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WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. April 13, 2024:

112 years ago this day the RMS Titanic with 2,229 crew and passengers aboard was under sunny skies and sailing a calm sea in the middle of the cold North Atlantic on the third day of its maiden voyage to America.

Aboard were the who’s who of the rich and famous of the time, immigrants in steerage all eager to enjoy then the greatest ship ever built, the fastest ship ever built, and the safest.

It was declared  the safest by its owners the White Star Line because of its connected below the waterline compartments designed to close off should one be breeched or collided with.

The ship sailed from Southampton England April 10.  The opulence of the ship was luxury and large. It’s four smokestacks belching black smoke, its bow cutting the ocean like butter, the speed over 20 knots as the owner Bruce Ismay pushed its Captain to pour on the coal to set a speed record from England to America.

The Titanic which 112 years ago was sailing westward and on Monday  112 years ago rested on the bottom, thousands freezing and drowning in frigid waters,  has a lesson for us.

What is that message?

The voyagers enthralled with the great ship and its  intoxicating smooth voyage over the sea did not know what was coming: their worst nightmare just two days from now.

I always think of the innocence and yes, hubris this ship demonstrated through no fault of its own.

The unspeakable disaster looming in the icy waters, was caused by  hubris: choosing to ignore  warnings of iceberg fields ahead and going full steam ahead into giant icebergs, and at top speed of 26 knots, not giving the ship’s helmsman enough turn space to avoid anything that might be ahead.

It was hubris and the  Achilles’ Heel of Businessmen: cost-cutting that did not equip the RMS Titanic with enough lifeboats. Over 1,500 persons drowned.

This very bad habit of businesses cutting costs that results in killing people is still a deadly unintentional practice.

I was struck by the similarity of the Titanic situation to the state of the country today.

America is on a voyage too.

Just  like the 2,029 “souls” on the Titanic.

We are all of us: white, black, Latino, immigrant, migrants all passengers on the USS TRUMPTANIC.

Our leaders in the wheelhouse, (the U.S. Congress) are controlled by small factions advocating dangerous to the country policies; delaying funds to help persons who need it,, or worse cutting them, and when brief compromises delayed for weeks to preserve controversial services, the growing problem is not resolved.

Just like the Titanic management and crew long term decisions to aid policy agendas and politicians own seats and bottom lines of caviling factions not with citizen’s  health, survival, and rights in mind fail to do what any person who hears what God—(The voice in your head that warns you when you are doing wrong and you hear it and choose to ignore)  decides on the path of political demands,  (as Ismay the owner limited lifeboats, operated recklessly in an icefield he knew about for  the sake of promotion that cost 1500 lives.

There is no difference between the political infighting nationally creating misery for women, immigrants educators, and people coming across the borders and being housed in the streets, limiting health care, not controlling guns more tightly, and judicial decisions that rely on semantics instead of humanity of their decisions.

We have two captains, two crews battling for the helm  of the USS Trumptanic and where it will sail now in the  sea  of  the world, fraught with more danger than any iceberg.

The wrangling at the helm in Washington, unfortunately now with two houses of congress and the confused Presidential administration trying to get some rational solutions through, but Senators and Congress members vacillating on which way to turn the ship, not considering the humanity of the USS Trumptanic that will suffer losses if thoughtful humane decisions are not made. Americans need more lifeboats not less. They need sensible business policies and regulation on the corrupt leadership of the captains of industry in the country today.

Should the USS Trumptanic with one Captain trying to please all, while his challenger continues to tell people what sounds good, selling slogans with without concrete plans (nothing unusual for any politician), while the opposing Captain seeking to retain the helm of  USS Trumptanic  and turn it into the USS Bidenomic even should he win reelection, will need a far more intelligent and responsible two houses of conference to make the legislation that helps all the passengers on the USS America of 2025 get off the sinking ship.

Right now the USS Trumptanic  commanded already by the instructions over the ship’s national intercom is veering starboard to port, port to starboard inexorably avoiding safe passages to the left or the right, and are very reluctant, both parties to change their desperate pulling at the helm.

Where is the USS Trumptanic taking us?

The passengers on this great ship of a country have their chance in November to take the helm firmly.

Running the greatest country in the world, despite or present confusion of what we want to be is not a job for self-serving politicians.

It’s up to you, America to rename the ship USS My America Again

An America that helps unconditionally. That aids the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. That defends the passengers against the forces of tyranny.  That respects the truth and reports the truth. Where you speak your mind and are not jailed or killed for it. That is why people come here they respect us for what we once were. Where you get a fair trial, and no one is above the law. Where the judges think and wear their robes to right wrongs and not inflict new wrongs.

Where all men and women are created equal. All have the right to the pursuit of happiness, All have the right to come here and come aboard, because you make our imperfect country stronger, free-er and as the Statue of Liberty inscription says “I hold up my torch beside the Golden Door…come on in you huddled masses”

Passengers on the USS Trumptanic, save the ship take control of the helm responsibly on November 5.

You are your own lifeboats.

Remember the crybaby politicians will get in the boats first.

 Women and children  will not get seats.

TO: Interested Parties FROM: New Yorkers for Equal Rights DATE: April 9, 2024 RE: Grassroots Organizers Hold 25 NY ERA Days of Action Across New York State Overview Over the past month, grassroots organizers with the New Yorkers for Equal Rights campaign have hosted more than 25 day of action events across New York State. From Buffalo to Albany to Long Island, these gatherings have served as rallying points for community members, advocates, and activists to join together, activate their communities, and work to ensure the NY ERA passes this November. The NY ERA ballot measure is a historic opportunity for New Yorkers to protect their rights and reproductive freedoms in the state constitution, guaranteeing that New Yorkers, not the government, control their own lives, bodies, and futures — no matter who they are, who they love, where they come from, or what reproductive health care choices they make. At the NY ERA anchor event in New York City, roughly a hundred New Yorkers gathered at 1199SEIU to hear remarks by heads of New Yorkers for Equal Rights coalition organizations, including Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts, the New York Civil Liberties Union, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, New Pride Agenda, Make the Road Action, and NAACP New York. These were followed by breakout sessions to facilitate organizer conversations around how the NY ERA might benefit and motivate their communities and how to best advocate for the amendment and activate voters within respective communities. More than 25 NY ERA days of action took place across New York State over the past month, including: Albany — League of Women Voters Rensselaer County Day of Action Buffalo — The Young Feminist Party Day of Action Long Island — Engage Long Island Day of Action Ithaca — League of Women Voters Day of Action Mid-Hudson — NYCLU Mid-Hudson Day of Action Ulster — Indivisible Ulster Day of Action Olean — League of Women Voters Cattaraugus Allegany Day of Action NYC — New Pride Agenda Day of Action Endicott — League of Women Voters Broome Tioga Day of Action Grassroots organizations and nonprofits leading NY ERA days of action across the state include: AAUW Westchester/League of Women Voters of North East Westchester Buffalo Young Feminist Party Cattaraugus/Allegany League of Women Voters Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains Downtown Women for Change Engage LI Indivisible Ulster League of Women Voters of the City of New York League of Women Voters of Rensselaer County League of Women Voters of Tompkins County Markers For Democracy Nassau Community College National Council of Jewish Women NY The New York Civil Liberties Union Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) Action Fund Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic The New Pride Agenda Reproductive Justice Social Justice Team Smithtown League of Women Voters Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood The Young Feminist Party

Key Highlights Hudson Valley Daily Freeman: Hinchey, Local Activists Rally in Kingston for the Equal Rights Amendment  “Local activists and organizations rallied in support of the Equal Rights Amendment on Saturday, urging Ulster County residents to vote ‘yes’ on the ballot in November…Liz Roth, member of Hudson Valley Strong, attended the event, on behalf of Dutchess County. ‘We’re just trying to help each other as much as we can,’ she said. ‘This New York ERA is very powerful, very important legislation.'” Buffalo  WGRZ: Grassroots Group Makes Push for New York Equal Rights Amendment “The Buffalo Young Feminist Party was getting the word out Saturday about the measure that it endorses, the group’s co-founder told 2 On Your Side.

‘To really get this movement going, and to get people talking about it, and get people aware that this is going to be on the ballot in November, and what it means, and who it will help, and really just create a community strategy going forward for the equal rights amendment in New York State,’ Sara Bachraty said.”

Long Island Dan’s Papers: East End League of Women Voters Event Promotes NY Equal Rights Amendment “As part of their efforts to persuade Congress to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment nationally, a local chapter of the League of Women Voters held an event urging East End residents to help pass a New York State version of the amendment, which will appear as a referendum on general election ballots this November. Officially dubbed The New York Equal Protection of Law Amendment, the measure has already been passed by the State Legislature. But it must be approved by voters in order to be officially adopted as an amendment to the state constitution.”Albany Times Union: Local Leagues of Women Voters unite to promote NYS Equal Rights Amendment “League of Women Voters chapters in Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties are launching a campaign to promote passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the New York State Constitution this fall. ‘It’s going to be on the ballot in November. We realize there’s a lot of people who don’t make it to the polls. We hope to remind people that this is a pretty big deal to encourage them to go to the polls,’ said Shirley Buel, president of the League of Women Voters of Rensselaer County.”

Olean Olean Times Herald: League of Women Voters hosts Walk for Equality in Olean “The League of Women Voters of Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties hope about 50 people who walked for equality in Olean will take the message they heard to the polls this November. A launch event on Saturday to bring awareness to an amendment to the New York State Constitution was held with supporters from Cattaraugus, Erie, Allegany and Chautauqua counties walking from Jamestown Community College to Lincoln Park in Olean.”New York City Politico NY: Equal Rights Amendment push intensifies “A campaign to get the New York Equal Rights Amendment passed in November will intensify its efforts by kicking off 25 ‘day of action’ events around the state, Playbook has learned…

They plan to gather more than 1,000 supporters from Buffalo to Long Island to organize and educate voters. Members include local chapters of the League of Women Voters and Planned Parenthood, 1199 SEIU, the ACLU, NAACP and immigrant advocacy groups.”

City and State: Building the strategy to pass an Equal Rights Amendment in New York “Abortion rights activists gathered in midtown Manhattan at the headquarters of 1199SEIU on Thursday to start the campaign to pass the state Equal Rights Amendment…The organizing event also comes in the wake of national backlash around an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that effectively halted in vitro fertilization treatments in the state…Although it only impacts Alabama, the implication of the IVF ruling has politicians from around the country sweating – particularly in New York. Rep. Marc Molinaro, a first-term Republican in the Hudson Valley, became the first member of his party to support a Democratic-led bill to protect IVF last week. Fellow Hudson Valley Republican Rep. Mike Lawler became the second GOP member to sign onto the bill a few days later.”Gothamist/WNYC: New poll shows wide bipartisan support for NY’s Equal Rights Amendment “Voters across geographic and partisan divides strongly support incorporating additional protections into New York’s constitution that explicitly protect reproductive rights and prohibit discrimination across a wider range of individual characteristics, according to a new poll shared exclusively with Gothamist…Supporters of the New York ERA kicked off a grassroots campaign this week to build on the support found in that data and to ensure voters statewide know that this initiative will be on the back of their ballot in November.”

Assemblymember Charles Lavine I was honored to join so many dear friends at a rally this morning in Garden City organized by the @NYCLU in support of the New York Equal Rights Amendment. We must all do everything we can to protect women’s rights – which are HUMAN rights! @NYEqualRightsIndivisibleWestchester New Yorkers want to know that the freedom to control our own bodies, lives, and futures is guaranteed.We have the power to protect our freedoms – by voting to pass the New York Equal Rights Amendment this November.Mary Freeman I’m attending New Yorkers for Equal Rights’s event, “LWV X NYERA Launch Event [Cattaraugus Allegany]” – sign up now to join me! @NAPAWF In our equal rights amendment era! Last week, @napawfnyc joined the launch of New Yorkers for Equal Rights! This state constitutional amendment would expand the existing constitutional protections for race and religion – and add state protections for reproductive autonomy! Downtown Women for Change We’re joining @NYEqualRights to fight for the passage of the #NYERA – because no New Yorker should ever be discriminated against by the government, no matter who we are, what we look like, who we love, whether we have a disability, or whether we choose to have an abortion. Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts In New York, we don’t take our rights for granted. That’s why we’re so proud to be a part of the effort to pass the NY Equal Rights Amendment. This November, NYers will have the chance to vote for equality protections built by New Yorkers FOR New Yorkers. #NYERA #NYEqualRights NIRH Action Fund We’re joining New Yorkers to push for @NYEqualRights, a measure to protect and preserve our rights and reproductive freedoms across the state! Join our campaign: https://nyequalrights.org Make The Road Today, we’re joining @NYEqualRights to fight for the passage of the #NYERA – because no New Yorker should ever be discriminated against by the government, no matter who we are, what we look like, who we love, whether we have a disability, or whether we choose to have an abortion. Learn more and join our grassroots fight at https://nyequalrights.org New York Immigration Coalition No New Yorker should ever be discriminated against by the government, no matter who we are, what we look like, who we love, whether we have a disability, or whether we choose to have an abortion. Vote YES on the New York Equal Rights Amendment: https://nyequalrights.org Assemblymember Hevesi No New Yorker should ever be discriminated against by the government, no matter who we are, what we look like, who we love, whether we have a disability, or whether we choose to have an abortion. Vote YES on the New York Equal Rights Amendment: https://nyequalrights.org Assemblymember Seawright @NYEqualRights has launched an education campaign on the NYS Equal Rights Amendment. As the #NYERA’s Assembly Lead Sponsor, we encourage you to read about this historic measure.

Photo & Videos Highlights

NYCLU Nassau Chapter Rally, 3/23

League of Women Voters Cattaraugus Allegany Walk, 3/23

Downtown Women for Change Teach In, 3/21

Indivisible Ulster Honk & Wave, 3/30

About New Yorkers for Equal Rights New Yorkers for Equal Rights, a ballot initiative committee registered with the New York State Board of Elections, was formed by a coalition of civil rights and reproductive rights organizations advocating for passage of the New York Equal Rights Amendment. The NY ERA is supported by New York-based and national organizations across New York. For the full list of NY ERA coalition members please visit https://nyequalrights.org/.