Untitled

“Well Mr. Columbo—”

“Actually, it’s Lieutenant Columbo.”

“You’re Starfleet?”

“Star who now?”

*opens file*

Red States are broken. Firearm mortality, poverty, education, life expectancy, infant mortality, health care.

Republicans policies are the worst. We have the data.

I don’t think that will work either.

Unfortunately, I truly believe that diehard conservatives would gladly sacrifice everyone around them (including their friends, family and children) if it also meant having an opportunity to inflict pain on the groups they hate.

For example, many 2A gun nuts (like Steve Scalise) have gotten shot or have had family members die by gun violence, and still they refuse to support even the most basic common sense gun reform.

Remember how willing Republicans were to harm their own children and everyone else during the pandemic?? Remember all the antivaxxers who died saying that they didn’t believe COVID was real, or didn’t admit it was deadly until they were at death’s door? There’s a whole NPR podcast about red state conservatives who very nearly died of coronavirus and endangered their entire families because “nobody tells me what to do” and “I’m gonna stick it to the libs!”

After a string of hurricanes devastated Kansas, I once got into an insane argument here on tumblrdotcom with a conservative living there who was adamant that his tax dollars shouldn’t go to hurricane shelters even if they would have saved people. Republicans who have had abortions themselves still fight against pro choice legislation. Log Cabin Republicans fight vociferously for homophobic lawmakers, dirt poor conservative voters arguing against a higher minimum wage, Black Republicans fight for less police reforms and against voting rights laws, etc etc etc

Sorry, I’m usually an optimist, but on this particular point I don’t believe that appealing to their “better angels” or their self interests is going to work.

EDIT:

https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations

3. Nature of violation

Directors/Officers/Persons are using income/assets for personal gain

Organization is engaged in commercial, for-profit business activities

Income/Assets are being used to support illegal or terrorist activities

Organization is involved in a political campaign

Organization is engaged in excessive lobbying activities

Organization refused to disclose or provide a copy of Form 990

Organization failed to report employment, income or excise tax liability properly

Organization failed to file required federal tax returns and forms

Organization engaged in deceptive or improper fundraising practices

< chris richard . danilo ricci >