He takes a wholly unlikable douchebag - and while said douchebag remains unlikable - Woodward writes without bias. It's almost like he feels sorry for trumplethinskin and chose to go a neutral route, because that is who Woodward is. A writer of Woodward's caliber has no need to exaggerate or pile on, he need only report the facts, which he does quite splendidly. And if we didn't already know what a douchebag trumplethinskin was, you might start to feel a little sorry for him too. Like, seriously, how does someone live 75 years and not know...anything? ANYTHING?? All the knowledge there is in the world, and trumplethinskin doesn't even have a tiny bit of it. There was a section where someone was literally explaining to him why we can't just print more money; he had zero concept of how that would completely tank our economy. In that section he asks why we can't just "run the presses - print money" (page 56). I can't even.

However, then I remember that this idiot called a bunch of racist assholes "very fine people" and I remember why I don't feel sorry for him at all. And he employs the pompous spray-on-hair-guy Stephen Miller, architect of the plan to rip children from their parents, who are only seeking asylum from the wars and gangs who are terrorizing them in their native countries. Come on now, why would these desperate parents risk their lives and the lives of their children on such a dangerous journey, if the alternative wasn't certain death?

If you are contemplating reading either this book, or Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury, I suggest both. Wolff's book is a hot mess of dysfunction and chaos. Woodward's book is calmer and more even-handed. Yet, both draw the same conclusion: we currently have a giant man-baby instead of a president, and he is someone who does not belong in the highest office in the land, leading what was once the greatest nation on earth. Sad, but true.

I could not fathom being someone inside the White House who has to attempt to reign in trumplethinskin on his most tantrum-y of days. There's stories here of staffers distracting him with other things, while hiding certain memos so he won't see and sign them. SERIOUSLY! HE SIGNS ANYTHING THAT COMES ACROSS HIS DESK! Does that sound like someone who is fit to be in the White House? I don't think so. Yet even as Woodward discussions these instances, he is not mean-spirited or malicious. He remains collected and composed, not giving in to the chaos of his subject, and I think that shows remarkable restraint, because every time I hear that douchenozzle talk, I want to pop my ear drums just so I don't have to hear him anymore.

Much of what is here is not necessarily new, but Woodward provides much more detail. We get plenty of info from Preibus and that psycho Steve Bannon, who is just as disgusting as his former "boss", and deserves no accolades for giving further insight into what he witnessed. Though, on a very teeny tiny itsy bitsy level I appreciate him yelling at Ivanka and calling her a staffer. She and her husband are both just as dirty as her father. There are numerous sources for Woodward to get the full inside picture from, and he protects them all, as he should. This is such an important part of the freedom in our country, that of being able to keep sources anonymous to protect them from arrest - you know, the thing that the first amendment actually talks about (No, your first amendment rights are not being trampled if someone decides not to support your television show with ads. You are as free as you want to be an asshole on television every day, just as everyone else is free to not support you and your asshole-ish ways.) 

One of the scariest aspects of this book is that we see plain as day how even when his own team is trying to impart at least a little bit of knowledge in order to make him understand why something is a good or terrible idea, he can not grasp what they are saying - or he refuses to. Perhaps it is a combination of both. We see again that he has zero understanding of foreign or domestic policy, even though he does have at least some people who know what the hell they are talking about. He really truly lives in some kind of bizarro land where Iran is not in compliance with the nuclear weapons agreement (they are), or that this stupid fucking border wall will keep out undocumented immigrants (it won't). Anything that does not fit into this bizarro fantasy world he has created for himself is automatically FAKE NEWS and then all his supporters get all riled up and whatnot. It's not fake news just because you don't know about it or understand it, morons. Please, I beg of you, educate yourselves. Fox Propaganda will not do that for you, sorry.

If you are not yet convinced that trumplethinskin is a complete idiot, I offer perhaps one of my favorite quotes from the book regarding his interview with John Bolton for the National Security Adviser position:

"His answers were fine, but Trump did not like his big, bushy mustache" (pg 87)

HIS MUSTACHE!

Trumplethinskin didn't want to hire someone because of HIS MUSTACHE! Oh the comedy and horror, all rolled into one. I straight up laughed at that for a good couple of minutes.

I feel like this whole trumplethinskin presidency will have one really positive, really great outcome: it will mobilize those who have stayed home in the past, and drive record numbers to the polls in 2020. It has to, because our very world is at stake here. Not just 'life as we know it', but our world, our planet. The man-baby has appointed people to head the EPA who have gutted it completely and rolled back so many needed mandates to protect our little slice of the universe. If for no other reason (completely ignoring literally everything else that makes trumplethinskin wholly unlikable, a racist misogynist, and a dangerous fucking moron), voters MUST see the need to save our planet, or there will be nothing left to leave for our children. Right now, we are borrowing this earth from future generations. We must leave it in a better condition than we found it in. That is, of course, if all of trumplethinskin's peacock posturing doesn't get every lit up in WWIII. Time and again it has been proven that Democrats win when Democrats come out to vote, Republicans win when Democrats stay home. As the party becomes more progressive (Beto, I have cautiously optimistic high hopes for you, please don't screw this up).

I think the title of the book is extremely interesting. Those who can see the big picture are fearful for our future, the future of our children, and the future of our once-great nation. But trumplethinskin is afraid too, and that makes him even more dangerous. He is paranoid and suspicious, and attacks those that he either knows have information on him, or assumes have information. Comey gets no love from me, due to his bullshit memo that he "hopes" (*eye-roll*) didn't impact the outcome of the election, but he was in man-baby's cross-hairs pretty quickly when he would not let the investigation go; on top of that, he continues attacking the FBI, and Mueller investigation, and those who once worked for him but have since left or been shown the door (Jeff Sessions comes to mind - that really riled him up more than anything, when Sessions recused himself. Damn). He also goes after judges, the media (duh), and certain reporters/journalists in particular (Jim Acosta). There are things that trumplethinskin clearly does not want known, and that is why he is constantly on Twitter, spreading his own lies and misinformation, to detract from the fact that there is a lot of shady business going on (among many other things, the earning money off your own presidency. Not his salary as president, but from every time he goes to one of his reports and the government has to pay for everything for the Secret Service. It is so disgusting. And don't even get me started on the whole 'Melania and Baron stayed in NYC to finish the school year' thing). So yes, trumplethinskin too, is afraid. It makes him more dangerous, because what lengths will he go to in order to really clamp down on the media. It is so incredibly foolish to label the media the 'enemy of the people', yet he has done just that. While I pretty much think they all played a hand in him getting elected also (he wouldn't have to spend a dime on ads or campaigning, they all treated this fucking circus sideshow like the main event, and look where we are now), his 'stable genius' supporters might take matters into their own hands and that is terrifying.

I really wish we could all wake up tomorrow and find that the last two years have just been one long nightmare. I want a country where I am proud to raise my daughter, and right now, this is not it. For all his flaws (as every president has), I long for the days of Obama's presidency. In those days, I could go without hearing his name for two-three days, and that was okay because I knew he was an intelligent and capable adult who cared about the country he was leading and the people he represented - whether they voted for him or not. Not once in those eight years did I go to sleep, then wake up in the morning genuinely surprised to still be alive. That has been my reaction more than a few mornings since man-baby took office, especially in those exceedingly tense days, weeks, months with North Korea. (I am not typically in the habit of learning from murderous dictators, but I did learn from Kim Jong-un what a dotard is.)

I have always been of the mind that if it waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. Trumplethinskin appointees can say some painfully funny and truthful things about their (former) employer, and yet he always manages to keep the support of his base. I don't get it, I really don't. If you've forgotten, here are a few of my favorites:

"He's a fucking moron" - Rex Tillerson, Former Secretary of State.

He has the understanding of a "5th or 6th grader" - James Mattis, current Defense Secretary.

"I stole it off his desk. I wouldn't let him see it. He's never going to see that document. Got to protect the country" Former chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, on the document that would have withdrawn the US from a trade agreement with South Korea.

"A third of my job was trying to react to some of the really dangerous ideas that he had and try to give him reasons to believe that maybe they weren't such good ideas" former Staff Secretary Rob Porter, who literally stole and/or hid documents just so trumplethinskin would not see and sign them.

"He's an idiot. It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails. we're in crazytown. I don't even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I've ever had" - soon-to-be former Chief of Staff John Kelly.

I was all set to give this book a solid four stars. I appreciate Woodward's professionalism all the way through, giving his audience just about as evenhanded review as anyone can. Woodward maintains that everything in the book is a firsthand account of the goings-on. Then at the very end I was confronted with this now-refuted quote from trumplethinskin's former lawyer, John Dowd:

"...but in the man and the presidency Dowd had seen a tragic flaw. in the politics back-and-forth, the evasions, the denials, the tweeting, the obscuring, crying "fake news," the indignations, Trump had one overriding problem that Dowd knew but could not bring himself to say to the president: 'You're a fucking liar.'"

BOOM! FIVE STARS!

Obama: An Oral History

Warning: Some of this review is also venting about certain fucking idiots within our current government. I might drop a few f-bombs. #SorryI'mNotSorry.

Rating: 5 Stars

*Sigh*

I really miss having an adult in the White House.

Right up front, I am not debating politics with anyone over this review. I really like President Obama, though I did not agree with him on everything. Personally, I feel like he took way too long to come around on issues related to the LGBTQIA+ community. That aside, if you are trumplethinskin supporter who has stumbled here by mistake, kindly see yourself right on over to the next blog and be gone.

I love books likes this, especially when they are about a person or event that is important to me. I feel like these oral histories really get this raw reaction to events that one does not necessarily feel as strongly when written in narrative form. But having knowledge of several people interviewed, their voices, mannerisms, and habits, it was easy to picture myself sitting down for a conversation with them as they talked of Obama's campaigns and terms, and finally of him leaving in January of 2016. One of my most favorite photos, and also the photo that makes me the most sad, is mentioned toward the end, as the helicopter circles around and the photographer catches Obama looking down at the White House one last time before leaving the residence for good. Ugh. Just about brings me to tears every time.

I want to talk about trumplethinskin as little as possible in this review, because he doesn't deserve the attention. However, there is some necessary discussion, particularly pertaining to certain policies, as well as comparing and contrasting certain things related to each person's time in office, and naturally covering those final months when Obama was faced with the realization that everything he did and the legacy he left was going to be trampled by a giant man-baby who might truly believe that Sarah Palin can see Russia from her house. I mean, really. He is THAT stupid. More than trumplethinskin though, this will be a scathing look at what a fucking douchbag Yertle the Turtle McConnell is, and why he deserves all the mockery we can give him. Seriously, fuck that guy. Unsure why I have so much vitriol for McConnell? Because he is an absolute garbage human who went out of his way multiple times to say that his number one goal was blocking or halting anything Obama wanted to do while in office. Well gee, that's just great. Way to completely not care about your country or the people who elected you, you fucktard. Take a long walk, eh? But, we will get back to him in a bit. There will also be talk of Bernie's campaign, and some of the jerkwads supporting Clinton, who apparently think that she deserved the nomination 'just because', and dismiss the fact that Sanders mobilized so many young people to get involved and make their voices heard, even if in the end he was ultimately unsuccessful in becoming the nominee. It's not like the DNC was biased in favor of Clinton. Oh, wait...

Here is something I found extremely interesting, considering all the trumplethinskin supporters who raved about him legitimizing a dictator's regime on the national stage:

"One was this YouTube-sponsored debate in South Carolina in which he got a question about whether he would sit down with hostile leaders - Castro, Ahmadinejad, and so on - and he said he would, to advance America's agenda. His opponents jumped on him for being naive, for coddling dictators, and so on..." (6%, I accidentally cut off who the quote was from, ugh!) Isn't that INTERESTING, HMMMM? So the GOP wants to have a fit about Obama considering meeting with hostile leaders, but it's okay for trumplethinskin to actually go out and do it? Riiiiiight.

A few facts that made me both proud and sad at the same time:

"November 4 was a night the world had long awaited, to witness the US break a racial barrier and rid itself of the the stench from the Bush era" (10%). And now I would gladly take a third term of Bush if it meant getting you-know-who out of the White House. (Though we must remember that even though we are remembering W a little more fondly than we should, we have to keep in mind constantly that he supported Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court so...gross.) I was so proud to be an American, to see a black man voted in, earning the job and overcoming so much. The sad fact is, President Obama's election brought out the ugly side of our country too, a side I think too many of us thought was long gone. The disgusting rhetoric and horrifying threats he and his family endured for eight years - and still endure, it is all absolutely abhorrent. We have not advanced as a society nearly as far as we thought in terms of race relations, and outright racist assholes popping up and hanging effigies of Obama from trees. But, now we know these people still exist; the cockroaches can't scurry back into the dark, we see them and know who they are.

Fun/Sad Fact: "Approximately 130 million Americans showed up to the polls - more than any other presidential election in the nation's history" (10%). I love that so many more people were motivated to vote, especially in the wake of destruction that W left behind. But it pains me that still, so many people do not vote. And little by little, and in big leaps, the GOP is gerrymandering away, making voting harder and harder in communities already disenfranchised. This is unacceptable and we must fight this.

Now, back to Mitch McConnell and why he is a giant douchenozzle.

John Tanner: Mitch McConnell said his umber-one priority in the United States wasn't trying to do something about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said "the single most important thing (we want to achieve)" was to "deny Obama a second term. I'd never seen that (36%).

Barbara Boxer: Mitch McConnell basically said, "My mission is to defeat the president." The only thing I would say, I was able to get a lot done at times, but because it mattered to their states, whether it was a highway bill, a water bill, after-school care - it had nothing to do with the president. It had to do with self-interests and self-preservation...I did have colleagues to work with on specific issues, but they never disassociated themselves with what Mitch said, which was disappointing (36%).

There were numerous times throughout Obama's presidency that I was proud to have voted for him (twice). But perhaps one of the proudest moments I personally had as a citizen was seeing his response to the devastating mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14th, 2012. On that day 26 people were murdered, the majority of whom were just babies still - 1st graders who must have been absolutely terrified in those last moments, not understanding what was going on. President Obama acted like a president that day, but more importantly he acted like a father in the days to come. He met with each family privately, he wept with them, and it was easy to see the genuine impact this horrific event had on him.

Pete Souza: He was riding high. He'd just won reelection, and a month later, about a week away from his annual Christmas vacation, was the worst day of his presidency...I think John had come up to the Oval like three different times, updating the president. I'm pretty sure this particular photo was when John confirmed to the president that twenty of the people killed were six or seven years old, first graders. Shit, I'm going to start crying as I think about this, because, you know, he's obviously being told this as a president, but I think he was reacting as a parent. He's putting himself in the shoes of every one of those parents. You send your kids off to school in the morning, and you never see them again because some madman just shot them to death (54%).

Cody Keenan: The president said that was his worst day in the White House. That was true for everybody...I got to work on the statement, and Favs and I took it up to the Oval Office to show the president, and he said, "This is right," except he took out one paragraph. I remember exactly what was in it. He just crossed out one paragraph and said, "I won't be able to get through this. It's too raw" (54%).

Danielle Crutchfield: I'd never seen the president look like that (54%).

I remember watching President Obama when he gave his statement. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I had found out just a month before that I was pregnant with Eleanor, and I usually had CNN on during my plan time while I worked. I didn't get a single thing done in that fifty minutes, I could not take my eyes off the television screen. Same goes for my lunch break that day. It was awful. I just kept thinking about all of those parents waiting to meet their children at that fire house, and finally it is down to just a few dozen people, and how do you handle that? How do you handle that your baby isn't coming home? I was a wreck, thinking about my own baby and how I could keep her safe, because this was the new "normal". I will never forgive the members of Congress who continue even now, how many mass shootings later, to accept blood money from the NRA. They riled up their members, talking about how Obama was "coming for their guns!" Really? Did he? Did President Obama himself kick down your door and seize all your weapons? Oh, that's right, he didn't. Fucking morons.

The day we as a society accepted the deaths of 20 first graders, is the day we lost our soul and our humanity. I have been disgusted ever since.

Cody Keenan: ...him thinking about his own girls in their classrooms, what it would be like if he got that all, what it would take to stop him from running in that school as fast as he could, how he wouldn't be able to breathe until he knew his own children were safe. He took all hat out and changed it to, "I know there is not a parent in America who doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief that I do"...Everybody kept saying how remarkable it was that members of Congress would tear up, and I remember people mocking the president for crying that day. Gimme a break (54%).

Pete Souza: He started crying from the podium. He, like me, would always get emotional thinking about that (54%).

Danielle Crutchfield: He's actually phenomenal in those instances, because before anything, he's a parent. He spent hours with the families (54%).

If you are from outside the US, and can not fathom for one moment how shit like this continues to happen, it is all about the money from the NRA (National Rifle Association).

Bill Dauster: It was a continuing frustration to us. Republicans were the problem. In contrast to the days of the assault-weapons ban a decade before, Republican senators came to view, it seemed, the NRA as part of the wing of the Republican Party, an important enough ally that they'd obtained greater cohesion with them than what was sensible for them (55%).

Carolyn Maloney: After Sandy Hook, when we had twenty children murdered, I really though that we would pas gun-safety laws. it's sort of like, how outrageous could it get before you did something? (55%).

And that is the million dollar question. So many mass shootings have happened since Sandy Hook, and nothing has changed. And no one should be surprised that this then comes back around to Mitch McConnell and his vow to completely block anything President Obama tried to do. McConnell and the Republican Party are two of the many reasons these shootings continue to happen. Don't even get me started on comprehensive mental health care.

Arne Duncan: In terms of actually getting any basic legislation done to keep kids and parents safe? W got an F. we absolutely failed. There is no other way to put it. The fact that we, as a nation, allowed the sheer quantity of deaths each year, it's a choice we made (55%).

Bill Dauster: The McConnell years were a study in ratcheting up dysfunction and obstruction from Republicans...It was remarkable to us that Senator McConnell was able to push his caucus to be even more obstructionist (55%). Exactly. THIS, right here. I've said it before and I will say it again: Fuck McConnell.

There are several more examples throughout that show just how difficult his terms in office were, due to McConnell and his posse of idiots. People then wanted to freak out over the number of Executive Orders issued by Obama, but what choice did he have? He was stuck with McConnell leading the way to literally block everything he attempted to do. I take comfort in the fact that despite this, I believe that Barack Obama will be remembered as one of our greatest presidents.

As the book starts winding down, we are brought by various conversations to the campaign season for the 2016 election. I am a loud and proud Bernie supporter, who wanted Sanders to get the nomination SO BADLY. We had a candidate there who actual meant what he said, who was not part of the establishment, who would follow through on what he said. I feel like Obama did a really great job staying out of the primary season, and he did not favor one candidate over the other, though he would later endorse Clinton. What struck me in this section of the book, was just how whiny Clinton and her camp were, and how they could never accept responsibility for their actions, which lead to the election of trumplethinskin. There were quite a few statements from Joel Benenson about how Sanders did this-and-this and said this-and-that, blaming Sanders for Clinton's loss. Well, here's a thought: maybe blame Clinton fr Clinton's loss. Novel idea, right? Time and again her people were told how unlikable she was perceived to be, how she was part of the same system that so many saw as broken. Clinton had to earn the presidency, it was not going to just be handed to her. In the end it wasn't, and good Lord our country is a hot fucking mess right now, but she and her team need to share the responsibility for the fact that the DNC was behind Clinton all along and the deck was rigged in favor of her. Had there been any semblance of an unbiased DNC, a Clinton vote would have been much easier to cast for those who decided to stay home on election day. Blame Clinton, not Sanders' supporters because the truth we all know is this: No one who truly supported Bernie and believed in his message could ever have fathomed turning and voting for trumplethinskin just because they were both 'outside candidates'. It simply could not happen. When I cast my vote for Clinton, it was not to elect her as president but to stop trump from getting the nod. I so wish Obama would have thrown his weight behind Bernie, but not-so-deep-down, I knew it was not going to happen. I will say that I 100% unequivocally believe that had the head-to-head been Sanders vs trumplethinskin, we would have a President Sanders right now, no question. There were some really interesting thoughts thrown around in this section, far too many for me to quote here, as I have already quoted so much. But I do appreciate these conversations being included, and those of the days following the election as well.

Kori Schulman: It was like a funeral. My eyes were full of tears (73%).

Rob O'Donnell: Everyone just wanted to get through their mornings before having any real conversations with anyone. Then, sometimes later, they held a meeting with the entire comms team in Josh Earnest's office. Josh and Psaki led it off, and then they opened the floor for people to talk...At first, fifteen people streamed in. He was like, "How many more people are there?" And if you look at the Pete Souza photo, it's a lot. Half of them are crying. And then he made a joke: "Well, I would have let you guys continue your communications meeting, but that didn't look like it was going particularly well" (73%).

Thanks to all of these people being so willing to share their time and memories, we have a beautifully comprehensive account of President Obama's time in office. It pains me that his legacy is being systematically dismantled right now. I can only hope that in 2020, we will once again be able to look to our president as someone worthy of respect, who is working for ALL, not just the ones who look like him, that gave him the most money. Highly recommended.

Blech...(To The Subject, Not The Books)

 

Fire and Fury - 3.5 Stars

Unbelievable - 5 Stars

I am doing a joint-review because I really don't like giving this douchenozzle any more attention than he's already received for the last couple years. I also don't feel it necessary to do any kind of in-depth review. No one supporting him is going to change their mind because of anything I write, and I am not going to waste the time. Trumplethinskin sucks and I look forward to the day when he is out of office and we can start correcting the massive mistakes piling up daily under this "administration".

I read Fire and Fury because, of course. I went into it knowing that there would likely be very little new information. Because of the intensity of coverage due to the giant man-baby waddling around the White House and his various golf courses, we know everything. All the time.

It is EXHAUSTING.

I long for a simpler time when I went a few days without hearing President Obama's name and it was okay, because he was an adult doing his job and taking his responsibilities seriously as the president of the greatest nation on earth.

Anyway. There is nothing new or groundbreaking here. If you recognize the fact that Trumplethinskin is among the dumbest of the dumb and is surrounded by scum-sucking gutter rats, nothing in this book will surprise you. It's basically a summary of the shit we have been living through since he was "elected". We already knew that a lot of the people in the book are awful. I did enjoy, however, the constant reminders about how dumb Trumplethinskin's sons are, and that Ivanka is not much better. In fact, Ivanka and her husband are collectively referred to as Jarvanka. Bannon is there is in all his grizzled, disgusting glory, and it is all so stupidly ridiculous that THIS is what is currently operating our government.

So, because this book was such a bombardment of complete and utter grossness, it was necessary to follow it up with a look from the outside, of sorts.

Tur's book follows Trumplethinskin in the same chaotic way, but the chaos comes from life on the campaign trail as Tur alternates between those details and then episodes from Election Day. I can not imagine doing her job, and for covering him as long as she did. When a candidate running for office to lead the most powerful country on the planet, perhaps that candidate should not be implying that he admired(?) Putin for executing journalists. But this is true. He discussed it at a rally. Probably more than once.

I initially rated this book a four-star, but the more I reflected on it, I decided it deserved five. After all, Tur survived the constant movement as the campaign went city to city to city. I can barely stomach seeing this moron's face on the book cover, I don't know how she managed it for months on end.

Here are a few of my fave quotes from each book:

Fire and Fury

"There was a lack of coherent message because there was nobody to write a coherent message - just one more instance of disregarding political craft" (page 148).

"After months of defending Bannon against liberal media innuendo, Kushner had concluded that Bannon was an anti-Semite" (page 140). Um hellooooo....what took him so long????

"George W. Bush, on the dais, supplied what seemed likely to become the historic footnote to the Trump address: 'That's some weird shit' " (page 40). I hate to say it, but I have said it for a while now, pretty much from that event on January 20th - W is looking better and better in the review mirror as this clusterfuck of a presidency rolls on.

Unbelievable

"He is the polar opposite of President Obama. Where Obama's rhetoric soars, Trump's rhetoric slithers. While Obama eats arugula, Trump scars Burger King. Where Obama is controlled and calculating, Trump is petulant and loud" (page 80). Yes, this, a thousand times.

Overall, you already know if you are going to read Fire and Fury. I would recommend Unbelievable if you are choosing between the two. Honestly, Fire and Fury needed a bit better editing, there were some typos and errors of that nature. And like I said, reliving it constantly is exhausting. Unbelievable is less exhausting, but no less frustrating. There were so many times his campaign should have been sunk.

The Unmaking of the President 2016: How FBI Director James Comey Cost Hillary Clinton the Presidency

I received this ARC free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3 Stars

When I saw this pop up on NetGalley, my first thought was "Uuuggghhh, here we go." I have no interest in reading Clinton's memoir of it, but I wanted to see what exactly this book would entail and how it would conclusively prove its premise. Not that it really had to, because it is no secret that Comey's letter had a huge impact on the election. My biggest gripe is with the sub title because Comey is not the only reason Clinton lost. Yes, his timing was absolute garbage - both the timing of his initial letter stating there were more emails, and the follow-up, which went largely unnoticed due to said timing, stating there was nothing new.

Davis cites Clinton's decisive lead heading into the week of October 24th, then the release of Comey's letter to Congress four days later, as the absolute proof that it is Comey alone who cost Clinton the election. Let's just ignore the fact that the 2016 election saw two of the most unlikable candidates in history squaring off. (Don't worry, this will not turn into a diatribe about how Bernie would have defeated Trumplethinskin. I mean, of course he would have. But I digress.)

In the weeks leading up to the election, I avoided coverage as much as I could. I even went so far as to avoid NPR, because it was all so sickening that our democracy could have such a mockery made of it by allowing someone so clearly in love with spray tanning and so clearly unqualified to be president making it to the general election. I did know of Comey's letter and follow-up, the former of which I recalled thinking of at the time as huge help to Trumplethinskin's precarious position.

I found the portions of the text not directly related to Comey and his letters far more interesting. The discussion in general of this whole hullabaloo about private email servers was of interest, as was the sections that focused on the 25th amendment and impeachment.

In the end though, there is nothing really new to add to the discussion from this book. It's not a boring book, and I did appreciate the details, especially in regards to protocol, since it is at least clear that Comey did not follow it at all. But these are also things I likely would have already known had I paid closer attention to the news in that final week and a half.

Trumplethinskin's election was a truly awful thing for our country and I wish it was not our reality. But books like these in the end do a kind of disservice to their cause. Looking back at the election does us very little good at this point, especially one year in. Instead we have to focus on the midterm elections coming up in the fall and flipping as many seats as possible blue. I am cautiously optimistic about the wins in special elections in the last few months and we have to keep working to ensure more seats go the same way.

Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In

Rating: 5 Stars

I'll give you a fair warning right off the bat, this will probably get political real fast. If you are exhausted by the absolute shit-storm that is our country right now, welcome. If you are happy with the outcome of the election, we honestly don't have much to say to each other. I'm not going to change anyone's mind, nor is anyone going to change mine. Senator Sanders was the best candidate for the job and the DNC shot themselves in the foot by running the least popular candidate they could against the buffoon that the GOP was forced to support.

Basically, Senator Sanders is the only presidential candidate I have ever truly been inspired by from start to finish - I mean this in terms of from the beginnings of the campaign when I was first finding out about him and his platform, up to/through/beyond the election. He is the first candidate I have ever caucused for. He is the first candidate I have ever donated money to (multiple times), the first candidate for whom I have bought signs, t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc. I was even lucky enough to attend a rally here the Friday before the election, after which he came down the line of those of us in the front row and I got to shake his hand and talk to him, while I also ugly-cried and snapped a selfie of us, all while also telling him how much we love him.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing by the utmost respect for President Obama and it will be a sad day for me when he and the First Lady are no longer gracing the White House with their class and intelligence - AND humor. President Obama is funny AF. Mic drop, anyone?

It also has a lot to do with Senator Sanders' opposition vs President Obama's. I proudly voted for President Obama twice and would vote for him again if possible. But I never felt like if he were to lose, our country would be in serious jeopardy. That is completely the opposite of what I feel like in this election aftermath. I have grave concerns about our country's future with the "administration" coming in soon.

I suppose I should get to the book itself though. This is less a review and more of just a venting session because I am beyond frustrated with the current state of affairs. As it stands, there is nothing new here, though it is all still ground-breaking because his vision for our country was so broad and far-reaching and inclusive. There are numerous excerpts from his speeches, news articles, and the like. The are multiple pictures of him and his team out on the campaign trail, talking with voters, and doing everything he needed to do to win the nomination. He explains his life growing up, his first foray into politics, life during the campaign, and then a large section is devoted chapter by chapter to his policies and positions on issues that will impact us all, Democrats and Republicans, Liberals and Conservatives.

I totally don't care if this makes me sound crazy, but while I was reading, it was not my own voice I was hearing. I was reading the book and hearing it in Senator Sanders' voice. So, basically, he was reading the book to me. And it was awesome. They were words I already knew so well, because of the multiple speeches and interviews I watched, time and again, all through the Primary Season.

The book made me both happy and sad at the same time. Happy, in that here again is proof that I supported the candidate who was best fit to guide our nation through these troubling years. Sad because, of course, he ultimately did not win the nomination. But I would gladly campaign and caucus for him again. I would not change a minute of time or a single dollar spent.

#Bernie2020

Every Vote Matters: The Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastically written, insightful read for young people about the power of voting. The author begins by addressing the history of voting by both the populous and the Court, key issues involving voting such as if it should be mandatory, barriers to voting, and so on. A time line of key SCOTUS decisions is also given then delves into the Supreme Court and a variety of cases that were for the most part decided by the slimmest of margins. Along the way each issue is followed by section entitled "Talk, Think, and Take Action" where the author asks some great thought-provoking questions for young people to think about. I feel like these questions are so important, so readers are not just reading the material but engaging with it and really figuring out what it means to them and how they might use these ideas in their communities. Within part one the author also gives a background of how SCOTUS works, how they decide the cases heard, the dynamic of the justices, and so on. This background is important, as I know myself I did not begin to really understand how SCOTUS worked until my senior year in high school in an AP Government and Politics (AP GAP) class.

Part 2 introduces a variety of cases. Each one is presented on its own, but follows the same formula. First, the key issue of the case and a brief summary related to the amendment concerning it. Then there are the facts of the case, how the court responded and the judgment it handed down, the Justices' own words regarding the ruling, a 'what if...' had the decision gone the other way, cases related to the one addressed, then the 'Talk, Think, and Take Action' section which again asks great, insightful questions to get readers thinking about how they get involved with the issues related to the case. Finally the case section ends with 'closing comments' and further reading and resources.

The book does a fantastic, thorough job in laying out each case without overly simplifying or talking down to the audience. I feel like that is so important, because young people often deserve a lot more credit than they are given. While our government is complicated, we have to ensure that the next generation understands how it works, that their votes do matter, so they can participate and be productive members of society. Apathy is about as dangerous a disease as anything when it comes to voter participation. This book goes a long to help readers see how easily a SCOTUS decision could have gone one way or another by just one vote. ONE VOTE. At 18 we each have one, we must use them.

Interspersed throughout the sections and cases are 'Did You Know?' facts related to the issue being addressed. I thought these were great additions to the text and will help the reader further understand the material. My only complaint really has more to do with this being an ARC on my Kindle than the content. The main text was light to begin with, so the 'Did you know?' was even lighter to differentiate the two. Hopefully this will be remedied when the book is released, though it would likely not be an issue for physical copies of the text.

My final thought is that when it comes to politics, government, and voting, it is difficult to be unbiased. However, that is exactly what the author strives for and is quite successful. The instance of addressing the issue of high school proms and students wanting to bring same-sex dates comes to mind. I like that the author does not inject his opinion into the issue. Instead, here and in many other instances, he uses phrases like, "whether you are for or against it..."

While this material might be a bit over the heads of my 4th and 5th graders, I think it is certainly something I could use with some of my 6th graders. Highly recommended.