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jeffburtka.bsky.social
Jeff Burtka🇲🇽🇨🇦🇬🇱🇵🇦🇺🇦
@jeffburtka.bsky.social
860 followers 460 following 1.8K posts
Writing. Running. Outdoors.
Anishinaabe & Wyandot Land (Metro Detroit)
Writer. Lawyer.
Used to blog about the State of Michigan (Lifelong Michigander blog).
I blame it on my elegance.
#detroit #michigan
https://jburtka.journoportfolio.com
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jeffburtka.bsky.social
Seen at Gran Castor in Troy, MI.

Detroit area people (and our Ontario friends) of a certain age know.
Framed print of Santa Claus that says "Santa visits Boblo Island."
November 30, 2025 at 1:25 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
A9 #parkchat

When a butterfly landed on my daughter's hat at Glacier and stayed there for a while
Photo of the back of a girl's head. She's looking at a lake surrounded by mountains. A small orange butterfly is on top of her baseball cap.
November 26, 2025 at 11:16 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
A1 #ParkChat
I am grateful for every moment I've spent in parks with my two daughters, especially with my oldest finishing high school this upcoming spring. But I'll pick our trip to Glacier a few years ago because we had a ton of family time hiking and kayaking, and it's probably my favorite park.
The back of a child with a yellow life jacket kayaking on a lake with snow capped mountains in the distance.
November 26, 2025 at 3:50 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Biff from Back to the Future in a red turtleneck under a green and white Adidas jacket Biff from Back to the Future I. A dark red shirt
November 22, 2025 at 5:39 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Guy who bullies minors upset that people yelled at him for being a bully.

Kudos to State Rep. Carrie Rheingans for calling him out.

www.fox2detroit.com/news/sports-...
Text that reads: "This is federally-protected privacy information, and every student athlete that played in this tournament was eligible, and that’s all the information that really needs to be released. It’s really kind of shocking to me that lawmakers would be asking a statewide agency to violate federal privacy laws," said State Rep. Carrie Rheingans. "I think it’s disgusting that a right-wing influencer, middle-aged man flew across multiple states to record a girls volleyball team in their short shorts and post videos and things online. For the Epstein-th time, Republicans need to stop being obsessed with girls and kids."
November 21, 2025 at 8:43 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Thank you for the gift article. It's chilling on so many levels.

For people who don't understand the role of a prosecutor or why the current state of the DOJ is terrifying, read this speech by former AG and SCOTUS justice Robert Jackson (at least start on page 4) www.justice.gov/sites/defaul...
Text that reads: If the prosecutor is obliged to choose his cases, it follows that he can choose his defendants. Therein is the most dangerous power of the prosecutor: that he will pick people that he thinks he should , rather than pick cases that need to be prosecuted. With the law books filled with a great assortment of crimes, a prosecutor stands a fair chance of finding at least a technical violation of some act on the part of almost anyone. In such a case, it is not a question of discoveringg the commission of a crime and then looking for the man who has committed it, it is a question of picking the man and then searching the law books, or putting investigators to work, to pin some offense on him. It is in this realm ­ in which the prosecutor picks some person whom he dislikes or desires to embarrass, or selects some group of unpopular persons and then looks for an offense, that the greatest danger of abuse of prosecuting power lies. It is here that lavlw enforcement becomes personal, and the real crime be- comes that of being unpopular with the predominant or governing group, being attached to the wrong political views, or being personally obnoxious to or in the way of the prosecutor himself. Text that reads: The qualities of a good prosecutor are as elusive and as impossible to define as those which mark a gentleman. And those who need to be told would not understand it anyway. A sensitiveness to fair play and sportsmanship is perhaps the best protection against the abuse of power, and the citizen's safety lies in the prosecutor who tempers zeal with human kindness, who seeks truth and not victims, who serves the law and not factional purposes, and who approaches his task with humility.
November 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Everyone needs to read this article.

"Enraged" is not a strong enough word. As a former prosecutor, I learned from my mentors that being zealous as a prosecutor was incompatible with the concept of justice.

The DOJ now is a weapon of a tyrant. It's beyond terrifying.
Text that reads: Ryan Crosswell, PIN: To do our job, you have to be willing to do the right thing when no one is watching. If prosecutors are just going into court to win at all costs, think of all the other things taking place you’ll never know about.
November 17, 2025 at 4:12 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Womp womp. So much honor and integrity.

They're definitely showing us their values though.

Juvenile fascist clowns.
Screenshot of Homeland Security's Twitter profile with the words: Homeland Security With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values. #WeAreDHS
November 15, 2025 at 5:25 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Google search results for "Miracle Mile Shopping Center."

None of these are in Chicago or Illinois.

How long before Noem and Bovino invade Monroeville, PA?
Image of a google search result showing 3 shopping centers named "Miracle Mile." One is in Pennsylvania, another is in Ohio, and the last one is in Nevada.
November 11, 2025 at 2:47 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
He's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes.
Photo of Donald Trump. His tie is too long as usual.
November 6, 2025 at 7:11 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
My phone gave me this notification this morning.

I guess Mike Pence finally had the courage.

#WorldSeries
Image of text that reads: Google Blue Jays win World Series The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the 2025 World Series
November 2, 2025 at 2:18 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Actually, Tommy, it's up to you to stop him from attempting to blatantly violate the Constitution. You took an oath.

The GOP is anti-American for even entertaining this BS.
Image of United States Senate webpage with text that reads: About the Senate & the U.S. Constitution | Oath of Office I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
October 28, 2025 at 8:41 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
This message is on the SNAP page. This GOP is so sick and lawless.

www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplem...
Image of propaganda from the MAGA regime of text that reads: Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.
October 28, 2025 at 8:11 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Image of Kent Brockman from the Simpsons with caption: I, for one, welcome our new Canadian overlords
October 27, 2025 at 7:36 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
What a shit show of a country.

So much money for fraud, waste, and abuse like a gilded ballroom and jets for Noem.

But the kids? The elderly? Those with disabilities?

Nah, they can starve. They're just the collateral damage of "winning."

The GOP's America!

www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside...
Text that reads: The federal government’s delay of SNAP benefits will place Michiganders at risk of food insecurity and poverty. SNAP, a critical program for families and individuals across Michigan to access food, is the nation’s largest food assistance program and one of the most effective tools to reduce food insecurity. Nearly 13% of Michigan households, approximately 1.4 million people, receive SNAP benefits. About 43% are families with children and 36% are families with members who are older adults or disabled.
October 23, 2025 at 6:27 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
The U.S. Communist Party? Sounds like they're flush with cash and have the manpower to organize a nationwide rally.

Image is from the Communist Party USA Wikipedia page.
Text that reads: In 2011, CPUSA claimed 2,000 members.[9] In 2017 and 2018, CPUSA claimed 5,000 members.[10][11] In 2019, former Party member Daniel Rosenberg claimed that "nearly half" of new joiners since 2000 had "paid no dues" and merely signed up for the mailing list.[12]: 54  In 2023, CPUSA claimed 15,000 members.[13] In 2024, CPUSA claimed 20,000 members on its mailing list.[14]
October 23, 2025 at 2:18 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
This rhetoric, Homan?

The call is coming from inside your house.
Image of racist and violent messages from the young Republicans. They include: "Great. I love Hitler." "Everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber." and "They love the watermelon people."
October 22, 2025 at 7:31 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
No Kings.

Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Bigger turnout than I expected for a suburb.

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

#NoKings
Crowd of people holding signs Man in baseball cap holding a "No Kings" sign in a crowd. A person in an inflatable poop costume standing next to a person in an inflatable toilet costume. One is holding a sign that says "Don't Let Them Flush Away Our Rights." A person next to them hold a sign that says "No Faux-King Oligarchs."
October 18, 2025 at 7:33 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
If only the Founders created a branch of government that had the power to check the president.

[Image with alt text included]
Tweet from Chuck Grassley dated 10/17/25 that states: Pres Trump takes an oath to uphold the constitution & the laws but he hasnt told Congress he was firing the Ex-Im Inspector General The law says POTUS has to specifically inform Congress abt IG firings and unless the courts say otherwise thats still the law
October 18, 2025 at 1:30 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Also, AI isn't real knowledge. Here's the @merriam-webster.com definition.

Arguably, it could be 2.a., but I think even that is a stretch.
Screenshot of the definition of "knowledge" from the Merriam-Webster website. It reads: 1 a (1) : the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2) : acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique b (1) : the fact or condition of being aware of something (2) : the range of one's information or understanding answered to the best of my knowledge c : the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning : cognition d : the fact or condition of having information or of being learned a person of unusual knowledge Image of text that reads: 2 a : the sum of what is known : the body of truth, information, and principles acquired by humankind b archaic : a branch of learning 3 archaic : sexual intercourse 4 obsolete : cognizance
October 16, 2025 at 4:51 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
This is awful. It's as if @stephenking.bsky.social wrote the Shawshank Redemption in his typical horror genre.

This guy basically is a real-life Andy Dufresne.
Text that reads: Zoë described her uncle as a deeply compassionate man who transformed his decades of imprisonment into a mission of service. “He really did so much over those years to show the person that he is,” she said. “He worked as a teacher, helping many, many people get their degrees — people who’ve spoken to us afterwards about how having him support them while they were incarcerated really changed their lives. He completed multiple degrees himself. He was always learning and caring.” She added that Vedam’s potential deportation to India would be devastating. “India, in many ways, is a completely different world to him,” she said. “He left India when he was nine months old. None of us can remember our lives at nine months old. He hasn’t been there for over 44 years, and the people he knew when he went as a child have passed away. His whole family — his sister, his nieces, his grand-nieces — we’re all U.S. citizens, and we all live here.”
October 13, 2025 at 8:52 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
"You have very little crime."

He's praising Egypt for being an oppressive regime. The type of regime he wants to have.

www.amnesty.org/en/location/...
Text that reads: Egypt 2024 The authorities continued to crack down on criticism, stifle civil society and restrict street protests. Authorities carried out mass arrests to prevent planned anti-government protests and forcibly dispersed the few small peaceful protests that took place. Authorities released 934 prisoners held for political reasons but arrested another 1,594. Those targeted included journalists, lawyers, protesters, dissidents, opposition politicians and those critical of the government’s human rights record and handling of the economic crisis. Dozens of individuals were subjected to enforced disappearance. Torture and other ill-treatment remained routine. Death sentences were imposed, including for crimes other than “intentional killing”, after grossly unfair trials. Executions were carried out.
October 13, 2025 at 4:37 PM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
I wonder where ICE got their tactics from.

(Text is from MLK's Letter from a Birmingham Jail to southern clergy in 1963.)

(Image is by photographer Bill Hudson taken in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.)
Text that reads: impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department. Black and white photo of two police dogs attacking a Black teen as a cop holds the teens upper shirt and sweater. One dog lunges and bites at the teen's abdomen.
October 11, 2025 at 1:58 AM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Considering the dancing crowds in Portland, antifa is closer to the Jets and Sharks.
Picture of Kristi Noem. Text above photo reads: Kristi Noem compares antifa to MS-13, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic State
October 9, 2025 at 10:11 AM
jeffburtka.bsky.social
Owen Wilson in Meet the Parents saying, "Carpentry? I guess I'd have to say Jesus."
October 7, 2025 at 12:25 AM