U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett's appalling indifference and Mpox and other issues.
I got a letter from U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett which is totally irrelevant to the issues in my correspondance to her. The Democrats have no real concern about Gay issues. She needs to go.
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Letter from U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett
This is the letter in reply to letters written over a year ago. I will put the text of the letter after this image.
Dear Mr. Sebesta,
Thank you for reaching out. Making your voice heard is a vital part of our democracy. While I am hundreds of miles away here in Washington, hearing what my constituents have to say keeps me rooted, refreshed, and ready to do the people’s business.
The infringement on anyone's rights, including entire groups identified by their ethnicity, religion, or preferences, is completely unacceptable and I will support efforts to combat this dangerous unfortunate reality for some. As a public defender, I have and will always stand for people's rights and against all forms of injustices for all people regardless of their identity.
Additionally, hateful rhetoric attacking communities of people, including children, online or otherwise perpetuates violence and harms people's livelihood and safety as well as mental health. This is an arm to the violence and injustice that must be worked against. Let me be clear, I condemn all forms of violence,
Vicious and vitriolic attacks being made across this country, and others, are callous, cruel, and absolutely reprehensible. I will use every tool at my disposal to combat hateful rhetoric and action and know that I will always stand for justice and peace. Thank you again for your correspondence and please do not hesitate to stay in touch!
These were the letters which I wrote of serious concerns for the Gay community.
(20230131) This was the letter about the poor handling of mpox by the U.S. government. The pandemic of mpox in the United States in 2022 should never have happened. Scientists had been warning about mpox for years before. The response was slow also. The impact of mpox impacted African Americans and Latinos disproportionately.
Most critically, I asked that a strong campaign to provide vaccines to African nations be undertaken. I quote point #7 in my letter, in particular notice 7A, 7B, 7C.
The appalling suffering in Africa where the supply of vaccines is inadquate, is due to the failure to undertake actions in Jan. 2023.
Evidently when the disproportionate impact on African Americans involves Gays, Crockett doesn’t seem to be concerned.
Elimination of Mpox: Is there a plan?
The following needs to be done by the U.S. government and its health agencies.
A. Support Tropical & Pandemic Medicine Research Aggressively: Take seriously the threat of tropical diseases and other diseases that are a risk for becoming a pandemic. Listen to the warnings of scientists and doctors outside the Western world. Further there should be a specific unit focused on the risk of diseases being sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
This article way back in 2007 in Science magazine, “Italian Virus Outbreak May Portend Global Spread,” was trying to warn the world that diseases outside the Western world are not likely to stay out.
https://www.science.org/content/article/italian-virus-outbreak-may-portend-global-spread
This aggressive research would involve making sure there was an effective vaccine for any disease currently endemic or pandemic outside the Western world.
B. Provide Vaccines for disadvantaged nations: Have a program to provide vaccines to disadvantaged nations and support manufacturing of vaccines in those nations to aggressively reduce endemic diseases and prevent them from reaching the West in the first place.
C. Disproportionate Racial Impact: There needs to be a study as to how mpox disproportionately racially impacted MSMs across the nation, what was the potential causes, how might a better vaccine outreach be done in the next pandemic.
D. Vaccination Data: Compile some statistic, if only proxy, to give an idea how many people were vaccinated for mpox by county. Investigate why the collection of mpox vaccination numbers were part of the response plan to the mpox outbreak, but vaccination data was available for covid.
For future outbreaks make the collection of vaccinate data an integral part of the plan.
E. Action Plan for next Pandemic: Have a defined action plan for the next pandemic so that the response can be as quick as possible. Make sure the United States government responds as soon as possible.
F. Official Statement as to Mpox plan: When do we plan to eliminate mpox? When do we plan to have a vaccine with know effectiveness? When will vaccines for mpox be generally available and not rationed?
Some may feel the program against mpox was a big success, but I think the 854 people in Dallas County who got it as of 1/31/2023 don’t think so. Further, the success was due to the shutdown of the social life of the Gay community, which isn’t really a success. I look forward to your response to share with my readers.
Sincerely Yours,
Edward H. Sebesta
This was the post I did back in Feb. 1, 2023 about mpox.
(20230331) There were three letters discussed in this post.
Make sure that with the death penalty for Gays in Uganda that asylum would be readily granted to Gays seeking it.
Asking that the United States government not hand out foreign aid to homophobes.
Asking that homophobic Christian groups be disqualified from from being voices for human rights.
(20230709) With Stedfast Baptist church calling for the execution of Gays, I wrote a letter July 9, 2023 asking what could the Federal government do for the security of Gays.
Review of Crockett’s reply.
You can see the letter, over a year late, is some vague catch all and doesn’t address any issue raised in the letters.
Will Uganda LGBT facing death be able to get asylum? Don’t know. Will millions of U.S. foreign aid help fund foriegn homophobes to persecute Gays? No reply from Crockett. Will we face a never ending parade of tropical diseases? Again no reply from Crockett.
Worse yet, will homophobic Christian groups that want to persecute Gays be challenged when they testify about human rights concerns before Congress? Likely Crockett doesn’t care in the least.
Regarding mpox, it is too late now even if she did reply, unless she was going to commit to having the U.S. government step up the program of supplying vaccines to Africa. It is like closing the barn door after the horses escape, but it would help Africans some. It is on the Biden administration and on Crockett the 1,000 mpox deaths that could have been prevented by prompt government action in 2022.
What is really appalling is that the Stonewall Democrats don’t care about these issues and will give her a free pass on this.
Cranky local Gay Dem launches personal attack on me.
One of the problems the Gay community faces is Gay people who prioritize their movement over Gay concerns and get vicious when you criticize their favorite.
I got a response in the comments and this is my reply.
My reply. [Boldface added.]
You don't have an argument so you resort to a personal attack on me. In debate it is called "poisoning the well." Your arguments are basically toxic.
There are the concerns of the Democratic Party and there are the concerns of the Gay community. All too often now days some Gay political operative for the Democratic Party thinks they are the same and are dismayed that the entire Gay community doesn't think so.
The YouTubes with Crockett aren't assuring asylum to the Gays in Uganda who might need it. They aren't bring back from the dead, the 1,000 mpox victims in Africa. They aren't preventing millions of dollars going to homophobes in foreign nations. They aren't doing anything to make sure that there isn't a violent attack on Cedar Springs like there was recently in New Orleans. A clever YouTube video isn't keeping some homophobe from pretending to be a human rights advocate. There are other diseases around the world. So far the Gay community has faced HIV and mpox, with the lack of an aggressive police there will likely be a 3rd and 4th disease in the future of the Gay community. In the face of that, a clever YouTube video isn't really important.
How are my letters "screeds"? It is just a smear tactic by yourself. None of the letters are screeds and you don't quote them, you just engage in smears. The larger issue for those facing possible death in Uganda isn't the tone of my letters, but the horrible situations they face there. The issue isn't my personality, but people dying of mpox. There is a moral depravity in your smear.
The only "screed" here is the fussilage of name calling on your part.
Your letter is two faced. You assert that my letters asking for "personalized solutions to the issues I face," but also say "don't get me wrong, I believe your issues ARE relevant to all of us." Which is it?
Elected officials commonly acknowledge correspondance from constituents. It is standard practice. It is the accepted practice. How can constituents hold elected officials accountable if they don't express there concerns and evaluate replies.
Is there any documentation that any Democratic club raised the issues about the plight of Gays in Uganda, the neglect of mpox, the funding of vicious homophobes with foreign AID, and the other issues? Important issues are neglected, but when I raise them I get accusations of personality flaws. Note I use the word "documentation."
Finally, about how long you have lived in Texas, you said, "I am a gay man who has lived in Texas my whole life," doesn't make you a privileged voice. Issues are debated on their merits.
There are a lot of people who think they are advocates of the LGBT but they have ended up as being apendages of the Democratic Party. I expected that when the Democratic Party was faced with accountability they would throw a fit. And here you are.
My 2nd reply.
Also, the Democratic Party's failures have resulted in the current electoral catastrophe. I also notice there isn't any real self-reflection on why they have failed.
Having lost the election, I suggest smear attacks on those who have dissenting ideas is not your priority.
I am a gay man who has lived in Texas my whole life. I have also seen multiple YouTube videos of Jasmine ripping GOP idiots to shreds. Sorry, but I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one. She has THOUSANDS of constituents and no doubt thousands more requests for help of various kinds. You appear to have the idea that because you publish a newsletter under the letterhead of a local organization that she owes you personalized solutions to the issues you raise....which are complex by the way. I learned a long time ago that if someone isn't paying attention to me, it's not their fault, it's mine. Maybe I've missed something important, maybe I haven't spent enough time in their shoes, maybe my message isn't resonating because I'm too strident, or too vague, or too off point, or too WHATEVER. Sorry, but your screed against Jasmine Crockett sounds a whole lot like cancel culture because YOU didn't get the attention YOU thought YOU deserved. Don't get me wrong, I believe your issues ARE relevant to all of us in the LGBTQ community, but attempting to cancel voices like hers is a MISTAKE. Keep up the good fight, but enough with the petulant cancel culture bullshit.