Make Good Trouble
Just so I am understanding the MAGA Republicans clearly, House Republicans on Tuesday blocked a Democratic attempt to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files, with zero Republicans supporting the measure. The final vote was 211 to 210. Nine Republicans abstained. This is the same party who in the 2024 election hammered the point that they were protecting girls from transgender folks in their bathrooms and on their 6th grade volleyball teams. I would bet my favorite bottle of wine that there are ZERO transgender people on the Epstein client list.
There are a lot of powerful white men on that list, and they need to be brought to justice. Jeffrey Epstein is dead; Ghislaine Maxwell (his former girlfriend and partner) was found guilty in December 2021 of helping him sexually abuse young girls. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022. In October of 2024, Maxwell appealed her conviction. Judges at Manhattan's Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Maxwell's five convictions and said her sentence was "procedurally reasonable." A lawyer for Maxwell said she plans to challenge the ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court. Given the outrageous decisions the “Supreme” Court is flinging at us, who knows where that decision will land. There were thousands of girls abused and now crickets from the MAGA GOP, including our Congressman Glenn Grothman. Call Glenn’s office and ask him why he is protecting pedophiles.
I know that many of the people reading this have had either personal experiences or know someone who was the victim of sexual abuse. When I was a sophomore in college at UW Stevens Point, one of my friends was sexually assaulted. She was riding her bike home from class at night past Pacelli High School's baseball field. A man jumped out of the dugout, pulled her off her bike and raped her. The trial was the longest in the history of Portage County. She was a college student, thus the defense tried to paint her as the guilty one. In the end her perpetrator was found guilty. He received no jail time. He was turned over to his priest for counseling. My friend dropped out of college, went home and cut all contact with her college friends.
This is not a game. This is not okay. I have talked before about the “Risky Shift Theory of Deviance.” Societies don’t go backward once social norms and moral values shift into the dark. We see that with the Trump name calling. Never before has a President been so blatantly vile in his attacks. He calls Democrats evil over and over again. What do the MAGA Republicans do? Nothing. Guess what, I am not evil, you are not evil. We are the ones who want everyone to have the ability to have a good life.
Today, July 17, there will be the 18 miles of Ozaukee Outrage Overpass Peaceful Protest, organized by some really good people. The protest is honoring the legacy of John Lewis and remembering what John Lewis said many times, “No matter what ship our ancestors arrived on, we are all on the same boat now.” Never has that been more true.
Thank you for reading.