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Tribute To The Rejected

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Editor’s note:

With this piece I’m very happy to officially welcome to the blog my partner, Caleb Eigsti, who earlier this month wrote, “Pro Vs. Con: Gay Rights Battle At University of Nebraska.” He also took the photos for this piece.

Note from the author: I am a student on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). My political views are not important to this piece; my sexual ‘preference’ has nothing to do with this article, and the fact that I have never served in the Military or any U.S Armed Forces is irrelevant to the facts and message that should be sent throughout America.

This week the College Democrats of UNO paid tribute to all the fallen soldiers of the Iraq war. This event is held every year and includes a field full of American flags, as well and a student with a microphone saying the names, ages and branch of service of the individual soldiers.

Today, many things shocked me. Today, I walked over on the east side of campus and heard some of the names being spoken. Many were younger then I am. There was only one name I heard that was older than I was and he was still a young man. My heart instantly went out to those that have lost a loved one in this war and to those who have lost their lives for this country; to those who have sacrificed so much so that I could live free.

It is because of these individuals, and honestly so many more, that we are the country we are today. It is because of their sacrifice every single day that we will be the country we will be in the future.

However, this is where my brain went in many different directions. The main direction that it went was: How many of those soldiers died holding onto a secret? Holding on to the secret that they were gay? How many men and women have given their lives to this country, knowing that the very country they were defending, with their lives I might add, never did accept them for who they were? This country didn’t even want them. This country has rejected these very people daily for years upon years.

When will this country get it? “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is an abomination to the free will, and freedom this country preaches at every level of its society. When will this country really look at the rest of the policy that is in effect? It’s called “Don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue.” What happened to the “Don’t pursue” part? What happened to the 13,000 plus jobs that have been lost because this country has become complacent with current policy and with the lives of its citizens? When did this country get more comfortable with killing than with loving? It’s like the famous quote that appears on Leonard P. Matlovich’s grave, “When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”

So forgive me for shedding a tear on campus today for the lives of those that have not only lost their job because of who they are, but to those who have sacrificed the greatest thing in order to protect every one of us; the truth of who they are and whom they love. I hope you will take a moment to remember those who have been discharged under the abomination of the law “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” but also that you will not forget to remember those who have taken everything to the grave. Those who have stood on the front lines of our battlefields with their secret written on their hearts and given their lives to protect the values of our country.

And I say, how dare you! How dare you tell anyone they can’t serve this country because of whom they love. How dare you reject someone who desires to protect the freedoms and liberties awarded to its citizens based on the way they were born, whether gay, or transgender, or lesbian, or bisexual. How dare you tell these people with your actions AND your words that they are not good enough to fight for what they believe in?

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News

‘Impossible to Lose’: Trump Pitches Strategy to Cement One-Party Rule

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1 hour ago

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November 7, 2025

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President Donald Trump renewed his demand that Republican senators eliminate the 60-vote filibuster, which he sees as one of the biggest roadblocks to achieving his far-reaching agenda. Now, he said he wants to eliminate the filibuster as a way to ensure permanent Republican control of the government.

The president has been calling for senators to act, despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s strong opposition to invoking the “nuclear option.”

In a lengthy Truth Social post last week, Trump expressed his agenda.

“It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” he declared.

READ MORE: Trump Admin Starts Setting Stage for Recession — and Shifting the Blame

He warned that Democrats want to “substantially expand (PACK!) the United States Supreme Court, make Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico States (Thereby automatically picking up 4 Senate seats, many House seats, and at least 8 Electoral Votes!), and many other highly destructive things.”

“Well, now WE are in power, and if we did what we should be doing, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, Country destroying ‘SHUT DOWN.'”

Trump then admitted: “I want to do it in order to take advantage of the Democrats….”

Trump has repeated his call to end the filibuster several times since then, most recently on Friday afternoon.

“The Democrats will do this,” he said of killing the filibuster, “so if the Democrats are gonna do it, I’m saying Republicans should do it before they get a chance.”

“It’s very simple,” Trump explained.

READ MORE: Democratic Rep. Interrupts Speaker Johnson — Accuses Him of ‘Lies’

“And if we do it, we will never lose the midterms, and we will never lose the general election, because we will have produced so many different things for our people — for the people, for the country — that it would be impossible to lose an election.”

Critics quickly weighed in with warnings.

“I thought the vice president Vance statement about ignoring judges would be it for today,” wrote The Steady State, a group of over 350 former national security and intelligence officials, referring to JD Vance’s apparent suggestion to ignore a federal judge’s order to release about $6 billion in SNAP funds.

“President Trump went a little farther in terms of crossing yet another red line,” the group continued, “explaining why he wants [the] filibuster gone he is very clear. One party rule. Elections that he and his never lose —— that is autocracy.”

READ MORE: ‘Make Lots of Trump Babies’: Dr. Oz Highlights Midterm Goals

 

Image via Reuters

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‘Unique Action’: Trump Admin Spins Flight Cancellations as Fix for Traveling Frustration

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November 7, 2025

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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy sought Friday to cast a positive light on the Federal Aviation Administration’s order requiring airlines to cut ten percent of flights at 40 major airports — a move prompted by overworked air traffic controllers who have gone weeks without pay as the government shutdown stretches into its 38th day with no immediate end in sight.

More than 800 flights nationwide were canceled on Friday, leaving some travelers “scrambling to figure out backup plans,” the Associated Press reported.

But According to Secretary Duffy, he has come up with a “unique action” that reduces a major frustration of air travel: flight delays.

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“I asked the head of the air traffic controller union to reach out to his controllers, to ask them to show up. It is their jobs,” Duffy said on Friday.

“If they start coming to work, we may have the same experience we had in Newark: We had delays and cancellations in Newark in the early summer. We reduced the capacity, and then the flights were on time. Right?”

“It was the most on-time months we had in Newark ever,” he added. “So that could be an outcome of what we’re doing, and we’ll see probably more people on less flights, which means less pressure on controllers.”

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Secretary Duffy also said, “There’s a very easy solution to the problem that they put directly on my lap, which is open the damn government. Vote to open the government, so those who snipe at me for having to take really unique action — they put that on my plate.”

Critics blasted Duffy.

Republican former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger wrote: “Cutting flights because of the govt shutdown is a stunt, plain and simple.”

He also remarked, “We’re cutting flights and food because of the govt shutdown but ICE is out [in] full force!”

READ MORE: Democratic Rep. Interrupts Speaker Johnson — Accuses Him of ‘Lies’

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Trump Admin Starts Setting Stage for Recession — and Shifting the Blame

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7 hours ago

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November 7, 2025

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The Trump administration has begun quietly preparing Americans for the possibility that the economy may be nearing a recession — a broad and painful downturn that officials appear increasingly concerned may be on the horizon.

Economist Kevin Hassett, director of the Trump White House’s National Economic Council, on Friday laid both the groundwork and the blame for any impending recession.

“There’s holiday travel, but there’s business travel,” he told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cut ten percent of flights — about 700 — in 40 high-volume markets across the country as air traffic controllers, who have not been paid in weeks due to the federal government shutdown, are increasingly overworked and under financial strain.

“Business travel is a really big, important part of air travel, and if ten percent of business travel isn’t happening, those are deals that aren’t being cut, and hotel rooms that aren’t being filled,” Hassett explained. “And so the ripple effects, and then the multiplier effects of all that, are really, really large.”

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“And so I think Secretary Bessent wisely said we’re starting to see pockets of the economy that look like they might be in a recession, that we’re not in a recession because of this, but there are pockets that are really hurting,” he added. “And if we go another month or so, then who knows how bad the economy could be this quarter?”

“And we know whose fault that will be,” Hassett said.

Hassett was referring to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s remarks earlier this week.

“I think that there are sectors of the economy that are in recession,” Bessent said on CNN on Sunday, as The New York Times reported.

“He described the economy as being in a ‘period of transition’ because of a pullback in government spending to reduce the deficit,” the Times added. “He called on the Fed[eral Reserve] to support the economy by cutting interest rates.”

The Times also explained the White House’s strategy:

“Mr. Bessent’s remarks added to pressure on the Fed and deflected blame from Mr. Trump in case the economy does ultimately face a downturn, reinforcing a strategy that has been in place since the start of the year. As the administration has imposed aggressive tariffs on nearly all of America’s trading partners and slashed federal spending, potentially slowing growth, it has sought to pin blame squarely on the Fed in the event of an economic downturn.”

READ MORE: Democratic Rep. Interrupts Speaker Johnson — Accuses Him of ‘Lies’

But Hassett’s remarks appeared focused on pinning the blame for a possible recession on the shutdown of the federal government, which Republicans and the White House insist is the fault of Democrats.

President Donald Trump has railed against the Democrats over the shutdown, while increasingly demanding the Senate end it by going “nuclear” and eliminating the upper chamber’s 60-vote threshold for the filibuster, opting instead for a simple majority of votes to pass legislation.

For example, on Tuesday in a Truth Social post, President Trump vowed to hold up SNAP funds despite court orders, writing that food stamp benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!”

READ MORE: ‘Sick’: Hunger Caucus Head Slams GOP for ‘Starving Children’ by ‘Weaponizing’ SNAP

 

Image via Reuters

 

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