Afton Photography

03/17/2025

Our forefathers didn’t like being ruled by a king (and George the III was almost as crazed as Trump). They successfully fought a war for independence and created a Republic that was, until recently, the envy of the world. When Trump denies court orders, as I am now sure he will, the final nail will be pounded into the coffin carrying the body of our former republic. It isn’t foreign adversaries that will bring us down. It will be the Republican Party that has morphed into a Trump worshipping cult that did us in.

03/17/2025

I fact checked this and it is true. Trump has turned us into a pariah nation. Soon the s**t is going to hit the fan with our economy. Resist!!!

Follow Occupy Democrats for more.

10/31/2024

The light is the Southwest is to behold.

10/31/2024

Intermission at eternity.

10/31/2024

Gloria and I were recently in Arizona. Saw some gorgeous sites.

10/31/2024

Meet Defender of Democracy #13 – Jonathan Nez

“Voting rights are on the line this year. Hardliners are willing to take away your choice at the ballot box. We have to stop them.”

Jonathan Nez was until recently the President of the Navajo Nation. As the leader of the Navajo Nation, Nez pushed hard to protect his people from the ravages of Covid 19. His people had a higher vaccination rate than most of the rest of Arizona. He was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 2020. More recently Nez has been working toward a doctorate in political science at Northern Arizona University.

This year he is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives 2nd District. The 2nd District covers the northeastern corner of Arizona and is mostly rural. It has an exceedingly diverse population and is a swing district. Nez is stressing the need to address issues like infrastructure, water rights, quality of life issues like health care and environmental issues. At the beginning of his campaign against far-right incumbent Eli Crane polls showed him trailing by seven or eight points. More recent polls show the race is now a toss-up.

The reason Nez qualifies as a "Defender of Democracy" is because he is defending democracy by running against a hardline Trumpublican.

Incumbent Eli Crane has been endorsed by Trump, surely because he has actively pushed patently false conspiracy theories, including repeatedly claiming massive voter fraud without any evidence to support his allegation. He leaned heavily on the Arizona State Legislature to decertify the legitimately selected presidential electors.

Crane sided with the likes of Marjorie Taylor Green and Matt Gaetz to make the U.S. House dysfunctional as extremists worked for weeks to take Kevin McCarthy out as Speaker.

Crane has also advanced all kinds of baseless theories as to who was behind the attempted assassination of Trump. The assassin was, by the way, a registered Republican who would not have had easy access to the AR-15 he used if Republicans had not repealed the ban on assault weapons in 2004. Prior to the repeal of the ban, 200,000 assault rifles were sold per year in the U.S. After the ban was lifted, the yearly sales averaged 700,000! Do the math, that’s an additional ten million military assault rifles in the hands of whom? Duck hunters?

Do you want to help Nez? https://www.jonathannezforaz.com/get-involved/

10/28/2024

Defender of Democracy #11
Reuben Gallego

Arizona Congressman Reuben Gallego is running for the United States Senate in Arizona. This is for the seat vacated by Kryrsten Sinema's retirement. His opponent is none other than Kari Lake, possibly the most devoted adherent of MAGA-ism and certainly the most outspoken proponent of the "Big Lie."

Arizona is a critical state in this year's presidential race - to put it mildly. Polling shows Gallego in the lead and if correct that would make Lake, and her appeal to the darker impulses of the human spirit, a three-time loser. She claims, without evidence, that she actually won two previous statewide contests...where did she get the idea to do that?

Gallego is the child of immigrants who grew up in poverty. He attributes his rise to originating from a strong family with good values and to people who helped him along the way. His mother in particular was a major force in her life. She emigrated from Columbian and his father Mexico.

Gallego tells the story of how when he got to college the bed in his dorm was the first time he ever slept on a mattress. When asked by his roommate if he was crying because he was homesick he said "No, it's the first time I've ever slept in a real bed."

10/26/2024

Defender of Democracy #10 - Gretchen Whitmer

“Let's fix our roads, and be the state that's not paralyzed by partisanship, but works together and creates the blueprint for rebuilding America's crumbling infrastructure.”

It takes courage of a higher order to run for elected office these days. Few have faced a graver threat than Gretchen Whitmer and few have displayed more courage and grace under pressure.

In 2020, an organized by a group of anti-government, right-wing extremists, some of whom were associated with militia movements, made plans to kidnap and execute Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The plot was foiled by law enforcement (another reason why those advocating for “defunding the police” need to have their heads examined and removed from office in the next election). The plan was to kidnap Whitmer from her vacation home and try her for “treason,” in a kangaroo court of their design primarily due to her efforts to follow science and save lives during the worst of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The FBI had been monitoring violent, anti-government rhetoric in Michigan. When they learned of the plot, undercover agents and informants infiltrated the group, allowing the monitoring of their activities and awarding law enforcement access to the plan.

In October 2020, fourteen men were arrested in connection with the plot. Six faced federal charges, while the others were charged under Michigan’s anti-terrorism laws. Several members, but not all, have since been convicted or pled guilty. In the wake of the attempted kidnap and murder, Whitmer thanked law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and arrest. She called the plotters "sick and depraved men" and blamed Donald Trump for refusing to explicitly condemn far-right groups and for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It is worth noting that in 2021, far right groups, encouraged by Trump, made armed attempt to violently overthrow the American government.

Gretchen Esther Whitmer was born on August 23, 1971. She is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2019 as the 49th Governor of Michigan. She has won two terms as chief executive by wide margins. Previously, she served as a Democrat in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 and in the Michigan Senate from 2006 to 2015. Whitmer gained national attention for a floor speech during a debate on abortion in which she shared her experience of being sexually assaulted. On the floor on the day of that debate she said, “Over 20 years ago I was a victim of r**e. And thank God it didn't result in a pregnancy because I can't imagine going through what I went through and then having to consider what to do about an unwanted pregnancy from an attacker.”

As governor, she has successfully focused on healthcare and infrastructure legislation. Her campaign theme in the first election contest was “Fix the damn roads!” In February 2020, she was selected to give the Democratic response to then Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address.

Whitmer was considered for the VP role by Biden in 2020 and would have been a contender for the nomination in 2024 had Biden decided earlier to withdraw. She has a folksy style of communicating that has appealed to Michigan voters.

10/25/2024

What a powerful add that poses the question as to what kind of role model Trump is for our children.

10/25/2024

Defender of Democracy #9 (PLS feel free to share)

“No state, no matter how advanced, is immune from flawed leadership, the erosion of political checks and balances, and the degradation of its institutions.” - Fiona Hill

Fiona Hill is one of my Defenders of Democracy because of her voluntary testimony in the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump held in December of 2019. She is also one of the most articulate and powerful voices warning of the rise of an appetite for an authoritarian form of government in the United States.

Hill is the daughter of a coal miner. She was born in the town of Bishop Auckland in North East England in 1965. When the coal mines closed in the early 1960’s her father lost his job, and as the economic situation deteriorated, he told his daughter, “There is nothing for you here.” She took her father’s counsel and earned, by means of her intellectual brilliance and hard work, a world-class education and emigrated to the United States where she became a citizen in 2002.

It wasn’t just the economics of an empire in decline that motivated her move. The class structure of her native land meant that her humble origins coupled with her thick North East England accent would likely be insurmountable obstacles to success. Hill illustrates that point with a recounting of how Oxford University students made fun of her accent. She said, “It was the most embarrassing, awful, experience I have ever had in my life.”

Fiona Hill has come a long way from her humble origins. Today, she is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute and the Chancellor of Durham University. As of the July, she is also a defense advisor to the new Labor Government in Britain. Prior to all this she was a presidential advisor to three Presidents of the United States (George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump) on matters concerning Europe and Russia. She is also a prolific writer who produced two excellent New York Times bestselling books about foreign policy.

Having witnessed Fiona Hill’s testimony in Congress regarding Trump’s attempt to extort Vladimir Zelensky by tying arms needed to preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty for dirt on Joe Biden, I was curious to learn more about this remarkable and courageous woman. I picked up a copy of her 2021 book entitled, “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century.”

Hill’s book is the best analysis I have read regarding the economic and social causes of the rise of the ugly form of populism that is undermining western democracies. The book is based on her personal journey from a working-class origin to a top foreign policy advisor to presidents and prime ministers. It is a mixture of memoir, political analysis, and social commentary which draws from her experience of growing up in poverty.

In her memoir she is remarkably open about other adversities she faced including a sexual assault when she was a student at Saint Andrews College in Scotland. She also describes what it was like to be Trump’s foreign policy advisor on Europe and Russia. He rarely if ever sought her counsel and treated her like a secretary who was there to type up press releases. This she attributes to his blatant sexism and let us not to forget that he too was convicted of sexual assault by a jury of peers. Not one to tolerate such treatment, she decided to quit her job, but National Security Officer John Bolton pleaded with her to stay a little longer. Because she stayed on, she was privy to the scandal that resulted in Trump’s first impeachment.

In her testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives on October 14, 2019, the former Senior Director for Europe and Russia on the National Security Council was a key witness in the investigation focusing on Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. What she revealed was crucial in providing details into Trump’s plot to pressure Zelensky for an investigation into Joe Biden - all of which was central to the impeachment inquiry.

For all this and so much more, Fiona Hill surely qualifies as an exemplar of moral, physical and political courage.

Note: If your only exposure to Fiona Hill is from her testimony during Donald Trump’s first impeachment hearing in the House you might conclude that she is an exceedingly serious, no non-sense person on a mission. Looking at her resume and schedule you would not expect that she would carve out a bunch of time for a photo shoot. When I met with her during her visit to Minneapolis on May 17th of this year, I found her to be warm, and gracious, generous with her time and enjoying a vigorous sense of humor. As a token of my appreciation and in recognition of her British origins I gave her a painted portrait I had made of Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who was the “Churchill” for the British in World War I. She was sufficiently fond of it that it now adorns her office at the Brookings Institute. She sent me a picture of it residing there which I confess made me feel pretty good.

10/25/2024

Defender of Democracy #9

“No state, no matter how advanced, is immune from flawed leadership, the erosion of political checks and balances, and the degradation of its institutions.” - Fiona Hill

Fiona Hill is one of my Defenders of Democracy because of her voluntary testimony in the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump held in December of 2019. She is also one of the most articulate and powerful voices warning of the rise of an appetite for an authoritarian form of government in the United States.

Hill is the daughter of a coal miner. She was born in the town of Bishop Auckland in North East England in 1965. When the coal mines closed in the early 1960’s her father lost his job, and as the economic situation deteriorated, he told his daughter, “There is nothing her for you.” She took her father’s counsel and earned, by means of her intellectual brilliance and hard work, a world-class education and emigrated to the United States where she became a citizen in 2002.

It wasn’t just the economics of an empire in decline that motivated her move. The class structure of her native land meant that her humble origins coupled with her thick Northeast England accent would likely be an insurmountable obstacle to success. Hill illustrates that point with a recounting of how Oxford University students made fun of her accent. She said, “It was the most embarrassing, awful, experience I have ever had in my life.”

Fiona Hill has come a long way from her humble origins. Today, she is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute and the Chancellor of Durham University. As of the July, she is also a defense advisor to the new Labor Government in Britain. Prior to all this she was a presidential advisor to three Presidents of the United States (George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump) on matters concerning Europe and Russia. She is also a prolific writer who produced two excellent New York Times bestselling books about foreign policy.

Having witnessed Fiona Hill’s testimony in Congress regarding Trump’s attempt to extort Vladimir Zelensky by tying arms needed to preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty for dirt on Joe Biden, I was curious to learn more about this remarkable and courageous woman. I picked up a copy of her 2021 book entitled, “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century.”

Hill’s book is the best analysis I have read regarding the economic and social causes of the rise of the ugly form of populism that is undermining western democracies. The book is based on her personal journey from a working-class origin to a top foreign policy advisor to presidents and prime ministers. The book is an admixture of memoir, political analysis, and social commentary which draws from her experience of growing up in poverty.

In her memoir she is remarkably open about other adversities she faced including a sexual assault when she was a student at Saint Andrews College in Scotland. She also describes what it was like to be Trump’s advisor on Europe and Russia. He rarely if ever sought her counsel and treated her like a secretary who was there to type up press releases. This she attributes to his blatant sexism and let us not to forget that he too was convicted of sexual assault by a jury of peers. Not one to tolerate such treatment, she decided to quit her job, but National Security Officer John Bolton pleaded with her to stay a little longer. Because she stayed on, she was privy to the scandal that resulted in Trump’s first impeachment.

In her testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives on October 14, 2019, the former Senior Director for Europe and Russia on the National Security Council was a key witness in the investigation focusing on Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. What she revealed was crucial in providing details into Trump’s approach to Ukraine and his pressure campaign to push Zelensky for an investigation into Joe Biden - all of which was central to the impeachment inquiry.

For all this and so much more, Fiona Hill surely qualifies as an exemplar of moral, physical and political courage.

Note: If your only exposure to Fiona Hill is from her testimony during Donald Trump’s first impeachment hearing in the House you might conclude that she is an exceedingly serious, no non-sense person on a mission. Looking at her resume and schedule you would not expect that she would carve out a bunch of time for a photo shoot. When I met with her during her visit to Minneapolis on May 17th of this year, I found her to be warm, and gracious, generous with her time and enjoying a vigorous sense of humor. As a token of my appreciation and in recognition of her British origins I gave her a painted portrait I had made of Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who was the “Churchill” for the British in World War I. She was sufficiently fond of it that it now adorns in her office at the Brookings Institute. She sent me a picture of it residing there which I confess made me feel pretty good.

10/23/2024

Defender of Democracy #7 - Rusty Bowers

“I don't separate my faith from any part of my life. I don't check my faith at the door when I go anywhere. I'm a believer in Jesus Christ. I'd like to someday be a worthy disciple, just to live that way would show that I was. And I made promises to him and those promises encompass everything of my life.” - Rusty Bowers

Rusty Bowers is a deeply religious Christian and a conservative Republican. He was Speaker of the Arizona House in 2020 when he found himself at the center of the bullseye when Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani phoned to pressure him to go along with a fake set of electors to overturn the will of Arizona voters.

Bowers indicated that he needed facts proving irregularities before he would take such action. He knew and trusted the people who were in charge of elections. Trump and Guiliani said they had the facts and that they would bring them to Arizona to prove it. When Guiliani came with an assistant, Bowers demanded to see the facts. Guiliani turned to his assistant, Jenna Ellis, and asked if she had the proof with her, she said, “I left it at the hotel.” Proof of fraud was the whole justification for the trip. Her answer wasn’t the right answer for Rusty Bowers.

Trump’s tactics had not only succeeded in pitting Americans against one another from one end of the country to the other, but had created a conflagration within Bowers’ caucus as the adherents of Trumpism fought with those more aligned with traditional Republican values.

This was not an easy or comfortable situation for Bowers who had been a supporter of Trump in two previous elections. He had started to have concerns about Trump, especially in light of his handling of Covid. When Bowers required masks at the legislature he came under heavy fire from members of his own party. “My critics said I was acting like a Democrat, that I wasn't a real American - every rhetorical sleight that you can think of,” Bowers said.

There were other concerns. “Oh my gosh, Trump and his tweets. I mean, I very much agreed with everything up to Covid, except his visiting with Kim Jong and cozying up to Putin and then finding out that he had Hitler's speeches by his bed that he would read.”

Despite being a strong Republican with a track record to prove it, Bowers refused to cooperate with President Trump, Rudy Giuliani and their illegal attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona. Bowers publicly stated that there was no evidence whatsoever of election fraud that would mandate rejection of the results of the 2020 United States presidential election in Arizona.

On June 21, 2022, Bowers testified before the House January 6 committee.

Bowers also deflected a bill in the Arizona House of Representatives which would have allowed the state legislature to override the results of a presidential election in Arizona.

Trump vigilantes have been pretty tough on Rusty Bowers and his family. In January 2021, only weeks after the violent Trump-led attempt to overthrow the government, Bowers announced the death of his daughter, Kacey Rae Bowers at 42. She had been staying with Bowers and his wife as she was in the final stages of a battle with hepatic cancer. Her last weeks on earth were made even more horrific by the presence of Trump supporters (one of whom was armed) who demonstrated noisily outside Bowers' home. They harassed the Bowers family with megaphones and a giant sign accusing him of pe******ia. At the end of December 2023, a crank call was made to the police accusing Bowers of killing his wife. He also received many threatening phone calls and e-mails.

For his efforts in resisting the attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, Bowers was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. He was one of five honorees to receive the award in 2022. On July 19, 2022, the Arizona Republican Party censured Bowers for his resistance. Bowers said he had no regrets about his resistance and "would have done it again in a heartbeat.”

Bowers is married to Donetta Russell, with whom he has had seven children. Bowers is an artist and rancher. If all the other challenges he faced for his moral courage were not enough he was deeply affected by a 2021 fire that ravaged his farm, and burned his painting studio where much of his work, as well as a significant portion of his legislative papers, were stored.

Bowers is a fourth-generation Arizonan who grew up on a sheep ranch in Chino Valley. He attended Mesa Community College, Arizona State University, and Brigham Young University. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he spent two years as a Mormon missionary in Mexico.

Note: This portrait of Rusty Bowers was taken at his home in Mesa Arizona in May of this year. As he is an artist and as I now fashion myself as one as well, we exchanged works of art.