“Plus ca change, plus c’est la même chose.”

Translation: The more it changes, the more it’s the same thing.

I heard heartbreaking stories about my Syrian grandparents from my paternal aunts and uncle.

All three spoke chillingly of ethnic cleansing.

From approximately 1914 to 1923, terrified Syrian Christians, Syrian Jews, and Armenians were forced by the Turks into hard labor, murdered, raped, robbed, starved, and if they were lucky, deported.

They were called Ottoman soldiers from the Republic of Turkey back then.

My uncle once described the horrific experiences his parents went through as the “Turkification” of Syrian border towns and villages.

Turkification gave the bad guys the license to expel, kill, and destroy anything or anyone non-Turkish.

Christians and Jews were seen as a danger to the integrity of the Ottoman Empire.

An inconvenience.

The Ottoman soldiers were systematic, and the killings were well organized and state-sponsored.

They needed to clear out their border, and so they did. The Turkish government denies that they slaughtered innocent men, women, and children, but they lie.

Hearing Trump’s words: “They had terrorists, they had a lot of people in there they couldn’t have …. and they had to have it cleaned out” gave me the chills.

The president of the United States called for northern Kurdish Syria to be “cleaned out.”

They’re at it again, I thought to myself, but this time with the assistance and blessing of my president.

When is enough enough? Have we as a country no shame? Where is the outrage? Why are we not taking to the streets?        

These were my thoughts as Trump spewed his hateful words.

According to my uncle, my Syrian grandmother was either Christian or Jewish.  She had sisters who were raped and slaughtered, although he doesn’t know how many sisters she had. She hid and somehow escaped to France as did one brother.

I still have so many questions.

Did my grandmother have more than one brother? How many sisters did she have? What happened to her parents?

My grandfather was a Syrian Christian who saw the writing on the wall.

The Turks wanted to clear Turkish soil of Christians, including the Syrian border, and he was on the run.

My grandparents were from an area called Suedeyeh in the Hatay Province, although I’m not sure of the spelling.

But what I am sure of is that Turkey eventually annexed the Hatay province and after the area was cleaned out, Suedeyeh was no longer part of Syria and renamed Samandag.

Were it not for my grandmother and grandfather’s escape to France and then to the United States; I wouldn’t exist.

I recently read that there were a lot of German officers in Turkey during the massacres of the Syrian Jews, Syrian Christians, and the Armenians, who in WWI went back to Germany.

What happened in Turkey left an indelible impression on the German officers and many of them ended up in the Nazi party.

And we all know how that ended.

Below is a recent white supremacist attack you’ll probably never hear about.

Early Wednesday morning, on August 7, a house exploded and burned to the ground in Sterling Ohio.

Officials investigating the incident found a swastika and an anti-black slur painted on the garage.

The homeowners who were thankfully not in the house at the time, are an interracial couple who lived there for 23 years.

The wife was quoted as saying: We decided that whatever happens, we’re not rebuilding here.”

To quote Trump: “We’re going to win so much, you’re going to be so sick and tired of winning.”

I decided to write this blog post for two reasons:

#1: My Republican friends are angry, and rightly so.

#2: As a MeToo I can’t tolerate stupid.

Plus, does Joe Biden think his inappropriate touching is funny?

I don’t know about any of you, but the above photo that I chose for this blog post is especially creepy. It makes my skin crawl.

First off, these two biker guys from Ohio don’t know what the heck to do.

The guy on the left is rolling his eyes at the guy on the right.

And the guy on the right, is side-eyeing the whole seedy scene, like WTF?

And secondly, is this woman married to one of these guys????

I don’t know about you, but if I were her significant other, I’d be extremely annoyed.

Extremely annoyed is putting it mildly.

I mean, back off Joe.

So, in answer to my friend Ken’s VERY valid question:

“And by the way America this picture is OK because the creepy old white guy is a Democrat where is #MeToo?”

I can’t answer for every #MeToo, but I’m here Ken, and Joe needs to back off.

But I am still going to vote for Biden because…

…well Biden vs Trump?

That’s a no brainer for me.

I would first like to say this about that:

ARE THERE NO PEEPS UNDER 70 THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DEEM QUALIFIED?

And another thing.

I wish Trump would quit.

Oh, wait. Trump can’t quit.

Because if he does, he’ll probably get indicted.

Sad.

Anyway, let’s get back to Biden.

Seriously Joe?

You see the photos.

Don’t you think they look creepy?

Do yourself a favor.

I know you’re a good guy.

And I know you mean well.

But puleeze, exercise some self-control.

AND STOP TOUCHING PEOPLE.

And don’t try to make a joke out of it.

Because inappropriate touching is not funny.

Oh, and as far as asking if it’s okay to touch someone.

You think asking and having someone say yes makes it okay?

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It doesn’t make it okay.

Because if you ask, they will probably say yes, even though they don’t mean yes and even though they really mean no.

YES IN MANY CASES MEANS NO.

To Joe:

YOU’RE POWERFUL, SO PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO SAY NO TO JOE.

Stop asking, and stop touching.

And above all, stop joking about it.

Joe,

PLEASE.

I have a lot of respect for you.

For a lot of reasons.

You’ve been a stand-up guy.

So do the right thing.

Don’t touch, and don’t joke.

“The National Rifle Association is setting aside years of documents related to its interactions with a Kremlin-linked banker, as the gun-rights group appears to be bracing for a possible investigation, according to sources familiar with the situation.” – CNN, 4/27/18

The FBI is purportedly investigating whether Alexander Torshin, a top Russian banker and ally to Vladimir Putin, illegally funneled money to the NRA to help sway the 2016 election in Trump’s favor.

Additionally, at least three congressional committees are probing Russia’s 2016 operations and have also shown an interest in Torshin, who is a lifetime NRA member and has attended several of its annual conventions.

The NRA has fought every meaningful attempt at gun reform. Now, it appears that they may have broken the law. But Republicans in Congress don’t seem to care. And neither do Trump or Pence.

Now the NRA is bracing for an investigation into possible campaign finance violations with Russia, and yet many Republicans in Congress still take their money.

This from Bloomberg News back in August 2016:

“Torshin, a leading figure in Putin’s party, has been implicated in money laundering by judicial authorities in Spain. … Spanish investigators alleged in an almost 500-page internal report that Torshin… capitalized on his government role to assist mobsters laundering funds through Spanish properties and banks.”

A summary of the report obtained by McClatchy DC Bureau linked Torshin to Russian money laundering and described him as a godfather in a Russian criminal organization known as the Taganskaya.

According to McClatchy DC Bureau in January 2018:

“FBI counterintelligence investigators have focused on the activities of …  the deputy governor of Russia’s central bank who is known for his close relationships with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the NRA, the sources said. It is illegal to use foreign money to influence federal elections. The NRA reported spending a record $55 million on the 2016 elections, including $30 million to support Trump – triple what the group devoted to backing Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential race. Most of that was money was spent by an arm of the NRA that is not required to disclose its donors.”

According to NPR in March 2018:

“A prominent Kremlin-linked Russian politician has methodically cultivated ties with leaders of the National Rifle Association and documented efforts in real time over six years to leverage those connections and gain deeper access into American politics, NPR has learned. Russian politician Alexander Torshin said his ties to the NRA provided him access to Donald Trump — and the opportunity to serve as a foreign election observer in the United States during the 2012 election.”

According to Business Insider in March 2018:

“The National Rifle Association is fielding a growing number of questions about its ties to Alexander Torshin…  who has been described as “President Putin’s emissary” in the US … said that he knew President Donald Trump through the NRA.”

According to Mother Jones in the May/June Issue 2018:

“Now attention is focused around a middle-aged Russian central bank official and a photogenic young gun activist from Siberia who share several passions: posing with assault rifles, making connections with Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates, and publicizing their travels between Moscow and America on social media. Alexander Torshin and his protégé Maria Butina also share an extraordinary status with America’s largest gun lobbying group, according to Torshin: “Today in NRA (USA) I know only 2 people from the Russian Federation with the status of ‘Life Member’: Maria Butina and I,” he tweeted the day after Donald Trump was elected president.”

We all know what happened to Maria Butina.

 

Follow the Cash and Make a Change in 2020.

I pulled this information back in February of 2018, but I still think it’s relevant.

The survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting may possibly be the most formidable foes the NRA will face.

If they want to make a difference, they need to convince other young people to vote against Members of Congress who accept money from the NRA. Young people often fail to take part in elections. Will the Parkland, Florida deaths +2 finally change that?

Until members of Congress love our children more than they hate giving up their money from the NRA, school shootings will never stop.

The NRA jumps through political loop-holes and goes to untiring lengths to defend the right to bear arms at any cost.

In the 2016 election alone, the NRA spent $11,438,118 to support Donald Trump and another $19,756,346 to oppose Hillary Clinton. That was a whopping $30 million just for Trump.

In April 2017, at the NRA’s annual convention, Trump pledged his allegiance, not to the American flag, but to the NRA, when he said this: “You came through big for me, and I am going to come through for you. The eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end.”

In total, the NRA spent $51,854,687 during the 2016 federal election cycle.

Additionally, the FBI is reportedly investigating whether the NRA helped funnel and launder money from a Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin to the Trump campaign in 2016.

No wonder the Republicans are in power.

The NRA is in constant snail and email contact with their five million members, mostly to let them know who’s good on the Second Amendment and who’s not.

If the NRA deems any candidate a threat, and/or if any candidate waivers in their support for gun rights, the NRA turns on them, uses intimidation tactics, and targets them during their election bid.

If our leaders cross the NRA, they will never forget, and reprisals will quickly follow.

But if our leaders cross the gun violence prevention movement, there are zero consequences, so it’s an easy decision for those in power who want to stay in power.

They go with the money. And they never bite the NRA hand that feeds them—no matter how many innocent Americans are massacred.

Speaking of money, the NRA stuffs its coffers from two primary sources: membership dues and outside supporters like the Koch family, Freedom Partners and Smith and Wesson.

But it’s the NRA members who bolster their agenda. They are like sheep and are wholly complicit and eagerly willing to follow NRA orders. When the NRA instructs their members to do something, they do it.

And the NRA’s expenditures for these edicts don’t need to be disclosed because they fall into the category of a membership-based group communicating with its members.

The NRA doesn’t care about the slaughtering of our children.

The NRA cares only about their power.

They want to win at any cost.

And winners they are. The NRA had a 73.3 percent success rate by candidate in 2016. They won bigly.

They are laser focused on opposing virtually every form of gun regulation, including restrictions on owning assault weapons, prohibiting people on no-fly and terrorism watch lists from purchasing guns, age restrictions, retention of databases of gun purchases, background checks on purchasers at gun shows and changes in the registration of firearms.

On December 14, 2012, deranged Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and slaughtered 20 children and six adults with an AR-15-style rifle. Since Newtown, over 100 pieces of gun legislation have failed in Congress. Not one reform has passed.

As the horrifying Florida shooting was unfolding, the NRA was on Twitter busily urging people to “Buy your loved one a gun.”

The information used for the NRA funding below was pulled from the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C., that tracks the effects of money and lobbying on elections and public policy. It maintains a public online database of its information at https://www.opensecrets.org/.

The NRA funding includes direct contributions, contributions from the NRA Political Victory Fund and NRA employees, as well as independent expenditure support.

There are a total of 535 Members of Congress. 100 serve in the U.S. Senate, and 435 serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Elections to the U.S. House of Representatives will be held on November 3, 2020.

All 435 seats will be up for election and relevant information by State and by District can be found below.

The U.S. Senate information is included as well.

Let’s follow the NRA money based on my research back on February 28, 2018.

Note: Dollar figures are career totals going back to 1989. Senator John McCain received the bulk of his donations as the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. For all Congress members, the total includes direct campaign contributions, outside money spent on behalf of candidates from the N.R.A.’s Political Action Committees, and funding from the N.R.A.’s 501(c)(4) social welfare arm.

ALABAMA

(District 1): REP. Bradley Byrne, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $9,000

(District 2): REP. Martha Roby, Republican Current age: 41 NRA Funding $14,048

(District 3): REP. Mike Rogers, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $45,850

(District 4): REP. Robert Aderholt, Republican Current age: 52 NRA Funding $73,042

(District 5): REP. Mo Brooks, Republican Current age: 63 NRA Funding $7,000

(District 6): REP. Gary Palmer, Republican Current age: 63 NRA Funding $19,450

(District 7): REP. Terri Sewell Democrat, Current age: 52 NRA Funding $0

ALABAMA SENATOR DOUG JONES, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

ALABAMA SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY, Republican, NRA Funding $259,464

# # #

ALASKA (At Large): Don Young, Republican Current age: 84 NRA Funding $246,285

ALASKA SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI, Republican, NRA Funding $141,536

ALASKA SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN, Republican, NRA Funding $565

ARIZONA

(District 1): REP. Tom O’Halleran, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Martha McSally, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $124,437

(District 3): REP. Raul Grijalva, Democrat Current age: 69 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Paul Gosar, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $22,389

(District 5) Andy Biggs, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $5,000

(District 6): David Schweikert, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $77,687

(District 7): Ruben Gallego, Democrat Current age: 38 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Trent Franks, Republican Current age: 60 NRA Funding $25,750 – Franks resigned on December 8, 2017, amid sexual allegations.

(District 9): Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat Current age: 41 NRA Funding $0

ARIZONA SENATOR JEFF FLAKE, Republican, Current age: 54 NRA Funding $365,302 – In October 2017, Flake announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018. Flake won by 48% in 2012.

ARIZONA SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN, Republican, NRA Funding $7,740,521

# # #

ARKANSAS

(District 1): Rick Crawford, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $15,235

(District 2): French Hill, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $1,089,477

(District 3): Steve Womack, Republican Current age: 60 NRA Funding $24,150

(District 4): Bruce Westerman, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $10,500

ARKANSAS SENATOR JOHN BOOZMAN, Republican, NRA Funding $82,352

ARKANSAS SENATOR TOM COTTON, Republican, NRA Funding $1,968,714 

# # #

CALIFORNIA

(District 1): Doug LaMalfa, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $13,500

(District 2): Jared Huffman, Democrat Current age: 53 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): John Garamendi, Democrat Current age: 72 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Tom McClintock, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $95,156

(District 5): Mike Thompson, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $50,379

(District 6): Doris Matsui, Democrat Current age: 73 NRA Funding $0

(District 7): Ami Bera, Democrat Current age: 52 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Paul Cook, Republican Current age: 74 NRA Funding $16,100

(District 9): Jerry McNerney, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $0

(District 10): Jeff Denham, Republican Current age: 50 NRA Funding $62,900

(District 11): Mark DeSaulnier, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $0

(District 12): Nancy Pelosi Democrat (House Minority Leader), Current age: 77 NRA Funding $0

(District 13): Barbara Lee, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

(District 14): Jackie Speier, Democrat Current age: 67 NRA Funding $0

(District 15): Eric Swalwell, Democrat Current age: 37 NRA Funding $0

(District 16): Jim Costa, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $2,900

(District 17): Ro Khanna, Democrat Current age: 41 NRA Funding $0

(District 18): Anna Eshoo, Democrat Current age: 75 NRA Funding $0

(District 19): Zoe Lofgren, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0

(District 20): Jimmy Panetta, Democrat Current age: 48 NRA Funding $0

(District 21): David Valadao, Republican Current age: 40 NRA Funding $51,428

(District 22): Devin Nunes, Republican Current age: 44 NRA Funding $37,450

(District 23): Kevin McCarthy Republican (House Majority Leader), Current age: 52 NRA Funding $86,850

(District 24): Salud Carbajal, Democrat Current age: 53 NRA Funding $0

(District 25): Steve Knight, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $13,487

(District 26): Julia Brownley, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $0

(District 27): Judy Chu, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 28): Adam Schiff, Democrat Current age: 57 NRA Funding $0

(District 29): Tony Cardenas, Democrat Current age: 54 NRA Funding $0

(District 30): Brad Sherman, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0

(District 31): Pete Aguilar, Democrat Current age: 38 NRA Funding $0

(District 32): Grace Napolitano, Democrat Current age: 81 NRA Funding $0

(District 33): Ted Lieu, Democrat Current age: 48 NRA Funding $0

(District 34):  Jimmy Gomez, Democrat Current Age: 43 NRA Funding $0

(District 35): Norma Torres, Democrat Current age: 52 NRA Funding $0

(District 36): Raul Ruiz, Democrat Current age: 45 NRA Funding $0

(District 37): Karen Bass, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 38): Linda Sanchez, Democrat Current age: 48 NRA Funding $0

(District 39): Ed Royce, Republican Current age: 66 NRA Funding $111,120 – On Jan. 8, 2018, Royce announced that he would not seek re-election.

(District 40): Lucille Roybal-Allard, Democrat Current age: 76 NRA Funding $0

(District 41): Mark Takano, Democrat Current age: 57 NRA Funding $0

(District 42): Ken Calvert, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $147,166

(District 43): Maxine Waters, Democrat Current age: 79 NRA Funding $0

(District 44): Nanette Barragan, Democrat Current age: 41 NRA Funding $0

(District 45): Mimi Walters, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $19,650

(District 46): Lou Correa, Democrat Current age: 59 NRA Funding $0

(District 47): Alan Lowenthal, Democrat Current age: 76 NRA Funding $0

(District 48): Dana Rohrabacher, Republican Current age: 70 NRA Funding $42,150

(District 49): Darrell Issa, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $54,270 – Issa announced on January 10, 2018, that he will retire at the end of his term in 2018. Issa beat his Democratic challenger, Douglas Applegate, by less than one percentage point. This seat was seen as a toss-up that could potentially go to a Democrat in 2018, even before Issa’s retirement announcement. Issa is reportedly considering running for Rep. Duncan Hunter’s seat, should the Republican decide to retire.

(District 50):  Duncan D. Hunter, Republican Current age: 41 NRA Funding $81,959

(District 51): Juan Vargas, Democrat Current age: 56 NRA Funding $0

(District 52): Scott Peters, Democrat Current age: 59 NRA Funding $0

(District 53): Susan Davis, Democrat Current age: 73 NRA Funding $0

CALIFORNIA SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN, Democrat, Current age: 83 NRA Funding $0 – Intent for 2018 unknown.  Feinstein won by 63% in 2012.

CALIFORNIA SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS, Democrat, NRA Funding $0 

# # #

COLORADO

(District 1): Diana DeGette, Democrat Current age: 60 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Jared Polis, Democrat Current age: 42 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): Scott Tipton, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $105,214

(District 4): Ken Buck, Republican Current age: 58 NRA Funding $838,315

(District 5): Doug Lamborn, Republican Current age: 63 NRA Funding $45,440

(District 6): Mike Coffman, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $112,054

(District 7): Ed Perlmutter, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

COLORADO SENATOR MICHAEL BENNET, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

COLORADO SENATOR CORY GARDNER, Republican, NRA Funding $3,879,064 

# # #

CONNECTICUT

(District 1): John B. Larson, Democrat Current age: 69 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Joe Courtney, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): Rosa DeLauro, Democrat Current age: 74 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Jim Hines, Democrat Current age: 51 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Elizabeth Esty, Democrat Current age: 58 NRA Funding $0

CONNECTICUT SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

CONNECTICUT SENATOR CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, Democrat, Current age: 43 NRA Funding $0 – Murphy is running in 2018.  Murphy won by 55% in 2012.

# # #

DELAWARE (At Large): Lisa Blunt Rochester, Democrat Current age: 55 NRA Funding $0

DELAWARE SENATOR THOMAS CARPER, Democrat, Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0 – His intent for 2018 is unknown. Carper won by 66% in 2012.

DELAWARE SENATOR CHRISTOPHER COONS, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

FLORIDA

(District 1): Matt Gaetz, Republican Current age: 35 NRA Funding $3,000

(District 2): Neal Dunn, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $6,000

(District 3): Ted Yoho, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $16,410

(District 4): John Rutherford, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $3,200

(District 5): Al Lawson, Democrat Current age: 69 NRA Funding $2,500

(District 6): Ron DeSantis, Republican Current age: 39 NRA Funding $27,529 – (DeSantis officially launched his bid for governor in January 2018.)

(District 7): Stephanie Murphy, Democrat Current age: 39 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Bill Posey, Republican Current age: 70 NRA Funding $16,800

(District 9): Darren Soto, Democrat Current age: 39 NRA Funding $0

(District 10): Val Demings, Democrat Current age: 60 NRA Funding $0

(District 11): Daniel Webster, Republican Current age: 68 NRA Funding $37,788

(District 12): Gus Bilirakis, Republican Current age: 54 NRA Funding $24,150

(District 13): Charlie Crist, Democrat Current age: 61 NRA Funding $12,900

(District 14): Kathy Castor, Democrat current age: 51 NRA Funding $0

(District 15): Dennis Ross, Republican Current age: 58 NRA Funding $35,250

(District 16): Vern Buchanan, Republican Current age: 66 NRA Funding $21,037

(District 17): Tom Rooney, Republican Current age: 47 NRA Funding $29,232  – Rooney is not seeking reelection. Rooney was reportedly deeply affected by the shooting at a practice for the Congressional Baseball Game in June 2017.

(District 18): Brian Mast, Republican Current age: 36 NRA Funding $32,519

(District 19): Francis Rooney, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 20): Alcee Hastings, Democrat Current age: 81 NRA Funding $10,900

(District 21): Ted Deutch, Democrat Current age: 51 NRA Funding $0

(District 22): Lois Frankel, Democrat Current age: 69 NRA Funding $0

(District 23): Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democrat Current age: 51 NRA Funding $0

(District 24): Frederica Wilson, Democrat Current age: 75 NRA Funding $0

(District 25): Mario Diaz-Balart, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $37,450

(District 26): Carlos Curbelo, Republican Current age: 37 NRA Funding $20,150

(District 27): Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $2,000 – (Ross announced on April 30, 2017, that she would not seek re-election.)

FLORIDA SENATOR BILL NELSON, Democrat, Current Age: 74 NRA Funding $0 – Nelson is running in 2018. Nelson won by 55% in 2012.

FLORIDA SENATOR MARCO RUBIO, Republican, NRA Funding $3,303,355

# # #

GEORGIA

Georgia (District 1): Buddy Carter, Republican Current age: 60 NRA Funding $12,300

(District 2): Sanford Bishop, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $58,815

Georgia (District 3): Drew Ferguson, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $3,250

(District 4): Hank Johnson, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): John Lewis, Democrat Current age: 77 NRA Funding $0

Georgia (District 6): Karen Handel, Republican Current Age: 56 NRA Funding $24,997

Georgia (District 7): Rob Woodall, Republican Current age: 47 NRA Funding $4,000

Georgia (District 8): Austin Scott, Republican Current age: 48 NRA Funding $26,586

Georgia (District 9): Doug Collins, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $11,140

Georgia (District 10): Jody Hice, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $25,967

Georgia (District 11): Barry Loudermilk, Republican Current age: 54 NRA Funding $19,900

Georgia (District 12): Rick W. Allen, Republican Current age: 66 NRA Funding $4,000

(District 13): David Scott, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

Georgia (District 14): Tom Graves, Republican Current age: 47 NRA Funding $36,150

GEORGIA SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON, Republican, NRA Funding $130,809

GEORGIA SENATOR DAVID PERDUE, Republican, NRA Funding $1,825,006

# # #

HAWAII

(District 1): Colleen Hanabusa, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Tulsi Gabbard, Democrat Current age: 36 NRA Funding $0

HAWAII SENATOR MAZIE HIRONO, Democrat, Current age: 69 NRA Funding $0 – Running in 2018. Hirono won by 63% in 2012.

HAWAII SENATOR BRIAN SCHATZ, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

IDAHO

(District 1): Raul Labrador, Republican Current age: 50 NRA Funding $21,550 – Labrador announced in 2017 that he would finish out his current term but then run for governor of Idaho in 2018. Labrador is a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus.

(District 2): Mike Simpson, Republican Current age: 67 NRA Funding $385,731

IDAHO SENATOR MIKE CRAPO, Republican, NRA Funding $81,840

IDAHO SENATOR JAMES RISCH, Republican, NRA Funding $18,850

# # #

ILLINOIS

(District 1): Bobby Rush, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Robin Kelly, Democrat Current age: 61 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): Dan Lipinski, Democrat Current age: 51 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Luis Gutierrez, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Mike Quigley, Democrat Current age: 58 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): Peter Roskam, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $48,200

(District 7): Danny K. Davis, Democrat Current age: 76 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democrat Current age: 44 NRA Funding $0

(District 9): Jan Schakowsky, Democrat Current age: 73 NRA Funding $0

(District 10): Brad Schneider, Democrat Current age: 56 NRA Funding $0

(District 11): Bill Foster, Democrat Current age: 62 NRA Funding $0

(District 12): Mike Bost, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $22,906

(District 13): Rodney Davis, Republican Current age: 47 NRA Funding $45,269

(District 14): Randy Hultgren, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $17,000

(District 15): John Shimkus, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $59,304

(District 16): Adam Kinzinger, Republican Current age: 39 NRA Funding $19,800

(District 17): Cheri Bustos, Democrat Current age: 56 NRA Funding $0

(District 18): Darin LaHood, Republican Current age: 49 NRA Funding $17,990

ILLINOIS SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

ILLINOIS SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

INDIANA

(District 1): Pete Visclosky, Democrat Current age: 68 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Jackie Walorski, Republican Current age: 54 NRA Funding $22,903

(District 3): Jim Banks, Republican Current age: 38 NRA Funding $18,218

(District 4): Todd Rokita, Republican Current age: 47 NRA Funding $13,250

(District 5): Susan Brooks, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $12,600

(District 6): Luke Messer, Republican Current age: 48 NRA Funding $32,300

(District 7): Andre Carson, Democrat Current age: 43 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Larry Bucshon, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $15,250

(District 9): Trey Hollingsworth, Republican Current age: 34 NRA Funding $5,000

INDIANA SENATOR JOE DONNELLY, Democrat, Current Age: 61 NRA Funding $22,400 – Donnelly is running in 2018. Donnelly won by 50% in 2012.

INDIANA SENATOR TODD YOUNG, Republican, NRA Funding $2,896,732

# # #

IOWA

Iowa (District 1): Rod Blum, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $45,279

(District 2): Dave Loebsack, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $0

Iowa (District 3): David Young, Republican Current age: 49 NRA Funding $707,662

Iowa (District 4): Steve King, Republican Current age: 68 NRA Funding $63,404

IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST, Republican, NRA Funding $3,124,273

IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY, Republican, NRA Funding $235,907

# # #

KANSAS

(District 1): Roger Marshall, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $4,500

(District 2): Lynn Jenkins, Republican Current age: 54 NRA Funding $30,000 – (Jenkins announced on Jan. 25, 2017, that she would not seek re-election.)

(District 3): Kevin Yoder, Republican Current age: 41 NRA Funding $80,950

(District 4): Ron Estes, Republican Current Age: 61 NRA Funding $6,979

KANSAS SENATOR JERRY MORAN, Republican, NRA Funding $54,250

KANSAS SENATOR PAT ROBERTS, Republican, NRA Funding $1,584,153

# # #

KENTUCKY

(District 1): James Comer, Republican Current age: 45 NRA Funding $11,192

(District 2): Brett Guthrie, Republican Current age: 53 NRA Funding $16,500

(District 3): John Yarmuth, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Thomas Massie, Republican Current age: 46 NRA Funding $27,317

(District 5): Hal Rogers, Republican Current age: 80 NRA Funding $73,100

(District 6): Andy Barr, Republican Current age: 44 NRA Funding $14,874

KENTUCKY SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL, Republican, NRA Funding $1,261,874

KENTUCKY SENATOR RAND PAUL, Republican, NRA Funding $104,456

# # #

LOUISIANA

(District 1): Steve Scalise, Republican Current age: 52 NRA Funding $59,177

(District 2): Cedric Richmond, Democrat Current age: 44 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): Clay Higgins, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $3,500

(District 4): Mike Johnson, Republican Current age: 45 NRA Funding $7,223

(District 5): Ralph Abraham, Republican Current age: 63 NRA Funding $7,500

(District 6): Garret Graves, Republican Current age: 45 NRA Funding $14,400

LOUISIANA SENATOR BILL CASSIDY, Republican, NRA Funding $2,861,047

LOUISIANA SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY, Republican, NRA Funding $215,788

# # #

MAINE

(District 1): Chellie Pingree, Democrat Current age: 62 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Bruce Poliquin, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $201,398

MAINE SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS, Republican, NRA Funding $0

MAINE SENATOR ANGUS KING, Independent, Current age: 72 NRA Funding $0 – King is running in 2018. King won by 53% in 2012.

# # #

MARYLAND

(District 1): Andy Harris, Republican Current age: 60 NRA Funding $53,297

(District 2): Dutch Ruppersberger, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): John Sarbanes, Democrat Current age: 55 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Anthony G. Brown, Democrat Current age: 56 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Steny Hoyer, Democrat Current age: 78 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): John Delaney, Democrat Current age: 54 NRA Funding $0

(District 7): Elijah Cummings, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Jamie Raskin, Democrat Current age: 55 NRA Funding $0

MARYLAND SENATOR BENJAMIN CARDIN, Democrat Current age: 73 NRA Funding $0 – Intent for 2018 is unknown.  Cardin won by 56% in 2012.

MARYLAND SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

MASSACHUSETTS

(District 1): Richard Neal, Democrat Current age: 68 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Jim McGovern, Democrat Current age: 58 NRA Funding $0

(District 3) Niki Tsongas, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Joe Kennedy, Democrat Current age: 37 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Katherine Clark, Democrat Current age: 54 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): Seth Moulton, Democrat Current age: 39 NRA Funding $0

(District 7): Mike Capuano, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Stephen F. Lynch, Democrat Current age: 62 NRA Funding $0

(District 9): Bill Keating, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $0

MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR EDWARD MARKEY, Democrat NRA Funding $0

MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN, Democrat Current age: 67 NRA Funding $0 – Warren is running in 2018. Warren won by 54% in 2012.

# # #

MICHIGAN

(District 1): Jack Bergman, Republican Current age: 70 NRA Funding $11,400

(District 2): Bill Huizenga, Republican Current age: 48 NRA Funding $30,250

(District 3): Justin Amash, Republican Current age: 37 NRA Funding $17,046

(District 4): John Moolenaar, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $10,554

(District 5): Dan Kildee, Democrat Current age: 59 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): Fred Upton, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $15,500

(District 7): Tim Walberg, Republican Current age: 66 NRA Funding $96,138

(District 8): Mike Bishop, Republican Current age: 50 NRA Funding $10,082

(District 9): Sander Levin, Democrat Current age: 86 NRA Funding $0

(District 10): Paul Mitchell, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $4,000

(District 11): David Trott, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $7,100 – Trott announced on Sept. 11, 2017, that he would not seek re-election. His district is Republican-leaning, but it has been recently reported that a Democrat could flip the seat.

(District 12): Debbie Dingell, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 13): John Conyers, Democrat Current age: 88 NRA Funding $0 – Conyers stepped down in December 2017 after multiple former aides accused him of sexual misconduct. His seat will remain open until November 2018.

(District 14): Brenda Lawrence, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0

MICHIGAN SENATOR GARY PETERS, Democrat NRA Funding $0

MICHIGAN SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $0– Intent for 2018 unknown. Stabenow won by 59% in 2012.

# # #

MINNESOTA

(District 1): Tim Walz, Democrat Current age: 53 NRA Funding $27,950

(District 2): Jason Lewis, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $7,950

(District 3): Erik Paulsen, Republican Current age: 52 NRA Funding $63,700

(District 4): Betty McCollum, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Keith Ellison, Democrat Current age: 54 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): Tom Emmer, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $5,877

(District 7): Collin Peterson, Democrat Current age: 73 NRA Funding $98,500

(District 8): Rick Nolan, Democrat Current age: 74 NRA Funding $0

MINNESOTA SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR, Democrat Current age: 56 NRA Funding $0 – Klobuchar is running in 2018. Klobuchar won by 65% in 2012.

MINNESOTA SENATOR TINA SMITH, Democrat, Current age: 59 NRA Funding $0

# # #

MISSISSIPPI

(District 1): Trent Kelly, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $8,750

(District 2): Bennie Thompson, Democrat Current age: 69 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): Gregg Harper, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $18,650 – In January 2108 Harper announced that he would not seek re-election at the end of his term.

(District 4): Steven Palazzo, Republican Current age: 47 NRA Funding $21,901

MISSISSIPPI SENATOR THAD COCHRAN, Republican Current age: 80  NRA Funding $65,833  —  In March 2018 Cochran announced his resignation effective April 1 due to ill health, resulting in his seat being on the ballot this fall.

MISSISSIPPI SENATOR ROGER WICKER, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $89,406 – Wicker is running for re-election in 2018. Wicker won by 57% in 2012.

# # #

MISSOURI

(District 1): William Clay, Democrat Current age: 61 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Ann Wagner, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $15,150

(District 3): Blaine Luetkemeyer, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $39,375

(District 4): Vicky Hartzler, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $63,555

(District 5): Emanuel Cleaver, Democrat Current age: 73 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): Sam Graves, Republican Current age: 54 NRA Funding $97,394

(District 7): Billy Long, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $31,874

(District 8): Jason T. Smith, Republican Current age: 37 NRA Funding $6500

MISSOURI SENATOR ROY BLUNT, Republican, NRA Funding $4,551,146

MISSOURI SENATOR CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0 – McCaskill is running in 2018. McCaskill won by 55% in 2012.

# # #

MONTANA (At Large): Greg Gianforte, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $344,630

MONTANA SENATOR STEVE DAINES, Republican, NRA Funding $85,432

MONTANA SENATOR JON TESTER, Democrat Current age: 60 NRA Funding $0 – Tester is running in 2018. Tester won by 49% in 2012.

# # #

NEBRASKA

(District 1): Jeff Fortenberry, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $32,450

(District 2): Don Bacon, Republican Current age: 54 NRA Funding $22,700

(District 3): Adrian Smith, Republican Current age: 47 NRA Funding $59,495

NEBRASKA SENATOR DEB FISCHER, Republican, Current Age: 65 NRA Funding $14,309 – Intent for 2018 unknown. Fischer won by 56% in 2012.

NEBRASKA SENATOR BEN SASSE, Republican NRA Funding $68,623

# # #

NEVADA

(District 1): Dina Titus, Democrat Current age: 67 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Mark Amodei, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $44,265

(District 3): Jacky Rosen, Democrat Current age: 60 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Ruben Kihuen, Democrat Current age: 37 NRA Funding $0

NEVADA SENATOR CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

NEVADA SENATOR DEAN HELLER, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $112,315 – Heller is running in 2018. Heller won by 46% in 2012.

# # #

NEW HAMPSHIRE

(District 1): Carol Shea-Porter, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Ann McLane Kuster, Democrat Current age: 61 NRA Funding $0

NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATOR MARGARET WOOD HASSAN, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

NEW JERSEY

(District 1): Donald Norcross, Democrat Current age: 59 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Frank LoBiondo, Republican Current age: 71 NRA Funding $6,400 – (LoBiondo will retire from Congress at the end of his term.)

(District 3): Tom MacArthur, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $7,280

(District 4): Chris Smith, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Josh Gottheimer, Democrat Current age: 42 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): Frank Pallone, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $0

(District 7): Leonard Lance, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $1,000

(District 8): Albio Sires, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $0

(District 9): Bill Pascrell, Democrat Current age: 80 NRA Funding $0

(District 10): Donald Payne, Jr., Democrat Current age: 59 NRA Funding $0

(District 11): Rodney Frelinghuysen, Republican Current age: 71 NRA Funding $11,400 – Frelinghuysen is retiring at the end of his term.

(District 12): Bonnie Watson Coleman, Democrat Current age: 72 NRA Funding $0

NEW JERSEY SENATOR CORY BOOKER, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

NEW JERSEY SENATOR ROBERT MENENDEZ, Democrat, Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0 – Intent for 2018 is unknown. Menendez won by 59% in 2012. Menendez will not face a new bribery and corruption trial after a federal judge declared a mistrial in the case in November 2017.

# # #

NEW MEXICO

(District 1): Michelle Lujan Grisham, Democrat Current age: 58 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Steve Pearce, Republican Current age: 70 NRA Funding $129,250 – Pearce announced that would run for governor of his state instead of re-election.

(District 3): Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat Current age: 45 NRA Funding $5,500

NEW MEXICO SENATOR MARTIN HEINRICH, Democrat, Current age: 45 NRA Funding $6,500 – Heinrich is running in 2018. Heinrich won by 51% in 2012.

NEW MEXICO SENATOR TOM UDALL, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

NEW YORK

(District 1): Lee Zeldin, Republican Current age: 37 NRA Funding $56,281

(District 2): Peter King, Republican Current age: 73 NRA Funding $9,900

(District 3): Thomas Suozzi, Current age: 55 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Kathleen Rice, Democrat Current age: 52 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Gregory Meeks, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): Grace Meng, Democrat Current age: 42 NRA Funding $0

(District 7): Nydia Velazquez, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat Current age: 47 NRA Funding $0

(District 9): Yvette Clarke, Democrat Current age: 53 NRA Funding $0

(District 10): Jerrold Nadler, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0

(District 11): Daniel Donovan, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $0

(District 12): Carolyn Maloney, Democrat Current age: 69 NRA Funding $0

(District 13): Adriano Espaillat, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0

(District 14): Joseph Crowley, Democrat Current age: 55 NRA Funding $0

(District 15): Jose Serrano, Democrat Current age: 74 NRA Funding $0

(District 16): Eliot Engel, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0

(District 17): Nita Lowey, Democrat Current age: 80 NRA Funding $0

(District 18): Sean Patrick Maloney, Democrat Current age: 51 NRA Funding $0

(District 19): John Faso, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $44,939

(District 20): Paul Tonko, Democrat Current age: 68 NRA Funding $0

(District 21): Elise Stefanik, Republican Current age: 33 NRA Funding $21,736

(District 22): Claudia Tenney, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $46,529

(District 23): Tom Reed, Republican Current age: 46 NRA Funding $34,575

(District 24): John Katko, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $46,001

(District 25): Louise Slaughter, Democrat Current age: 88 NRA Funding $0

(District 26): Brian Higgins, Democrat Current age: 58 NRA Funding $6,000

(District 27): Chris Collins, Republican Current age: 67 NRA Funding $8,400

NEW YORK SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, Democrat, Current age: 50 NRA Funding $0 – Gillibrand is running in 2018. Gillibrand won by 72% in 2012.

NEW YORK SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

NORTH CAROLINA

(District 1): G.K. Butterfield, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): George Holding, Republican Current age: 49 NRA Funding $20,450

(District 3): Walter Jones, Republican Current age: 74 NRA Funding $0 NRA Funding $59,900

(District 4): David Price, Democrat Current age: 77 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Virginia Foxx, Republican Current age: 74 NRA Funding $33,150

(District 6): Mark Walker, Republican Current age: 48 NRA Funding $8,000

(District 7): David Rouzer, Republican Current age: 45 NRA Funding $15,000

(District 8): Richard Hudson, Republican Current age: 46 NRA Funding $26,500

(District 9): Robert Pittenger, Republican Current age: 69 NRA Funding $16,150

(District 10): Patrick McHenry, Republican Current age: 42 NRA Funding $57,381

(District 11): Mark Meadows, Republican Current age: 58 NRA Funding $10,900

(District 12): Alma Adams, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

(District 13): Ted Budd, Republican Current age: 46 NRA Funding $16,900

NORTH CAROLINA SENATOR RICHARD BURR, Republican, NRA Funding $6,986,931

NORTH CAROLINA SENATOR THOM TILLIS, Republican, NRA Funding $4,418,012

# # #

NORTH DAKOTA (At Large): Kevin Cramer, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $35,424

NORTH DAKOTA SENATOR HEIDI HEITKAMP, Democrat, Current age: 61 NRA Funding $0 – Intent for 2018 unknown. Heitkamp won by 50% in 2012.

NORTH DAKOTA SENATOR JOHN HOEVEN, Republican, NRA Funding $21,050

# # #

OHIO

(District 1): Steve Chabot, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $113,689

(District 2): Brad Wenstrup, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $12,400

(District 3): Joyce Beatty, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Jim Jordan, Republican Current age: 53 NRA Funding $36,550

(District 5): Bob Latta, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $55,074

(District 6): Bill Johnson, Republican Current age: 63 NRA Funding $58,985

(District 7): Bob Gibbs, Republican Current age: 63 NRA Funding $24,550

(District 8): Warren Davidson, Republican Current age: 47 NRA Funding $5,850

(District 9): Marcy Kaptur, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

(District 10): Mike Turner, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $32,342

(District 11): Marcia Fudge, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $0

(District 12): Pat Tiberi, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $58,100 – Tiberi resigned from Congress on Jan. 15, 2018.

(District 13): Tim Ryan, Democrat Current age: 44 NRA Funding $28,001

(District 14): David Joyce, Republican Current age: 60 NRA Funding $47,840

(District 15): Steve Stivers, Republican Current age: 52 NRA Funding $70,402

(District 16): Jim Renacci, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $45,656

OHIO SENATOR SHERROD BROWN, Democrat, Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0 – Brown is running in 2018. Brown won by 51% in 2012. (The NRA spent $1,076,957 to try to defeat Brown.)

OHIO SENATOR ROB PORTMAN, Republican, NRA Funding $3,061,941

# # #

OKLAHOMA

(District 1):  Jim Bridenstine, Republican Current age: 42 NRA Funding $8,000

(District 2): Markwayne Mullin, Republican Current age: 40 NRA Funding $35,850

(District 3): Frank Lucas, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $73,324

(District 4): Tom Cole, Republican Current age: 68 NRA Funding $38,100

(District 5): Steve Russell, Republican Current age: 54 NRA Funding $21,430

OKLAHOMA SENATOR JAMES INHOFE, Republican, NRA Funding $121,100 

OKLAHOMA SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD, Republican, NRA Funding $49,625

# # #

OREGON

(District 1): Suzanne Bonamici, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0

(District 2) Greg Walden, Republican Current age: 60 NRA Funding $93,400

(District 3) Earl Blumenauer, Democrat Current age: 69 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Peter DeFazio, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Kurt Schrader, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $7,500

OREGON SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY, Democrat, NRA Funding $0 

OREGON SENATOR RON WYDEN, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

PENNSYLVANIA

(District 1): Bob Brady, Democrat Current age: 72 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Dwight Evans, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): Mike Kelly, Republican Current age: 69 NRA Funding $32,109

(District 4): Scott Perry, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $13,250

(District 5): Glenn Thompson, Republican Current age: 58 NRA Funding $35,436

(District 6): Ryan Costello, Republican Current age: 41 NRA Funding $9,900

(District 7): Pat Meehan, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $14,850 – In a letter to his campaign chairman on Jan. 25, 2018, Meehan reportedly said he would not be seeking re-election. His decision was reportedly made following reports that he allegedly used taxpayer money to fund a settlement to a former aide who claimed she was sexually harassed by him.

(District 8): Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican Current age: 44 NRA Funding $0

(District 9): Bill Shuster, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $82,150 – Shuster announced on Jan. 2, 2017 that he would not seek re-election in 2018.

(District 10): Tom Marino, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $26,025

(District 11): Lou Barletta, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $19,906

(District 12): Keith Rothfus, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $14,400

(District 13): Brendan F. Boyle, Democrat Current age: 40 NRA Funding $0

(District 14): Michael Doyle, Democrat Current age: 64 NRA Funding $0

(District 15): Charlie Dent, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $33,600 – Dent said on Sept. 7, 2017, that he would not seek re-election.

(District 16): Lloyd Smucker, Republican Current age: 53 NRA Funding $222,736

(District 17): Matt Cartwright, Democrat Current age: 56 NRA Funding $0

(District 18): Timothy F. Murphy, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $49,500 – In October 2017 Murphy announced that he would resign his position in Congress following news reports that the staunchly anti-abortion lawmaker, had an affair and asked his mistress to get an abortion when they believed she was pregnant.

PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR ROBERT CASEY, Democrat, Current age: 56 NRA Funding $0 – Casey is running in 2018. Casey won by 54% in 2012.

PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR PATRICK TOOMEY, Republican, NRA Funding $1,467,821

# # #

RHODE ISLAND

(District 1): David Cicilline, Democrat Current age: 56

(District 2): Jim Langevin, Democrat Current age: 53

RHODE ISLAND SENATOR JACK REED, Democrat, NRA Funding $0 

RHODE ISLAND SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Democrat, Current age: 61 NRA Funding $0 – Whitehouse is running in 2018. Whitehouse won by 64% in 2012.

# # #

SOUTH CAROLINA

(District 1): Mark Sanford, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $18,860

(District 2): Joe Wilson, Republican Current age: 70 NRA Funding $48,839

(District 3): Jeff Duncan, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $36,750

(District 4): Trey Gowdy, Republican Current age: 53 NRA Funding $28,750 – Gowdy announced in January 2018 that he would not seek re-election.

(District 5): Ralph Norman, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $10,029

(District 6): Jim Clyburn, Democrat Current age: 77 NRA Funding $9,900

(District 7): Tom Rice, Republican Current age: 60 NRA Funding $16,500

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, Republican, NRA Funding $95,366 

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR TIM SCOTT, Republican, NRA Funding $37,900

# # #

SOUTH DAKOTA (At Large): Kristi Noem, Republican Current age: 46 NRA Funding $41,235 –  Instead of seeking re-election in 2018, Noem announced in November 2016 that she would run for governor instead.

SOUTH DAKOTA SENATOR MIKE ROUNDS, Republican, NRA Funding $89,433 

SOUTH DAKOTA SENATOR JOHN THUNE, Republican, NRA Funding $632,486

# # #

TENNESSEE

(District 1): Phil Roe, Republican Current age: 72 NRA Funding $0

(District 2): Jimmy Duncan, Republican Current age: 70 NRA Funding $24,201 – Duncan announced in July 2017 that he would not seek re-election. Duncan’s sister, state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, could launch a bid for his empty seat.

(District 3): Chuck Fleischmann, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $19,200

(District 4): Scott DesJarlais, Republican Current age: 53 NRA Funding $32,050

(District 5): Jim Cooper, Democrat Current age: 63 NRA Funding $0

(District 6): Diane Black, Republican Current age: 66 NRA Funding $23,875 – In August 2017 Black announced that she was going to run for governor in her state.

(District 7): Marsha Blackburn, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $62,550

(District 8): David Kustoff, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $5,000

(District 9): Steve Cohen, Democrat Current age: 68 NRA Funding $0

TENNESSEE SENATOR LAMAR ALEXANDER, Republican, NRA Funding $25,293 

TENNESSEE SENATOR BOB CORKER, Republican, Current age: 64 NRA Funding $79,203 – Corker announced On September 27, 2017, that he would retire. Corker won by 65% in 2012.

# # #

TEXAS

(District 1): Louie Gohmert, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $39,105

(District 2): Ted Poe, Republican Current age: 69 NRA Funding $36,041 – In a Twitter message on Nov. 7, 2017, Poe announced that he will not seek re-election.

(District 3): Sam Johnson, Republican Current age: 87 NRA Funding $46,450 – Johnson announced his retirement on Jan. 6, 2017.

(District 4): John Ratcliffe, Republican Current age: 52 NRA Funding $6,500

(District 5): Jeb Hensarling, Republican Current age: 60 NRA Funding $64,700 – In October 2017 Hansarling announced that he will not run for re-election in 2018.

(District 6): Joe Barton, Republican Current age: 68 NRA Funding $86,698  – Barton announced on Nov. 30, 2017, that he was retiring from Congress after a nude photo of him surfaced on social media.

(District 7): John Culberson, Republican Current age: 61 NRA Funding $69,250

(District 8): Kevin Brady, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $34,050

(District 9): Al Green, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0

(District 10): Michael McCaul, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $76,050

(District 11): Mike Conaway, Republican Current age: 69 NRA Funding $54,200

(District 12): Kay Granger, Republican Current age: 74 NRA Funding $48,400

(District 13): Mac Thornberry, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $70,000

(District 14): Randy Weber, Republican Current age: 64 NRA Funding $16,650

(District 15): Vicente Gonzalez, Democrat Current age: 50 NRA Funding $0

(District 16): Beto O’Rourke, Democrat Current age: 45 NRA Funding $0

(District 17): Bill Flores, Republican Current age: 63 NRA Funding $39,500

(District 18): Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat Current age: 67 NRA Funding $0

(District 19): Jodey Arrington, Republican Current age: 45 NRA Funding $9,000

(District 20): Joaquin Castro, Democrat Current age: 43 NRA Funding $0

(District 21): Lamar S. Smith, Republican Current age: 70 NRA Funding $41,014 – In November 2017 Smith announced that he would retire from Congress at the end of his term.

(District 22): Pete Olson, Republican Current age: 55 NRA Funding $41,700

(District 23): Will Hurd, Republican Current age: 40 NRA Funding $59,950

(District 24): Kenny Marchant, Republican Current age: 66 NRA Funding $25,050

(District 25): Roger Williams, Republican Current age: 68 NRA Funding $28,700

(District 26): Michael Burgess, Republican Current age: 67 NRA Funding $24,450

(District 27): Blake Farenthold, Republican Current age: 56 NRA Funding $32,850 – Farenthold said he won’t run for re-election after multiple accusations of sexual harassment, misconduct, and inappropriate behavior surfaced in December 2017

(District 28): Henry Cuellar, Democrat Current age: 62 NRA Funding $40,549

(District 29): Gene Green, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $52,250

(District 30): Eddie Johnson, Democrat Current age: 82 NRA Funding $0

(District 31): John Carter, Republican Current age: 76 NRA Funding $54,200

(District 32): Pete Sessions, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $158,111

(District 33): Marc Veasey, Democrat Current age: 46 NRA Funding $0

(District 34): Filemon Vela, Jr., Democrat Current age: 54 NRA Funding $0

(District 35): Lloyd Doggett, Democrat Current age: 71 NRA Funding $0

(District 36): Brian Babin, Republican Current age: 69 NRA Funding $17,700

TEXAS SENATOR JOHN CORNYN, Republican, NRA Funding $71,995 

TEXAS SENATOR TED CRUZ, Republican, Current age: 46 NRA Funding $360,727 – Cruz is running in 2018. Cruz won by 57% in 2012.

# # #

UTAH

(District 1): Rob Bishop, Republican Current age: 66 NRA Funding $55,700

(District 2): Chris Stewart, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $18,500

(District 3): John Curtis, Republican Current age: 50 NRA Funding $1,000

(District 4): Mia Love, Republican Current age: 42 NRA Funding $93,119

UTAH SENATOR ORRIN HATCH, Republican, Current age: 82 NRA Funding $140,748 – Hatch announced on Jan. 2, 2018 that he would not seek re-election at the end of his term. Hatch’s decision was largely viewed as a path for Mitt Romney to run for the open seat. Hatch won by 65% in 2012.

UTAH SENATOR MIKE LEE, Republican, NRA Funding $8,291 

# # #

VERMONT (At Large): Peter Welch, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $1,000

VERMONT SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY, Democrat, NRA Funding $0 

VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, Independent, Current age: 75 NRA Funding $0

# # #

VIRGINIA

(District 1): Rob Wittman, Republican Current age: 58 NRA Funding $28,150

(District 2): Scott Taylor, Republican Current age: 38 NRA Funding $8,250

(District 5): Thomas Garrett, Jr., Republican Current age: 45 NRA Funding $7,174

(District 6): Bob Goodlatte, Republican Current age: 65 NRA Funding $136,424 – Goodlatte announced on Nov. 9, 2017, that he would not seek re-election

(District 7): Dave Brat, Republican Current age: 53 NRA Funding $19,889

(District 9): Morgan Griffith, Republican Current age: 59 NRA Funding $32,936

(District 10): Barbara Comstock, Republican Current age: 58 NRA Funding $137,232

(District 3): Robert Scott, Democrat Current age: 70 NRA Funding $0

(District 4): Donald McEachin, Democrat Current age: 56 NRA Funding $0

(District 8): Don Beyer, Democrat Current age: 67 NRA Funding $0

(District 11): Gerry Connolly, Democrat Current age: 67 NRA Funding $0

VIRGINIA SENATOR TIM KAINE, Democrat, Current age: 58 NRA Funding $0 – Kaine is running in 2018. Kaine won by 53% in 2012.

VIRGINIA SENATOR MARK WARNER, Democrat, NRA Funding $0

# # #

WASHINGTON

(District 1): Suzan DelBene, Democrat Current age: 54 NRA Funding $0

Washington (District 2): Rick Larsen, Democrat Current age: 52 NRA Funding $0

Washington (District 3): Jaime Herrera Beutler, Republican Current age: 39 NRA Funding $95,298

Washington (District 4): Dan Newhouse, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $7,250

Washington (District 5): Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republican Current age: 48 NRA Funding $54,125

Washington (District 6): Derek Kilmer, Democrat Current age: 43 NRA Funding $0

Washington (District 7): Pramila Jayapal, Democrat Current age: 52 NRA Funding $0

Washington (District 8): Dave Reichert, Republican Current age: 67 NRA Funding $20,200 – In September 2017 Reichert said he would not seek re-election. His district was already being targeted by Democrats in 2018. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the area in the 2016 election.

Washington (District 9): Adam Smith, Democrat Current age: 52 NRA Funding $0

Washington (District 10): Dennis Heck, Democrat Current age: 65 NRA Funding $0

WASHINGTON SENATOR MARIA CANTWELL, Democrat Current age: 58 NRA Funding $0 – Intent for 2018 unknown. Cantwell won by 61% in 2012.

WASHINGTON SENATOR PATTY MURRAY, Democrat, NRA Funding $0 

# # #

WEST VIRGINIA

(District 1): David McKinley, Republican Current age: 70 NRA Funding $19,800

(District 2): Alex Mooney, Republican Current age: 46 NRA Funding $33,700

(District 3): Evan Jenkins, Republican Current age: 57 NRA Funding $5,250

WEST VIRGINIA SENATOR SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, Republican, NRA Funding $112,992  

WEST VIRGINIA SENATOR JOE MANCHIN, Democrat, Current age: 69 NRA Funding $0  – Manchin is running in 2018. Manchin won by 61% in 2012.

# # #

WISCONSIN

(District 1): Paul Ryan Republican (Speaker of the House) Current age: 47 NRA Funding $345,489

(District 2): Mark Pocan, Democrat Current age: 53 NRA Funding $0

(District 3): Ron Kind, Democrat Current age: 54 NRA Funding $38,982

(District 4): Gwen Moore, Democrat Current age: 66 NRA Funding $0

(District 5): Jim Sensenbrenner, Republican Current age: 74 NRA Funding $29,950

(District 6): Glenn Grothman, Republican Current age: 62 NRA Funding $16,850

(District 7): Sean Duffy, Republican Current age: 46 NRA Funding $65,505

(District 8): Mike Gallagher, Republican Current age: 33 NRA Funding $40,262

WISCONSIN SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN, Democrat, Current age: 54 NRA Funding $0 – Baldwin is running in 2018. Baldwin won by 51% in 2012.

WISCONSIN SENATOR RON JOHNSON, Republican, NRA Funding $1,269,486 

# # #

WYOMING (At Large): Liz Cheney, Republican Current age: 51 NRA Funding $15,600

WYOMING SENATOR JOHN BARRASSO, Republican, Current age: 64 NRA Funding $21,489 – Intent for 2018 unknown. Barrasso won by 76% in 2012.

WYOMING SENATOR MIKE ENZI, Republican, NRA Funding $24,722 

# # #

If our leaders won’t act, it’s up to us to elect leaders who will.

You can find your governor’s phone number below:

Alabama
Kay Ivey
Phone: (334) 242-7100

Alaska
Bill Walker
Phone: (907) 465-3500

American Samoa
Lolo Matalasi Moliga
Phone: +011 (684) 633-4116

Arizona
Doug Ducey
Phone: (602) 542-4331

Arkansas
Asa Hutchinson
Phone: (501) 682-2345

California
Edmund Brown
Phone: (916) 445-2841

Colorado
John Hickenlooper
Phone: (303) 866-2471

Connecticut
Dan Malloy
Phone: (800) 406-1527

Delaware
John Carney
Phone: (302) 744-4101

District of Columbia
Mayor Muriel Bowser
Phone: (202) 727-2643

Florida
Rick Scott
Phone: (850) 488-7146

Georgia
Nathan Deal
Phone: (404) 656-1776

Guam
Eddie Calvo
Phone: (671) 472-8931

Hawaii
David Ige
Phone: (808) 586-0034

Idaho
C.L “Butch” Otter
Phone: (208) 334-2100

Illinois
Bruce Rauner
Phone: (217) 782-0244

Indiana
Eric Holcomb
Phone: (317) 232-4567

Iowa
Kim Reynolds
Phone: (515) 281-5211

Kansas
Jeff Colyer
Phone: (785) 296-3232

Kentucky
Matt Bevin
Phone: (502) 564-2611

Louisiana
John Bel Edwards
Phone: (225) 342-7015

Maine
Paul LePage
Phone: (207) 287-3531

Maryland
Larry Hogan
Phone: (410) 974-3901

Massachusetts
Charlie Baker
Phone: (617) 725-4005

Michigan
Rick Snyder
Phone: (517) 373-3400

Minnesota
Mark Dayton
Phone: (651) 201-3400

Mississippi
Phil Bryant
Phone: (601) 359-3150

Missouri
Eric Greitens
Phone: (573) 751-3222

Montana
Steve Bullock
Phone: (406) 444-3111

Nebraska
Pete Ricketts
Phone: (402) 471-2244

Nevada
Brian Sandoval
Phone: (775) 684-5670

New Hampshire
Chris Sununu
Phone: (603) 271-2121

New Jersey
Phil Murphy
Phone: (609) 292-6000

New Mexico
Susana Martinez
Phone: (505) 476-2200

New York
Andrew Cuomo
Phone: (518) 474-8390

North Carolina
Roy Cooper
Phone: (919) 814-2000

North Dakota
Doug Burgum
Phone: (701) 328-2200

Northern Mariana Islands
Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres
Phone: (670) 664-2280

Ohio
John Kasich
Phone: (614) 466-3555

Oklahoma
Mary Fallin
Phone: (405) 521-2342

Oregon
Kate Brown
Phone: (503) 378-4582

Pennsylvania
Tom Wolf
Phone: (717) 787-2500

Puerto Rico
Ricardo Rosselló
Phone: (787) 721-7000

Rhode Island
Gina Raimondo
Phone: (401) 222-2080

South Carolina
Henry McMaster
Phone: (803) 734-2100

South Dakota
Dennis Daugaard
Phone: (605) 773-3212

Tennessee
Bill Haslam
Phone: (615) 741-2001

Texas
Greg Abbott
Phone: (512) 463-2000

Utah
Gary R. Herbert
Phone: (801) 538-1000

Vermont
Phil Scott
Phone: (802) 828-3333

Virgin Islands
Kenneth Mapp
Phone: (340) 774-0001

Virginia
Ralph Northam
Phone: (804) 786-2211

Washington
Jay Inslee
Phone: (360) 902-4111

West Virginia
Jim Justice
Phone: (304) 558-2000

Wisconsin
Scott Walker
Phone: (608) 266-1212

Wyoming
Matthew Mead
Phone: (307) 777-7434

Learn more about where your members of Congress stand at www.everytown.org/throwthemout

If you see any errors in this article, please comment below.

 

Every time one of my Facebook “friends” try to politically cut me down or make a snarky comment on MY FACEBOOK PAGE, I can’t help but think about my in-laws.

“Trust no one except your own.”

I heard this sentiment from my Holocaust surviving mother-in-law in her thick German accent hundreds, no; thousands of times.

She’s gone from us.  Almost all of the witnesses to that unspeakable annihilation are gone.

I often wonder what she would say about the current state of politics.

I doubt that she would be surprised at all.

“Our neighbors turned us in. People we thought were our friends.”

He knew the “officials” he dealt with, my father-in-law would tell me. They’d attended the same schools, and knew each other’s parents, brothers, sisters.

“None of that mattered,” he would mutter. “I was their enemy,” he would state so matter of factly.

Am I the enemy?

Would my neighbors and friends turn me in if someone high-up in government asked them to?

I know in my ordered mind, that will never happen to me.

But then again, my in-laws thought the same thing.

Us vs. them.

Sometimes I read the hateful posts my Facebook friends share, and I cringe.

Some posts are a bridge too far, so those authors got the unfriending ax.

Other posts, I simply hide.

But is that enough?

My husband was born in 1950, here in the US of A.

If he had been born to Fritzi and Fred just a few years earlier, in Vienna, he would surely be dead.

Political hatred gone wild.

I feel sick to my stomach.

I keep looking back on the past two weeks and asking myself is this for real or am I smack in the middle of one of those spine-chilling Hollywood movies about the disintegration of the United States as we know it?

The vision of Dr. Ford won’t go away: Her soft, child-like voice, the heartbreaking definition of fight or flight, two front doors, the hand over her mouth, making eye contact with Mark Judge, Brett Kavanaugh looming over her defenseless self, the uproarious laughter.

The vision of Judge Kavanaugh won’t go away: His angry contorted face, his unhinged shouting, the lame definition of Devil’s Triangle, Renate Alumnius, his promises of revenge, his blatant denial about his drinking, the disrespect he showed to Senator Amy Klobuchar.

And all those old white men sitting decorously like strutting peacocks, making believe they come from a place of honor and integrity. Pretending they want what’s best for the American people.

It’s enough to make anyone want to chug a hundred kegs of beer.

Every time I watch the news and see any one of those nasty old men, I want to scream at the top of my lungs: TERM LIMITS!!!

Where the hell do we go from here?

Beginning in 1998, Igor Panarin, a Russian professor and political scientist, has been predicting that the United States will first collapse and then morph into six separate parts: The California Republic, The Texas Republic, the Central North-American Republic, Atlantic America, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Among other things, he forecasted that financial and demographic changes triggered by the intervention of foreign powers, mass immigration, economic decline, and moral degradation would lead to social unrest, national division, and ultimately civil war.

Panarin even predicted that the wealthier states might get so fed up with the corruption and partisan politics that they may even withhold funds from the federal government effectively seceding from the Union.

Panarin also said this: “The U.S. dollar isn’t secured by anything. The country’s foreign debt has grown like an avalanche; this is a pyramid, which has to collapse. … Dissatisfaction is growing. … There’s a 55–45% chance right now that disintegration will occur. … There is a high probability that with the collapse of the United States, Russia and China will become economic superpowers, and will need to collaborate to rebuild the world economy with a new currency once the United States (and the U.S. dollar) cease to exist. …Occupy Wall Street protests have highlighted the ever-deepening split with America’s ruling elite.”

At the time of his predictions, the first thing I thought was that the guy was bonkers.

The second thing I thought was that it would make for a great movie!

Pure fantasy, but it could be an apocalyptic best seller!

And now, well I feel like I am watching the trailer of a doomsday movie that is soon to come out.

To know the fate of the United States, don’t forget to tune in on November 6th!

Last night I saw an interview clip on television by a father whose daughter committed suicide, that just about broke my heart.

An elderly man was holding up a sign that read:  “Judge Roy Moore called my daughter Patti Sue Mathis a pervert because she was gay.”

In the clip, Nathan Mathis, from Wicksburg, Alabama, clearly tormented and holding back tears said that he used to be anti-gay. “I said bad things to my daughter myself, which I regret, but I can’t take back what happened to my daughter,” he said. “Stuff like saying my daughter is a pervert, I’m sure that bothered her.”

This heart wrenching video says it all: 

I quickly went online to try to find out more about this repentant man and his deceased daughter.

I found the letter below that Nathan Mathis sent to the Dothan Eagle, a local newspaper in Dothan, Alabama, back on August 22, 2012.

With election time just around the corner, and watching and reading the news, “gay bashing” has begun again.

I once told gay jokes and bashed gays, but a real true life story might make people think just as that true life story makes me think.

On Oct. 11, 1972, Sue and I were blessed to have a baby girl, which we named Patti Sue Mathis. Patti was a wonderful child – happy, treated other children as she should, regardless of wealth or color, very athletic, tomboyish (I always had to pitch batting practice to her after Dixie Youth practice), very beautiful and smart. Patti may hold the scoring title at Wicksburg in basketball for girls. I’m not sure, but her points-per-game average was high. She was selected as the most valuable player at Enterprise State Junior College in softball.

When Patti was a senior at Wicksburg High, I found out she was gay from a young friend she had told. I confronted Patti and I said some things to her that still eat on me to this day. I told her I was sorry that I said those mean things to her.

Patti moved out, but came back home approximately four months later and sat down and cried and said, “Daddy, I don’t want to be gay. Will you please get me some help?” I told her that I sure would and I called UAB hospital and made an appointment.

Patti had been raised by going to church at Christian Home Church of Christ, and she was there almost every time the door was open. Patti knew the story of Sodom, for oftentimes gay bashing was preached from the pulpit. Looking back now, I wonder how Patti must have felt, or if she even knew she was gay then. I never asked her.

 We went with Patti to UAB and all types of blood work and tests were done on her that day. Finally, on over in the afternoon, the doctor called Patti, Sue and me into his office and he told Patti, “Young lady, you can’t help the way you are. There is nothing we can do for you.” I said to myself, “Man, this doctor is crazy.”

We visited other doctors and psychiatrists and Patti was told the same thing: “You can’t help the way you are.”

On March 22, 1995, Patti took her own life because she didn’t want to be gay anymore. She was tired of being ridiculed and made fun of. She was tired of seeing how a lot of people treat gay people. I found Patti that day.

Sometime after Patti died, I attended church and a visiting preacher was preaching. About 10 minutes into the sermon, he bashed gays the rest of the way. As soon as the invitation song was given, I went out the door with one of the worst headaches I had ever had. I was ashamed of myself for sitting there and not defending Patti. I have not been much since.

I have a hard time believing that God would allow Patti to be born as she was and if the doctors and psychiatrists were correct that “she could not help the way she was,” that Patti was going to bust hell wide open. I asked a local doctor recently if the medical profession had found a cure for being gay and he said, “No.” He changed the subject after that.

I have no quarrel with any letter writers or readers on this subject. Believe what you want to. I only know that if you ever have a child or grandchild who is gay, you’ll think differently.

Whatever happened to “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Does that exclude gays?

May God have mercy on us all. I only know I miss my daughter Patti very much and I am grateful for having her as my daughter.

Nathan Mathis

Wicksburg

Do what’s right Alabama.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:22-23

UPDATE: A month after Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore, Ellen DeGeneres sat down with Nathan Mathis. His daughter Patti Sue would have been so proud of her daddy.

 

On Monday, November 20, 2017, “Access Hollywood” host Natalie Morales had this to say about Trump’s recent delusional attempt to deny the authenticity of the now infamous tape: “Let us make this perfectly clear. The tape is very real. Remember his excuse at the time was ‘locker-room talk.’ He said every one of those words.”

The next day, Republican Senator of Arizona Jeff Flake said it best when asked about Trump’s attempt to reinvent history: “You didn’t win the popular vote, there weren’t more people at your inauguration than ever, that was your voice on that tape.”

When the “Access Hollywood” tape, that had Donald Trump boasting about grabbing women’s genitals surfaced, I sadly assumed he would get away with saying it—as well as doing it.

Most powerful men do.

And I was right.

Trump quickly came out and blamed it on locker room talk.

He blamed it on a locker, and sadly, a ton of people fell for it.

Even his wife Melania backed him up.

She told Anderson Cooper at the time that her husband’s lewd comments about sexually assaulting women were just “boy talk.”

As I sat there listening to her tripe with my mouth hanging open, she continued saying how he was “egged on” to say “dirty and bad stuff” by Billy Bush, the “Access Hollywood” host at the time.

She blamed it on Billy, and sadly, a ton of people fell for it.

Melania actually referred to her husband and Billy Bush as “two teenage boys.”

Donald Trump was 59 at the time, not exactly a whippersnapper.

Then, more than a dozen women came out and accused Trump of all sorts of unseemly acts.

But I still knew it wasn’t going to make a damn bit of difference.

And it didn’t.

While Trump became President, Billy Bush became a pariah.

Billy didn’t assault women, he didn’t grab at their genitals, and he didn’t force himself on them.

He chuckled, acted foolishly by playing along, and sucked up to Trump.

And for that Billy’s world imploded.

He lost his job a week after the tape came out and his wife of almost two decades left him this past September.

On Monday, the poor guy landed in a hospital after being hit in the head with a golf ball.

This has been a tough few months for Billy.

I say the guy should get a break. I say after Billy recuperates from his golf ball injury he should be interviewed.

Ask Billy Bush.

If there’s anyone out there who wishes the tape was fake, it’s the guy who lost his job and probably his wife because of it.

And who knows, maybe if he takes to the air waves, all the people who fell for Donald and Melania’s lame excuses will finally forgive Billy…

…for the simple sin of not having the strength of character to change the subject.

The Republicans are back at it again. The ruthless party that keeps on screwing with everybody—except their uber-rich donors and cronies. Oh and of course, themselves.

This time they’re trying to slam the door on those of us who have been responsibly saving for our retirement through our 401(k)’s.

How? House Republicans are shamefully considering capping the annual amount hard working Americans can set aside for their future to as low as $2,400 for 401(k) accounts!

A paltry $2,400? What a bunch of crooks.

Now many of you Republicans out there will find some lame excuse for this greedy plan. You always do.

But there is no denying that the Republicans are actively and seriously discussing a proposal to sharply reduce the annual amount workers can set aside and save in tax-deferred retirement accounts.

Today, workers can put up to $18,000 a year in a 401(k) account without paying taxes upfront. If you’re over 50, the cap is increased to $24,000.

But if the Republicans get their way, our ability to save for our retirement will be taken away from us.

Now the Republicans are trying to control how much money we can save for our futures?

WHY?

DUH. Republicans need it to offset the revenue loss from having to reduce business tax rates.

You know, take whatever you can from us hardworking slobs so you can give it to your wealthy donors who are breathing down your slimy necks for you to SHOW THEM THE MONEY—or else.

Paul Ryan’s so-called path to prosperity for all looks more like Paul Ryan’s path to middle class poverty.

Reducing American’s contribution limits is a diabolically clever accounting maneuver, no?

By lowering the cap for 401(k)’s, Republicans can collect tax revenue on all that money that Americans could otherwise be saving tax-deferred, NOW, instead of later.

WOW. Is there no limit to the lengths that Republicans will go to line the pockets of their rich friends—and themselves?

Oh, and one more maddening tidbit of information: The Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that tax exclusions for individual retirement contributions will cost the federal government $115 billion in 2018 alone!

Republicans are frothing at the mouth for that money.

Cha-Ching. Cha-Ching.

I don’t know how you feel, but 2018 elections can’t come quickly enough for me.