Author: Sam Powell

What am I doing here? I am an ex-Reformed pastor. I love the system of doctrine found in the confessions of the church because they lead to Jesus, exalt Jesus, and clarify the life and work of Jesus. But I worship him, not the confessions. I will never use the confessions of the church to beat someone down or to win some kind of argument. In Reformed and Presbyterian churches, I hear over and over again how the books of order, the constitutions, and the centuries of procedures are used to silence the abused, drive away the sheep, protect the powerful, and maintain the status quo. If you haven't seen it, you haven't been paying attention. On top of this, in the 1980s and 1990s, several influential and powerful men introduced a new theology in the church as a response to feminism. They called it "complementarianism". They based it on a novel interpretation of the Trinity, by introducing authority and submission into the persons of the Trinity. Doing this, they contradicted the unanimous testimony of the church since the 4th century. And one more - in the 70s, a cult leader named Bill Gothard invented a religion which he called "Institutes of Basic Life Principles". He peddled it to millions under the guise of Christianity. All of these streams combined into a weird, oppressive, violent, vicious mixture which has infiltrated the churches. It is a strange new religion, under the guise of Christianity, but has nothing to do with it. It has gone by different names: Moral Majority; Christian Nationalism; Patriarchalism; It worships power and authority, it worships traditions and parliamentarian procedures, it worships celebrity, and it worships those who can argue down a liberal or a feminist. It values destroying enemies with argument, it values contempt and winning the debate. It calls for the release of Barrabas - at least he was trying to do something about Rome- And shouts for Jesus to be crucified. What this new religion doesn't have is: Jesus, the Lamb of God Grace Mercy Compassion Understanding Listening or Good news. All it knows is law. And all it trusts in is power. It knows nothing of washing feet, of letting the mind of Christ dwell in us, or of taking the lowest place. So this is why I am here. For those who have been run down by Driscoll's bus, who have been crushed by the Gothard machine, cast out by Wilson's cult (or Piper's or MacArthur's)... ...for those who are so confused that they don't know how to separate the gospel of Jesus Christ from the lies and tangles that the enemy has woven into a snare... I offer my services. I can listen. I can help untangle the lies by pointing you to the simplicity of the faith once for all delivered to the saints. You can find me at sampowellministries.com

The difference between me and my opponent

In the last few forums, I’ve heard Sen. Jasinski speak about why he is running for office.

His answer both times: “I am running to preserve our way of life.”

In the context, he is speaking about “socialism” taking over.

I don’t think he knows what socialism is, and it has been the insult given to every single initiative for progress since 1900. I believe that he subscribes to the “anything I don’t like is socialism” school of thought. But that’s another topic.

I’ve heard it all.

But what really concerns me is his desire to preserve “our way of life.”

This is easy to say if you are a privileged white man. I am a privileged white man as well.

But I know what it is to have a loved one denied healthcare because of insurance issues.

In this history of our country, “preserving our way of life” was the reason the south rebelled against the North.

In the history of our country, women have had to fight hard for their rights.

And now women cannot find justice for sexual assault.

Preserving “our way of life” is what the frat boys say, not their victims

Preserving “our way of life” is what abusive husbands say, not their wives,

Preserving “our way of life” is what the robber barons say, not the workers fighting to stay alive with subsistent wages

Preserving “our way of life” is what those born into privilege and standing say, not the ones in the margins.

Preserving “our way of life” is what a man says:

who has never been arrested for the color of his skin,

who has never been afraid to walk in a parking lot,

who has never wondered where his next meal was coming from,

who has never had to undergo a sexual assault examination and try to navigate a system that is designed to protect the rapist.

who has never had to escape a violent man with vulnerable children

who has never suffered a health crisis and has been denied healthcare.

It is the statement of a man who thinks that the biggest problem facing southern Minnesota today is roads and tag fees.

Yes, we can address roads, and we should.

But my concern is different than “preserving our way of life”. I am far more interested in opening up that privilege to everyone – Somali, Mexican, Colombian, Venezuelan, Haitian, men, women, chronic illness, or healthy –

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness isn’t something to “preserve” for the entitled few. It is the right of every American and must be fought for continually.

Sam Powell for Senate District 19.

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To the younger generations

This is a note for the younger generations.
We’ve had 250 years of entitled white guys (with one notable exception) running things.
We are now at the pinnacle (or nadir, whichever you prefer).

In those 250 years, 230 of them have been war. We’ve had 20 years of peace. In 250 years.
The man currently in the White House is a crime boss, a rapist, and a conman. If you took every single horrible thought, cruel impulse, and twisted desire that men normally fight against and compressed them all into one man, it would be Donald Trump.

Rape culture is rampant; health care is only for the elite few, food and gas are becoming more and more scarce, the environment is turning inhabitable, and the nation is full of racism, distrust, ugliness, hatred, greed and lust.

The ones who have spoken out against it all the most effectively have been women. And now I even read about “Getting rid of liberal women” when they are the only ones keeping the slightest bit of sanity around us.

Truth has fallen in the street and equity cannot enter.
The president uses his words to cause riots and hatred and violence in the street.

To the younger generations. We’ve left you a mess. Old white guys have left you a crumbling ruin and they continue to desperately hang on to power long after they should be corpses. And we still aren’t sure how much of Mitch is still left.

It will take courage and compassion, and speaking as an old white guy, I would be glad to entrust this mess to those who would do far better than we did.

But now is the time to start and to take up the reins. Don’t let this election pass you by. Get out there and vote.

You have a choice all over the country. You won’t find perfection. You won’t find it anywhere.
But your choices are these: The same shit that has been poisoning us for decades – greed, racism, misogyny, rape culture, entitled power, madness and death.

Or those who will do their best to shore up what is left and leave a better world to the next generation.

The future belongs to you. Do you know that nasty uncle that you have to put up with at Thanksgiving, with the foul mouth, hateful words, stupidity and groping hands?
You can bet your ass he’s voting.

I say that it is time to quit allowing him to elect our leaders.
Get out and vote. We can do better.

“I work hard for my money…”

Whenever we speak about SNAP benefits, healthcare, or any other public assistance, the response of the GOP is “I work hard for my money.”

In a recent forum, my opponent stated that he is running for office because he wants to preserve our way of life which is in danger from being taken over by socialists.

He went on to say that he works, and his father worked and his grandfather worked.

It echoed the same complaint from the GOP that I’ve heard for years. “I’ve worked hard for my money. Why should I have that money taken away from me to buy healthcare and food for other people?”

It sounds good on the surface, but let’s take a deepdive.

Who provided the food that you ate today? Who made the pots and the pans it was cooked on? Who paved the streets and the roads that you drove on to get here?

Who sewed your clothes, and sheared the sheep? Who made your razor and harvested your rubber? Who picked your cotton and removed the seeds?

Who cleans your office floors or washes your dishes? Who processes your sewage?

Where did you get your health? Why are you walking when someone else isn’t? How is it that you can hear when others cannot?

Who gave you the ability to work? Why were you born to your parents? Did you choose that?
Did you choose the color of your skin or that you were born in the 20th century to a middle class white family in Minnesota rather than in a war torn country in Africa?

The fact is this – and we need to face it squarely. It will make us better people:
Your wealth has very, very little to do with your choices. “Time and chance happens to all”.
Yes, that is in the Bible.

In a moment it could all be gone. You could wake with cancer, or the market could fail and you could lose everything in a heartbeat.

Most Americans are one or two paychecks away from homelessness, through no fault of their own.

It isn’t about how they budget. That is a myth. It is that most Americans are battling forces that they didn’t choose that are designed to make the wealthy wealthier and the worker poorer.

And the wealthy have used the excuse “I work hard, and deserve the fruits of my labor” for years. (I just heard this on Fox News.)

That might be true. But it isn’t just the fruits of YOUR labor. Your wealth is the fruits of the one who picked your cotton, fixed your car, picked your vegetables and harvested your wheat. It is the fruit of the one who cleans your shit and sweeps your floor and makes your clothes and cooks your food.

It is the fruit of the mechanic, the plumber, the guy that is out fixing the lines when the trees are blown down so that your lights go back on. The woman teaching your kids.

The janitor cleaning your kids’ school.

I just happen to believe that they also deserve the fruits of their labor.

They also deserve to eat, to be sheltered, to go out to dinner from time to time, to buy a cake and a sprite for their kid’s birthday, to go to the doctor or dentist when they get sick.

To walk to school without getting pulled over by masked thugs.

That is the Minnesota I want to see for everyone

Things that we Value

We all know that the world is imperfect. The theological answers leave us thirsty for more. I won’t get into that – yet, anyway. Maybe someday.

But one thing about imperfections is that they expose what we truly are and what we truly value. You can’t have everything, and anything you have will have flaws. But what you choose shows the world what you are.

We all know that there are no perfect humans. And yet, each election cycle, we are called to make a choice between imperfect humans.

I remember years back speaking with a man who was hardcore MAGA. When he showed up to church he wore an “All Lives Matter” cap, which told me everything I needed to know.

He told me one afternoon that he was a “one issue voter”. Abortion. That was all he cared about. He voted on that issue alone.

That was the rhetoric, but it wasn’t true. As he continued the conversation, he exposed himself as a racist, a homophobe, a sexist. He repeated every vulgar lie about democrats that was repeated daily on Fox News. He followed every Q Anon blog. In all of my discussions with him, he never actually ever mentioned abortion at all.

And he voted for a president who flip-flops on abortion faster that a Waffle House Cook flips pancakes.

What he valued came out in every discussion, and it wasn’t the lives of children. It was grievance, contempt and sticking it to the libs.

I’m bringing this up because there is something very concerning to me about the culture were are living in, that shows us how much work we have to do.

The president said in 2016 that he could shoot someone dead on Madison Avenue and his followers would still vote for him.

When joked with a reporter about walking into a room of teenage children and “grabbing em by the …”, or walking in on them undressed, because he “owned them”, half the country shrugged.

When he mocked the disabled, half the country shrugged.

When he refused to pay any of his bills and left contractors bankrupt, half the country shrugged.

When he sold the name of Jesus next to his own name on a bible, half the country bought it.

When he incited an insurrection, filmed on live television, half the country blamed the democrats and didn’t care.

When he pardoned the criminals who were convicted of trafficking, insurrection, assault, rape, incest, narcotics dealing, arms trading, fraud – half the country shrugged.

When he blatantly practices insider trading, enriching himself by the billions through his own half-baked policies, half the country shrugs.

When he built concentration camps and let loose masked thugs to terrorize immigrants, half the country cheered.

When these thugs shot bystanders, half the country cheered. When they kidnapped children, locked them up apart from their parents, they cheered him on.

When men, women and children are suffering in his cages with unimaginable and appalling conditions, the country shrugs.

Every single day is a new atrocity. A new degradation that removes us further and further from anything decent or beautiful.

Since 2015, I’ve been watching it unfold: horror after horror, exactly as I said it would unfold back then. I hoped that I was wrong back then, but I was not.

One horror after another. Quiet piggy. Lie after lie after lie. So easily proven. But half the country loves to be lied to.

But now, the GOP appears to be separating themselves from their Dear Leader. Why?

Not his racism, not his raping children, not his assault of women, not his grifting and theft, not his cruelty, not his lies, not his cursing, or false witness, or ignoring the constitution…

But because gas is too expensive and groceries are too expensive. “It’s the economy”.

The problem right now isn’t Trump. He’s just the symbol of fat, cancerous pride and greed. He has shown us who we are. And it isn’t pretty.

And allow me to wear a former hat for a moment – it is never too late to repent. But it isn’t about turning on Trump. It is about re-examining every single value you hold, and examining it deeply. Why was it that you were OK with every atrocity possible, until it affected your wallet?

The answer to that question might be the first step towards wisdom.

Delays in Healthcare?

“If we do universal healthcare, we’ll have to wait MONTHS to get an appointment!”

Have you heard that one?
I have a few answers.

First, we wait months NOW. By taking away the power of the mega corporations who now control access, we will actually shorten wait times and travel distance.

When a corporation makes a decision about opening a clinic or hospital, or whether to keep on open, they make the decision based on the bottom line. What decision will put the most money into the pockets of the share-holders.

The wait times and quality of care don’t enter into their discussion unless it affects the bottom line. If massive layoffs of nurses, closing rural clinics, and cutting staff makes sense to the bottom line, that is what they will do.

If they decide to put one RN on the whole floor and staff the rest with CNAs, that is what they will do.

Imagine taking that power away from the corporation, and putting it in the hands of elected boards and experts who make decisions based upon quality care?

Second, The assumption is that when healthcare doesn’t cost the people, but is universal – then the masses will want healthcare and that will bog down the system.

You can see the minds of people working. A white man has to wait for care, and he sees the brown people and the black people in the waiting room. His mind will go to blame, but he puts the blame in the wrong place.
Rather than blame the system of healthcare that we have in this country, he resorts to his racism. “If it weren’t for THESE people clogging up the system, I’d be in and out.”

Yes, I’ve actually heard that. The assumption is that POC of indigenous people, or Mexican people don’t deserve quality healthcare. Their children aren’t as important as mine. They’re all freeloaders.

Or perhaps the poor mother, whose kid is sick and she has to go to the ER or clinic because she can’t afford anywhere else. Will we just call her a freeloader, or a “welfare queen”?

Inherent in all these ideas is that there are some people more deserving of healthcare than other people.
Whether it is white people, male people, employed people, healthy people, people with money – however you want to divide the country up. One group deserves healthcare. The other does not.

I reject the idea that some people do not deserve healthcare. This is why I support universal, free healthcare. Whether a child lives or dies should not be based upon whether that child is in the “in” group or the “out group”.

The fact that a person is human and worthy of inherent dignity is enough for them to deserve access to healthcare.

“All humans are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

This ideal has not been realized, either in 1776, or today. But throughout our history there have been “progressives” who believe in making “progress” towards that goal.

They have almost always been mistakenly called socialists. Lies travel faster than truth.

But I am honored to count myself as among them.

The myth of the “lazy liberal”

“Why don’t liberals just get jobs”

This lie has been spread since Reagan’s racist “Welfare queens” comment.

It has about as much truth as Haitians eating pets.

Six months after 1-6, a man told me that it couldn’t have been conservatives rioting. “They all have jobs. It’s the liberals that don’t have jobs.”

But lies aren’t harmless. They cause untold suffering and pain.

It was the lies about immigrants that inflicted brutal, untrained thugs with military weapons on our civilians.
And it was the lies about “welfare queens” and “lazy libs” that is causing our economic collapse.

We fight the lies, then we build a better Minnesota.

I’ve been in human resources and management for most of my life. I have never met these “lazy liberals”. Almost everyone I meet is desperate to work, eager to earn enough to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

No one ever wants to spend a day in the unemployment office. They aren’t there because they are lazy. They are there because they are desperate.

And it is also true that people get discouraged – they have to work two or three jobs to keep healthcare, or get the medicine they need, or afford gasoline or daycare. And they watch as the companies they slave for get richer and richer.

The solution is NOT to starve people into compliance. The solution is to create healthy environments where humans thrive, have time to take a weekend off, can afford to go out for dinner every once in a while, and keep a roof over their heads without fear.

I propose:
Universal healthcare. If billions aren’t lining the pockets of the insurance companies and health conglomerates, it can go back into labor, saving money for everyone.

Free childcare for working families. The biggest hindrance I see, especially for women, is the cost of childcare. We can fix that and both business and workers can focus on other things knowing that the children are cared for.

Mandatory paid days to care for sick children. You shouldn’t have to lose your job when your child gets sick.

We can create a far better Minnesota for everyone, but it will take courage to go up against the billionaires who won’t give up without a fight.

Unregulated Business and Death

In the study of economics, there is a concept called “neoliberalism”, not to be confused with left wing politics, also sometimes called “liberalism”.

Neoliberalism is the economic system that we have been operating under for decades. It was theorized by Friedman and Hayek, and others, and championed by Reagan.

The idea is that if the markets are completely free from regulation and government interference (liberal=free), then corporations will thrive and the effects of that will “trickle down” to consumers.

The problem is that they didn’t take into account corporate greed. Corporations are made up of people, and people who run them and make decisions are answerable to shareholders who demand more and more, even if it is counter-intuitive.

Look at the history of industrialism. A corporation will NEVER do what is in the best interest of its employees unless they are forced to.
They had to be forced by law and by unions to pay overtime, to provide days off, to make the workplaces safe, to pay a minimum wage – and more recently, to provide healthcare, paid leave, family leave and so on.

In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in Manhattan caught fire. It was on the top floor of a large building. It employed mostly immigrant women.

To keep the women from “escaping”, the owners locked the door.
146 people, mostly women and girls, burned to death or jumped out the window and plummeted to their death. People stood in shock on the sidewalks and watched their neighbors die brutal and agonizing deaths. It marked a change in the awareness of the public, similar to watching ICE thugs terrorize neighborhoods.

As we remember 9/11, let’s also remember the results of unregulated capitalism. The women that died didn’t affect the owners at all. Immigrant labor was cheap and replaceable.

But one woman who watched in horror from the sidewalk later became the Secretary of Labor for FDR and brought about the changes in the workforce that the current capitalists are now trying to dismantle. Her name was Francis Perkins.

In our own day, the deregulation of corporations is leading to bankrupt cancer patients, poisoned food supply, massive poverty and unemployment and record high prices.

I believe in and support business. But I also know that unscrupulous men generally move up the ladder to places of power and use that power to consolidate power and wealth into the hands of the few.

Business MUST be regulated to thrive. If employees are healthy, paid a living wage, have access to healthcare and are safe, the company will prosper.

But the unscrupulous men who hold the power would rather have the extra billions.

So they cut wages, cut labor, cut equipment costs, lock the fire escapes, and do whatever they can get away with.

Until the people say “ENOUGH.”

I’m saying “enough”. If the Federal Government refuses to regulate the safety and equity of our businesses, the state MUST do it or we are right back to 1911.

Study history. It might help.

Victim support

My passion is for those who are suffering in abusive relationships who have no recourse to the court system.

Abusers follow the example of the Abuser in Chief and overwhelm their victims with motions and challenges that the victim cannot fight without attorneys.

And since attorneys cost money, and the abuser usually controls the money, their victims have no one to help them.

We have the organizations in place – we have advocacy centers and legal aid organizations, but the funding has been slashed so much that it is impossible for them to fill the need.

So one of my biggest priorities in St Paul will be to fully fund the non-profit legal aid organizations and advocacy groups: and then work with those same experts in reforming the laws to strengthen orders of protection, provide easier avenues of appeal for victims of crimes, and work with existing non-profits to fund safe places for women and children with nowhere to go.

A society is only as strong as its care for its most vulnerable. We can work on this together, but it will take courage.
Abusers don’t let go easily.

The Ten Commandments and the GOP

The massive push in red states to post the Ten Commandments (King James English, of course) is about posturing and hurting people, not about Christianity, as they pretend.

First, the Ten Commandments aren’t particularly Christian. They were given first to Ancient Israel, and when Judaism was first codified in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, they were put into our current form and given to the Jews.

Jesus didn’t do away with the laws, but he taught the reality behind the Ten Commandments. All the commandments are about love and faithfulness, as Jesus taught.

Secondly, if the interest was in teaching children morality, the Christian right would put those commandments into a form that was age-appropriate for children, which no one would have a problem with.

Be respectful of others. Don’t use harsh and cruel words. Keep your promises. Don’t take things that don’t belong to you. If you have enough, share with those who do not. Listen to your teacher. Don’t talk badly about others to your friends. If someone hurts you, tell a trusted adult in your life. Don’t bully others. Be kind. Use your body to help people, not to hurt them…

These are rules that no one has a problem with (except for those who are treacherous). They belong to every religion on earth, except for the religious right. And these rules are the backbone of every society. When they collapse, society soon follows.

 But they are NOT what the religious right means when they want the Ten Commandments posted in schools. Having lived over 50 years with them, I know that their interest is only in hurting others who don’t agree with them.

I know that many will call me unfair. But look at what we are bombarded with by the religious right. If you came out of it, look at your own experience:

Are you more concerned about Trans bathrooms? Or about harsh and cruel words.

Are you more concerned about gay marriage? Or about rape, abuse and assault?

Are you more concerned about Muslem neighbors? Or about theft, greed and gluttony

Are you more concerned about LGBTQ people carrying rainbow flags? Or about racism, ICE thugs, and people in power calling women “piggy”.

When you are using your faith to hurt, crush the spirit, and bully others, it is not Christianity, and it isn’t about the Ten Commandments.

Maybe a reminder about Jesus and what he said for those who say they follow him:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the great and first commandment,And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

And one more from John the Apostle: The one who says “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

I have no problem teaching children to love one another in schools.

We could even make it a placard: “Be Kind to Each Other”

You can donate to my campaign here:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/sam-powell-1

Health care concerns

I have a concern about healthcare in rural areas. All I can do is speak from my own experience.
As many of you know, I came from Northern California, north of Sacramento in the Central Valley. The dominating health network was Sutter Health.

A family member had a very rare virus that destroyed much of her brain tissue. The emergency services she received at UC Davis was wonderful and lifesaving. But she needed continuous care AFTER she was released.

Because of her disability, the only possible insurance available was MediCal, the California equivalent of MNSURE.

In all of Northern California, there was only ONE neurologist who worked for a system that accepted MediCal. He was two hours away.

There were no physical therapists, no occupational therapists, and only one clinic for MediCal patients, and they only did primary care.

This was one of the many reasons we moved to Minnesota.

And now that same health network just purchased the Allina system in Faribault.

Yes, I heard that they are “pouring 2 billion dollars” into Minnesota health. But who will benefit? I’m pretty sure it won’t be those who need it the most. We lived it in California.

Recently, I needed blood work done for a wellness program offered through my employer. They contracted with a company that only offers blood draws in the cities. An hour away. They would not allow me to go one mile and get blood work done, because they weren’t contracted with them.

This is a harbinger of things to come.

Corporates contracting with each other is good – for manufacturing, building, retail goods and services, etc. But NOT for healthcare. The corporate contracts are NEVER beneficial for the patients or the professionals who work so hard for so little.

Please listen to me. We are just one board decision away from excluding all MNSURE patients from ongoing care at Allina. And they’ve done it before.

What protections for patients are in place with this merger?

They will certainly continue to take emergency patients, because the current laws force them to. But there is already talk in the GOP about forced institutionalization of disabled persons. They really aren’t going to ensure that occupational health, physical therapy, mental health and counseling are available for those who need it the most.

The party the brought us screwworm, measles, diarrhea lettuce, and COVID certainly is NOT going to protect patients’ rights to care.

Neither will the huge corporations that are moving in.
It is part of the strategy. Bankrupt the systems, then swoop in and buy them out at pennies on the dollar.
Family farms, health clinics, what will be next?

It isn’t too late to stop this.