Dagfari's Let's Plays and Ramblings

Some DnD character sketch commissions for a friend~

This is such iconic moment right here and I want to share it will all of you.

@visnomadic​ Anniversary Art!!! Visno’s as MAGICAL GIRRRLLLLSSS!! They’re tied in to each of our Visno colours

THINGS A PRESIDENT CANNOT DO:

Reverse any Supreme Court decision 

This includes Obergefell v. Hodges, which made same-sex marriage a constitutional right; Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, which reaffirmed a woman’s right to choose first articulated in Roe v. Wade, another Supreme Court case. Grutter v. Bollinger, which instituted affirmative action, the entire body of Civil Rights case law, plus anything related to due process, including the right of minors to due process, your right to an attorney, Miranda rights, inadmissible evidence, etc.

(Even if Trump appoints the worst possible SC nominee, they still can’t reverse any of these decisions without a really significant case coming before the Court with new facts, and then they have to write an opinion stating how this case is different than that other case…it’s unlikely to happen.)

Write law or repeal any existing law

While traditionally, presidents have exerted influence on the legislative agenda (see, Obama’s role in advancing and promoting the Affordable Care Act) they cannot actually write or pass legislation. Bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions must be introduced in the House by a Representative.

Presidents cannot strike down law. Only Congress can repeal laws, and only the Supreme Court can strike them down as unconstitutional.

Presidential influence is just that—influence.

(And if—for example—you are hated by 95% of the party you joined last week, and burned all your goddamn bridges by insulting them at various points in your campaign…..they’re unlikely to partner with you in crafting legislation.)

Make any law or declaration that infringes in any way on the rights of the states

So in the US, most of the rights are reserved to the states. You name it, it’s a state-run power. Criminal procedure and law? States. Medicare and Medicaid? States. The definition of marriage? States. Insurance, health departments, housing, unemployment benefits, public education, all these are state programs. And the president cannot infringe on those powers given to the states.

(This is why down-ticket voting is so important, because Mike Pence as governor of Indiana had 800x the power he’s going to have as VP.)

Declare war.

This one is the most complicated, because with the advent of our “conflicts” in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc. there has been a significant shift in the articulation of the war doctrine, and it is one of the least restricted of the president’s “restricted” powers. But, despite all that, a president still has no power to declare war.

Unilaterally appoint heads of administrative departments

Unilaterally make treaties with foreign nations

It’s Asexual Awareness week and so I thought I’d finally post this guest comic I did a last year for Oh Joy Sex Toy (warning: the link is NSFW). To be honest, “ace discourse” on this website exhausts me, so I wasn’t going to post this. But I decided I wanted to just get something off my chest. 

I spent the majority of my life thinking there was something seriously wrong with me. And learning about Asexuality not only freed me (somewhat) from that, it also freed me from compulsory heterosexuality. See, I assumed because I wasn’t sexually attracted to women, I had to be straight. Nevermind that I wasn’t sexually attracted to ANYONE, compulsory heterosexuality had convinced me that I just had to “wait for the right guy” or some bullshit. Finding out I was ace allowed me to THEN make the realization that I wasn’t straight. But it didn’t happen right away.

Sexuality and orientation are complicated, multilayered, confusing. I think it’s important to acknowledge that cishet ace struggles and experiences are not comparable to those of LGBT folks. They have their own hurdles certainly, but the institutional oppression of LGBT people is much more severe and blatant. I do not think that is up for debate. 

But I do think it is also important to acknowledge that when society is enforcing heterosexuality, it can be extremely difficult to unpack every aspect of one’s orientation at once. This goes for every LGBTQIA+ person. We all have to undergo a process of figuring ourselves out, and it is rough. So I really think having awareness and resources and outreach about Asexuality is hugely important within the LGBT community, because LGBT folks may not realize that asexuality is part of that identity they’re figuring out, and that can be a major stumbling block.