On the sunny Sunday morning of December 7, 1941, Messman Doris Miller had served breakfast aboard the USS West Virginia, stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and was collecting laundry when the first of nine Japanese torpedoes hit the ship.
Mr. Miller was from Waco, Texas, where I am sitting right now after a Baylor University volleyball playoff game. I live about 40 minutes away. Dr. Richardson, thank you for over and over telling the story of the America so many want us to be, and that we need to be. You are a blessing to me and to our country. As Longfellow said in his beautiful poem written in the midst of the civil war, that though “hate is strong and mocks the song,” ……”the wrong shall fail, the right prevail.” While it surely does not seem to be the case today that the right is prevailing, keep calling us all “to the better angels of our nature.” We need to hear what you have to say. Thank you.
"Among the many ethnic groups who fought, Native Americans served at a higher percentage than any other ethnic group—more than a third of able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 50 joined the service—and among those 25,000 soldiers were the men who developed the famous “Code Talk,” based in tribal languages, that codebreakers never cracked.".... This Warrior Tradition among the Indigenous persists in this 21stCentury... In the Elite Special Operations Command Units ( SOCOM ), and Joint Special Operations Command Units ( JSOC ), 1-In-4 of the People-That-Matter, 'The Trigger Pullers" are Indigenous... Thank You Heather For Remembering Our Defense Of This Great Land...
And thank you, Apache, for the additional information about Indigenous people who serve the furtherance of democracy and the Constitution and who, like Doris Miller, have not been given that same faith and respect in return.
I know plenty of people who love and are caring to the max for those who look like them. But change the least little thing and the “buts” start. Discrimination is learned. Applied appropriately, it is a great learning tool. But applying it to our fellow humans is a path to ruin. We love our dear ones with more than human kindness, but human kindness can ooze between us all like a uniting bond if we can see each other as fellow men, worthy of human consideration. Might include a cat or two…
We should each send copies of this essay to each of our Senators as a reminder of what our recent ancestors fought for in WW2 (and other wars). It is now up to them to decide which side they will be on.
Yes, JD. Although the play and movie “South Pacific”, has a great deal of beautiful music, my favorite is “ You Have To Be Carefully Taught”. The song speaks volumes and never fails to bring tears to my eyes when i see the movie.
Wisdom. But don't forget dogs. We coevolved with dogs for thousands of years, and while I know people who certainly love cats more than dogs, I strongly suspect that the dog/human bond is more common and stronger, on average, although I do know some poeple who LOVE their cats just as much as I love my dog.
I have a theory about prejudice... It's fear. Thinking in black and white. No room for gray. I am/think this and you are/think that... one of us is wrong... it's NOT ME. I think people who want you to think they are superior are very insecure people.
Like any human endeavor, democracy is fraught with human failings. Hopefully, we regret them and learn from them and grow away from them. https://nedmcdletters.blogspot.com/2014/03/letter-96-is-american-exceptionalism.html Perhaps that is what Prime Minister Churchill meant when he said that democracy is the worst form of government . . . ¡except for all of the others!
My son is a Command Sgt Major in the Special Forces, and he assures me that these orders would not be followed, unless there were a verifiable foreign presence on U.S. soil. Of course, there is always the possibility of another Gen. Michael Flynn somewhere lurking in our military, but on the overall, it won't happen. Now, your state's governor, who controls the National Guard is another story.
Ally, I don't always get through all the comments, and perhaps at times it is because I'm on early, but I haven't seen comments from Keith Wheelock lately. I know you read a lot of comments, have you seen him? I hope nothing is wrong. He's so knowledgeable.
Apache, maybe that's the task for white Americans, to remember and honor the best of us rather than always the mostly white men who murdered people they didn't like or wanted to steal from. There are white Americans who were good models, but alas, we laud folks like Reagan, Andrew Jackson, and Confederate "heroes." Anthony Benezet was a Revolutionary War era abolitionist, Thomas Paine stood loud and proud for the rights of all people. The Quaker women of the underground railroad and women's and civil rights were remarkable too. We need to be more careful of the ways we throw around the term "patriotic" because right now, and for quite some time, the Republican Party, particularly under Donald Trump is not patriotic and neither are most of our corporations, mostly run by white people, of course are not patriots either.
I agree that the MAGAs have perverted the Meaning of "Patriot"... Trying to overthrow the results of the 2020 National Election on 6-Jan-2021 was not Patriotic... How will History Judge this Country when DJT takes the Presidency on 20-Jan-2025?
Indigenous people and other minorities gave their lives to defend democracy only to find a lack of civil rights back home. Only in a functioning democracy can all minorities' rights be adequately protected.
Exactly, I found it totally mind-blowing that some Indigenous were still without electricity in the 3rd decade of the 21st century. They don't live that far from the rest of us. Why is the government still persecuting them?
The Navajo 'Code Talkers' are definitely Deservedly Honored... My Father & Uncles who are Apache, Served with Honor as Well... All The Indigenous Nations Have Sent their Best to all this USA's Wars throughout History...
The beginning of this letter read like my Fourth Grade class Veterans Day Assembly, where my students would present research on different groups in the military, including the Code Talkers and Native Americans in general in the military. They would include demographics as well. We would learn about heroes like Doris Miller the Code Talkers, Tuskegee Airmen, and so many others. How women often disguised themselves as men to take part in wars like the Revolutionary War. I have been hoping that the US military will stand up to Trump and his cabal as need be. I am still hoping that the culture of service and loyalty to the constitution outweighs the culture of loyalty to the leader.
Lots of people say 'thank you for your service' to current and former members of the Armed Forces, but not enough say it to the men and women who teach our children every day. Thank you for your service, Linda. I suspect that you are an excellent teacher.
Thank you John. I am now retired. I loved teaching every single day though.
In addition to leading an assembly we would invite everyone in the school to interview people in their family who had served or was serving and they would all be invited to our assembly. I would have my room parents organize a reception for the vets after the assembly. We would put up these interviews around the school with the Vets picture. It was a deep dive into understanding the history of our military and why we honor them for serving and protecting us.
We also made cards and invited other classes to write get well cards for Vets at the VA hospital, and then we would go to the VA hospital on another day that week, usually could not go on Veterans Day, and sing to them and give them cards. The children loved the Medley which had the songs of 5 branches woven in. You could tell which branch the different vets were in because they would be singing along when we were singing the part that was for their branch. I believe in teaching civics.
You are my kind of teacher! I was a middle grades public school teacher, now retired. It was my passion! I loved teaching, I was inspired by the endless opportunities and challenges to come up with different ways of keeping the students motivated and involved in their learning. I loved their energy and I am fortunate to live in the small town where I taught, so I often run into my old kids who greet me with a big smile and arms open to wrap me in a warm hug.
Daphne, that sounds great! Seeing children grow up is wonderful and knowing you have the lifelong connection to them. When I am in the US I run into my former students because I taught in a neighborhood school. Some of my daughter's friends were my students, my friend's children were my students and my neighbors' children were my students. I love running into them and catching up. Also, I feel good that they all felt like they or their children learned a lot and were engaged in school.
John, I try to acknowledge every one I come across in a "service" setting. Given my coffee habit, that is most often at either the grocery store (where I buy the beans to make my own bean juice) or at the coffee drive throughs (not just Starbucks; we have two local chains, and several "sole proprietors" as well) I say "thanks for being here". Started that during the pandemic, and I continue to this day.
Mary Ellen, you are right, but only partially. Not all women who wore men's clothing were trans. A few wanted to serve and protect their husbands and brothers; others wanted to fight for the Union. So, my family legend goes, a young distant relative was a water-bearer for a company. BTW, I have not heard of Confederate women in the Civil War.
Linda, yes, there were women in the Civil War, but my comment referred to the Confederacy. As far as I know, the only women on battlefields or behind the lines were Union Army sympathizers.
It must be a really good feeling to be promoted to the head of a government department that doesn't exist and then put out all these proposals to take 2 trillion dollars away from all those people who have less than you (in EloX case, that would be everybody but I'm excluding billionaires)
I call these nuisance appointments. Musk clearly gets on DTs nerves, at least some of the time, and what better way to make him feel important than to make up a department which can disappear when it is time to get rid of him. Elites supported Hitler too, until he took over their stuff. We shall see where this goes.
Ever see Windtalkers with Nicolas Cage, based on this. It's remarkable but the most difficult if not impossible "code" to break is an unfamiliar native language, highly structured, vs seemingly random codes. Then again, Enigma was only broken by "cheating" on the part of the British with the Turing crew, Turing, who committed suicide after his homosexuality was publicized and turned against him. Freedom is always relative, isn't it!
here's a bit.... Turing's work and legacy were not fully known until long after his death. In 2013, he was posthumously pardoned by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2016, the Government announced the "Turing law", which granted posthumous pardons to gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offenses in England and Wales.
The following quotes are from renown anthropologist Christopher Boehm’s book, Hierarchy in the Forest (2001).
Page 4: The Iroquois Confederation was a matrilineally based tribal nation in which women shared in the substantial degree of political and economic equality that prevailed among adults. It had a significant influence on the framers of the American Constitution and, later, on the women’s suffrage movement.
Page 5: Humans were egalitarian for thousands of generations before hierarchical societies began to appear.
To that, I would add that hierarchical societies did not appear until only about 400 generations ago at the dawn of the Neolithic period, which is when the first agricultural settlements appear in the anthropological record.
In their book, The Healing Organization (2019), Raj Sisodia and Michael Gelb tell the same story.
Seven warring tribes came together under the leadership of a peacemaker to form the Iroquois Confederacy with a joint leadership at the top that allowed each of the tribes to have their own identity. This was two centuries before the founding fathers began to write the constitution that would structure the US government.
Thus, whereas the essential elements of the American constitution existed nowhere else in the world, the founding fathers eventually found them in their own backyard. The confederacy’s ideas included the three branches that American's began to refer to as the legislative, executive, and judicial when they were incorporated in the US constitution.
Unfortunately, the founding “fathers” excluded one key branch of the confederacy’s government, the council of mothers and grandmothers. This fourth branch selected the confederacy’s leader and had the power to replace a leader who became too warlike, or who was not sufficiently inclusive, or who was not thinking enough about the long-term, which they defined as an action’s consequence in seven generations.
The moral of these stories? Egalitarian democracy is not “in” our nature, it is human nature. Authoritarian autocracy is not in our nature, it is in lieu of growing up. More specifically, it is an expression of the desire to act like the Lost Boys marching around the enchanted forest following a Peter Pan-like character singing the “I won’t grow up” song.
The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow confirms your other sources and contributions. We should continue sharing this information with others. Thank you for your summary, James. I recently completed a historical fiction YA novel, Antonia of the Shell People, which makes similar points. Due out in early 2025, my aspiration is introducing young adult readers to all you have mentioned.
Hope, if you're interested, check out another reply to my comment. I learned something important from Sherry Wolf, and then you might also be interested in my reply to Sherry.
James R. Cary: This is amazing information, something that rattled around in my brain such that perhaps I had read this before, but forgot. I can only begin to imagine what our country might have been like, if our founding fathers had only “remembered” to include a council of mothers and grandmothers. It’s enough to make me weep. And hope, and work.
I just read the rest of the thread and see I have a bunch of studying to do (yay! What fun!) Still: it’s a great story and the ideas are sure worthy of contemplation. You betcha.
Here's a link to a YouTube video. "Is Every Civilization Doomed?" We found it very interesting. The reason I'm mentioning it here is it talks about an ancient Greek historian, Polybius. Towards the end of the video it talks about his information being incorporated into our (USA) constitution. I found all of it fascinating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqsBx58GxYY&ab_channel=AfterSkool. Let me know what you think.
Sherry, thank you so much for that video reference. Now I’m convinced that Christopher Boehm’s story—about the Iroquois Confederacy becoming the requisite predecessor to the American Constitution—is historically inaccurate, so that is a story I will no longer tell.
However, I see a fatal flaw in Polybius’ hypothesis in a statement soon after the six minute mark. Anacyclosis “posits that primitive humans had begun in a sort of anarchic original condition without political structures.” Based on that assumption, I can’t think of a way to challenge Polybius’ analysis. I never would have thought of it myself, but as I watched the video, it not only seems accurate with respect to the rise and fall of historic civilizations, but it’s obvious the same pattern is repeating in our current political condition.
So, based on the above-referenced “original condition” assumption, the answer to the “Is every civilization doomed to rise, but then fail?” question is yes.
Personally, and because I think the assumption is incorrect, my answer to the “Is there a way to avoid collapse?” question is yes.
The details are in my book, The Wisdom Theory (2024, see www.wisdomtheo.com), but I offer the following to make the long story short.
Although your video has convinced me that Boehm’s story about the American Constitution is wrong, he was right about egalitarian democracy being in our nature (genetically inherited knowledge) in lieu of being in our nurture (knowledge we invented).
The major structural components of society are institutions that include the world’s great religions, democracy, and science. For modern civilization, capitalism is an essential economic institution. If you know what to look for, it’s not hard to see that they all come from the same source. Specifically, they are like many branches from one vine. It’s true that they are all very different, but that’s simply because they emerged at different times, in different places, and in different contexts.
They do all have the same genetically inherited DNA. Noam Chomsky makes a compelling argument that certain segments of our human DNA are expressed in our brains as knowledge, and then we are born. I'm referring to a species-specific social instinct. In turn, we express this particular knowledge by translating it into words that are always different because the translations occur at different times in different contexts. But if you know what to look for, you’ll see that the underlying meaning is identical.
For example, the Christian principle involves treating each other the way we would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot. The same moral sentiment is the founding principle of all the world’s great religions. The first scientific principle involves subjecting our assumptions to rigorous skepticism to limit their ability to distort how we interpret what we observe. The first capitalist principle is named in the title of Adam Smith’s book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), which prescribes a practice he referred to as sympathy, describing it as an attempt to temporarily stop using one’s assumptions to interpret a given observation and start using the other person’s assumptions to see if it’s possible to arrive at their interpretation.
Every member of our species follows the same social instinct that emerged at the origin of our species, and that we inherited from our Paleolithic ancestors. It allowed them to form the first multi-family and genetically heterogeneous social system, the hunter-gatherer band. That is why our Paleolithic ancestors thrived while every other Paleolithic hominin species on the planet failed to survive.
In other words, being a human is and always has been a positive-sum game. One does receive a small, short-term benefit by pretending it’s a zero-sum game, but then its not just the innocent victims who suffer in the long term. Everyone suffers.
Are you sure? I've read the debates of the framers drafting the Constitution and there is no mention of the Confederation. There is a lot said regarding other forms of government from ancient Greece and Rome to Montesquieu's theories of divided government. Yet, nothing said about the Confederation. Some have pointed to Franklin and Jefferson studying the system yet Franklin said little at the framing and Jefferson was absent. In addition to that although the Confederacy was one of peace, it was of peace for the members. It was also known to war with and drive out tribes in the region unaffiliated with it.
I respect your idea but wonder could this be another historical myth with one academic quoting another without evidence of a first source? Does it just sound nice?
Gary, you would appreciate "Indian Givers: How Native Americans Transformed the World", by Jack Weatherford. It is an outstanding compilation. We must remember given the racism at the time the framers of the constitution didn't want to weaken their case by referring to "heathens".
Agreed that there was a racist attitude amongst some of the Framers. Yet, we're still left with the debates and the compromises that are clearly based on Enlightenment thinkers and the Roman Republic. I believe we need to strive for historical accuracy. And we recognize that some of the thinking of the Framers was misguided, for instance the idea that there would be no political parties as we know them. I do not mean to diminish anyone or group. For reading I have a suggestion for you if you're interested in the treatment of America's native population. "The Cost of Free Land." by Rebecca Clarren. Clarren follows the history of her Jewish family as they flee oppression in Czarist Russia by coming to America. After arriving they take advantage of the Homestead Act, unwittingly taking advantage of the oppression of the Lakota Indians. It raises interesting ethical questions. Just finished it.
Gary, if you’re asking if I was sure of the historical accuracy of the quotes, I’d have to say no, and less so now. But if you’re asking if I am sure of the historical accuracy of the moral of the stories, I am.
All the historically accurate stories we tell ourselves about who we are tell us that being human is a positive-sum game where everyone wins in the long term. If we tell ourselves a story that being human is a zero-sum game—where “we” are winning because “they” are losing, or “we” are losing because “they” are losing—then the story is historically inaccurate.
Being human is not a zero-sum game. History repeatedly teaches us that convincing ourselves otherwise always turns it into a negative-sum game in which everyone loses in the long term.
On the one hand, my implying a historically inaccurate detail is accurate does more harm than good. On the other hand, your reference source is the Independence Institute, which I’ve discovered is an American libertarian think tank. Knowing that makes me very skeptical of your reference source. All the libertarians I’m aware of lack what should be an elementary school level understanding of capitalism.
That doesn’t mean the quotes I referenced are historically accurate. I’ll make sure they are before I reference them again. So, thanks for the heads up.
Am I sure? Well, Gary, I read the source you mentioned, and I did not particularly respect it. Its emphasis tells us not to teach this theory in schools. Why not? I'm an advocate for teaching our children critical thinking skills. They should be given many theories and opinions and taught to use deductive thinking.
However, supporting information comes from other sources that I respect. (Again, see The Dawn of Everything, et al.) There are ample indicators that, in the decades preceding the Constitutional Convention, the Haudenosaunee people and Europeans (the French, especially vis-a-vis Lahontan) exchanged ideas and possibly even visited each other's nations. A particularly brilliant thinker and orator, a Wendot named Kandiaronk, may have visited France and influenced Rousseau. At any rate, there was contact between the future founders and tribes by many accounts, and Kandiaronk's criticism and advice were noted.
I would not put all my conclusions on Adams's proclamations and absence of confirmations. He was rather curmudgeonly, after all. His wife, Abigail, who kept the farm while raising a family, had several visits from a neighboring tribe in his absence.
The point, after all, is to credit the Native populations for being complex individuals and societies that contributed wisdom and value to our nation both then and now.
Hope, the source is just one of many by historians. It was chosen due to it's simplicity. There is no argument that Natives and the Colonists interacted, that's a moot point. It's whether the American Constitution was modelled on the Iroquois Confederacy. There is no evidence of it, only speculation. I put no conclusions on Adam's proclamations, I'm curious as to why you thought I did, as I hadn't mentioned Adams. I can credit the Iroquois for being complex, yet speculation that because the French "possibly" even visited each other is evidence of anything, much less that the Constitution and American government is based on a confederacy is just that or wishful thinking. Again, our original confederacy was scuttled in favor of a democratic republic. It doesn't follow that our Constitution was modelled on a confederacy. The Convention minutes are not speculation but evidence. The debates on how to form our government are based on Western tradition and Enlightenment thinking. I agree with you it is important to teach critical thinking. we can ask students to critically analyze the question whether the American Constitution is modelled on a native confederacy or Montesquieu type of republic. Critical thinking is based on evidence not "may haves" and non-sequiturs. If thought about critically do you prefer they go with evidence or speculation? If we are to accurately assess how we got to the point of electing a populist president nominating a sycophant cabinet we need to know how we got here accurately.
Gary, Sherry, James et al. From PBS' series on Native Americans:
"In 1744, the Onondaga leader Canassatego gave a speech urging the contentious 13 colonies to unite, as the Iroquois had at the signing of the Treaty of Lancaster. This cultural exchange inspired the English colonist Benjamin Franklin to print Canassatego’s speech.
"We heartily recommend Union and a good Agreement between you our Brethren," Canassatego had said. "Never disagree, but preserve a strict Friendship for one another, and thereby you, as well as we, will become the stronger. Our wise Forefathers established Union and Amity between the Five Nations; this has made us formidable; this has given us great Weight and Authority with our neighboring Nations. We are a powerful Confederacy; and, by your observing the same Methods our wise Forefathers have taken, you will acquire fresh Strength and Power; therefore whatever befalls you, never fall out one with another."
He used a metaphor that many arrows cannot be broken as easily as one. This inspired the bundle of 13 arrows held by an eagle in the Great Seal of the United States.
In addition: Before the Congressional Congress, leaders of the Confederacy attended the Albany Congress in 1754, where Benjamin Franklin was impressed by the Great Law of Peace and wrote what’s known as the Albany Plan of Union. It advocated for the colonies to improve security and better defend themselves from foreign powers. In 1776, during the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia invited the Iroquois to make an address, where they were well received by the patriots.
In 1988, Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the U.S. Constitution. It reads, "The confederation of the original 13 colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles incorporated into the constitution itself.” In addition, the resolution stated, “the continuing government-to-government relationship between Indian tribes and the United States established in the Constitution,” which reaffirmed the legitimacy and sovereignty of Native nations and their governments.
Gary, I changed my mind. Your source was correct about the historic inaccuracy of the "Iroquois Confederacy is the mother of the American Constitution" story. If you're interested, see my reply to Sherry Wolf. It includes what I think should be an elementary school level understanding of capitalism, which I still perceive as being to libertarianism what up is to down.
When the Marine Corps Museum was dedicated I had the honor to interview some of the Navaho Code Talkers at the event. They were amazing and very humble human beings.
"Doris "Dorie" Miller (October 12, 1919 – November 24, 1943) was a U.S. Navy sailor who was the first Black recipient of the Navy Cross and a nominee for the Medal of Honor." Wikipedia.
Rick, for some reason today I was singing the song you quote, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”, and that line “The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with Peace on Earth, Good will to men”, and it sparked a little spark of hope in my heart. May we work to see the right prevail again in our time!
I also like the one I learned in elementary school:
"Jesus bids us shine with pure clear light
Like a little candle shining in the night.
In this world of darkness, we must shine
You in your small corner, and I in mine.""
Whether you're a Christian or not, the concept that we ALL have a part to play in making the world bright is a good one to remember.
To carry on and emphasise this truth, we now have a tradition in our family, started when the children were very small.
After Christmas dinner, which nowadays can involve fifteen or twenty people, when the table is cleared, everybody is given a candle in a jar. (battery ones for the smallest!) the lights are turned out, and I light the first and largest candle (because I'm the oldest!) and put it on the table. One by one everybody follows suit - and pretty soon the whole room is filled with a warm and loving light. We take a minute to silently say "Thank you!" to whoever - than it's big hugs and "Happy Christmas!" all round.
Sometimes over the years the teens have said "Oh, MOM!" or "Oh, NAN!" but when they gain a couple of years - they're the ones that run to get the candles. . .
Fabulous tradition! We almost always have two celebrations; the "family Christmas(es)" with mostly blood family, and then "Solstice" with our friends. I think I'm going to do that candle thing at Solstice. Maybe around the firepit, if it's not pouring rain.
That is a lovely tradition. I no longer go to church. But I miss the ceremonies so much. Your candlelight service reminds me of the lighting of the new fire on Holy Saturday, the night before Easter, in the Catholic Church. We pass the flame candle to candle around the church. I agree we can all bring our light into our communities.
There's a weekly Meditation for Peace every Sunday at 1:00 pm Central Time for everyone on the planet to meditate or pray for peace for 15 minutes. I set my phone alarm for 12:45 so I can get ready to send out Love, Peace and Compassion to all on the Mother. Please join us!!!
As always, I am a step behind. How do I access the Meditation for Peace to which you refer? Googling it brings up all kinds of sites. I like the idea of an every Sunday event.
“I hear a lot these days about how American democracy is doomed and the reactionaries will win. Maybe. But the beauty of our system is that it gives us people like Doris Miller.
Even better, it makes us people like Doris Miller.”
My hope is that the next two years will be so ugly that Americans wake up and understand what we have to lose and break the cult fascination with fascism.
My takeaway from HCR's letter? She's running scared. We very well could be at a tipping point right now. The next few months could be extremely telling.
If she were running scared, she would not be writing this SubStack column and giving us the opportunity to learn and express our opinions. Thank you HCR .
That's an extraordinary take on what was basically a history lesson leading on to a warning and an exhortation. Maybe you phrased it awkwardly - but it appears to come from one of those trump supporters who need constant reassurance after every perceived criticism. Please accept my apology if I am wrong.
It was this question by HCR that prompted my remark: "Will we permit the destruction of American democracy on our watch?" I could have phrased it differently, but what came to my mind was that she's very much concerned, or in other words scared of losing democracy, not scare of retribution from Trump and the MAGATS.
Fortunately, Trump's world is no longer expanding. His dementia is becoming more obvious to everyone. He needs to have people like Musk, Hogsbreath and Gaetz around him that are all-in on revenge and retribution. This is why he is so insistent on getting them confirmed. For the first time in his life he realizes that he needs other people to do his bidding.
Musk scares me the most right now -- I thought he and Trump would have a falling out of the egos -- but Trump must in some way be threatened that Musk could turn his fortune against him - in just the way he helped buy the Presidency for him. How one person can inject that much money into our political system is a disgrace.
We have to "thank" SCOTUS for this. Citizens United cannot be the law of the land because this is what happens. Musk should be deported. SCOTUS should take another look at this law, and take a look inside themselves, including for giving Trump unfettered power.
"that much money" well thank the right-wing cabal on the Supreme Court. You might almost think Congress could pass restrictive legislation, eg such as Bernie suggests, a publicly funded but limited process. NO SUCH LUCK. excuse the caps.
Here is a phrase I have read and heard again and again in a broad array of MSM news stories (this one happens to be The Guardian, but I have seen it in my local paper and national news.
The subjects vary, to popular initiatives widely wanted by the public to shadowy threats to public health, such as commercial abuses of antibiotics and unregulated release of dangerous and persistent chemicals. The all end up being trumped or buried by richly funded lobbies. If money can regularly thwart the public's will and the public's interests, does that merit any other label than "corruption"? But relatively few say so, at least of those who can be heard.
And yeah, Anne Gorsuch, Reagan's director of the EPA. and classic modern "Republican":
" She believed that the EPA was over-regulating business and that the agency was too large and not cost-effective. During her 22 months as agency head, she cut the budget of the EPA by 22%, reduced the number of cases filed against polluters, relaxed Clean Air Act regulations, and facilitated the spraying of restricted-use pesticides. She cut the total number of agency employees, and hired staff from the industries they were supposed to be regulating.[3] "
"Richard Hauser, the White House deputy counsel, confirmed one or more Reagan Administration officials had in fact reported to the White House that they had heard Gorsuch say at an August 4, 1982, luncheon that she was holding back more than $6 million in Federal funds to clean up the Stringfellow Acid Pits toxic waste site near Los Angeles to avoid helping the Senate campaign of former Gov. Jerry Brown of California, a Democrat.[13]" -Wikipedia
Dirty pool indeed, but hardly restricted to plastics, to which abt 1/3 or so of all petrochemical applications is directed. Thing too is just how pervasive synthetic products not just plastics have become. Can't divorce them, can't live without them.
This is not the first time. Donald has always relied on others for his "success." Even when he was a young boy, his father used his wealth to conceal that Donald is learning-disabled. In his youth, he relied on others to take his tests. Later, he got the reins to the Trump businesses, only because his older brother rejected them.
When Donald relied on his own dim wits to run the business and failed, Daddy was there to bail him out with millions. When Daddy died, Donald blew through his inheritance and ran up astronomical debts.
For his entire adult life, he had no positive cashflow until he signed on with NBC for The Apprentice series, a situation where others were in control and he was merely an actor who played the part of a successful tycoon.
In his dotage, Donald sees Musk as his father figure, able to bail him out of trouble with his billions of dollars.
However, Donald will never admit his dependency on others. His father taught him that admitting a need for others is a sign of weakness. And weakness is only worthy of the deepest disdain.
You’re right about this. Trump was bailed out time and again by his father, and it was only after The Apprentice that he made any real money, about $400M I believe, which he spent on golf courses, of which many were money losers. The exec producer of The Apprentice said that they asked several successful businessmen to star in the show, but they were all too busy with their businesses. When they asked Donald he jumped at the opportunity. Of course, we all know how he loves attention and this show made him a ‘star’.
Well.....he learned the lessons of his first term, a big country like ours it's not a relatively small company like the one he owns. That doesn't make the situation better, by the contrary, he would be more effective at destroying everything we took for granted.
This reminds me so much of The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman!
“There is always light if only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it!”
We are going to have to be brave! To stand with integrity and strength against the threats and injustices. Against the impending tyranny. Each of us is going to have to be the light!
Thank you for these questions. They have made me think.
I think "resist" fits better for me than "fight." Either way, the first step is for me to be strong. That's a lesson I have learned in life. I have to recognize when I am feeling panic, and turn away. Deep breaths, I'm ok, I can do this, thank you for the courage.
It's crucial for me to be with other intelligent people who are of like mind. That's this group for me. I take in very little from other sources these days. I write a monthly book review for a local paper, and I will be considering the political situation obliquely each month. I am careful with conversations. And when and if I am called to do something more, I believe I will be ready to do a pretty good job.
Language is powerful, Anne, and you must use what works for you. TCinLA has written that we must "oppose" rather than "resist" and I think that resist is the stronger of the two.
Democracy Docket is talking about setting up an opposition that will be ready now and last for the duration -- something with integrity in purpose and manner.
Sometimes you can't see the hill - but you are building it yourself brick by brick. We're not the only ones facing hills. The MAGA crowd are too - and those hills are raised by us.
Those Republicans, James, are just following fascists, oligarchs, nihilist billionaires around the world.
They're fairly united and, as they did in recent U.S. elections (even if narrowly) they are beating democracy for one reason.
Schools.
Heather tells the Doris Miller story today, and many here respond gratefully -- that one simple human rises to the occasion, even if he's not from the dominant race or any upper class.
If American schools, schools of the world, had curricula focused more on all of our common humanities, we'd have a chance at countering the oligarchs, the racists, the faux-religious misogynists, the nationalists and xenophobes -- all of them united for the common vulgarities of stereotypes, groups, abstracted categories., with the biggest abstraction of all being the piles of money by which, for which, the most debased rule.
So good of Heather to remind us of Doris Miller, and the human decency to which we could key ourselves and our perhaps still-living institutions.
I agree with you that education is what we need to emphasize. When I was in school we took part in debates, we learned history, we had a kind of government that brought up current news, and demonstrated how we were to be involved citizens. This was in the ‘50s.
With all the technology available today we could have an educated public, instead many people seem to have an idea that you have a choice to participate in self government or not! Of course everyone must participate, how can you let someone weaken our solidarity by skipping your duty!
It would be Best if the USA instituted a Universal Program of National Service for the 18-20 Year olds... Other Countries do so in the Interest of Building Community..
My two years serving in the National Health Service Corps certainly enlightened me. In addition to being paid for my service in my field, community health nursing, when those jobs were scarce, I had received a scholarship. No school loan to pay back.
One of my brothers serving the Peace Corps. Dropped off in a distant foreign land with few resources and support and yet he describes this as such a rewarding experience.
Um - while I think that's a great idea - which government is going to introduce it, Democratic OR Republican?
Can you imagine the weeping Moms as their six foot babies were torn from their arms? Or the weeping six foot babies that had to be out of bed by six in the morning?
Absolutely. I never served on the military or any other organization like Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. I do think a Universal Program of National Service would give us the opportunity to feel like we matter, that we are part of something greater than ourselves and to develop close relationships with “ the others “. Thank you for your comment.
We'd have a better chance, Christine, if our "educated" elites modeled enthusiasm for humanities, relevance to them, and apt ways of citing some.
Humanities' disappearance from schools has meant, instead, for decades no one has modeled any for most who followed the boomers.
Rather than the human, the humane, standardized testing pushes the opposite: categories, abstractions, and such unit-by-unit linearity as floats the billionaire vulgar.
Fortunately, my generation was exposed to the humanities. Now, they’re more interested in educating children to be drones who won’t question what they learn.
I recall my government teacher, who was a bit unconventional, but literally had an old voting machine in the classroom. He made it clear we needed to register to vote (and then use that power to actually vote in elections) as soon as we turned 18 yrs of age and even awarded extra credit to those who did!
But Doris Miller knew where the battle was to be fought. Miller had the ammunition. Instead of fighting with blast of accomplishments we are burying the lead in Trump’s outrageous comments. We need the ammunition and take to social media with more than we want to protect women’s rights. Biden saved this county.
"... with the biggest abstraction of all being the piles of money by which, for which, the most debased rule."
Thank you for that clear-eyed statement. It helps me see better. I have one friend who is a Trump supporter. We barely touch on politics, but he is not wealthy, is a pretty devout Catholic. Therefore, if I just say, "... but all the money ..." - I think if I could say just that it would be a thin thread of connection between our political views. Anything stronger and he would just build a wall of defense.
Thanks for that oft-repeated sermon, Phil. My take on public educational is that, apart from the 3 Rs, its proclaimed aim is citizenship ie loyalty to the state. It's the same in Canada, just less intrusive and less exceptionalism, i don't remember ever anything similar to the American pledge of allegiance in my school days.
Everything can’t be blamed on the schools. Teachers are working hard for less than fair compensation and are up against republicans who are trying to defund and cripple education. Look at DeSantis in Florida. They hate the thought of enlightenment, I.e. waking up!
It is not up to the Republicans. It is up to the democrats. Not one Trump nomination is shown along side what person exist in that position right now. It is up to us to go to social media and demonstrate the success of Biden’s cabinet compared to now. Post on social media. Hold ABC accountable. Where is CBS? The news media and everyone around is fueling the Trump fire.
Interesting comment on the msm, i did read an article from Wapo maybe about how successful the Biden administration has been with turning around the economy, now that Trump's people are soon taking over, the economy Magas were so sour on is already looking much sweeter as they take over government and its bullhorns. Polls show partisan populations already swinging in their opinion on the economy as "their guys" get into power.... apparently this had been the bias all along, not just all of a sudden. GOP followers are more preferential than Dems however, a bit more like lemmings.
I recall seeing a graph showing the economy swings under Dems vs. Republicans: it was striking in that, for the last hundred years or so, Dems bring it up, Republicans take it down. Can't explain why so many voters fall for the scam, but as T**** said, he loves those uneducated voters.
I, too, wonder what they are up to. Do they think there are plum jobs waiting for them somewhere in Trump's government? Is it for financial gain? Maybe they're caught up with desperately doing anything to keep their jobs including to sell their souls.
I have always found these small individual stories from history to be powerful, compelling, and inspiring. And no one can find and re-tell them better than Professor Richardson. And no one is better at finding the exact right story to match whatever crisis the day brings.
We should also remember the 33,000 Japanese Americans especially those in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 2/3 of whom were born in Hawaii. Many of these patriots served while their families were in mandatory camps.
Because of the subject and your last name, I'm reminded of Kiku Hughes' graphic novel, "Displaced," about the imagined time travel to be near her grandmother and great grandparents while they were interned originally at the Tanforan horse race track in San Bruno using the horse stalls as living quarters for nearly 8,000 internees (about 2-1/2 miles from where my wife lived).
Kiku's book gives insights to some of the different attitudes of the families and the motivations of some to enlist from the permanent Topaz Utah camp they were sent to . I appreciated that the Issei were also allowed to vote for the first time in the US (for council members that were to have a say in camp conditions). The factions she identified were the Japanese American Citizens' League (JACL) candidate that wanted to reject all Japanese culture and maintain cooperation with the camp administration, A leftist candidate who wanted to protest for civivl rights and against fascism abroad and at home, an a moderate Nisei (born in US) who emphasized the need for Isssei (born in Japan) and Nisei to come together. Issei were not allowed to run for office but could vote now, never having been able to participate in elections before.
We knew Kiku's aunt Bonnie (not mentioned in the book), and of Kiku's grandmother, Ernestina Teranishi through Bonnie. Ernestina was a talented young violinist who had been visited by Quaker friends one Christmas and may have been the sponsors that eventually got Ernestina and her parents released to their care in New York City, even getting her enrolled at Juilliard under one of the best violinists there.
Though the story has to be imagined for the most part since her mother (and aunt apparently) had never shared the story until late in her life, her mother did try to help her research so much more of what so many of them had kept to themselves for so long (especially since their parents didn't want them to learn Japanese, preventing them from being able to communicate between generations).
What they learned together imbued a sense of duty to speak up and protest any attempts to treat all others o all races and background as they had been treated.
I've read other stories about the differences in the ways Japanese-Americans were treated in Hawaii vs the west coast and heard from a Japanese-American co-worker who grew up in Hawaii but was drafted for the Korean conflict (despite a college deferment they wouldn't honor for Nisei), and how the west coast Nisei and later generations were not so willing prove their loyalty by serving, though they did in a surprising percentage despite the way they were treated.
I remember a picture of myself and my brother in Tomah, WI when our father was stationed at Camp MCoy. Part of Camp MCoy was used at the beginning of WWII as a concentration camp for about 300 Japanese, German, and Italian American citizens as potential enemy aliens before they were transferred elsewhere and it became the training facility for the segregated, all Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion (the only infantry unit in the U S Army Reserve). Back then it was essentially the Hawaiian National Guard Japanese Americans sent to the states for "training" and I suppose to get them far from Hawaii.
"The 100th Battalion was unofficially nicknamed the Purple Heart Battalion, with the motto "Remember Pearl Harbor""
Quote: [Nearly a century later,] "the "Remember Pearl Harbor" 100th Infantry Battalion, and the "Go For Broke" 442d Regimental Combat Team is still the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. Members of this World War II unit earned over 18,000 individual decorations including over 4,000 Purple Hearts, and 21 Medals of Honor. The Combat Team earned five Presidential Citations in 20 days of Rhineland fighting, the only military unit ever to claim that achievement. General of the Army George C. Marshall praised the team saying, "they were superb: the men of the 100/442d... showed rare courage and tremendous fighting spirit... everybody wanted them." General Mark W. Clark (Fifth Army) said, "these are some the best... fighters in the U.S. Army. If you have more, send them over.""
On a recent trip to Hawaii, I saw that the USS Daniel Inouye was making her rounds of the Islands after being christened on Dec 8, 2021. He was a Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Army in the 442nd division. He later served in the US Senate. .
I live not too far from two of those Japanese American internment camps. Since the U.S. was founded – on land stolen from non-Anglo peoples – the U.S. population and our government have been unwilling to accept people who aren't "just like us." A visit to sites that memorialize our collective bigotry provoke a deep sense of shame and remorse ... and hopefully, the will to do better. To BE better.
And when the survivors came home to the west coast, they faced the same irrational fear/hate that put their families in concentration camps. Some had neighbors who kept their land for them and returned it in good shape, but many lost everything to people who took advantage of their incarceration.
The returning soldiers were not allowed to join the VFW. In Seattle they formed their own.
I grew up on the Columbia River, I remember signs in windows in the 1950s saying "we don't serve Japs" next to the signs that said "we don't serve Indians".
I did just buy the Kindle version of "They Called Us Enemy," so I can travel light with it and many other books on the Kindle Fire (color), Kindle Scribe (non-color but longer battery life). My only regret is I didn't get the extended edition for a few dollars more.
Even the original fills in what happened to the No No's, though, that were treated like dangerous enemies, after the answered "No," to questions 27 and 28.
I've since read it and now have to get back to work, inspired by how he and his father work to keep the promises of the democracy growing and most inspired by the Declaration of Independence.
As an ordinary person, I offer an idea for peaceful protest on inauguration day 2025. Protest by unplugging, logging off, when the ceremony starts, and staying offline until it ends. Pass along this idea to all your networks, personal and professional. When the dramatic drop in online usage happens, the media will notice. And if the drop is dramatic enough, we will all know our ordinary action showed the world that DJT does not own us, does not represent us, and does not speak for us. We can do this.
Agree, Christine, as to viewing the inauguration pomp….however, to paraphrase the words Goldie Hawn’s character spoken in the movie “Protocol”…”I will be watching you like a hawk”. I will NOT participate in the celebration of TFFFG, but will closely monitor the actions of his administration. Here is a clip from of this lesser known movie (but worth viewing IMHO): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-BMCKB_TB0
Yes! If possible to unplug at the time the ceremony starts, the resulting sudden drop in internet traffic will signal to corporations who closely monitor their clicks, to politicians looking ahead to their next primary, that a significant portion of the population stands peacefully and powerfully opposed to the policies of this new administration. Hope you have a lovely walk. 👍
I still haven’t watched any news on television since the election and certainly will not be watching on Inauguration Day. My stomach hurts at the very thought of it happening. Yes, a long walk sounds like a good alternative, even here in MN!
Writing from here in Wisconsin, I know what you mean! 👍 On that day, please consider your online timing. Pulling the plug all at once will make an unmistakable statement. And, to me, the support it would signal is something that warms my heart. 😊
I too stopped watching national TV news on 11/6. Even dropped NPR. I've felt a tremendous sense of equanimity since. News comes from AP, Reuters, Guardian, Economist on line.
Good idea, Ellen, a virtual “turning our backs” to the swearing (lol, there will be lots of that!) in. I hope, once again, the crowds at the National Mall will be sparse…tho’ I imagine that plans are already afoot to bus in as many folks as possible to beef up the optics.
Timing is important! Unpluggig when it starts, and logging on when it's over is crucial to make the powers that be sit up and take notice. But, if that's not possible, being offline for any time will still be recorded, and every bit of drop is significant. Yes! Hope the weather cooperates during your walk. 👍
Excellent idea, Ellen. I had already decided I will not watch the inauguration. I remember how dark and foreboding Trump's inauguration speech was in 2017. Will Justice John Roberts be smiling as Trump places his hand on a bible and swears to uphold the Constitution? Ha, what a joke that will be, very unfortunately.
Thank you! And, thank You! Hopefully, folks who think this an idea worth pursuing will reach out to their networks of friends, family, online, etc. I love the feeling of a silent, growing network of support for our country showing the world where we stand. 👍
My dad would always say, “Do you know what day this is?” I’d hesitate… he’d tell me once again… each year, until he died 5 years ago at age 98. Thanks for reminding me. I so appreciate you keeping me on track.
I remember the day because my father almost fell off a ladder when he heard the news. He was painting the stairwell of our new house )yes, on Sunday evening). He left his spot, went down, turned on the news, and as he was about to climb onto the board-on-ladder arrangement he had rigged up, he heard the news. I was standing nearby and remember the moment of struggle to get his balance and then disbelief. A good friend was in Honolulu. Her husband was scheduled to join her there. There were lots of army wives in Hawaii. She had preceded her husband by 10 days. Both survived the war and she gave birth to a son on December 7, 1946.
My mother-in-law enlisted in the USCG SPARS soon after they were formed, motivated by the attack that had her father and brother (in the NJ Army National Guard at the time) also going on active duty. She served as a radio operator throughout the war. When she, at 86, was given 2 weeks to live in July of 2009, she managed to hang on for 5 months before peacefully passing in the early hours of Dec 7, 2009
Laura, I just thought the same thing. This will be the first Pearl Harbor remembrance day since my Dad passed away in May, just shy of 98. So fortunate to have them in our lives for so long.
When I was a kid, one of the boys at my school had a father who was in the Navy and was at Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack as a sailor. Before the father died, the local newspaper would interview him for his recollection of the attack. He was fortunate to have survived when so many did not.
Indeed. I met someone 15 years ago who was a pilot, transitting a plane to the Philippines, with a rest and refueling stop in Honolulu on December 7th. He had a small crew (3 maybe), and when they popped down out of the clouds, saw a lot of popping in the water. They first thought it was whales jumping, and then realized they were seeing bullets hitting the water, and Pearl Harbor was under attack. Somehow he managed to land the plane and joined in the fight. What a story. He spoke at our Rotary, and I asked him to speak at a church luncheon.
Most of the time, we don't hear the stories of the everyday people who turn into heroes when a hero is called for. Would I be able to act heroically, without taking the time to weigh the pluses and minuses, if I were faced with a situation that called for instant and generous action? I don't know. I hope that I'll never be tested that way. But I am grateful for everyone who has found that strength when it was needed, and I'm grateful to be reminded that people I've never heard of were capable of acting heroically.
Viktor Frankl in his book : Man’s Search For Meaning said that enduring his years in a concentration camp revealed to him that survivors and hero’s share an ability to understand that instead of asking “What’s the meaning of Life?”, they ask what Life is showing them needs to be done. In doing what needs to be done, we give meaning and purpose to Life. We all are capable of this. And the answers are unique to each of us. And unique to each new situation. Do what you can. Every moment, every action is transforming.
Frankl is a powerful guide. I think that being a citizen in a democracy should always involve us asking what needs to be done…in Human Rights theory it is called the struggle approach …not only to defend rights when threatened but to actually dynamically define rights. The daily practice of democracy as a hearts and mind endeavor.
Betsy, well said. Like you, I don't know what I would do. I also grateful for every courageous person who has had shown strength against darkness. These people are true heroes and we often do not hear about them. Once again I appreciate Heather and the people who share their insights and experiences here.
And, Michele, when such folks are lauded, they almost always sincerely demure, saying it was just the right thing to do or that anyone would have done the same as they. Sometimes it’s as simple as I can help, so I will.
Writers who understand their gift always inspire us to do oue best. Everyone of us can make a contribution to the whole of society by always doing what needs to be done.
I have the sense, based on our own lives and what we truly value, we would instinctively live up to the moment, or at least that's what I would hope I would do. I doubt Doris Miller stood there wondering what was the right thing to do. He was a decent and good man and from that decency and with courage, instinctively acted.
In the mid 90's, I partnered with another parent volunteer to develop a year long program for our kids' elementary school. Based in large part on the Giraffe Project, students who 'stuck their necks out' were awarded giraffe spots that were displayed on a giraffe poster outside of every classroom. Each grade chose a service project, and a year end assembly recognized a community hero.
The program focused on self confidence, empathy, and community, where every child matters. It was embraced by even the most conservative teachers and parents. This is at the same time they were rallying for prayer in school and against teaching values! We found common ground via the Giraffe Project.
I first came upon my thought of "you cannot predict how you will act in an emergency until you're in one" while teaching Red Cross First Aid and Advanced First Aid. My subsequent training in law enforcement taught me how to mentally prepare for being ready to respond to an emergency. I used this "mental preparation" almost daily, especially my first few years on patrol, where graveyard was a BORING shift. I'd go to do a patrol check at a boat landing, and say "what if you pull into the turnabout and see "X" happening. I'd play through the scenario in my mind first, then as I did the patrol check, I'd assess how well my "what if" plan would have worked.
I suspect every person with children has had ample practice in this without knowing they were doing it.
There was a foreign enemy in 1941 that didn't even look like "us".Bombs dropped, 1000s slaughtered in hours. This time is very different. What will peope actually DO when trump drops his inmvisible bombs and destroys, not 1000s, but many millions of lives so that he and his corrupt buddies with billions take it all and give the 99% the middle finger.
Who will create and scale the actions that we can take individually and en masse.
I’ve recently joined Indivisible, a movement that began after the first Trump election. They are a national group but decentralize their organizing to the state and local level, to address the particular issues and needs in each place and help others “do what we can”. We will find and create actions to fight against looming tyranny, community by community. https://indivisible.org/
Concur, Terri, have been on their “listserve” for quite awhile now….encouraging that in addition to them there are so many grassroots groups organizing to defend democracy, human and planetary (all species & ecosystems) rights. You know, the folks who will go down swinging….
Yes, do join the group if you can. Even just reading the newsletter they send members is worth doing. They also do a hood job of explaining the purpose of their actions which is good to know to understand the best action to take at any given challenge.
Love to see a cite for that. Researched it several times, never heard FDR but certainly that is what he must have felt after battling Republicans and SCOTUS for years prior to Pearl Harbor.
The folks at Hillsdale College, with whom I find myself in disagreement far more than agreement, have something they call "The Churchill Project." They claim to have done an exhaustive search and came up empty with respect to Churchill. The folks at Quote Investigator suggest that this is an edited sentiment of something Abba Eban said in a couple different forms. They cite a New York Times report that in March 1967 Eban, while visiting Japan and commenting on the relations Israel has with its neighbors: "Men and nations behave wisely when they have exhausted all other resources." This is not unlike the theme of a speech that the character Hal Wyler gives in one episode of "The Diplomat." Now all of that said, one might observe that given the recent history of the Levant, they must be a very long ways from exhausting all other resources.
Why does this remind me of misguided healthcare policies and yesterday's discussion?
Thank you, Dr. Richardson, for reminding everyone that WW2 wasn't fought and won exclusively by WHITE men, that people of all ethnic backgrounds, including Americans of Japanese decent, who were among the brave fighters for freedom in spite of our ill treatment of their families at home.
To deal with this situation we are going to have to do several things.
-- Recognize this as an attack on our country. This is an attack on America from both the inside and the outside.
--Put our bodies on the line. We will need to do more than vote. We will need to volunteer. We will need to canvas and phone bank and take to the streets multiple times.
--And we will have to be vocal about saving our country. Especially to young people.
Heather Cox Richardson’s poignant retelling of Doris Miller’s heroism reminds us not just of the immense courage shown during one of America’s darkest hours, but of the spirit that sustains democracy itself: ordinary people rising to extraordinary challenges.
Miller, a Black man denied full equality in the very nation he served, exemplified the promise of democracy—not as a perfect system but as a framework that allows human dignity and shared responsibility to flourish. It is this promise that has been attacked, defended, and reimagined throughout history.
Today, we face a different kind of assault. Propaganda spreads lies, billionaires hoard resources, and reactionaries aim to strip away the freedoms that make our lives possible. They want us to believe we are powerless, divided, incapable of solving the great challenges before us. But that is the same lie Mussolini and Hitler told their followers, and history has shown us how wrong they were.
We are confronted by the existential threat of the climate crisis, a reality that demands bold action, innovation, and collective will. This is not merely a crisis of the environment but of justice—communities of color, low-income families, and the most vulnerable bear the brunt of climate inaction. Yet, like Miller in the chaos of Pearl Harbor, we are not without power.
To meet this moment, we must stand up and speak out. Speak out against lies and propaganda. Stand up to the forces of greed and autocracy that seek to undermine democracy. Advocate for policies that reflect our shared humanity and protect the planet we call home.
Doris Miller’s story reminds us of the resilience and bravery ordinary Americans have always shown. His actions were a refusal to accept that the world as it was could not be changed. His life—and the countless lives of others who stood up in the face of oppression and tyranny—challenges us to fight for the promise of democracy, equality, and justice.
Let us not be bystanders to history. Let us honor the memory of those who came before us by building a future worthy of their sacrifices. Democracy is not doomed, but it is a choice—and it demands courage. Together, we must choose to fight for it.
Because in the end, democracy doesn’t just give us heroes like Doris Miller. It makes us heroes like Doris Miller.
Mr. Miller was from Waco, Texas, where I am sitting right now after a Baylor University volleyball playoff game. I live about 40 minutes away. Dr. Richardson, thank you for over and over telling the story of the America so many want us to be, and that we need to be. You are a blessing to me and to our country. As Longfellow said in his beautiful poem written in the midst of the civil war, that though “hate is strong and mocks the song,” ……”the wrong shall fail, the right prevail.” While it surely does not seem to be the case today that the right is prevailing, keep calling us all “to the better angels of our nature.” We need to hear what you have to say. Thank you.
"Among the many ethnic groups who fought, Native Americans served at a higher percentage than any other ethnic group—more than a third of able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 50 joined the service—and among those 25,000 soldiers were the men who developed the famous “Code Talk,” based in tribal languages, that codebreakers never cracked.".... This Warrior Tradition among the Indigenous persists in this 21stCentury... In the Elite Special Operations Command Units ( SOCOM ), and Joint Special Operations Command Units ( JSOC ), 1-In-4 of the People-That-Matter, 'The Trigger Pullers" are Indigenous... Thank You Heather For Remembering Our Defense Of This Great Land...
And thank you, Apache, for the additional information about Indigenous people who serve the furtherance of democracy and the Constitution and who, like Doris Miller, have not been given that same faith and respect in return.
Thanks R/W... WE ALL Honor Our Ancestors By Remembering, And Carrying On Their Best Traditions....
Yes. A lot of the traditions that our white ancestors left us are admirable - fortitude, determination, mutual aid.
Unfortunately, SOME of the traditions they left us weren't so admirable - and some of us still cling on to them.
Thanking whatever God you honor for providing food is a good tradition. Despising someone because they aren't "just like me" isn't.
I know plenty of people who love and are caring to the max for those who look like them. But change the least little thing and the “buts” start. Discrimination is learned. Applied appropriately, it is a great learning tool. But applying it to our fellow humans is a path to ruin. We love our dear ones with more than human kindness, but human kindness can ooze between us all like a uniting bond if we can see each other as fellow men, worthy of human consideration. Might include a cat or two…
JD, they are so "carefully taught".
I will NEVER forget hearing that in "South Pacific" for the first time. I remember where I was in the theater, and feeling like I'd been slapped.
Discrimination is learned. ✅
We should each send copies of this essay to each of our Senators as a reminder of what our recent ancestors fought for in WW2 (and other wars). It is now up to them to decide which side they will be on.
Yes, JD. Although the play and movie “South Pacific”, has a great deal of beautiful music, my favorite is “ You Have To Be Carefully Taught”. The song speaks volumes and never fails to bring tears to my eyes when i see the movie.
Yes. I have always believed that the word "but" negates anything that came before it. The statement must be true to fact and leave it at that.
Wisdom. But don't forget dogs. We coevolved with dogs for thousands of years, and while I know people who certainly love cats more than dogs, I strongly suspect that the dog/human bond is more common and stronger, on average, although I do know some poeple who LOVE their cats just as much as I love my dog.
That persistent need to look down on some and feel superior is a human ailment that seems incurable.
I have a theory about prejudice... It's fear. Thinking in black and white. No room for gray. I am/think this and you are/think that... one of us is wrong... it's NOT ME. I think people who want you to think they are superior are very insecure people.
Absolutely not incurable. It's learned. And it can be learned differently.
True. I'm sure it was "Well, Ugg - WE'RE better than the Neanderthals!"
Like any human endeavor, democracy is fraught with human failings. Hopefully, we regret them and learn from them and grow away from them. https://nedmcdletters.blogspot.com/2014/03/letter-96-is-american-exceptionalism.html Perhaps that is what Prime Minister Churchill meant when he said that democracy is the worst form of government . . . ¡except for all of the others!
My question is, will the military stand up against Trump IF he tries to use the military as a weapon against his "enemies"?
My son is a Command Sgt Major in the Special Forces, and he assures me that these orders would not be followed, unless there were a verifiable foreign presence on U.S. soil. Of course, there is always the possibility of another Gen. Michael Flynn somewhere lurking in our military, but on the overall, it won't happen. Now, your state's governor, who controls the National Guard is another story.
Daniel, I hope your son is right, and that there are untold thousands more like him.
My worry as well.
Ally, I don't always get through all the comments, and perhaps at times it is because I'm on early, but I haven't seen comments from Keith Wheelock lately. I know you read a lot of comments, have you seen him? I hope nothing is wrong. He's so knowledgeable.
The answer to that is: No.
Apache, maybe that's the task for white Americans, to remember and honor the best of us rather than always the mostly white men who murdered people they didn't like or wanted to steal from. There are white Americans who were good models, but alas, we laud folks like Reagan, Andrew Jackson, and Confederate "heroes." Anthony Benezet was a Revolutionary War era abolitionist, Thomas Paine stood loud and proud for the rights of all people. The Quaker women of the underground railroad and women's and civil rights were remarkable too. We need to be more careful of the ways we throw around the term "patriotic" because right now, and for quite some time, the Republican Party, particularly under Donald Trump is not patriotic and neither are most of our corporations, mostly run by white people, of course are not patriots either.
I agree that the MAGAs have perverted the Meaning of "Patriot"... Trying to overthrow the results of the 2020 National Election on 6-Jan-2021 was not Patriotic... How will History Judge this Country when DJT takes the Presidency on 20-Jan-2025?
Indigenous people and other minorities gave their lives to defend democracy only to find a lack of civil rights back home. Only in a functioning democracy can all minorities' rights be adequately protected.
Exactly, I found it totally mind-blowing that some Indigenous were still without electricity in the 3rd decade of the 21st century. They don't live that far from the rest of us. Why is the government still persecuting them?
We couldn't have done it without our indigenous people.
We definitely had a superior advantage in the Pacific Theater in WW II, thanks to our indigenous fellow citizens, the Navajo Code Talkers.
The Navajo 'Code Talkers' are definitely Deservedly Honored... My Father & Uncles who are Apache, Served with Honor as Well... All The Indigenous Nations Have Sent their Best to all this USA's Wars throughout History...
The beginning of this letter read like my Fourth Grade class Veterans Day Assembly, where my students would present research on different groups in the military, including the Code Talkers and Native Americans in general in the military. They would include demographics as well. We would learn about heroes like Doris Miller the Code Talkers, Tuskegee Airmen, and so many others. How women often disguised themselves as men to take part in wars like the Revolutionary War. I have been hoping that the US military will stand up to Trump and his cabal as need be. I am still hoping that the culture of service and loyalty to the constitution outweighs the culture of loyalty to the leader.
Lots of people say 'thank you for your service' to current and former members of the Armed Forces, but not enough say it to the men and women who teach our children every day. Thank you for your service, Linda. I suspect that you are an excellent teacher.
Thank you John. I am now retired. I loved teaching every single day though.
In addition to leading an assembly we would invite everyone in the school to interview people in their family who had served or was serving and they would all be invited to our assembly. I would have my room parents organize a reception for the vets after the assembly. We would put up these interviews around the school with the Vets picture. It was a deep dive into understanding the history of our military and why we honor them for serving and protecting us.
We also made cards and invited other classes to write get well cards for Vets at the VA hospital, and then we would go to the VA hospital on another day that week, usually could not go on Veterans Day, and sing to them and give them cards. The children loved the Medley which had the songs of 5 branches woven in. You could tell which branch the different vets were in because they would be singing along when we were singing the part that was for their branch. I believe in teaching civics.
You are my kind of teacher! I was a middle grades public school teacher, now retired. It was my passion! I loved teaching, I was inspired by the endless opportunities and challenges to come up with different ways of keeping the students motivated and involved in their learning. I loved their energy and I am fortunate to live in the small town where I taught, so I often run into my old kids who greet me with a big smile and arms open to wrap me in a warm hug.
Daphne, that sounds great! Seeing children grow up is wonderful and knowing you have the lifelong connection to them. When I am in the US I run into my former students because I taught in a neighborhood school. Some of my daughter's friends were my students, my friend's children were my students and my neighbors' children were my students. I love running into them and catching up. Also, I feel good that they all felt like they or their children learned a lot and were engaged in school.
:>)
John, I try to acknowledge every one I come across in a "service" setting. Given my coffee habit, that is most often at either the grocery store (where I buy the beans to make my own bean juice) or at the coffee drive throughs (not just Starbucks; we have two local chains, and several "sole proprietors" as well) I say "thanks for being here". Started that during the pandemic, and I continue to this day.
As volunteer Park Hosts for Oregon State Parks we have been getting "thanks for your service" since people started saying that to Vets.
Nice!
When are we going to be ready to talk about "women who disguised themselves as men" as the trans people that have always been part of us?
Mary Ellen, you are right, but only partially. Not all women who wore men's clothing were trans. A few wanted to serve and protect their husbands and brothers; others wanted to fight for the Union. So, my family legend goes, a young distant relative was a water-bearer for a company. BTW, I have not heard of Confederate women in the Civil War.
Actually there were, women in the Civil war in disguise too.
https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1993/spring/women-in-the-civil-war-1.html#:~:text=In%20assuming%20the%20male%20disguise,and%20cut%20their%20hair%20short.
Linda, yes, there were women in the Civil War, but my comment referred to the Confederacy. As far as I know, the only women on battlefields or behind the lines were Union Army sympathizers.
It must be a really good feeling to be promoted to the head of a government department that doesn't exist and then put out all these proposals to take 2 trillion dollars away from all those people who have less than you (in EloX case, that would be everybody but I'm excluding billionaires)
I call these nuisance appointments. Musk clearly gets on DTs nerves, at least some of the time, and what better way to make him feel important than to make up a department which can disappear when it is time to get rid of him. Elites supported Hitler too, until he took over their stuff. We shall see where this goes.
I hope you are right.
Let's "X" Elon and Donald!
Linda. We hope, pray and protest against the orange man and his other thieves!
Ever see Windtalkers with Nicolas Cage, based on this. It's remarkable but the most difficult if not impossible "code" to break is an unfamiliar native language, highly structured, vs seemingly random codes. Then again, Enigma was only broken by "cheating" on the part of the British with the Turing crew, Turing, who committed suicide after his homosexuality was publicized and turned against him. Freedom is always relative, isn't it!
Indeed it is.
I don’t think the British government has ever tendered a public apology or their egregious actions against Turing. It still matters.
here's a bit.... Turing's work and legacy were not fully known until long after his death. In 2013, he was posthumously pardoned by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2016, the Government announced the "Turing law", which granted posthumous pardons to gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offenses in England and Wales.
Nicely said, there, Frank.
Obituary of one of the last surviving code-talkers in this week's The Economist: https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/12/05/john-kinsel-used-his-own-language-to-fool-the-japanese
The following quotes are from renown anthropologist Christopher Boehm’s book, Hierarchy in the Forest (2001).
Page 4: The Iroquois Confederation was a matrilineally based tribal nation in which women shared in the substantial degree of political and economic equality that prevailed among adults. It had a significant influence on the framers of the American Constitution and, later, on the women’s suffrage movement.
Page 5: Humans were egalitarian for thousands of generations before hierarchical societies began to appear.
To that, I would add that hierarchical societies did not appear until only about 400 generations ago at the dawn of the Neolithic period, which is when the first agricultural settlements appear in the anthropological record.
In their book, The Healing Organization (2019), Raj Sisodia and Michael Gelb tell the same story.
Seven warring tribes came together under the leadership of a peacemaker to form the Iroquois Confederacy with a joint leadership at the top that allowed each of the tribes to have their own identity. This was two centuries before the founding fathers began to write the constitution that would structure the US government.
Thus, whereas the essential elements of the American constitution existed nowhere else in the world, the founding fathers eventually found them in their own backyard. The confederacy’s ideas included the three branches that American's began to refer to as the legislative, executive, and judicial when they were incorporated in the US constitution.
Unfortunately, the founding “fathers” excluded one key branch of the confederacy’s government, the council of mothers and grandmothers. This fourth branch selected the confederacy’s leader and had the power to replace a leader who became too warlike, or who was not sufficiently inclusive, or who was not thinking enough about the long-term, which they defined as an action’s consequence in seven generations.
The moral of these stories? Egalitarian democracy is not “in” our nature, it is human nature. Authoritarian autocracy is not in our nature, it is in lieu of growing up. More specifically, it is an expression of the desire to act like the Lost Boys marching around the enchanted forest following a Peter Pan-like character singing the “I won’t grow up” song.
The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow confirms your other sources and contributions. We should continue sharing this information with others. Thank you for your summary, James. I recently completed a historical fiction YA novel, Antonia of the Shell People, which makes similar points. Due out in early 2025, my aspiration is introducing young adult readers to all you have mentioned.
Hope, if you're interested, check out another reply to my comment. I learned something important from Sherry Wolf, and then you might also be interested in my reply to Sherry.
James R. Cary: This is amazing information, something that rattled around in my brain such that perhaps I had read this before, but forgot. I can only begin to imagine what our country might have been like, if our founding fathers had only “remembered” to include a council of mothers and grandmothers. It’s enough to make me weep. And hope, and work.
I just read the rest of the thread and see I have a bunch of studying to do (yay! What fun!) Still: it’s a great story and the ideas are sure worthy of contemplation. You betcha.
Here's a link to a YouTube video. "Is Every Civilization Doomed?" We found it very interesting. The reason I'm mentioning it here is it talks about an ancient Greek historian, Polybius. Towards the end of the video it talks about his information being incorporated into our (USA) constitution. I found all of it fascinating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqsBx58GxYY&ab_channel=AfterSkool. Let me know what you think.
Sherry, thank you so much for that video reference. Now I’m convinced that Christopher Boehm’s story—about the Iroquois Confederacy becoming the requisite predecessor to the American Constitution—is historically inaccurate, so that is a story I will no longer tell.
However, I see a fatal flaw in Polybius’ hypothesis in a statement soon after the six minute mark. Anacyclosis “posits that primitive humans had begun in a sort of anarchic original condition without political structures.” Based on that assumption, I can’t think of a way to challenge Polybius’ analysis. I never would have thought of it myself, but as I watched the video, it not only seems accurate with respect to the rise and fall of historic civilizations, but it’s obvious the same pattern is repeating in our current political condition.
So, based on the above-referenced “original condition” assumption, the answer to the “Is every civilization doomed to rise, but then fail?” question is yes.
Personally, and because I think the assumption is incorrect, my answer to the “Is there a way to avoid collapse?” question is yes.
The details are in my book, The Wisdom Theory (2024, see www.wisdomtheo.com), but I offer the following to make the long story short.
Although your video has convinced me that Boehm’s story about the American Constitution is wrong, he was right about egalitarian democracy being in our nature (genetically inherited knowledge) in lieu of being in our nurture (knowledge we invented).
The major structural components of society are institutions that include the world’s great religions, democracy, and science. For modern civilization, capitalism is an essential economic institution. If you know what to look for, it’s not hard to see that they all come from the same source. Specifically, they are like many branches from one vine. It’s true that they are all very different, but that’s simply because they emerged at different times, in different places, and in different contexts.
They do all have the same genetically inherited DNA. Noam Chomsky makes a compelling argument that certain segments of our human DNA are expressed in our brains as knowledge, and then we are born. I'm referring to a species-specific social instinct. In turn, we express this particular knowledge by translating it into words that are always different because the translations occur at different times in different contexts. But if you know what to look for, you’ll see that the underlying meaning is identical.
For example, the Christian principle involves treating each other the way we would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot. The same moral sentiment is the founding principle of all the world’s great religions. The first scientific principle involves subjecting our assumptions to rigorous skepticism to limit their ability to distort how we interpret what we observe. The first capitalist principle is named in the title of Adam Smith’s book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), which prescribes a practice he referred to as sympathy, describing it as an attempt to temporarily stop using one’s assumptions to interpret a given observation and start using the other person’s assumptions to see if it’s possible to arrive at their interpretation.
Every member of our species follows the same social instinct that emerged at the origin of our species, and that we inherited from our Paleolithic ancestors. It allowed them to form the first multi-family and genetically heterogeneous social system, the hunter-gatherer band. That is why our Paleolithic ancestors thrived while every other Paleolithic hominin species on the planet failed to survive.
In other words, being a human is and always has been a positive-sum game. One does receive a small, short-term benefit by pretending it’s a zero-sum game, but then its not just the innocent victims who suffer in the long term. Everyone suffers.
Thank you, James. I will have to read your response multiple times for my comprehension to kick in. I find what you have written very interesting.
Are you sure? I've read the debates of the framers drafting the Constitution and there is no mention of the Confederation. There is a lot said regarding other forms of government from ancient Greece and Rome to Montesquieu's theories of divided government. Yet, nothing said about the Confederation. Some have pointed to Franklin and Jefferson studying the system yet Franklin said little at the framing and Jefferson was absent. In addition to that although the Confederacy was one of peace, it was of peace for the members. It was also known to war with and drive out tribes in the region unaffiliated with it.
I respect your idea but wonder could this be another historical myth with one academic quoting another without evidence of a first source? Does it just sound nice?
https://i2i.org/did-the-iroquois-confederation-influence-the-constitution-a-myth-they-may-be-teaching-your-children/
Interested in your thoughts.
I'm curious what HRC would say.
Gary, you would appreciate "Indian Givers: How Native Americans Transformed the World", by Jack Weatherford. It is an outstanding compilation. We must remember given the racism at the time the framers of the constitution didn't want to weaken their case by referring to "heathens".
Agreed that there was a racist attitude amongst some of the Framers. Yet, we're still left with the debates and the compromises that are clearly based on Enlightenment thinkers and the Roman Republic. I believe we need to strive for historical accuracy. And we recognize that some of the thinking of the Framers was misguided, for instance the idea that there would be no political parties as we know them. I do not mean to diminish anyone or group. For reading I have a suggestion for you if you're interested in the treatment of America's native population. "The Cost of Free Land." by Rebecca Clarren. Clarren follows the history of her Jewish family as they flee oppression in Czarist Russia by coming to America. After arriving they take advantage of the Homestead Act, unwittingly taking advantage of the oppression of the Lakota Indians. It raises interesting ethical questions. Just finished it.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cost-of-free-land-rebecca-clarren/1143211529?ean=9780593655078
Gary, if you’re asking if I was sure of the historical accuracy of the quotes, I’d have to say no, and less so now. But if you’re asking if I am sure of the historical accuracy of the moral of the stories, I am.
All the historically accurate stories we tell ourselves about who we are tell us that being human is a positive-sum game where everyone wins in the long term. If we tell ourselves a story that being human is a zero-sum game—where “we” are winning because “they” are losing, or “we” are losing because “they” are losing—then the story is historically inaccurate.
Being human is not a zero-sum game. History repeatedly teaches us that convincing ourselves otherwise always turns it into a negative-sum game in which everyone loses in the long term.
On the one hand, my implying a historically inaccurate detail is accurate does more harm than good. On the other hand, your reference source is the Independence Institute, which I’ve discovered is an American libertarian think tank. Knowing that makes me very skeptical of your reference source. All the libertarians I’m aware of lack what should be an elementary school level understanding of capitalism.
That doesn’t mean the quotes I referenced are historically accurate. I’ll make sure they are before I reference them again. So, thanks for the heads up.
Am I sure? Well, Gary, I read the source you mentioned, and I did not particularly respect it. Its emphasis tells us not to teach this theory in schools. Why not? I'm an advocate for teaching our children critical thinking skills. They should be given many theories and opinions and taught to use deductive thinking.
However, supporting information comes from other sources that I respect. (Again, see The Dawn of Everything, et al.) There are ample indicators that, in the decades preceding the Constitutional Convention, the Haudenosaunee people and Europeans (the French, especially vis-a-vis Lahontan) exchanged ideas and possibly even visited each other's nations. A particularly brilliant thinker and orator, a Wendot named Kandiaronk, may have visited France and influenced Rousseau. At any rate, there was contact between the future founders and tribes by many accounts, and Kandiaronk's criticism and advice were noted.
I would not put all my conclusions on Adams's proclamations and absence of confirmations. He was rather curmudgeonly, after all. His wife, Abigail, who kept the farm while raising a family, had several visits from a neighboring tribe in his absence.
The point, after all, is to credit the Native populations for being complex individuals and societies that contributed wisdom and value to our nation both then and now.
Hope, watch this suggested video submitted by Sherry Wolfe and think what is more likely.
Hope, the source is just one of many by historians. It was chosen due to it's simplicity. There is no argument that Natives and the Colonists interacted, that's a moot point. It's whether the American Constitution was modelled on the Iroquois Confederacy. There is no evidence of it, only speculation. I put no conclusions on Adam's proclamations, I'm curious as to why you thought I did, as I hadn't mentioned Adams. I can credit the Iroquois for being complex, yet speculation that because the French "possibly" even visited each other is evidence of anything, much less that the Constitution and American government is based on a confederacy is just that or wishful thinking. Again, our original confederacy was scuttled in favor of a democratic republic. It doesn't follow that our Constitution was modelled on a confederacy. The Convention minutes are not speculation but evidence. The debates on how to form our government are based on Western tradition and Enlightenment thinking. I agree with you it is important to teach critical thinking. we can ask students to critically analyze the question whether the American Constitution is modelled on a native confederacy or Montesquieu type of republic. Critical thinking is based on evidence not "may haves" and non-sequiturs. If thought about critically do you prefer they go with evidence or speculation? If we are to accurately assess how we got to the point of electing a populist president nominating a sycophant cabinet we need to know how we got here accurately.
Gary, Sherry, James et al. From PBS' series on Native Americans:
"In 1744, the Onondaga leader Canassatego gave a speech urging the contentious 13 colonies to unite, as the Iroquois had at the signing of the Treaty of Lancaster. This cultural exchange inspired the English colonist Benjamin Franklin to print Canassatego’s speech.
"We heartily recommend Union and a good Agreement between you our Brethren," Canassatego had said. "Never disagree, but preserve a strict Friendship for one another, and thereby you, as well as we, will become the stronger. Our wise Forefathers established Union and Amity between the Five Nations; this has made us formidable; this has given us great Weight and Authority with our neighboring Nations. We are a powerful Confederacy; and, by your observing the same Methods our wise Forefathers have taken, you will acquire fresh Strength and Power; therefore whatever befalls you, never fall out one with another."
He used a metaphor that many arrows cannot be broken as easily as one. This inspired the bundle of 13 arrows held by an eagle in the Great Seal of the United States.
In addition: Before the Congressional Congress, leaders of the Confederacy attended the Albany Congress in 1754, where Benjamin Franklin was impressed by the Great Law of Peace and wrote what’s known as the Albany Plan of Union. It advocated for the colonies to improve security and better defend themselves from foreign powers. In 1776, during the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia invited the Iroquois to make an address, where they were well received by the patriots.
In 1988, Congress passed a resolution formally acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the U.S. Constitution. It reads, "The confederation of the original 13 colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles incorporated into the constitution itself.” In addition, the resolution stated, “the continuing government-to-government relationship between Indian tribes and the United States established in the Constitution,” which reaffirmed the legitimacy and sovereignty of Native nations and their governments.
Gary, I changed my mind. Your source was correct about the historic inaccuracy of the "Iroquois Confederacy is the mother of the American Constitution" story. If you're interested, see my reply to Sherry Wolf. It includes what I think should be an elementary school level understanding of capitalism, which I still perceive as being to libertarianism what up is to down.
i did read it. Also, I am going to order your book through Barnes and Noble. Are you familiar with Stephen Pinker's Enlightenment Now?
When the Marine Corps Museum was dedicated I had the honor to interview some of the Navaho Code Talkers at the event. They were amazing and very humble human beings.
How can we protect our great defense force from Trump destruction?
"Doris "Dorie" Miller (October 12, 1919 – November 24, 1943) was a U.S. Navy sailor who was the first Black recipient of the Navy Cross and a nominee for the Medal of Honor." Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Miller
And thank you, Apache, and all indigenous people. May this country try to be worthy of all that is done for it. May we all be aware and grateful.
Being a racist who whittles it down day-by-day, I can say how grateful I am toward those unlike me who have shown me the way. https://nedmcdletters.blogspot.com/2021/02/letter-170-to-my-hero-for-black-history.html
Rick, for some reason today I was singing the song you quote, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”, and that line “The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with Peace on Earth, Good will to men”, and it sparked a little spark of hope in my heart. May we work to see the right prevail again in our time!
I also like the one I learned in elementary school:
"Jesus bids us shine with pure clear light
Like a little candle shining in the night.
In this world of darkness, we must shine
You in your small corner, and I in mine.""
Whether you're a Christian or not, the concept that we ALL have a part to play in making the world bright is a good one to remember.
To carry on and emphasise this truth, we now have a tradition in our family, started when the children were very small.
After Christmas dinner, which nowadays can involve fifteen or twenty people, when the table is cleared, everybody is given a candle in a jar. (battery ones for the smallest!) the lights are turned out, and I light the first and largest candle (because I'm the oldest!) and put it on the table. One by one everybody follows suit - and pretty soon the whole room is filled with a warm and loving light. We take a minute to silently say "Thank you!" to whoever - than it's big hugs and "Happy Christmas!" all round.
Sometimes over the years the teens have said "Oh, MOM!" or "Oh, NAN!" but when they gain a couple of years - they're the ones that run to get the candles. . .
Just lovely, and heartwarming! ❤️❤️❤️
Such a wonderful and meaningful tradition. Thank you for sharing.
Fabulous tradition! We almost always have two celebrations; the "family Christmas(es)" with mostly blood family, and then "Solstice" with our friends. I think I'm going to do that candle thing at Solstice. Maybe around the firepit, if it's not pouring rain.
Sweet tradition! Bringing the light!
That is a lovely tradition. I no longer go to church. But I miss the ceremonies so much. Your candlelight service reminds me of the lighting of the new fire on Holy Saturday, the night before Easter, in the Catholic Church. We pass the flame candle to candle around the church. I agree we can all bring our light into our communities.
There's a weekly Meditation for Peace every Sunday at 1:00 pm Central Time for everyone on the planet to meditate or pray for peace for 15 minutes. I set my phone alarm for 12:45 so I can get ready to send out Love, Peace and Compassion to all on the Mother. Please join us!!!
Thanks for mentioning. I really like this.
Thank you for sharing.
I will join you, Ted! Sunday at 1:00 pm Central Time for 15 minutes. Be there or be square.
As always, I am a step behind. How do I access the Meditation for Peace to which you refer? Googling it brings up all kinds of sites. I like the idea of an every Sunday event.
We surely need this more than ever, Ted, in my lifetime, of 80 years!
I'm about 40 minutes away too Rick. Every time I drive into Waco by the Doris Miller VA facility, I think of his bravery.
For many years, Mr. Miller was an unsung hero. We need to remember his story.
Rick A - beautiful ❤️🕊️
Amen.
HCR, your words touch me deeply.
“I hear a lot these days about how American democracy is doomed and the reactionaries will win. Maybe. But the beauty of our system is that it gives us people like Doris Miller.
Even better, it makes us people like Doris Miller.”
May it be so.
May those that do not remember WWII wake up.
Beautifully said, Rick A. One hundred percent agreement with your well-written words!
Rick, thank you for a wonder comment. Bless you.
We MUST prevail. Determination and truth are powerful forces.
This is a wonderful comment! You said EXACTLY what I am feeling this morning. From Heather’s lips to God’s ears!
My hope is that the next two years will be so ugly that Americans wake up and understand what we have to lose and break the cult fascination with fascism.
I worry that the right is indeed prevailing, but it's the wrong right—it's the most vicious of the right wing.
SO WELL SAID, Rick A. I also love the story of Doris Miller, a hero who inspires us. He is an inspiration, even 83 years on!
My takeaway from HCR's letter? She's running scared. We very well could be at a tipping point right now. The next few months could be extremely telling.
If she were running scared, she would not be writing this SubStack column and giving us the opportunity to learn and express our opinions. Thank you HCR .
Exactly. HCR is standing proud.
It’s one thing to “stand proud.” It’s another one to be apprehensive, which I think we all are.
That's an extraordinary take on what was basically a history lesson leading on to a warning and an exhortation. Maybe you phrased it awkwardly - but it appears to come from one of those trump supporters who need constant reassurance after every perceived criticism. Please accept my apology if I am wrong.
It was this question by HCR that prompted my remark: "Will we permit the destruction of American democracy on our watch?" I could have phrased it differently, but what came to my mind was that she's very much concerned, or in other words scared of losing democracy, not scare of retribution from Trump and the MAGATS.
Yes and yes and yes!!!!!!!!!!
I am sure someone mentions this further down the thread. USS Doris Miller will be an aircraft carrier beginning construction 2026.
They will likely have to hide it when Trump is around.
He'll just ask who is she?
Sad, but true MisTBlu…..
My thought, you wrote 42minutes before me :)
Brilliant minds, like channels.
Nah.
He'll say he's "doing good work."
No, if he even notices it will be "Who the hell is Doris Miller and why does SHE have her own ship?"
Must confess that I did the same thing until the gender was identified. Hope that does not make me a Trumpisser.
Hardly.
Whew! Thank you!
🤣
Fortunately, Trump's world is no longer expanding. His dementia is becoming more obvious to everyone. He needs to have people like Musk, Hogsbreath and Gaetz around him that are all-in on revenge and retribution. This is why he is so insistent on getting them confirmed. For the first time in his life he realizes that he needs other people to do his bidding.
The world is in for a rough ride.
Musk scares me the most right now -- I thought he and Trump would have a falling out of the egos -- but Trump must in some way be threatened that Musk could turn his fortune against him - in just the way he helped buy the Presidency for him. How one person can inject that much money into our political system is a disgrace.
We have to "thank" SCOTUS for this. Citizens United cannot be the law of the land because this is what happens. Musk should be deported. SCOTUS should take another look at this law, and take a look inside themselves, including for giving Trump unfettered power.
Exactly!!!!! The court is OUT of order!!
Corrupt.
Musk has long held American citizenship with dual, Canada I believe. You know, he's part of America being a "land of immigrants"
His other citizenship is in South Africa I believe. He was born there.
They are rejoicing, at least six are
As in all such things, I blame their parents, for failing to give those six (and many more before) a proper fetchins up.
He bought the presidency. Sort of like the MSM took our decision away from us with their both sides crap. The election was a fine looking sham.
Thank the fraud who is John Roberts. Pretends to be the voice of calm reason while he's a dangerous enabler of a pack of weasels.
"that much money" well thank the right-wing cabal on the Supreme Court. You might almost think Congress could pass restrictive legislation, eg such as Bernie suggests, a publicly funded but limited process. NO SUCH LUCK. excuse the caps.
Here is a phrase I have read and heard again and again in a broad array of MSM news stories (this one happens to be The Guardian, but I have seen it in my local paper and national news.
"Despite the known risks, plastic in general remains a little-regulated substance, largely because of the petrochemical and plastic industry’s lobbying power." https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/06/plastic-chemicals-breast-cancer
The subjects vary, to popular initiatives widely wanted by the public to shadowy threats to public health, such as commercial abuses of antibiotics and unregulated release of dangerous and persistent chemicals. The all end up being trumped or buried by richly funded lobbies. If money can regularly thwart the public's will and the public's interests, does that merit any other label than "corruption"? But relatively few say so, at least of those who can be heard.
And yeah, Anne Gorsuch, Reagan's director of the EPA. and classic modern "Republican":
" She believed that the EPA was over-regulating business and that the agency was too large and not cost-effective. During her 22 months as agency head, she cut the budget of the EPA by 22%, reduced the number of cases filed against polluters, relaxed Clean Air Act regulations, and facilitated the spraying of restricted-use pesticides. She cut the total number of agency employees, and hired staff from the industries they were supposed to be regulating.[3] "
"Richard Hauser, the White House deputy counsel, confirmed one or more Reagan Administration officials had in fact reported to the White House that they had heard Gorsuch say at an August 4, 1982, luncheon that she was holding back more than $6 million in Federal funds to clean up the Stringfellow Acid Pits toxic waste site near Los Angeles to avoid helping the Senate campaign of former Gov. Jerry Brown of California, a Democrat.[13]" -Wikipedia
Dirty pool indeed, but hardly restricted to plastics, to which abt 1/3 or so of all petrochemical applications is directed. Thing too is just how pervasive synthetic products not just plastics have become. Can't divorce them, can't live without them.
!!!!
Starkly antidemocratic.
This is not the first time. Donald has always relied on others for his "success." Even when he was a young boy, his father used his wealth to conceal that Donald is learning-disabled. In his youth, he relied on others to take his tests. Later, he got the reins to the Trump businesses, only because his older brother rejected them.
When Donald relied on his own dim wits to run the business and failed, Daddy was there to bail him out with millions. When Daddy died, Donald blew through his inheritance and ran up astronomical debts.
For his entire adult life, he had no positive cashflow until he signed on with NBC for The Apprentice series, a situation where others were in control and he was merely an actor who played the part of a successful tycoon.
In his dotage, Donald sees Musk as his father figure, able to bail him out of trouble with his billions of dollars.
However, Donald will never admit his dependency on others. His father taught him that admitting a need for others is a sign of weakness. And weakness is only worthy of the deepest disdain.
You’re right about this. Trump was bailed out time and again by his father, and it was only after The Apprentice that he made any real money, about $400M I believe, which he spent on golf courses, of which many were money losers. The exec producer of The Apprentice said that they asked several successful businessmen to star in the show, but they were all too busy with their businesses. When they asked Donald he jumped at the opportunity. Of course, we all know how he loves attention and this show made him a ‘star’.
“Lucky Loser” by Susan Craig and Russell Buettner should be required reading for anyone thinks that #45 is a great business man
I think Trump has always had people around to do his bidding--lawyers to bully and sue; mobster thugs to physically threaten and extort.
Well.....he learned the lessons of his first term, a big country like ours it's not a relatively small company like the one he owns. That doesn't make the situation better, by the contrary, he would be more effective at destroying everything we took for granted.
And whatever happened to JD what’s his name. Seems a few billionaires have displaced him
Fantastic!
I saw that some years ago. About freaking time. I hope today's sailors can live up to his name.
Thanks for this, Paul!
Well that is great news.
This reminds me so much of The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman!
“There is always light if only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it!”
We are going to have to be brave! To stand with integrity and strength against the threats and injustices. Against the impending tyranny. Each of us is going to have to be the light!
“Courage is as contagious as fear”—Susan Sontag
Thank You for this quote, Barbara.
Courage is fear that has said its prayers. 12 step
Amanda Gorman sheds light! I’ve heard her twice. The way she makes poetry is dazzling.
And the way Gorman reads her poetry is dancing,
Virginia & MaryPat—the way you describe her is delightful!
Thank you. It’s how I feel listening to her and hearing her WORDS and how she uses them.
Volunteer. Even the smallest kindness makes a difference.
But where is the hill to climb? Are we fighting tyranny where it stands or are we just complaining about it?
Thank you for these questions. They have made me think.
I think "resist" fits better for me than "fight." Either way, the first step is for me to be strong. That's a lesson I have learned in life. I have to recognize when I am feeling panic, and turn away. Deep breaths, I'm ok, I can do this, thank you for the courage.
It's crucial for me to be with other intelligent people who are of like mind. That's this group for me. I take in very little from other sources these days. I write a monthly book review for a local paper, and I will be considering the political situation obliquely each month. I am careful with conversations. And when and if I am called to do something more, I believe I will be ready to do a pretty good job.
Language is powerful, Anne, and you must use what works for you. TCinLA has written that we must "oppose" rather than "resist" and I think that resist is the stronger of the two.
Thank you, Ally, for the encouraging words. I always like seeing your name and reading your comments.
Democracy Docket is talking about setting up an opposition that will be ready now and last for the duration -- something with integrity in purpose and manner.
Ditto! Thanks Ally, and Anne!
Sometimes you can't see the hill - but you are building it yourself brick by brick. We're not the only ones facing hills. The MAGA crowd are too - and those hills are raised by us.
Good comment. Sadly probably a courageous one as well.
I love her work. She is a bright light!
Precisely, Denise. Brave enough to see it, brave enough to be it.
Denise, you have that one pegged. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7259852498906025984/
Would that the Republicans in the Senate had the courage of Doris Miller. We would not be in this mess if they had shown it in the first regime.
Those Republicans, James, are just following fascists, oligarchs, nihilist billionaires around the world.
They're fairly united and, as they did in recent U.S. elections (even if narrowly) they are beating democracy for one reason.
Schools.
Heather tells the Doris Miller story today, and many here respond gratefully -- that one simple human rises to the occasion, even if he's not from the dominant race or any upper class.
If American schools, schools of the world, had curricula focused more on all of our common humanities, we'd have a chance at countering the oligarchs, the racists, the faux-religious misogynists, the nationalists and xenophobes -- all of them united for the common vulgarities of stereotypes, groups, abstracted categories., with the biggest abstraction of all being the piles of money by which, for which, the most debased rule.
So good of Heather to remind us of Doris Miller, and the human decency to which we could key ourselves and our perhaps still-living institutions.
I agree with you that education is what we need to emphasize. When I was in school we took part in debates, we learned history, we had a kind of government that brought up current news, and demonstrated how we were to be involved citizens. This was in the ‘50s.
With all the technology available today we could have an educated public, instead many people seem to have an idea that you have a choice to participate in self government or not! Of course everyone must participate, how can you let someone weaken our solidarity by skipping your duty!
It would be Best if the USA instituted a Universal Program of National Service for the 18-20 Year olds... Other Countries do so in the Interest of Building Community..
My two years serving in the National Health Service Corps certainly enlightened me. In addition to being paid for my service in my field, community health nursing, when those jobs were scarce, I had received a scholarship. No school loan to pay back.
One of my brothers serving the Peace Corps. Dropped off in a distant foreign land with few resources and support and yet he describes this as such a rewarding experience.
WOw!
Wow!
Um - while I think that's a great idea - which government is going to introduce it, Democratic OR Republican?
Can you imagine the weeping Moms as their six foot babies were torn from their arms? Or the weeping six foot babies that had to be out of bed by six in the morning?
Chump would use them as brown shirts
Absolutely. I never served on the military or any other organization like Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. I do think a Universal Program of National Service would give us the opportunity to feel like we matter, that we are part of something greater than ourselves and to develop close relationships with “ the others “. Thank you for your comment.
We'd have a better chance, Christine, if our "educated" elites modeled enthusiasm for humanities, relevance to them, and apt ways of citing some.
Humanities' disappearance from schools has meant, instead, for decades no one has modeled any for most who followed the boomers.
Rather than the human, the humane, standardized testing pushes the opposite: categories, abstractions, and such unit-by-unit linearity as floats the billionaire vulgar.
Fortunately, my generation was exposed to the humanities. Now, they’re more interested in educating children to be drones who won’t question what they learn.
Hard to teach good governance practices to the kids when look what surrounds them, often including indoctrinated, fanatic parents.
I recall my government teacher, who was a bit unconventional, but literally had an old voting machine in the classroom. He made it clear we needed to register to vote (and then use that power to actually vote in elections) as soon as we turned 18 yrs of age and even awarded extra credit to those who did!
Of course, when the GOP ends the department of education, it will be a moot point. 7
But Doris Miller knew where the battle was to be fought. Miller had the ammunition. Instead of fighting with blast of accomplishments we are burying the lead in Trump’s outrageous comments. We need the ammunition and take to social media with more than we want to protect women’s rights. Biden saved this county.
"... with the biggest abstraction of all being the piles of money by which, for which, the most debased rule."
Thank you for that clear-eyed statement. It helps me see better. I have one friend who is a Trump supporter. We barely touch on politics, but he is not wealthy, is a pretty devout Catholic. Therefore, if I just say, "... but all the money ..." - I think if I could say just that it would be a thin thread of connection between our political views. Anything stronger and he would just build a wall of defense.
Thanks for that oft-repeated sermon, Phil. My take on public educational is that, apart from the 3 Rs, its proclaimed aim is citizenship ie loyalty to the state. It's the same in Canada, just less intrusive and less exceptionalism, i don't remember ever anything similar to the American pledge of allegiance in my school days.
Everything can’t be blamed on the schools. Teachers are working hard for less than fair compensation and are up against republicans who are trying to defund and cripple education. Look at DeSantis in Florida. They hate the thought of enlightenment, I.e. waking up!
I fervently wish people everywhere would open their eyes to see how much more we are all alike than we are different.
It is not up to the Republicans. It is up to the democrats. Not one Trump nomination is shown along side what person exist in that position right now. It is up to us to go to social media and demonstrate the success of Biden’s cabinet compared to now. Post on social media. Hold ABC accountable. Where is CBS? The news media and everyone around is fueling the Trump fire.
Interesting comment on the msm, i did read an article from Wapo maybe about how successful the Biden administration has been with turning around the economy, now that Trump's people are soon taking over, the economy Magas were so sour on is already looking much sweeter as they take over government and its bullhorns. Polls show partisan populations already swinging in their opinion on the economy as "their guys" get into power.... apparently this had been the bias all along, not just all of a sudden. GOP followers are more preferential than Dems however, a bit more like lemmings.
I recall seeing a graph showing the economy swings under Dems vs. Republicans: it was striking in that, for the last hundred years or so, Dems bring it up, Republicans take it down. Can't explain why so many voters fall for the scam, but as T**** said, he loves those uneducated voters.
Honestly, I don't know how they manage it!
They will look good as they ride the Biden economy; then they will wreck it.
They took the vote away from us with their heavy foot on the scales…
I, too, wonder what they are up to. Do they think there are plum jobs waiting for them somewhere in Trump's government? Is it for financial gain? Maybe they're caught up with desperately doing anything to keep their jobs including to sell their souls.
Follow the money.
Always
Peter - remember any stories about bank robbers who eventually turn against each other to the demise of all?
Tutone - uhh, sorry, but the key word in your comment is - "stories."
This lot cling together like dags round a sheep's tail. . . .
Not just stories, Lady. When the going gets tough, they will sing like canaries if they think it will save them.
like it or not, the old GOP is now a party of right-wing, Christian nationalist, all for business and wealth privilege, ideologues.
I have always found these small individual stories from history to be powerful, compelling, and inspiring. And no one can find and re-tell them better than Professor Richardson. And no one is better at finding the exact right story to match whatever crisis the day brings.
Thank you.
So true Tom. I want to enroll in her college class.
How fortunate we are to "wake up with Heather everyday" as Ken Burns put it in an interview I saw with the professor.
To be able to post what she does almost every day and travel around the country at the same time is mind-boggling.
How does she find the time to write these amazing letters and travel all over the country?
Time…and mental resilience and physical endurance….awe inspiring. But she needs a good break at some point I am guessing.
Tom - 🎉🔔🥁🕯️🌻🇺🇸🗽
We should also remember the 33,000 Japanese Americans especially those in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 2/3 of whom were born in Hawaii. Many of these patriots served while their families were in mandatory camps.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)
They were the most decorated regiment in World War II and took a shocking number of casualties.
Because of the subject and your last name, I'm reminded of Kiku Hughes' graphic novel, "Displaced," about the imagined time travel to be near her grandmother and great grandparents while they were interned originally at the Tanforan horse race track in San Bruno using the horse stalls as living quarters for nearly 8,000 internees (about 2-1/2 miles from where my wife lived).
Dorothea Lange grittier pictures of the horse stalls are shown under the link to "Tanforan Assembly Center" at http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist8/ppoint.html
Kiku's book gives insights to some of the different attitudes of the families and the motivations of some to enlist from the permanent Topaz Utah camp they were sent to . I appreciated that the Issei were also allowed to vote for the first time in the US (for council members that were to have a say in camp conditions). The factions she identified were the Japanese American Citizens' League (JACL) candidate that wanted to reject all Japanese culture and maintain cooperation with the camp administration, A leftist candidate who wanted to protest for civivl rights and against fascism abroad and at home, an a moderate Nisei (born in US) who emphasized the need for Isssei (born in Japan) and Nisei to come together. Issei were not allowed to run for office but could vote now, never having been able to participate in elections before.
We knew Kiku's aunt Bonnie (not mentioned in the book), and of Kiku's grandmother, Ernestina Teranishi through Bonnie. Ernestina was a talented young violinist who had been visited by Quaker friends one Christmas and may have been the sponsors that eventually got Ernestina and her parents released to their care in New York City, even getting her enrolled at Juilliard under one of the best violinists there.
Though the story has to be imagined for the most part since her mother (and aunt apparently) had never shared the story until late in her life, her mother did try to help her research so much more of what so many of them had kept to themselves for so long (especially since their parents didn't want them to learn Japanese, preventing them from being able to communicate between generations).
What they learned together imbued a sense of duty to speak up and protest any attempts to treat all others o all races and background as they had been treated.
I've read other stories about the differences in the ways Japanese-Americans were treated in Hawaii vs the west coast and heard from a Japanese-American co-worker who grew up in Hawaii but was drafted for the Korean conflict (despite a college deferment they wouldn't honor for Nisei), and how the west coast Nisei and later generations were not so willing prove their loyalty by serving, though they did in a surprising percentage despite the way they were treated.
I remember a picture of myself and my brother in Tomah, WI when our father was stationed at Camp MCoy. Part of Camp MCoy was used at the beginning of WWII as a concentration camp for about 300 Japanese, German, and Italian American citizens as potential enemy aliens before they were transferred elsewhere and it became the training facility for the segregated, all Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion (the only infantry unit in the U S Army Reserve). Back then it was essentially the Hawaiian National Guard Japanese Americans sent to the states for "training" and I suppose to get them far from Hawaii.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100th_Infantry_Battalion
"The 100th Battalion was unofficially nicknamed the Purple Heart Battalion, with the motto "Remember Pearl Harbor""
Quote: [Nearly a century later,] "the "Remember Pearl Harbor" 100th Infantry Battalion, and the "Go For Broke" 442d Regimental Combat Team is still the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. Members of this World War II unit earned over 18,000 individual decorations including over 4,000 Purple Hearts, and 21 Medals of Honor. The Combat Team earned five Presidential Citations in 20 days of Rhineland fighting, the only military unit ever to claim that achievement. General of the Army George C. Marshall praised the team saying, "they were superb: the men of the 100/442d... showed rare courage and tremendous fighting spirit... everybody wanted them." General Mark W. Clark (Fifth Army) said, "these are some the best... fighters in the U.S. Army. If you have more, send them over.""
On a recent trip to Hawaii, I saw that the USS Daniel Inouye was making her rounds of the Islands after being christened on Dec 8, 2021. He was a Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Army in the 442nd division. He later served in the US Senate. .
I live not too far from two of those Japanese American internment camps. Since the U.S. was founded – on land stolen from non-Anglo peoples – the U.S. population and our government have been unwilling to accept people who aren't "just like us." A visit to sites that memorialize our collective bigotry provoke a deep sense of shame and remorse ... and hopefully, the will to do better. To BE better.
https://rohwer.astate.edu
https://www.nps.gov/places/rohwer-relocation-center-memorial-cemetery.htm
https://legacysites.eji.org/about/memorial/
And when the survivors came home to the west coast, they faced the same irrational fear/hate that put their families in concentration camps. Some had neighbors who kept their land for them and returned it in good shape, but many lost everything to people who took advantage of their incarceration.
The returning soldiers were not allowed to join the VFW. In Seattle they formed their own.
I grew up on the Columbia River, I remember signs in windows in the 1950s saying "we don't serve Japs" next to the signs that said "we don't serve Indians".
Have you read George Takei's book They Called Us Enemy about his family's experiences in the camps during WW II? Excellent read.
I did just buy the Kindle version of "They Called Us Enemy," so I can travel light with it and many other books on the Kindle Fire (color), Kindle Scribe (non-color but longer battery life). My only regret is I didn't get the extended edition for a few dollars more.
Even the original fills in what happened to the No No's, though, that were treated like dangerous enemies, after the answered "No," to questions 27 and 28.
I've since read it and now have to get back to work, inspired by how he and his father work to keep the promises of the democracy growing and most inspired by the Declaration of Independence.
I take to heart this story of ordinary people doing what their heart and mind tell them is the right thing to do…
Of course! How else do we want to live!
Good question Christine. While MAGAs and evangelicals spew hate, we choose to love and respect others.
As an ordinary person, I offer an idea for peaceful protest on inauguration day 2025. Protest by unplugging, logging off, when the ceremony starts, and staying offline until it ends. Pass along this idea to all your networks, personal and professional. When the dramatic drop in online usage happens, the media will notice. And if the drop is dramatic enough, we will all know our ordinary action showed the world that DJT does not own us, does not represent us, and does not speak for us. We can do this.
Being that he wasn’t my president before and won’t be mine this time either no reason I would watch. Taking my dog for long walk on beach
Agree, Christine, as to viewing the inauguration pomp….however, to paraphrase the words Goldie Hawn’s character spoken in the movie “Protocol”…”I will be watching you like a hawk”. I will NOT participate in the celebration of TFFFG, but will closely monitor the actions of his administration. Here is a clip from of this lesser known movie (but worth viewing IMHO): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-BMCKB_TB0
Thank you for that! We the people, indeed!
Yes! If possible to unplug at the time the ceremony starts, the resulting sudden drop in internet traffic will signal to corporations who closely monitor their clicks, to politicians looking ahead to their next primary, that a significant portion of the population stands peacefully and powerfully opposed to the policies of this new administration. Hope you have a lovely walk. 👍
Just realized it’s a Monday and that’s the one day a week I work. I will be at a nursery in so.calif near the beach enjoying the beautiful flowers!
I still haven’t watched any news on television since the election and certainly will not be watching on Inauguration Day. My stomach hurts at the very thought of it happening. Yes, a long walk sounds like a good alternative, even here in MN!
Writing from here in Wisconsin, I know what you mean! 👍 On that day, please consider your online timing. Pulling the plug all at once will make an unmistakable statement. And, to me, the support it would signal is something that warms my heart. 😊
I too stopped watching national TV news on 11/6. Even dropped NPR. I've felt a tremendous sense of equanimity since. News comes from AP, Reuters, Guardian, Economist on line.
Good idea, Ellen, a virtual “turning our backs” to the swearing (lol, there will be lots of that!) in. I hope, once again, the crowds at the National Mall will be sparse…tho’ I imagine that plans are already afoot to bus in as many folks as possible to beef up the optics.
Thanks! You got it! 👍
Thanks Ellen!already planning a long walk with the dogs and enjoying being with friends!
Timing is important! Unpluggig when it starts, and logging on when it's over is crucial to make the powers that be sit up and take notice. But, if that's not possible, being offline for any time will still be recorded, and every bit of drop is significant. Yes! Hope the weather cooperates during your walk. 👍
Excellent idea, Ellen. I had already decided I will not watch the inauguration. I remember how dark and foreboding Trump's inauguration speech was in 2017. Will Justice John Roberts be smiling as Trump places his hand on a bible and swears to uphold the Constitution? Ha, what a joke that will be, very unfortunately.
Thank you! And, thank You! Hopefully, folks who think this an idea worth pursuing will reach out to their networks of friends, family, online, etc. I love the feeling of a silent, growing network of support for our country showing the world where we stand. 👍
I don’t plan to watch it, but I have an overwhelming desire to sing “Bella Ciao.”
Ouch!
No X, no Facebook, no Amazon no streaming etc….gotta love it!
Yeah, hey?! 👍
My dad would always say, “Do you know what day this is?” I’d hesitate… he’d tell me once again… each year, until he died 5 years ago at age 98. Thanks for reminding me. I so appreciate you keeping me on track.
I remember the day because my father almost fell off a ladder when he heard the news. He was painting the stairwell of our new house )yes, on Sunday evening). He left his spot, went down, turned on the news, and as he was about to climb onto the board-on-ladder arrangement he had rigged up, he heard the news. I was standing nearby and remember the moment of struggle to get his balance and then disbelief. A good friend was in Honolulu. Her husband was scheduled to join her there. There were lots of army wives in Hawaii. She had preceded her husband by 10 days. Both survived the war and she gave birth to a son on December 7, 1946.
My mother-in-law enlisted in the USCG SPARS soon after they were formed, motivated by the attack that had her father and brother (in the NJ Army National Guard at the time) also going on active duty. She served as a radio operator throughout the war. When she, at 86, was given 2 weeks to live in July of 2009, she managed to hang on for 5 months before peacefully passing in the early hours of Dec 7, 2009
Laura, I just thought the same thing. This will be the first Pearl Harbor remembrance day since my Dad passed away in May, just shy of 98. So fortunate to have them in our lives for so long.
When I was a kid, one of the boys at my school had a father who was in the Navy and was at Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack as a sailor. Before the father died, the local newspaper would interview him for his recollection of the attack. He was fortunate to have survived when so many did not.
Indeed. I met someone 15 years ago who was a pilot, transitting a plane to the Philippines, with a rest and refueling stop in Honolulu on December 7th. He had a small crew (3 maybe), and when they popped down out of the clouds, saw a lot of popping in the water. They first thought it was whales jumping, and then realized they were seeing bullets hitting the water, and Pearl Harbor was under attack. Somehow he managed to land the plane and joined in the fight. What a story. He spoke at our Rotary, and I asked him to speak at a church luncheon.
We must remember our history, thank you, Heather! May we be more like Doris Miller and never be like the people of the incoming administration.
Miller was a true Patriot.
Most of the time, we don't hear the stories of the everyday people who turn into heroes when a hero is called for. Would I be able to act heroically, without taking the time to weigh the pluses and minuses, if I were faced with a situation that called for instant and generous action? I don't know. I hope that I'll never be tested that way. But I am grateful for everyone who has found that strength when it was needed, and I'm grateful to be reminded that people I've never heard of were capable of acting heroically.
Viktor Frankl in his book : Man’s Search For Meaning said that enduring his years in a concentration camp revealed to him that survivors and hero’s share an ability to understand that instead of asking “What’s the meaning of Life?”, they ask what Life is showing them needs to be done. In doing what needs to be done, we give meaning and purpose to Life. We all are capable of this. And the answers are unique to each of us. And unique to each new situation. Do what you can. Every moment, every action is transforming.
Frankl is a powerful guide. I think that being a citizen in a democracy should always involve us asking what needs to be done…in Human Rights theory it is called the struggle approach …not only to defend rights when threatened but to actually dynamically define rights. The daily practice of democracy as a hearts and mind endeavor.
Thank you thank you for this reminder. I loved his book as a very young woman, so many years ago. A rereading is long overdue.
Betsy, well said. Like you, I don't know what I would do. I also grateful for every courageous person who has had shown strength against darkness. These people are true heroes and we often do not hear about them. Once again I appreciate Heather and the people who share their insights and experiences here.
And, Michele, when such folks are lauded, they almost always sincerely demure, saying it was just the right thing to do or that anyone would have done the same as they. Sometimes it’s as simple as I can help, so I will.
Beautifully said Barbara.
Agreed.
Writers who understand their gift always inspire us to do oue best. Everyone of us can make a contribution to the whole of society by always doing what needs to be done.
I have the sense, based on our own lives and what we truly value, we would instinctively live up to the moment, or at least that's what I would hope I would do. I doubt Doris Miller stood there wondering what was the right thing to do. He was a decent and good man and from that decency and with courage, instinctively acted.
Check out the Giraffe Heroes Project — giraffe.org — for stories of good people sticking their necks out to do the right thing.
In the mid 90's, I partnered with another parent volunteer to develop a year long program for our kids' elementary school. Based in large part on the Giraffe Project, students who 'stuck their necks out' were awarded giraffe spots that were displayed on a giraffe poster outside of every classroom. Each grade chose a service project, and a year end assembly recognized a community hero.
The program focused on self confidence, empathy, and community, where every child matters. It was embraced by even the most conservative teachers and parents. This is at the same time they were rallying for prayer in school and against teaching values! We found common ground via the Giraffe Project.
Well Done! Thanks for your efforts.
What a great project. Kudos.
I first came upon my thought of "you cannot predict how you will act in an emergency until you're in one" while teaching Red Cross First Aid and Advanced First Aid. My subsequent training in law enforcement taught me how to mentally prepare for being ready to respond to an emergency. I used this "mental preparation" almost daily, especially my first few years on patrol, where graveyard was a BORING shift. I'd go to do a patrol check at a boat landing, and say "what if you pull into the turnabout and see "X" happening. I'd play through the scenario in my mind first, then as I did the patrol check, I'd assess how well my "what if" plan would have worked.
I suspect every person with children has had ample practice in this without knowing they were doing it.
There was a foreign enemy in 1941 that didn't even look like "us".Bombs dropped, 1000s slaughtered in hours. This time is very different. What will peope actually DO when trump drops his inmvisible bombs and destroys, not 1000s, but many millions of lives so that he and his corrupt buddies with billions take it all and give the 99% the middle finger.
Who will create and scale the actions that we can take individually and en masse.
I’ve recently joined Indivisible, a movement that began after the first Trump election. They are a national group but decentralize their organizing to the state and local level, to address the particular issues and needs in each place and help others “do what we can”. We will find and create actions to fight against looming tyranny, community by community. https://indivisible.org/
Concur, Terri, have been on their “listserve” for quite awhile now….encouraging that in addition to them there are so many grassroots groups organizing to defend democracy, human and planetary (all species & ecosystems) rights. You know, the folks who will go down swinging….
Yes, do join the group if you can. Even just reading the newsletter they send members is worth doing. They also do a hood job of explaining the purpose of their actions which is good to know to understand the best action to take at any given challenge.
"Americans always do the right thing, after exhausting all other alternatives." (Churchill said, some claim.) I'm exhausted! We'll know soon enough.
That was the America of FDR.
Love to see a cite for that. Researched it several times, never heard FDR but certainly that is what he must have felt after battling Republicans and SCOTUS for years prior to Pearl Harbor.
The folks at Hillsdale College, with whom I find myself in disagreement far more than agreement, have something they call "The Churchill Project." They claim to have done an exhaustive search and came up empty with respect to Churchill. The folks at Quote Investigator suggest that this is an edited sentiment of something Abba Eban said in a couple different forms. They cite a New York Times report that in March 1967 Eban, while visiting Japan and commenting on the relations Israel has with its neighbors: "Men and nations behave wisely when they have exhausted all other resources." This is not unlike the theme of a speech that the character Hal Wyler gives in one episode of "The Diplomat." Now all of that said, one might observe that given the recent history of the Levant, they must be a very long ways from exhausting all other resources.
Why does this remind me of misguided healthcare policies and yesterday's discussion?
Which repubs never stop trying to kill
Yes, this is the question. And the answer remains to be seen.
Thank you, Dr. Richardson, for reminding everyone that WW2 wasn't fought and won exclusively by WHITE men, that people of all ethnic backgrounds, including Americans of Japanese decent, who were among the brave fighters for freedom in spite of our ill treatment of their families at home.
To deal with this situation we are going to have to do several things.
-- Recognize this as an attack on our country. This is an attack on America from both the inside and the outside.
--Put our bodies on the line. We will need to do more than vote. We will need to volunteer. We will need to canvas and phone bank and take to the streets multiple times.
--And we will have to be vocal about saving our country. Especially to young people.
No more being shy about it.
Say it LOUD and say it PROUD.
Here's the rub, the far right says the very same thing.
And it’s worked. This is behavior that wins. It doesn’t matter if the Right does it. It’s methodology the is proven to be effective.
sadly you are correct
Heather Cox Richardson’s poignant retelling of Doris Miller’s heroism reminds us not just of the immense courage shown during one of America’s darkest hours, but of the spirit that sustains democracy itself: ordinary people rising to extraordinary challenges.
Miller, a Black man denied full equality in the very nation he served, exemplified the promise of democracy—not as a perfect system but as a framework that allows human dignity and shared responsibility to flourish. It is this promise that has been attacked, defended, and reimagined throughout history.
Today, we face a different kind of assault. Propaganda spreads lies, billionaires hoard resources, and reactionaries aim to strip away the freedoms that make our lives possible. They want us to believe we are powerless, divided, incapable of solving the great challenges before us. But that is the same lie Mussolini and Hitler told their followers, and history has shown us how wrong they were.
We are confronted by the existential threat of the climate crisis, a reality that demands bold action, innovation, and collective will. This is not merely a crisis of the environment but of justice—communities of color, low-income families, and the most vulnerable bear the brunt of climate inaction. Yet, like Miller in the chaos of Pearl Harbor, we are not without power.
To meet this moment, we must stand up and speak out. Speak out against lies and propaganda. Stand up to the forces of greed and autocracy that seek to undermine democracy. Advocate for policies that reflect our shared humanity and protect the planet we call home.
Doris Miller’s story reminds us of the resilience and bravery ordinary Americans have always shown. His actions were a refusal to accept that the world as it was could not be changed. His life—and the countless lives of others who stood up in the face of oppression and tyranny—challenges us to fight for the promise of democracy, equality, and justice.
Let us not be bystanders to history. Let us honor the memory of those who came before us by building a future worthy of their sacrifices. Democracy is not doomed, but it is a choice—and it demands courage. Together, we must choose to fight for it.
Because in the end, democracy doesn’t just give us heroes like Doris Miller. It makes us heroes like Doris Miller.
Now is our time to rise.
Elaine, your comments brought to mind this Bob Marley song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2W3aG8uizA
One of my favorites!
Thank you.