I got a fundraising e-mail a few days ago for Texas Democratic Lt. Governor nominee Leticia Van de Putte  written by Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 

Senator Lucio was one of 3 Texas Senate Democrats who voted for the state-mandated rape of the forced sonogram law. 

Here is a letter I co-wrote to Amnesty International asking for international attention to the state-mandated rape of the forced sonogram law.    

It is frustrating that Senator Van de Putte would take the support of Mr. Lucio. 

The Forced Sonogram Law that Mr. Lucio voted for is state-mandated rape.  

From Nicholas Kristof at the New York Times----

Under a new law that took effect three weeks ago with the strong backing of Gov. Rick Perry, she first must typically endure an ultrasound probe inserted into her vagina. Then she listens to the audio thumping of the fetal heartbeat and watches the fetus on an ultrasound screen.

She must listen to a doctor explain the body parts and internal organs of the fetus as they’re shown on the monitor. She signs a document saying that she understands all this, and it is placed in her medical files. Finally, she goes home and must wait 24 hours before returning to get the abortion.

“It’s state-sanctioned abuse,” said Dr. Curtis Boyd, a Texas physician who provides abortions. “It borders on a definition of rape. Many states describe rape as putting any object into an orifice against a person’s will. Well, that’s what this is. A woman is coerced to do this, just as I’m coerced.”

Ms. Van de Putte is the better option for Lt. Governor than ideological extremist Dan Patrick. 

And yet.

From the fundraising e-mail---

I’ll admit, on the rare occasion Leticia and I may not see eye to eye, but that’s where the merit of her leadership is truly demonstrated. She’s a great public servant because she’ll always meet you halfway, try to understand where you’re coming from and work towards consensus....Fortunately, we agree on most things: it's our shared value system and vision for Texas .. and why I ask you to support Leticia, too...Leticia is the strong leader that Texas needs.... 

Eddie
Eddie Lucio, Jr.
State Senator, District 27

They agree on just about everything but state-mandated rape. 

What is so important in life that you look the other way at rape?  

The other two Texas Senate Democrats who voted for the state-mandated rape of the forced-sonogram law were Carlos Uresti & Judith Zaffirini.

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

There are a lot of dumb things we talk about in American politics. 

One of the dumbest subjects is Presidential vacations. 

Do you really want somebody in charge of the military and in control of nuclear weapons to skip vacations and be always at work? 

Isn't it often better for Presidents to be on vacation in order to mitigate the harm they are able to do? 

We all would have been better off if Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush had spent all 8 years in office on vacation. 

(Picture is of Gerald Ford skiing and on vacation.)    

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

A hopeful thing in our Texas politics is the Texas Progressive Alliance. I am a member of this organization. 

The TPA is a group of citizen-bloggers who each day observe, write about and take an active part in Texas politics at the local and statewide level.

The work of freedom is up to each of us. 

Each week the TPA offers a round-up of the best in Texas blogging for the week just past. 

Here is the current round-up---

Off the Kuff reminds us that there's one more special Senate election to go this year, and this one features a Democrat that's worth supporting.

Harold Cook warns us to keep a sense of perspective on the Rick Perry indictment.

Texas Leftist keeps wondering when the national media is going figure out that Texas could be a swing state today if enough people were actually voting. Plus: clarifying Wendy Davis' stance on LGBT equality issues, and what we can expect if she's elected. 

WCNews at Eye on Williamson wryly observes that unfortunately in Texas, we have the government that we voted for... or didn't vote for, as the case may be: Avoiding Medicaid, Non-Voting, And Ferguson.

Libby Shaw at Texas Kaos finds it amusing how Greg Abbott promotes himself as a small government fiscal conservative while he squanders taxpayer dollars on ridiculous lawsuits: Greg Abbott’s Frivolous Fights with the Feds Cost Taxpayers Millions.

CouldBeTrue at South Texas Chisme notes that audit of Hidalgo County voting machines shows no tampering. Of course, without a paper trail, you can't really be sure. Kudos to Travis County for their efforts to provide auditable elections.

After the late Friday afternoon news broke about Rick Perry's felony indictments, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs consumed more adult beverages than he planned. All weekend long.

Egberto Willies thinks that Hillary Clinton should pay attention to the Obama coalition that Rand Paul is trying to assemble. 

Neil at Blog About Our Failing Money-Owned American Political System bought a Texas cake to mark the indictment of Rick Perry. NeilAquino.com has many pages and is well worth your time to consider. 

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And here some great blog posts from elsewhere in the Deep-In-The-Hearta.

jobsanger has the chart that illustrates how Rick Perry's payola scheme has worked so well for him over the years.

Grits for Breakfast notes that the economics of the Rio Grande border surge are not sustainable, while Scott Braddock shows how Rick Perry's border posturing is bad for the people that actually live and work there.

Fascist Dyke Motors seems to have misplaced her father's suicide diaries.  If you find them, could you kindly return them?

State Impact Texas has the news that diesel fuel has been used in hydraulic fracturing, which is illegal.  Bluedaze offers the proof.

nonsequiteuse expands on the report that John Cornyn and Ted Cruz spend more taxpayer money on their office operations that nearly every other US Senator.

In the third installment of a continuing series, Socratic Gadfly's word to text Greg Abbott -- per request in his movie trailer ads -- is not 'freedom' but 'RickPerry'.  Or 'indictment' is good, too.

Juanita Jean disagrees with the calls for Rick Perry to resign.

Lone Star Q decries Rep. Jonathan Stickland's attack on transgender inmates.

The Texas Election Law Blog games out the state's strategy in the redistricting litigation.

Lone Star Ma celebrates National Breastfeeding Month.

And finally, The Bloggess wants us to know that help is always available if you need it.

Amnesty International has offered a viewpoint on the role of militarized police and about the shooting of unarmed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. 

From Amnesty International----

In addition to a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into allegations that police shot dead an unarmed teenager in Missouri, an investigation into the use of heavy-handed tactics to disperse a wave of protests in the wake of the shooting must be launched without delay, Amnesty International said.

"What is now urgently needed are thorough investigations, not further inflammation, of the incredibly tense situation in the aftermath of Michael Brown being shot dead," said Steve Hawkins, Executive Director at Amnesty International USA.

"Any police officer suspected of having committed unlawful acts must be held to account through effective investigation and, where warranted, prosecution."

"Using excessive force to quell protests is unacceptable. Police in Ferguson must conform to the US Constitution and international standards on the use of force and firearms. Residents must be allowed to peacefully exercise their right to freedom of expression and journalists must not be prevented from carrying out their work."...............

Here is the full statement.  

The killing of Mr. Brown and the violent response by police are a matter of international concern just as  any violation of basic human rights is an international concern. 

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

I'd like to please offer two facts about the indictment of Texas Governor Rick Perry on two counts of abusing the powers of his office. 

One is that the judge---Bert Richardson--- who appointed the Special Prosecutor who indicted Governor Perry is a Republican. 

(Photo is Governor Perry's mugshot.)

The other fact is that Special Prosecutor who made the charges---Mike McCrum--is by no standards a partisan Democrat.

Mr. McCrum's political leanings are uncertain based on his career as a high-profile lawyer and he has made donations to candidates from both major parties. 

Governor Perry would like you to think these charges have come from Travis County Prosecutor  Rosemary Lehmberg. But this is simply not the case.

Think whatever you wish of these felony charges against Governor Perry, but they are not the result of simple partisan politics. 

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

 I bought the Texas cake you see in the picture to mark the indictment of Governor Rick Perry.

I don't know if the charges will stick or not, but Governor Perry is a killer who signed the state-mandated rape of the forced sonogram bill & who has done all he can to stop the expansion of health insurance in Texas.

Calling out our elected leaders who permit rape and who kill people with public policy does not make us out of bounds in any fashion.  

Instead, what it does is point out the fact that some of our elected leaders allow rape and use public policy to kill people.  

If Governor Perry would use the politics of the health care law to deny people coverage and kill them, why would any other abuse of his power be unlikely?  

Please read all of NeilAquino.com 

Here is a recent graphic from the National Weather Service regarding the 1915 Galveston hurricane. 

The 1915 storm was as forceful as the famous 1900 Galveston hurricane that killed 6,000 people. Yet as the NWS graphic indicates, the death toll for 1915 was just over 200. 

The difference in the number of lives lost was the Galveston Seawall built by government initiative and effort after the 1900 hurricane.

I'm just saying there are some things only government is likely to accomplish. There is no profit in building a giant seawall. 

The National Weather Service is another needed aspect of government.

We can rush to privatize or believe all the far-right talk about government does not work, but the everyday facts all around us show that government has a meaningful and ongoing part to play in our lives.

Please read all of NeilAquino.com 

Beyond his indictment on two counts of abuse of power, Governor Rick Perry of Texas should be charged and sent to an international tribunal for signing the forced sonogram law which is nothing more than state-mandated rape. 

Though how the elite of the Democratic Party can make that case as they coalesce behind the Clintons who backed the Defense of Marriage Act, the law that led to the Hobby Lobby Decision and then also the Iraq War is not clear.

While differences between the two major parties are real and merit consideration, the work of freedom and creating a better everyday culture is up to each of us.

Here are ideas for everyday resistance to our often violent and greedy culture. 

Please read all of NeilAquino.com

A hopeful thing in our Texas politics is the Texas Progressive Alliance. I am a member of this organization. 

The TPA is a group of citizen-bloggers who each day observe, write about and take an active part in Texas politics at the local and statewide level.

The work of freedom is up to each of us. 

Each week the TPA offers a round-up of the best in Texas blogging for the week just past. 

Here is the current round-up---

Many of his fellow Texans worry Neil -- as he posts at his new "Blog About Our Failing Money Owned American Political System" -- more than do the migrant Central American children coming across the Rio Grande border. BAOFMOAPS is just one of many parts of NeilAquino.com.

Off the Kuff wonders why AG Greg Abbott didn't just have his own lawyers testify in the latest lawsuit against HB2 given how much they coached their witnesses.

Libby Shaw at Texas Kaos is very disturbed to learn that Abbott's rulings and decisions demonstrate a pattern of his support for abusers vs. their victims. Corporate marionette Greg Abbott seems to enjoy punishing victims.

Glenn Hegar, Tea Party candidate for Texas Comptroller, was caught in the act. Bay Area Houstonhas the video.

After being told all summer that "nobody pays attention until Labor Day", PDiddie at Brains and Eggs had to wonder if we had suddenly jumped ahead a month on the calendar.

What's this about voter fraud? CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants all of the reality-based people to know that voter photo ID does nothing to stop fraudulent absentee ballot procedures.

Texas Leftist shares the truth about Medicaid expansion. Right now, Texas taxpayers are subsidizing healthcare benefits for other states while millions of our people suffer without health insurance. Also make sure to check out Wayne's guest column in CultureMap discussing the Houston equal rights ordinance. 

Egberto Willies made the shameful observation that black men holding toy guns -- or no guns at all-- are routinely shot down, while white men flaunt their firearms openly. 

In opening this cycle's interviews with all political candidates on the 2014 ballot, Texpatriate began by publishing questionnaires from Whitney Bilyeu, Libertarian for Texas Senate District 7, and Laura Nicol, Democrat for State Representative, District 133.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Socratic Gadfly's suggestion this week for a word to text to Greg Abbott -- which the attorney general asks you to do in his movie trailers ads -- is "Kirby". 

Hair Balls made note of Harris County's first confirmed case of chickungunya.

Better Texas Blog wants parents to contact their local school districts about opting in for free breakfast and lunches for students.  The deadline is August 31.

State Impact Texas reports that forecasters are lowering their predictions for the number of Atlantic Ocean hurricanes this season.

Juanita Jean finds a bad use of tatas.

Texas Watch points you to a resource to tell how safe your hospital is.

LGBTQ Insider calls the 2014 elections "imperative" for the LGBT community.

TransGriot and HOUEquality have news roundups on the Houston equal rights ordinance and the so-far-failed effort to put an item on the ballot to repeal it.

Lone Star Q lists the 63 Texas legislators that signed on to the Texas Conservative Coalition brief in the same-sex marriage appeal, in which they drag out more insulting and discredited arguments to support those made by AG Greg Abbott.

Grits for Breakfast still thinks the driver responsibility surcharge should be scrapped.

Lone Star Ma celebrated World Breastfeeding Week.

SciGuy showed us what happens when a spaceship gets close to a comet.

The Highwayman and Unfair Park examine the link between poverty and fatal auto/pedestrian accidents.

Last, Fascist Dyke Motors provides a list of nine mistakes everyone should not make if they are going to experience a cerebrovascular insult (i.e., stroke).

Below are observations about ongoing events in Ferguson, Missouri as our militarized police attack people protesting yet another police killing of an unarmed Black person. 

Above is a picture of the militarized police in Ferguson. 

1. Offering people health care is government tyranny that will lead to death panels, but camoflaugedmilitarized police with war weapons blocking off an American city is law and order. 

2. The conduct of the militarized camouflage-wearing police in Ferguson, Missouri along with the silence of the government bashers over such conduct is enough to make a loyal American liberal consider buying a gun for simple self-defense. And then also is the silence of so many fellow liberals.

3. The silence of libertarians about the militarized camouflage-wearing police in Ferguson, Missouri clues you into the fact that they are the very same racist states-rights disloyal folks you imagined they were.And that is damned well what Rand Paul is as well.

4. Hillary Clinton can play off the animus towards our Black President by criticizing him on the central issues of the day, but she can't say a word about events in Ferguson, Missouri that are of such import to the most loyal Democrats of all?

5. Race remains the central issue in American political and social life as it has been since the first time a European met a Native American.

6. Here is the Twitter feed from Ferguson, Missouri tonight detailing the actions of our violent militarized police in a state with a Democratic Governor.  

Read about it all for yourself. 

Please read all of NeilAquino.com