Holliswein's blog

Abortion rights suffered another setback this week. Ohio just became the fifth state to ban abortion at six weeks, just when a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Many women don't even know that they are pregnant at that point. 

In Texas, lawmakers introduced one of the most reprehensible bills yet -- the death penalty for women who get abortions. There would be no exception for rape or incest. On the Hill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, held a hearing on his legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks. 

When President Trump was recently asked if white supremacy is a rising threat, he responded, "I don't, really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess." 

It's not a "small problem" to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). A recent SPLC study of hate groups active in the US showed that their numbers rose to the highest levels in two decades last year. 

The Meuller report released this week did not conclude that Russians altered the actual vote count in the 2016 election. But the investigation did raise serious concerns about a key component of our democracy - the integrity of the voting process.

"Americans feel left out and locked out of their own democracy," said Rep. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), the lead author of HR1 - For the People Act. "HR1 seeks to strengthen American democracy and return political power to the people with citizen-owned elections," he said.

When President Trump continuously tears down the mainstream media, he is pushing people towards alternative sources of information. These sources often times breed hate and extremism. Trump renders the media irrelevant, non-credible and untrustworthy. Consequently the media, which can and does counter the misinformation, is considered unreliable.

Tuesday marks the 46th anniversary of Roe v Wade. This landmark 5-2 Supreme Court decision changed the lives of women and families across the country. The Court said that the "right of personal privacy'' is broad enough "to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.''  The decision gave women the legal right to seek and have an abortion.

It is no secret that Iran is committed to destroying Israel. Iran is seeking to create a terrorist base along Israel's northern border with Lebanon. Recent reports that Hezbollah is digging tunnels from Lebanon into Israel is creating great concern for Israel.

Sunday night Jews across the world will gather to light the first candle on their Menorah's as the celebration of Hannukah begins. Today, more than 2,000 years later, the story of Hannukah remains timeless.

The Jewish people revolted because they were being persecuted due to their religion. With courage and perseverance, they stood up to tyranny. The odds were not in their favor, but it did not deter their commitment to fight for their right to freely practice their religion.

On October 3, 1789, President George Washington proclaimed and created the first Thanksgiving Day.

Washington wanted it be a day of reflection and gratefulness, "too enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed..."

The jubilant feeling of taking back the House quickly faded with the mass shooting at a Los Angeles bar early Thursday morning. Less than two days earlier, voters defeated NRA-backed candidates, sending a loud message that our country's safety will not be held hostage by the NRA.

Besides gun violence prevention, there will be many challenging issues, such as healthcare, facing the next Congress. Dealing with these issues will necessitate bipartisanship.

Miriam Webster defines democracy as: "a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections."

Tuesday, we have the privilege to vote and to directly participate in our democracy. As citizens, we have a say in our government. We can choose the people we want to guide our country. These people, the senators and representatives, work for us.