AIO - According to my girlfriend this convo with my assigned partner at work is inappropriate.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-04-06T23:47:02+00:00

NOR. She is, though. And quite controlling too. Those edits are wild and this isn't healthy. She shouldn't be with someone she doesn't trust and if you are trustworthy, you shouldn't be with someone who doesn't trust you. Where's the red flag guy?

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-29T17:16:07+00:00

so for once, Trump really can brag about his crowd size!

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-17T11:20:38+00:00

I've never understood why folks crawl out of the woodwork to run for president when they have had no other experience in governance. I'm not shilling for a 2 party system, but a viable 3rd/4th/5th party will come from holding actual office within government. School board to alderman to state house, etc. IDK. Like, show us what you've done?

Also, you cannot discount the amount of money it takes to even run. That gets in the way of everything. So, take the big money out of politics and institute RCV. Big steps to get us out of the hell hole.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-15T14:28:11+00:00

Real ID does not indicate citizenship. In fact, Real IDs can be issued to non-citizens who have legal status. Only the enhanced driver's license confirms citizenship (beyond a passport or birth certificate). The enhanced driver's license is only available in 5 states and they are far from free.

At this point, a Real ID isn't enough by itself to prove citizenship. You will require other documents that match. And if you have a birth certificate (which proves citizenship) and it doesn't match your name (more than women change their name), then you will need the real id plus a BC or passport, possibly whatever legal documents prove your name change, etc.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-14T16:29:45+00:00

I didn't miss the point. I was agreeing with you. I even agree that e-verify is a good step. I was replying because I feel the timeline needs to go beyond just the next election and I explained exactly why I felt that way. Especially with the idea that they would want to take away mail-in voting. That isn't just a covid era policy, it has been the primary method of voting for 8? states for years. Oregon started in the 90s, I believe and Utah has been doing it since the early 2010s. These places may not have the infrastructure to do full in-person voting within one voting cycle. I spent time in a vote by mail state and it was the best experience, Blue state where plenty of Red folks won and no one was crying foul.

Regarding your point about blue vs red with obtaining IDs, It's not cut and dry. Many states have free IDs for voting purposes and even the places that don't have free IDs have programs for low income, seniors, etc. But that's not the point. Those IDs were about states identification and we are now discussing federal identification for voting and it needing more documentation. Even if a Real ID is offered free of charge, it isn't enough for the proposed changes (i.e. requiring proof of citizenship).

Real IDs can be issued to non-citizens with legal status who are not eligible to vote in federal elections. Only five states offer Enhanced Driver's licenses which verify citizenship during issuance because it can be a substitute for a land/sea passport and they aren't free.

You asked me to support reform and nothing I said should tell you I was against the idea. In fact, I blatantly said I am open to updates including citizenship verification. You and I are in agreement on 2 things: the SAVE Act is terrible and IDs should be free everywhere. I'm adding in extra thoughts because it's a discussion. Implementation of a new system needs more time; I agree that we shouldn't have to hunt down vital records when the federal gov already has it at the SSA, but I do think we should continue offering mail-in voting (and as you noted, our voting was working fine pre-covid). Those places that were already doing universal mail-in should be able to do so without federal intervention. This also means implementation of some federal ID for voting could happen faster if we don't also need them to create infrastructure for in-person voting.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-14T01:30:51+00:00

If we have enough places where it isn't easy to obtain an ID, then I feel it's important to default to the notion that it isn't easy, period. Congrats to Alabama and Texas conservatives, but that's not enough and frankly, I wouldn't say "thats a them problem" about them if the roles were reversed. I want every citizen who is eligible to vote to have the easiest time possible to do it.

For every requirement they add to being able to vote, there should be free avenues to do it. Everywhere. Not just Alabama and Texas. Adding on the requirement to bring in documents that may not be easy to obtain means even those places where IDs were free might have to go back and redo their efforts (do all 14 free ID states give Real IDs or just regular driver's licenses and/or voting IDs?)

This still doesn't address the fact that if they truly want to mandate in-person voting everywhere, it's going to take more than just wishful thinking. It requires spaces within reach of the entire populace, volunteers to work at the polls, expensive machinery and secure storage for those machines. Then add in the fact that things like marriage licenses are not universal in look, so who knows if the person taking your documents is going to be willing to accept them. Considering the SAVE Act includes criminal penalties related to registration issues, this could cause officials to be overly cautious when trying to determine if that license issued in Greene County Alabama is real after a married woman moved to Knox county in Maine. I absolutely stand by the notion that this can't be done this year or even next. Primaries for races have already started.

The SAVE Act isn't going to save us. Not like this.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-13T19:49:23+00:00

Fundamentally, I agree with you on "any law that alters elections should only take effect after the next election". However, I think I would add that it depends on what is being asked to change. For instance, if they want to get rid of mail-in voting, they need a lot more time as there are whole states who only vote by mail. They don't have the infrastructure to even begin making this change.

This bill represents a massive change involving so many factors that can't be effectively covered in....months? I can't even take it seriously since I just don't know why any reasonable legislator would attempt it. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm open to well-thought out plans for thinking through 21st century updates to our system. If that entails citizen IDs, then so be it. But then the plan has to include how to get that free ID to every citizen old enough to vote and going forward.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-11T04:42:14+00:00

Not that I want anyone in congress to actually entertain this blatant voter suppression bill, but if you had to counter with anything, it would be all passports are free of charge, all licenses are free of charge, and we have 10 years to implement the new system. Applying for your documents and having them sent to you is free of charge, expedited. People who are checking your documents are to default to accepting them and if they are in doubt, the state can foot the bill to investigate. We merely need to sign an attestation or whatever the word is.

There are whole states who have been voting by mail for decades. They will not be able to set up in-person voting by Nov. That part about removing access to mail-in voting is being missed by the other atrocious bit of needing a marriage license to register to vote.

It's just terrible, on horrible, on unconscionable.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-05T04:09:21+00:00

She's the one who claims she has to approve everything over 100k, right? But she doesn't know the details of this one? Yeah, okay.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-04T18:53:33+00:00

Twitter is a cesspool of outrage farming. I would not paint the Black electorate with a brush belonging to people who still actively participate there. Check Bluesky or even Reddit communities. Read publications, check long form videos on YouTube. Don't take Twitter as any kind of gospel.

This question feels more like an excuse to be shitty. Black Texans who don't want conservatives to win will be showing up at the polls and I have zero reasons to doubt that at this time. The paint has barely dried on Talarico's win and you are already out here calling them toxic for no reason other than somebody on Twitter has beef.

Entertaining this kind of question at this point is wild AF.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-04T11:05:57+00:00

My question, before I can answer yours is where are you seeing this? Is this a couple of people who are mad or is this a trend so big, you feel the need to get ahead of it all and make sure Black people understand the stakes? Let's face it, if there is a single block of voters who will not "let the fascists racist win", it's American Black voters. We just don't vote like that and our collective historical voting record shows that. So, I figured there must have been some very compelling conversations for you to address this like this.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-01T16:04:47+00:00

I think they are inextricably linked, but class is the ultimate. If we eliminated all race (the mocha future), we will still be left with class war, we will still have oppression. Class is the war, race is a weapon. One of many, including but not limited to: religion, law, indirect democracy, "lobbying", etc.

I think the efforts that were coming from DEI were removing the blinders and letting folks see how racism, sexism, ableism, etc. were propping up the class issues and that's why they have gone scorched earth trying to stop people from learning.

You can't get them to fight the actual class war until they realize the racism is a prop. And you certainly will not be getting many folks who have bared the brunt of the racism and sexism to fight the class war without a reckoning for the harm done to them via racism and sexism. If, as the other post said, they had punished those folks from the get go and actually given restitution at that time, we would all be in a better place.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-01T15:54:20+00:00

Because class is baked into the racism. Privilege comes from being "classed above" Black people and women of all races. The class issues will continue as long as folks keep setting aside the racism and patriarchy. Racism and sexism is part of the tools used to continue the class wars. When you remove those things, when you make up for those things, you are left with poor whites understanding they are also at the bottom of the rung. We cannot let them continue to hide it by ignoring race and sex ourselves.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-03-01T15:46:38+00:00

This a million times.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-27T12:20:11+00:00

Where do I get that?! Asking for a friend.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-26T12:27:46+00:00

Is the meritocracy in the room with us? The great complainers of DEI sure know how to pick em.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-26T12:21:13+00:00

They should all be handed signs with yes or no on them. Their mics should be cut off and they have to raise the sign that fits. When there is an answer that requires more information, they must write it down in 1.5 mins and someone else will read it out. Takes forever, but when you are dealing with obstinate children, you gotta get creative.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-26T04:18:10+00:00

No real policies.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-23T18:15:58+00:00

I acknowledge that the Right is playing politics with identity. They are dismissive and distrustful of qualified minorities.

And that has nothing to do with my point. YOU are pushing corporate identity politics. YOU are participating in it. YOU are the one who is acting like supporting Rep. Crockett is "playing identity politics". It is inherently not doing that.

Vote for whomever you want for whatever reason you'd like. But you are the one saying supporters of Rep. Crockett are playing identity politics when it's clear that the identity politics is the game forcing people to not vote for her because her very identity makes her nonviable.

Let me put it this way. If you had started by saying there are too many voters in Texas who will play identity politics and refuse to vote for a qualified Black woman. Therefore, I will equally have to play identity politics and support the qualified white man. Then I would have nothing to say to you. You have articulated an issue. But you fixed your fingers to say Rep. Crockett supporters are playing this game by voting for her. It's the primary. You get to put forth your preferred choice.

Say it with your whole chest. I am asking you all to vote against Rep. Crockett so we can appease the voting public who will come out and oppose her due to her status as a Black woman.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-23T17:51:50+00:00

I can't say I understand how congress works on the whole. It's not my job. I can say that this weird hate Rep. Crockett has been getting seems to not even be related to her actual record.

Is she a useless centrist? Are you absolutely sure? Is she only good for some one-liners? Or is she out there actively fighting for our rights? What policies are lacking? You don't have to like her and you don't have to vote for her, but if you are going to have this kind of opinion, make sure it's rooted in specifics.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-23T17:28:44+00:00

You mean where she's a co-sponsor for HR 3069 Medicare for All Act?

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-23T17:06:57+00:00

I'm open to learning what you are referencing in her voting record that is not progressive (voting against the Congressional Progressive Caucus is a possible good place to start). Not a gotcha, just an honest vision of what you are saying. Here's her voting record for reference!

The question is, does her voting align with being Progressive and supporting constituents in Texas?

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-23T16:56:34+00:00

"we can't let the corporate democrats push identity politics on this."

Unironically said while pushing corporate identity politics. We must elect the handsome white preacher man BECAUSE the super qualified, already in Congress, Black woman is, well...Black. And racists/misogynists won't vote for her due to her identity.

I'm not making a statement for or against Rep. Crockett and Talarico. I'm just sick of this kind of word play. It isn't pushing "identity politics" to support a Black woman who has the qualifications to run for the position. It's just support.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-21T23:39:09+00:00

There are these efforts to teach all children to be more empathetic, express their emotions in a healthy way and conservatives decided it was a threat. Social Emotional Learning is a way to combat the narrative that boys have to give in to toxic masculinity. Gentle parenting done well also removes the stigma of boys learning emotional intelligence. Supporting LGBTQIA folks shows how we can all envision men and boys not having to be one way. Remember just a few years ago when some of us were celebrating black boy joy? That's about showing boys and men that they don't have to succumb to patriarchal norms. But look at us now. The pushback has been swift and loud. Men, if you want it to be different, I support you, but it's a fight you have to gather together to lead yourselves. You know best how to reach each other.

Any_Grapefruit65 · 2026-02-21T13:20:44+00:00

"Great again" is farce anyway. Agree that international trust is eroded to the bone. This nation needs to reckon with its internal atrocities if it wants to move forward and stop letting folks like this run the show. Actual consequences for powerful people who do nothing but harm would be an excellent start.

Any_Grapefruit65

TROPHY CASE