America is not a Democracy

If you still think America is a democracy, think again.  In what was no doubt the most comical presidential election I ever saw, Hillary Clinton failed to gain the necessary amount of Electoral College vote to secure the presidency despite winning the nationwide popular votes.  In spite of all the controversy and public denouncement of Trump, on Monday, December 19, 2016 it was confirmed that Donald Trump prevailed in receiving more than the 270 electoral votes required to win.  While the elections itself was apparently unprecedented, the outcome was not. This is the fifth time in America’s history that a candidate gained the presidency without winning the popular votes.

In 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected president despite not winning either the popular vote or the electoral vote. Andrew Jackson was the winner in both categories. Jackson received 38,000 more popular votes than Adams, and beat him in the electoral vote 99 to 84. Despite his victories, Jackson didn’t reach the majority 131 votes needed in the Electoral College to be declared president. In fact, neither candidate did. The decision went to the House of Representatives, which voted Adams into the White House.

In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes won the election (by a margin of one electoral vote), but he lost the popular vote by more than 250,000 ballots to Samuel J. Tilden.

In 1888, Benjamin Harrison received 233 electoral votes to Grover Cleveland’s 168, winning the presidency. But Harrison lost the popular vote by more than 90,000 votes.

In 2000, George W. Bush was declared the winner of the general election and became the 43rd president, but he didn’t win the popular vote either. Al Gore holds that distinction, garnering about 540,000 more votes than Bush. However, Bush won the electoral vote, 271 to 266.

Source: http://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/presidents-winning-without-popular-vote/http://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/presidents-winning-without-popular-vote/

Let’s think about this for a minute. If this was truly a democracy, the people’s choice – Hillary Clinton – would be the one being sworn in come this January 20^th.  For centuries America has perpetrated a false persona of being a democratic society, but the truth is it is a republic. Wikipedia defines Democracy as “… a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament.[1] Democracy is sometimes referred to as "rule of the majority." It went on further to state that “According to political scientist Larry Diamond, democracy consists of four key elements: (a) A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections; (b) The active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life; (c) Protection of the human rights of all citizens, and (d) A rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens.[3]. ” Further researching of this subject took me to This Nation’s website where I saw this statement: “The United States is, indeed, a republic, not a democracy. Accurately defined, a democracy is a form of government in which the people decide policy matters directly--through town hall meetings or by voting on ballot initiatives and referendums. A republic, on the other hand, is a system in which the people choose representatives who, in turn, make policy decisions on their behalf.”  

So there you have it. If we were truly a democratic society, the president would be determined by whom ever received the most votes by the people and not by a secret panel (Electoral College.) America perpetrates democracy but the truth is we are far from it. To be a truly democratic society our president would be elected by the people – period! However that is not the case. So why is that? I read someplace that the founding fathers were afraid to have a true form of democracy because they were afraid that they would be over turned or overpowered by the majority who did not agree with their agenda.  

What I found interesting is that This Nation website sheds light on the fact that America is a Republic and it is hidden in plain sight - in the Pledge of Allegiance. How many times have you recited the Pledge of Allegiance? Did you notice that America is referred to as a “republic” not a democracy. More specifically This Nation shared “In the strictest sense of the word, the system of government established by the Constitution was never intended to be a "democracy." This is evident not only in the wording of the Pledge of Allegiance but in the Constitution itself which declares that "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government" (Article IV, Section 4). Moreover, the scheme of representation and the various mechanisms for selecting representatives established by the Constitution were clearly intended to produce a republic, not a democracy.” So why then are we surprised when a handful of people get to decide who our next president should be instead of “we the people”? If we want change them we must become the change we want to see. We need to challenge the laws that support an electoral college, take back our power to influence our government, and truly elect our leaders. As it stands right now we have the power to effect change so that we can elect our president. I used to think it was important to not only go out and vote but to also encourage others to do the same. That was when I thought my vote mattered. Now, based on recent election, I know better. Who we voted for does not matter because the “the powers that be” has the last word. 

I was speaking with my mother today and she reminded me that this country was built by and run by masonic /freemason men who sought to hold and control the power of running this country. It is very likely that they still hold some influence over who is allowed to sit in the seat of the presidency.  If you still think it was the popular votes that got President Obama or any other president elected for that matter, think again. I remember an incident which happened on election night when President Obama ran for his second term. I downloaded an app which allowed me to track the progress of the election on my smart phone. However when the app opened for the first time it showed President Obama with 318 electoral votes. I found it odd as it was only 6pm and all the precinct had not yet reported. As quickly as I had that though the app corrected itself and showed him with 57 electoral votes which was what the news media were reporting at the time. Imagine my surprise when I awoke the next morning to discover he had won by more than 318 electoral votes - 332 to be exact. I was convinced then that the election was rigged.

Personally I believe that there is a secret society who is pulling the strings behind the political scene and they put who they need in place to promote their private agenda. What else can explain why Donald Trump got the job? There is something coming down the pipeline which involves Russia and the US and they need Donald Trump’s influence to ensure its success. Hillary could not get the job because besides being a woman – they still are not sold on having a woman in the white house, she does not have the relationship with Russia that they need to accomplish their agenda. Mark my words, one day soon you will wake up to here about some sort of US/Russia development/agenda.

Bottom-line is “we the people” have no say in who our elected president is.  Voting is all just a show to make us feel we have a voice but the truth is we have as much say in who is elected president as we do the next pope – none!! I don’t know about you but I am no longer going to participate in a system which is bent on deceiving us. I may be wrong but I won’t participate until the laws are changed to support a true democratic society.  I’m Just Saying. I got issues – what about you?

Copyright © 2012 - 2016 Todos Escribe. All Right Reserved

 The views and opinions shared here are by the Author and are the property of Todos Escribe. 

AutoNation Toyota Scion

Are you in the market for a preowned vehicle but you have bad credit or no credit? Well have I got the place for you. AutoNationToyota Scion off Thornton Road is becoming the one stop place for people who need a miracle when it comes to being able to finance a car. 

Winston Elliott, Pre-Owned Sales Manager is making a reputation for himself as the “miracle worker”.  On any given day you will find him in his office doing what he does best – getting people who have been turned down by other dealerships approved for a vehicle. No situations is too hard for him to handle.  Just ask “A’Linsia”, a single mother of 7 who needed a vehicle quick, fast, and in a hurry but her credit was less than perfect. Other dealerships were asking for a huge down payment with no wiggle room.  Winston was able to offer her an option which allowed her to get a vehicle the same day. So if you need a car but you need options, then give Winston a call at (678) 462-0368. You will be glad you did. I’m Just Saying. I got issues – what about you?

Contact Winston Elliott

Tel: (678) 462-0368

Email: ElliottW1@AutoNation.com

Address: 1000 Blairs Bridge Road, Lithia Springs, GA 30122

Copyright © 2012 - 2016 Todos Escribe. All Right Reserved

 The views and opinions shared here are by the Author and are the property of Todos Escribe. 

Fundraising Efforts: GoFundMe or YouCaring

Everyone experiences some sort of hardship from time to time. Be it a lost job, loss of a love one, a sick child, a broken down vehicle, or an illness. If you live long enough you will be plagued by one if not all of those things. However, if you are lucky, you will have a great support system to help you get through those difficult times, but what if you don’t? Then what? Personally, I’ve had some of those challenges myself, and for the most part I had to go it alone.

Recently I was made aware of a couple of resources on the Internet/on-line which allows people to create a fundraiser page to raise money to help offset some of the financial challenges associated with those hardships I mentioned earlier. One such resource is GoFundMe.  I first became aware of GoFundMe back in August when the transmission in my daughter’s vehicle gave out. Her brother, being the resourceful man he is, created a go fund me page for her to help raise the down payment she needed for a new vehicle.  

My daughter's motivation for getting a vehicle

I stumbled on it on her social media page. Once I clicked the link it took me to a secure website where I was able to use my credit card to make a donation. After making my donation I was able to share the link on my Facebook page. The only drawback I had was that it was limited to my friend list on Facebook. That and the email list I would later create to help spread the word. Wish there was a way to share it across the web with the general public to generate more funds. Hopefully my friends and family will share the link and help spread the word. So far it has been slow going but we are still hopeful it will generate the amount she needs to get a new vehicle. It is difficult for her to get around especially with the large family she has.

Janie Shoneye: Cancer Survivor

So in sharing the link to my daughter’s go fund me page, I inadvertently triggered an interest in the concept with a number of my friends. One friend in particular who is fighting cancer and at risk of losing her home asked if I would assist her in creating a go fund me page for her cause.  I agreed. In doing the research I discovered that GoFundMe takes a percentage of the funds raised. So I decided to see if I could find another fundraiser platform which forego that charge. I stumbled across YouCaring which claims there is no fees for their services. However, I also learned that donors are encouraged to make a donation to help offset the cost for processing.  

I decided to go with YouCaring for that very reason. After setting up the account I shared the link on my Facebook page as well as sent it to her Facebook friends via messenger. Again the drawback here is that it is limited to my social media audience. My hope is that my mentioning it here in my blog will generate more traffic to the links and increase the chances of increased donations which otherwise may not have been possible.

The truth is sometimes we need more than the assistance of our friends and family to get the help we so desperately need.  The help from strangers is just as necessary. It is my hope that as you read this you will explore the links and make a donation to either of these two worthy causes. If you do make a donation, please give from the heart and it will come back to you 100 folds. Give thanks and may God bless you richly for your kindness.  I’m Just Saying. I got issues – what about you?

https://www.gofundme.com/2aquxzms

https://www.youcaring.com/janie-shoneye-654117

Copyright © 2012 - 2016 Todos Escribe. All Right Reserved

 The views and opinions shared here are by the Author and are the property of Todos Escribe. 

I Ain’t Your Mamma – Really?

I was listening to the radio the other day when this song came on. For the life of me, At the time I had no clue who sang it or what the name of it was (I've since learned that it is a song by Jennifer Lopez called I Ain't Your Mama). While I loved the crazy dance beat, the lyrics left a lot to be desired. It went something like this; “Ain’t going to cook all day, I ain’t your mama. Ain’t going do your laundry, I ain’t your mama. Boy when you going to get your life together?...You lucky to have these curves…stop getting on my nerves.  I’m too good for that.” My first thought was “Really? That’s what’s wrong with relationships today.” Some women refuse to hold up their end in the relationship but still expect the man to hold up his. I am fully aware that in today’s society the traditional roles of a relationship has diminished if not been reversed.  Gone are the days when a man can expect to come home after a long hard day of work to find a hot plate of food waiting for him. However he can still expect his significant other to make demands that he take care of her financial needs. How is that fair? 

As a woman and a mother of a grown son I think it is still important for a woman to care for her man.  I did not raise my son to be a provider, protector, and defender of a woman who won’t even cook him a hot meal. Don’t get me wrong my son knows how to take care of himself. I taught him the basics he needs to know to clean, cook, and do his laundry, but I’ll be dammed if he will do all that for himself and still care for a woman who won’t do the basics for him. Why does he need to spend his hard earn money on someone who won’t do for him or who don’t care about being a help mate to him?

Yeah, yeah I know we are living in a different time but the last time I checked this mamma didn’t raise no fool. I offer to you that it’s not so much that times have changed as it is that some women have changed their views on what they think their role in a relationship is (and/or they simply don't know how to do those things. Meghan Trainor admitted in her song "Dear Future Husband" that she won't cook cause she never learned. I suspect that's true for a vast amount of women today. No surprise I discovered that Meghan Trainor wrote "I Ain't Your Mama". Go figure.) But back to my original thought. For whatever reason some women now believe it is beneath them to cater to their man but they still expect him to jump through hoops to give them what they want. How selfish! Just like how they have needs and expectations, so does he. What if he was to tell her in response to that song: “I’m not going to pay your rent, not going to pay to fix your hair or get your nails done...not going to spend all day chauffeuring you around. I am not your daddy…girl you better recognize”.

If you really think about it, we have grown into a nation where the current generation’s primary factor is the “me” factor. Some women want everything but are prepared to do nothing in a relationship except lay on their backs. How is that different from prostitution? In all fairness a man deserve a woman who will not only support and edify him, but who will also love and take care of him. Her love for him will make her want to cook, clean, and do his laundry. After all he is out there making the money she wants and needs to satisfy her financial needs. It’s a two way street and as soon as those women realize that the act of cleaning, cooking, and doing his laundry is not just a “mother’s” job, but an essential part of showing support of her man, the sooner she will experience harmony in their relationship. If she provides these basic duties for her man he is free to concentrate on the business of providing for her.  After all, a happy man is a generous man. I’m Just Saying. I got issues – what about you?)i(

Copyright © 2012 - 2016 Todos Escribe. All Right Reserved

 The views and opinions shared here are by the Author and are the property of Todos Escribe. 

Attack on America - Orlando Night Club Shooting

I had just gotten in from a walk at Stone Mountain Park yesterday afternoon when I flipped on the TV. Normally it’s on CW 69 but I was watching the documentary OJ Simpson: Made in America the night before. Had it not been for that, I would have missed the breaking news even though it would end up looping all day long as I am not known for watching the news. “50 dead [including the shooter] and 53 injured in Orlando Gay Nightclub shooting.” I dropped to my knees in front the tv in shock. “What the heck,” I though. What in the world happened? As I stayed in that position, mostly because I literally could not move, those questions and more were answered. Apparently a lone gunman, Omar Mateen, went into Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida and open fire on the occupants.  Future reporting called it “the worst mass shooting in modern history”, “the worst act of terrorism on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001”, and “the deadliest attack on a gay target in the nation’s history”.

Listening to President Obama speak on the shooting brought some comfort but not much as he said the FBI was investigating the matter and all available resources were being used to get more information about the shooter/shooting. However it looks like the FBI had already had several run-ins with Mr. Mateen. News report listed several troubling incidents where the FBI was investigating Mr. Mateen but dropped their investigation. They also report he exhibited some violence towards his ex-wife.

I may be wrong but it seems to me like all the individuals who were responsible for mass shooting all had some sort of run-in with authorities prior to the fatal day of their crime spree, i.e., Columbine shooters, movie theater shooter, Boston bombing, etc. Maybe the FBI need to start taking these “encounters” more seriously and not just dismiss the interest. If an individual popped up on their radar and it is enough for them to investigate them, then maybe they need to keep some sort of surveillance going until they are 100 percent certain these individuals do not serve a threat. Apparently their suspicions were not baseless and had they kept then under surveillance they may have been able to prevent these tragedy. Authorities need to try to figure out a way to nip these type incidents in the bud. I know they can’t know without a shadow of a doubt whether or not a person serves an immediate threat, but they need to look closer at potential suspects and do due diligence to deter these type of incidents. I would prefer they exhaust every resource available to curtail and detain a suspect than to have to live with the aftermath that not doing that due diligence brings about.

What is puzzling to me is how the shooter was able to get through security with his weapons. I’ve only been to clubs here in Georgia, but it’s been my experience that most club have some sort of security check in place to catch people who carry weapons on their person.  Maybe this club did not have that type screening in place but it seems that all clubs in the nation need to take a page from this incident and put in place a screening protocol to ensure this type incident does not occur.

We have become a nation of “re-actors” instead of “pro-actors”. It only takes one tragedy for authorities to take note and make a change. How many more people have to die before something is done to help deter these type of incidents? If we were asleep thinking this cannot happen in a club, this is a wake-up call to everyone to be more vigilant and watch out for not just yourself but for others around you. Right now we are not safe anywhere. Not our homes, not in schools, not in churches, not at the movie theaters, and now we can add nightclubs to that list. The phrase - “I am my brother’s keeper” - is more relevant now more so than ever. We have to look out for each other and do what we can to keep each other safe.

My heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to the victims and their family of the Orlando Nightclub tragedy.  I pray that as a nation we come together to devise a plan to prevent these type of senseless killing.  If we don’t, it will only be a matter of time before it reaches your door. I’m Just Saying. I got issues – what about you?)i(

Follow this story here 

Copyright © 2012 - 2016 Todos Escribe. All Right Reserved

 The views and opinions shared here are by the Author and are the property of Todos Escribe. 

Clinton or Trump for President

The Donald’s Motives

With the last of the primaries wrapping up across the country, it is still anyone’s guess who will be the parties’ nominee for president. Well that was my thought before breaking news revealed that Ted Cruz dropped out of the race after Trump took Indiana in today’s primary elections.  So now it’s down to who will be the Democratic Party’s nominee. According to a recent CNN poll “84% of voters’ nationwide think Donald Trump will lead the Republican ticket in November, while 85% say the same about Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.” If this poll is to be believed then the question then becomes who will win the Presidency – Clinton or Trump? Better yet, was this all just a set up? Was Donald Trump’s motive for running for president just a ploy to weed out the tough candidates that Hillary Clinton could not stand up against on her own?

I must admit that plot was revealed to me by my mom. My mom is a pretty savvy woman who pays attention to things others may over look. I was speaking to her a few weeks ago when she brought the subject up. She reminded me of back in 1996 when Bill Clinton was running for President against President Bush. Remember Ross Perot? Henry Ross Perot, known as Ross Perot, is an American businessman who was best known for being the Reform Party’s presidential candidate in 1996 running against Bill Clinton.  Like Trump, Perot appealed to American who were fed up with the current administration and who wanted a change. Just like Trump, Perot’s campaign seemed to gather momentum as the political race heated up. He promoted himself as a reformer, building on his success with the Texas Public Education system in the 1980s. But, in July, he dropped out of the race.   According to The New York Times, Perot believed that the Bush campaign was going to start a rumor about his daughter's sexuality.  He would later return to the race in October, just weeks before the election. However, despite this setback, he managed to pull nearly 19 percent of the popular vote. Bill Clinton would win the elections. My mom suspects that Perot was a diversion to pull votes away from Bush.

If my mom’s prediction is true and history is set to repeat itself, Trump could very well be doing the same thing. If not, then we are in for the ride of our political lives as the whole world will be watching to see if Donald Trump becomes the next president of the United States.  Can Hillary Clinton hold her own against the Donald? Does she have what it takes to lead this country? More importantly does she have enough to garnish the necessary votes to beat Trump come this November? Only time will tell. For me, I can’t wait to see how this plays out. I’m Just Saying. I got issues – what about you?

Copyright 2016 © Todos Escribe. All Right Reserved

 The views and opinions shared here are by the Author and are the property of Todos Escribe. 

Debt Collectors - Beware

For the most part I try to stay on top of my debts regardless of what kind it is - be it medical or credit cards debts. Sure they were times when I fell behind in my medical payments but that’s usually when I am waiting for a settlement from a car accident. Once I get the settlement I pay the bills in full. So imagine my surprise when I got a notice from a debt collector saying they “bought” my debt from DeKalb Medical. I admit it was only for $50, but from what I could remember I did not have any unresolved bills with DeKalb Medical let alone for $50. So I decided to do some research. Mostly because this was not the first or even the second time that I was contacted by a debt collector trying to collect on a debt they assumed from DeKalb Medical that had already been settled.

The first time this happened it was back in 2012 when a debt collector contacted me to say I owed a significant amount on a bill with DeKalb Medical for services I knew my health insurance provider would have already paid based on the service date.  When I reviewed my records I noticed that the amount the debt collector was requesting was the exact amount my insurance provider had discounted off the bill.  Apparently DeKalb Medical was trying to recoup their loss years after the bill was settled. I wrote the collection agency and included copies of my documentations which showed the amount they were requesting was actually the discounted amount that my insurance provider at the time had negotiated. I also quoted the disclaimer statement my insurance provider posted on the statement when they notified the vendor that they were paying the discounted amount. I reminded them that their attempts to try to recover that discounted amount was a clear violation of the agreement they had with my insurance provider. I never heard back from them.

As with the other times before this most recent incident, I did not have to look very far or hard for supporting documentation that this bill was already settled. Lucky for me I am notorious for keeping good records. In fact my daughter sometimes accuses me of being a “hoarder” – lol. But in my defense, I never know when something will come up which will force me to prove I took care of it already. Trust me, I learned my lesson a long time ago the hard way. I know they say you should only keep records for 7 years but I keep them for as long as necessary or until the ink fades, whichever comes first because I never know when someone will come out the wood works claiming I did not pay a debt. Like when I paid off for my car loan back in 1996 but several years later the Chase Bank on the island was reporting the account as “charged off”. Again, luckily I had kept the receipt to show I paid the debt in full. It would take years to clear that up because while the credit bureau would make the change manually, every time Chase sent in their records it would overwrite the information. They eventually found a way to fix it permanently. In case you are wondering, yes I still have that receipt – just in case.

This most recent demand for payment was for a service date in 2009 when I was fully covered by health insurance but there was a $250 deductible requirement. My record shows I made four payments over a 2-month period which settled that debt. My bank statement for that time period also confirms that the payments were processed and paid.

So why is DeKalb Medical selling debts that were already paid and/or settled? Your guess is as good as mines, but whatever their reason for selling a debt that has already been paid or settle is reprehensible to me.  However, as I mentioned before, the good thing is that I kept excellent records which supports that the debt was paid/settle. I wrote both the debt collector and DeKalb Medical and submitted my documentation to show that the entire $250 was paid in full. I also asked DeKalb Medical to take steps to reconcile their records across all their billing system to ensure this does not happen again as it has become worrisome and downright irritating to have to constantly prove that the debt in question was satisfied. Will they adhere to my request? I guess time will tell as I have yet to hear back.

I shared this with you to make you aware that it is possible to have debt collectors contact you on a medical bill which has already been settled or discounted in an attempt to recover their loss. I must admit that at first I was prepared to pay the $50 as it was a small amount but it did not sit right with me that I would have an outstanding balance from 2009 and they were only just now contacting me about it. That was my second red flag – the first was my previous similar experiences. I’m glad I decided to look into it and not pay it blindly. Maybe that was their hope/intention, but they obviously did not count on me having documentation to show it was paid already.

My advice to you is when or if you get contacted by a debt collector, do your due diligence to research the debt before you make a payment, including checking the date of service. If you know you owe the debt by all means pay it, but on the off chance that it is not a legitimate debt you owe it to yourself to check it out. Don’t be bullied or threatened into paying a bill that may very well not be legitimate. Like I tell all my friends, don’t be so quick to throw away receipts and you definitely need to make sure you get one for every dollar you spend, regardless of the vendor. It’s the only way you can protect yourself from any further claims. I’m Just Saying. I got issues – what about you?

Copyright 2016 © Todos Escribe. All Right Reserved

 The views and opinions shared here are by the Author and are the property of Todos Escribe.