898 Comments
⭠ Return to thread

Outraged. To my core. I think next cycle, I’ll fly to Atlanta and hand out water, order pizzas, whatever is needed for people waiting in a ballot line. Now, I’m looking for “good trouble”.

Expand full comment

Giving may be proscribed, but selling might be OK. I'll sell you a bottle of water for a nickel and a slice of pizza for a dime. My food truck is parked right over there if you want more.

Expand full comment

Technicalities. I’ll leave that to my lawyer. I can’t say I’m going to be upset with a criminal record saying “sold or gave food and water to voters.“ Never had a criminal record, but this is one I would accept.

Expand full comment

Same for me, Roland. I am 75. Except for one speeding ticket no other criminal record. Going to jail for a good cause sounds like a worthy contribution.

Expand full comment

We'd need to be sure natl media is there to show live video of we silver-hairs being cuffed for providing water in 90 heat. THAT's where the power is. Also, find out how much bail will cost and have that cash in your pocket.

Expand full comment

Let's do it!

Expand full comment

Does getting thrown in jail at the age of 3 for wandering away from home, scream/crying for my mommy when the "authorities" picked me up off the street count? Otherwise, I'm in!

Expand full comment

You're cool, Lynell. The statute of limitations on toddler terrorism has expired.

Expand full comment

Funny...now. Maybe not so much then.

Expand full comment

What a great way to sully our reputations.

Expand full comment

If you're a 3rd party they can bust you. If, however, you fly to Atlanta and provide that material support away from the polling place I don't think they can touch you. I'm not an attorney, though...

Expand full comment

My birthdays in early Nov. it will be my 50th. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.

Expand full comment

I'll give you my phone number if you decide to visit. You can walk to my polling place from our house, so you can "stage" your pizza stand here. I can contribute to your bail fund, too.

Expand full comment

Appeals were readied long ago, and immediately filed today. It should take a while for the GA and other suppression bills to become enforceable law. Still, there is no time to waste.

Lovers of democracy can commit mass civil disobedience by providing "illegal" humanitarian aid in Georgia. If the police use fire hoses and dogs again, it'll look just as bad as it did in the 1960s.

Nancy and Ted, you may see me there. Save me a seat.

Expand full comment

Much was accomplished in 1960s. I was there.

Expand full comment

First protest 1961, at age 6, with Albert Bigelow, John Lewis's Freedom Rider partner. Bert and Sylvia helped found the Quaker meeting that raised me. It's time to stand on the shoulders of these giants.

Expand full comment

First protest in 1965 against Vietnam War while a grad student at Berkeley.

Expand full comment

Yes, we were not caught unawares. Now the many challenges will come. I'm really looking forward to our reunion. Everyone's welcome.

Expand full comment

Shoulder 2 shoulder ( just please wear a mask!)

Expand full comment

Me too— the Gunga din delegation from MA—my birthday is also in early November.

Expand full comment

Already vaccinated, and we'll add birthday cake to the menu! My nextdoor neighbors are Dems, so some of you could probably park in their driveway once ours is full. . . .

Expand full comment

Can Vermonter delegates join the Gunga din in MA?

Expand full comment

My son turns 21 in Nov. Great way to celebrate him and help preserve a future that’s brighter.

Expand full comment

Can you explain the GD reference, please? I know the film and poem, but not in this context.

Expand full comment

There will be several polling places to attend. Cannot think of a better way to spend pent up travel drive from this at home year. Voters will need help finding hidden drop boxes too. And so much more.

Expand full comment

Just make certain you’re vaccinated. It’s adding to those statistics that’s troubling.

Expand full comment

Nancy you are a rock star!

Expand full comment

Sweet!

Expand full comment

I see a for democracy “fieldtrip” forming!

Expand full comment

Mitzi A Plus

Expand full comment

I'm sure there's a loophole or two. What exactly is the definition of "give?"

Expand full comment

What if a person sells water for 10 cents a bottle? What if another person, independent of the first, hands out dimes?

Expand full comment

10 bottles for 1 cent

Expand full comment

Get ur ice cold ballot water here! I got ice cold democracy water here( like at a baseball game)

Expand full comment

Nobody said you couldn’t SELL water!

Expand full comment

What if we just go in and have them arrest 1,000's of us for being good human beings? You cannot/should not legislate our votes, water, food.

Is this not the party of bathtub sized government and they are legislating food and water? Stop this nonsense.

All this experimental humans need to be kicked out of our government and shipped to Moscow. So much for my trying to find the best qualities in one another and amplifying it.

Expand full comment

"Experimental human beings" "shipped to Moscow" Now that's an idea!

Expand full comment

Yeah, or a penny! Stop us and ur em peddling my business! That’d be awesome

Expand full comment

Might need a license, as soon as they catch on

Expand full comment

The rights of the corporate voter...Perfect, Ted!

Expand full comment

Yep, you are a winner! On the team!

Expand full comment

Good old American ingenuity at work

Expand full comment

You'd probably need a Vendor Permit from the city and they would probably deny it or some rule about "fair value prices" or other b/s

Expand full comment

Good trouble....

Expand full comment

No mention of dimes in the bill, so should be fine.

Expand full comment

What % of Atlanta cops are African American? I think it unenforceable. Ur gonna see protests prior, by the police themselves and/or mass resignations. Every institution of govt and most private enterprises are diverse. GA legislature can try to dream that magically away, but it is concrete and real. Their resolve will wither as this firestorm grows and grows. Hopefully the courts strike it down. If not, we are all coming to Georgia, “all of us this time.”

Expand full comment

It is a turning point in any revolution when the police side with the people and turn against the government.

Expand full comment

Never happen.

Expand full comment

I wish you were right, I truly do. I think the courts may strike down parts of this law, but otherwise this scenario is highly unlikely. Boycotts might actually work, though. But the idea that there will be a mass uprising is not supported by history. We have tolerated and rationalized away much worse outrages than this.

Expand full comment

Which history, and when? And what counts as an uprising? Not solely violent rebellion, that's for sure. There are many examples all through history.

On April 20, 1861 (we'll observe it next month), 250,000 Unionists rallied in NYC's Union Sq for democracy and freedom. During the Civil War 500,000 enslaved people liberated themselves by escaping to Union lines, many serving in the military. A leading scholar, Steven Hahn, has a chapter titled "Did we Miss the Greatest Slave Rebellion in Modern History?" Preserving democracy today looks to be as important as expanding human liberty then.

More recently, the violent white backlash against civil rights provoked a nationwide wave of revulsion leading directly to the Civil and Voting Rights Acts in 1964-5. The Georgia GQP is setting up a very similar scenario. Also, the Nuclear Freeze movement significantly impacted the arms race. I know; I was at the great 1982 rally in Central Park with 800,000 of my closest friends.

P Ackerman, A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict

S Hahn, A Nation Under our Feet

____, The Political Worlds of Slavery and Freedom

Expand full comment

I’m definitely envisioning this road trip

Expand full comment

What is the loophole in our Constitution that allow states take away our rights to vote? Or to provide water. WTF? Why is a gun more important than a vote to a republican? Are we back in the insane asylum so quickly? I just woke up and am mad as hell.

Expand full comment

Because it just is.

Expand full comment

Guns can be used to stop POC and Dems from voting.

Expand full comment

Oh, silly me. That makes supremely white sense.

Expand full comment

I thought we were going to have a period of calm but no. The liars and thieves are at it in full strength trying to take away the shreds of democracy that we have managed to salvage in the past four years years

Expand full comment

"Officer, I didn't 'give' it to them; I made it available and they helped themselves."

Expand full comment

What's their definition of 3rd party?

Expand full comment

Anyone who's not a voter or a fascist?

Expand full comment

You can probably still pull into GA, buy yourself an AR15, and patrol the voting lines though. You know, to protect voters from food and water.

Expand full comment

Anyone who is not white, male, straight, and Republican

Expand full comment

It will be very interesting to read the actual wording of the bill and see what the loopholes are. I have no doubt there will be many people looking for them and exploiting them.

Expand full comment

Georgia Senate Bill 202 - link to a pdf of full text

https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498

Expand full comment

95 pages of corrupt legislation

Expand full comment

Syd, You're funny. That last line was very Clintonesque.

Expand full comment

There's always more than one way to skin the proverbial cat. (with apologies, I have no idea where that saying comes from)

Expand full comment

In 1840, American humorist Seba Smith first indicated as much in her short story “The Money Diggers” when she wrote: “As it is said, 'There are more ways than one to skin a cat,' so are there more ways than one of digging for money.” Courtesy of Google.

Expand full comment

Nor do I, but I remember my father using it frequently.

Expand full comment

Just don’t ask the cat 🙀

Expand full comment

Amazon could launch an "Operation Water Drop" with a fleet of their drones. Would a drone qualify as a "third party" and a "drop" qualify as "give"?

Expand full comment

As long as the bottles are Coca Cola Branded "dasani". We dont want Bezos getting any ideas about controlling our water supply.

Expand full comment

For sure Ted let’s keep Bezos out of our mission

Expand full comment

Ahhh, that was my first laugh reading all this. Thank you.

Expand full comment

Give yourself (and GA) a present of democracy, Ted.

Expand full comment

GA is the boiling pot of democracy and no matter how many disgusting laws they pass I think GA will be fine.

Expand full comment

As a young man I lived outside Atlanta, working and training one winter. Love Atlanta! Can’t wait

Expand full comment

Newly married and from IN, I lived in what is now Greene’s district! I loved GA.

Expand full comment

Aren't you glad you moved! AR15s on all of the campaign signs. Of course, they're cashing their relief checks. Now that's a group that would benefit from reeducation.

Expand full comment

As a transplant, I love it too. It's changing, as are many places in this country.

Expand full comment

See you there

Expand full comment

I would gladly go to jail for giving away food and water.

Expand full comment

Looks like a really good use of my time as well. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about retiring. When I do, if this shit is still going down, it’ll be time for me to travel to the South. I am getting really pissed off.

Expand full comment

Me too. Just saying, if we're in jail we can't help.

Expand full comment

That might not be true, if there are enough of us.

Expand full comment

In your case (Morning, Daria!!) you'd be headed north-ish?

Expand full comment

Yes. (Morning, Lynell!)

Expand full comment

Me too good trouble

Expand full comment

Does anyone know if "water" was explicitly stated in the bill? If so, and nothing was said about Gatorade, etc., this could be an exposed loophole.

Expand full comment

Lynell the Gatorade loophole— that solves the problem.

Expand full comment

HAHA, but don't laugh, if they explicitly said "water" and somebody offers Gatorade, they can't be arrested because they didn't offer water. Killers have gotten off on technicalities like this!

Expand full comment

Lynell I’m not sure I’d feel much safer with all the guns.

Expand full comment

Civil disobedience....

Expand full comment

I just saw this politician from Georgia defending his parties changing the rules and not being able to get food and water to people standing in the line. It is a chance for people to “campaign “and they don’t want people doing that to people in the line they say. 😡

Expand full comment

Yeah, did they ask said politician why the lines on one side of town are so long and the wait horrendous? As a white man, I’ve never had to wait more than a few minutes at most. In fact I think less than a minute in my whole life, mostly walk up and vote. I think I only have had to wait while they check my ID. I’m 49 and have never missed voting in a major election. What’s happening in Georgia is appalling.

Expand full comment

So the obvious solution is to open up more voting sites, extend the hours of early voting, reinstate voting on Sunday. I do not buy his despicable response.

Expand full comment

“These forces of evil are well financed and determined”- Sen Raphael Warnock

Expand full comment

Good morning, Ted. Waiting for HCRs Letter, no doubt, as am I.

Expand full comment

Busted! GOod morning back at ya

Expand full comment

Nobody said you can’t SELL food or water - maybe a penny apiece?

Expand full comment

Love you ted

Expand full comment

🙏 luv u 2 Roland

Expand full comment

With you every step.

Expand full comment

This once feisty sometime activist—now using a wheelchair— is coming with you. I haven't had such a glorious prospect since singing folk songs along with Joan Baez. Imagine those uptight people trying to jail an immobile old woman handing out water.

Expand full comment

Sounds like we need a HCR Brigade in Georgia!

Expand full comment

My plan is to offer to hold their place in line while they go get food & drink off site(& really close by).

Expand full comment

I'll be there with you.

Expand full comment

Just was thinking the same thing.

Expand full comment

I’m with you!!!

Expand full comment

Yes! If ever we need civil disobedience, it is now, against these democracy-fearing laws.

Expand full comment