Activism
COMMENTARY: Earthquake Would Say No To Liz Cheney
Earthquake is not a California peril, but the name of one of Dave Chappelle’s favorite comic mentors. Earthquake or Mr. Quake, as the New York Times might call him on second reference, gets political in his current Netflix special.

Emil Guillermo,
What’s up with Liz Cheney and her one-woman crusade to save democracy? Is she really speaking to us in the BIPOC community?
I got some guidance from a legendary Black comedian.
Earthquake is not a California peril, but the name of one of Dave Chappelle’s favorite comic mentors. Earthquake or Mr. Quake, as the New York Times might call him on second reference, gets political in his current Netflix special.
“You can’t say no, you can’t tell a Trump supporter nothing about Trump; they love Trump,” says Earthquake in the appropriate key of urban Southeast DC. “People ask me all the time, ‘Quake, what kind of woman are you looking for in your life, and I say, (n word expletive) I’m looking for a woman like a Trump supporter. No matter what she hears about me that woman don’t believe in nothing. She say, ‘You got another woman, you say ‘Baby, that’s fake news.’”
Of course, Earthquake says it with more flair in a live setting where the crowd howls, but you get the point. We all know how belief in Trump is cult-like, and a threat to our democracy.
Which brings us back to Liz Cheney. She’s like a new Uncle Sam pointing her finger at us. But not like a “Karen” wagging her finger saying she wants to speak to the manager. She wants to make sure Trump is never the manager of us again.
It’s just if she’s serious, she’ll need a lot more BIPOC support than anyone thinks.
Cheney lost big recently in Wyoming when her own Republican Party acted as if under a spell cast on them by a man known in Florida search warrants as FPOTUS.
That, of course, stands for the defeated “Former President of the United States.”
But how can we assure he stays defeated? Perhaps if we answer Cheney’s call.
In the Wyoming primary, Cheney lost to her opponent by 37 points, 66% to 29%. That’s some rebuke for someone from a legacy Republican family. It was a public betrayal.
But you have to admire Cheney’s willingness to pay the price — the loss of her job, her seat in Congress. And all because of an ultra-principled belief in the Constitution and her unwillingness to join in the zombie chorus of Republican election deniers who stand by their FPOTUS.
So I’m open to Cheney when she pitched herself to America during her concession speech.
There’s at least one thing we agree on. The defeated FPOTUS must stay out of government. As a single issue that may be enough to join her American pro-democracy movement.
“Freedom must not, cannot, and will not die here,” Cheney said in Wyoming.
“This is a fight for all of us together,” she said. “I’m a conservative Republican.”
Then came the pitch.
“But I love my country more,” she said. “So I ask you tonight to join me. As we leave here, let us resolve that we will stand together, Republicans, Democrats, and independents, against those who would destroy our Republic.”
BIPOC members who have an independent, even a slightly conservative streak, may find her message attractive.
But I’m not so sure. Cheney didn’t vote for the Inflation Reduction Act which includes more than $750 billion for climate change, Obamacare extensions, prescription cost limits in Medicare, plus a 15% automatic tax on wealthy corporations.
During the FPOTUS administration, Cheney’s votes favored rich, white, and corporate special interests 100% of the time.
She voted against restoring the Voting Rights Act, LGBTQ issues, and all but the most obvious civil rights issues. For example, she voted for the Juneteenth holiday. Was it because rich whites got the day off too?
Newsweek reported Cheney voted with Trump 93% of the time.
That puts her at 7% soul. Not enough to get me to switch parties and vote Republican to help Cheney defeat Trump in 2024. Better idea: just make sure you vote and support the party that got us this far. That would be quite enough to beat Trump. It was the last time.
As for Cheney? Support in spirit, but she’s not for us.
And I think Mr. Quake would concur.
Emil Guillermo is a veteran journalist and commentator. He is at www.amok.com
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
OP-ED: Like Physicians, U.S. Health Institutions Must ‘First, Do No Harm’
Coupled with their lack of government and healthcare-related experience, we are concerned these nominees will significantly undermine public health, increase the number of uninsured people, worsen health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities. Physicians observe Hippocrates’ maxim to “First Do No Harm,”, and we urge Trump administration officials to do the same. It is critical that the leadership of HHS and its agencies make decisions based on facts, evidence, and science. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. Spreading these falsehoods also erodes trust in our public institutions.

By Albert L. Brooks MD
Special to The Post
Presidential administrations significantly impact the health and wellbeing of our patients and communities.
Through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the agencies within it, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Institutes of Health, this new administration will decide how financial resources are allocated, dictate the focus of federal research, and determine how our public health care insurance systems are managed, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Vaccines for Children program, Medicare, and Medicaid.
The decisions made over the next four years will impact all Americans but will be felt more acutely by those most underserved and vulnerable.
As physicians, we are greatly concerned by the nominations announced by President Trump to critical healthcare related positions. Many of their previous statements and positions are rooted in misinformation.
Coupled with their lack of government and healthcare-related experience, we are concerned these nominees will significantly undermine public health, increase the number of uninsured people, worsen health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities. Physicians observe Hippocrates’ maxim to “First Do No Harm,”, and we urge Trump administration officials to do the same.
It is critical that the leadership of HHS and its agencies make decisions based on facts, evidence, and science. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. Spreading these falsehoods also erodes trust in our public institutions.
Vaccines, in particular, have been a target of disinformation by some HHS nominees. In fact, research continues to confirm that vaccines are safe and effective. Vaccines go through multiple rounds of clinical trials prior to being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for administration to the public.
Vaccines protect against life-threateningdiseasessuch as measles, polio, tetanus, and meningococcal disease and, when used effectively, have beenshowntoeliminateorsubstantiallyreducediseaseprevalenceand/orseverity.
Because of vaccine mis- and disinformation, there has been a resurgence in vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough, endangering those who are too young or unable to be vaccinated.
Several nominees have spread disinformation alleging that fluoride in public drinking water is harmful. In fact, fluoride in drinking water at the recommended level of 0.7 parts per million, like we have in our EBMUD water, is safe and keeps teeth strong. Because of public health interventions dating back to the 1960s that have resulted in 72.3% of the U.S. population now having access to fluoridated water, there has been a reduction in cavities by about 25% in both children and adults.
We also encourage the next administration to invest in our public health infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of public health agencies in preventing and responding to health crises in our communities.
Health departments at the state and local levels rely on federal funding support and technical assistance to develop public health response plans, implement public health strategies, and work with on the ground organizations to serve hard to reach communities. Public health agencies are critical for protecting everyone in our communities, regardless of income-level, insurance status, or housing status.
Health officials should also work to protect the significant improvements in insurance coverage that have occurred since the passage of theACAin 2010.According to HHS, the numberofuninsuredAmericansfellfrom48millionin2010to25.6millionin2023.
California has led the way by investing in Medi-Cal and expanding eligibility for enrollment. In fact, it reached its lowest uninsured rate ever in 2022 at 6.2%. Voters affirmed this commitment to expanding and protecting access to care in November by passing Proposition 35, which significantly expanded funding for California’s Medi-Cal program. The administration should advance policies that strengthen the ACA, Medicaid, and Medicare and improve access to affordable health care.
Regardless of the president in power, physicians will always put the best interests of our patients and communities at the forefront. We will continue to be a resource to our patients, providing evidence-based and scientifically proven information and striving to better their lives and our community’s health. We urge the new Trump administration to do the same.
Albert L. Brooks MD is the immediate past president of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, which represents 6,000 East Bay physicians.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of January 8 – 14, 2025
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of January 15 – 21, 2025
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks ago
Supreme Court Decision Confirms Convicted Felon Will Assume Presidency
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of January 22 – 28, 2025
-
Activism1 week ago
Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland
-
#NNPA BlackPress2 weeks ago
Trump’s First Week Back in Office Marked by Racist Actions, Rollback of Worker Protections
-
#NNPA BlackPress2 weeks ago
Nancy Leftenant-Colon, Trailblazing Army Nurse and Air Force Veteran, Dies at 104
-
#NNPA BlackPress2 weeks ago
Trump’s Broken Promises Pile Up as Day-One Pledges Falter