Top Ten Thursday - There's a New President in Town

This week's top ten is a political one (oh no I hear you cry). Tamara at Part-time Working Hockey Mom has given us the following guidelines:

"Today let's assume President Trump is out. Impeachment and removal from office, boom. For some reason Mr Pence doesn't automatically take over - it's you who's in charge now. List the top ten priorities you're tackling first."

Where to start...........

1. Healthcare: making healthcare available to everyone no matter their income or social status. I'm not sure how you would change the messed up system that exists now, but it's just so wrong that people in a low socioeconomic area who can't afford health insurance can't get medical care when needed without practically going bankrupt.

2. LGBTQ Rights: I would reinstate the guidance that included transgender people under the civil rights act and protected transgender children in schools. I would make sure that the LGBTQ community were very visible on the White House Website (my predecessor removed all mention of them), and during Pride month the White House would be lit up with a rainbow. Just like Justin Trudeau in Canada I would attend Pride events to show that my administration was a true ally and friend.

3. Education: work to improve education standards across the land, making sure that there is the same high standards no matter where a child goes to school. Included in this would be giving more money for the quality of school lunches as he who shall not be named has reduced this. Before and after school activities should also be in place for those children whose parents have to work long hours.

4. Environment: climate change does exist and I would make sure we joined back up with all the sensible countries who are trying to do something about this. Fuel efficiency standards would be implemented, along with a national campaign to help people think about how they can help the environment by reducing their carbon footprint. I would reinstate the bans on plastic bottles in national parks, lead bullets, and lead sinkers in fishing, and give back all the land that has been removed from national parks. I would definitely ban drilling for oil in the arctic and try and find some way that any future republicans couldn't reverse this. I could go on for ages on the environment as he who shall not be named obviously has no regard for mother nature and how we need this planet to survive if we want to keep living on it.

5. Hunting: this law broke my heart when it was brought in - hunters in Alaska are now allowed to hunt hibernating bears and wolves, kill their babies, and use much more aggressive hunting methods. This law will be one of the first to be corrected as any fair minded person must see how wrong this is.

6. HIV/AIDS: reinstate funding for research and support both nationally and internationally.

7. White House Staff: I would definitely want George Stephanopoulos as my communications director - he did a fantastic job for Bill Clinton at the start of his presidency and he has the charisma needed. I'd definitely have roles for Ellen and Oprah, incredibly strong women who so many people look up to.

8. Guns: I was watching a show about America recently and one of the people on it made the statement, "the only way to stop gun violence is to give more people guns". Is it just me or does that make no sense whatsoever. Under my administration gun ownership would not be allowed until 18, and there will be very strict rules involved. Handguns will be banned (except for policemen and military) as well as military grade weapons like some of the ones that have been used in mass shootings. There will be stringent checks which follow the UK's guidance; 'Gun owners ... must meet background checks, which involve a review of a person's criminal record, mental illness, alcoholism, drug addiction, and references regarding mental state, home life, and attitudes toward guns. Licenses must be renewed every five years, although they can be revoked earlier if police find that someone's gun ownership poses public safety risks or a person no longer has a good reason for the license.' (Vox).

9. Twitter: this will be banned from the White House unless my communications director is using it to promote the good we are doing as an administration.

10. Redecorate: we will need to remove any of the tackyness that has been put there by the family that must not be named, and introduce some comfort and colour to different parts of the house. I'll also have to make sure that it is very cat friendly, and apart from our three furbies, I'm sure it's time for a president of the United States to begin taking in abandoned cats.

There you have my priorities - what would be yours? Before you go, make sure you hop over to Tamara's Blog to see what my fellow bloggers have come up with for when they take office.

Until next time, enjoy the last few weeks of summer (or winter) wherever you are in this wonderful world.

Pamela & Ken
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