Des4 Public Servant, Thank you! I read your poem and was bolstered by it. Excellent phrasing of all I too love about Heather Cox Richardson. I tried to subscribe to your Substack but was told there was an error! Could you have someone else check to see if it is working?I am very interested in how our public “servants” (a rather odd word these days) are coping.
Katy, I think Sydney was replying to Public Servant's post. I do wish these online threads were structured in a better way, so we could tell who is addressing whom!
pianomark, this is why I always put a name to my posts, at least the early ones, so that people know to whom I am responding. I have the same wish about the structure of the threads and you will probably find this one several posts down as substack moves posts around.
Ooohhh, I can see it now! OOPS. So sorry, @Sydney!
For some reason I didn't even see the post above, earlier. I did wonder what the poem was, but just assumed I'd missed something somewhere else. Apols for casting aspersions... x
I know the affordability thing, though perhaps a little less so than you. Heather has been my only paid subscription the past couple years on substack. And... there is only so much reading one can do, I follow about 3-4 at any time, Krugman, Snyder for a couple.
for econ I like "Big" by Matt Stoller, about consolidation of wealth (aka monopolies taking over our country) and Robert Reich, on Inequality Media, free newsletters and youtube
Thank you for a truly wonderful poem and heart-felt tribute to our favorite historian. And thank you for whatever work you are doing as a public servant…the work is appreciated and I hope you will be safe from the predations of DOGE and insane Executive Orders. Best of luck.
E. Lu, I second this. My husband and I were both public servants and we understood what that meant. In those days we were sometimes in the crosshairs, but not like now. We are both glad to be long retired. People do still resent our pensions however, We were at a little gathering of close neighbors a while back and were treated to a lecture about PERS by someone who has more money than both of us put together. It was the last dinner we had as that group. And oh yes, it was a R who did this.
Thank you for sharing your poem. Your word choices are fitting of/for Heather. And thank you for your "public service". May you and your family survive. My heart goes out to the thousands who have lost their jobs...their careers. Their dreams for a future.
Yes. Enjoy. Appreciate. Agree. Respect. Inspire. Remind. Be Grateful. Applaud.
Each of those words is accompanied by many paragraphs of explanation and depth, not matching the standard associated with Heather's exceptional output, but certainly sharing her motivation and commitment to the idea of America and dedication to preserving Our Great American Experiment.
Your poem captures the essence of all that beautifully. Thank you for sharing it.
Not "we", speak for yourself, please. I greatly appreciate Heather, as I expect do most of us, but there is no way that I would not understand the insanity we are facing with Trump. He is as evil as Hitler and possibly worse. I came here PRECISELY BECAUSE I ALREADY FELT THAT WAY and wanted to be in a "community" of people who mostly felt the same, not because I needed some kind of explanation as to why he is evil. For me, that was already a given and quite obvious.
I will NOT speak for others here, but I do expect that most people here are smart enough to NOT feel any more charitable towards Trump regardless of Heather's involvement.
I had z NO Problem with Hiro speaking for himself. I would have had no problem with him saying "and MANY OF US..." which would be his opinion.
What I objected to (strongly) was his categorical assumption that WE ALL would have been okay with TRUMP without Heather's "guidance".
Do YOU feel that way? Fine you can say so for yourself but he had no right to include us all in that umbrella statement and I sincerely resent anyone speaking on my behalf without my approval.
Sorry if you think my response was unkind in some way. His comment was VERY unkind and insensitive. Anyone presuming that I would somehow (without someone else's "protection" or "approval") be supportive of the yellow monster deserves to be rebuked IMHO because that comment is NOT polite in any way.
I have no problem with anyone trumpeting anything that needs to be said, even if it appears obvious (and even if I personally disagree). I only have an issue with anyone assuming any of the rest of us would feel the same and stating it in that manner.
Hilo said that "without Professor (Richardson) we would feel that American is not that bad under Trump" and all I wanted to say was "the hell you say!"
There is not one single moment that I EVER felt "not that bad" under Trump, and I certainly didn't need Heather to voice that feeling for me!
In these times we all need to practice a little grace. You didn't need Heather, others are not as able as you to define your feelings. They look to her for that articulation. They need Heather to help them get through this. I too didn't need Heather to see the writing on the wall, however she provides a place for many to find comfort in knowing they are not alone and there is a way to put things in historical perspective. My guess is Hiro didn't mean every single person, but was simply thanking Heather for her work.
I need Heather!! This garbage flies at us so fast I know I'd miss half of it. Heather has been my "go to news every morning for years". I love her, she feels like my next door neighbor, always willing to give good intel.
I understand your point but to me words matter. His comment was quite clear. He included all of us saying that without Heather's comments we would ALL be more supportive of Trump. And that deserves rebuke. IMHO. You are entitled to disagree with me but I am entitled to my opinion which i felt was needed.
You are right, John. The "obvious" is not so obvious. I have family, sibs, nephews, nieces, cousins, etc. who can't see it, i.e., Trump's threat to our security here at home and abroad. There are reasons: ignorance, prejudice, indifference, etc. How to understand it? Some commitments block out rational thought, religious belief being one of them. Reagan's "welfare queen" has paid his cause enormous dividends, just as Trump's immigrants who are "poisoning our blood." We're about to pay the price for the stupidity and ignorance of the MAGA folks, financially and politically.
Heather, Snyder, Contrarian, Brian Tyler Cohen, and the list of great thinkers and writers who have been indefatigable in confronting opponents who conspire to suppress truth and wish to make inquisitive individuals disappear.
I add a few others from YouTube : "Belle of the Ranch" (and their longer version clips "The Roads with Belle" "Interstate News" and "Research Road") all four for giving plain spoken, fact based short clips.
I like the Medias Network, too, but in particular "Tennessee Brando" as he eloquently expresses what many of us feel.
Mr. Rosen, your understanding of the nature of Mr. Trump is agreed by almost all readers here. But without Professor would you be able to spell out "details" of his government destruction? For example migrating a new computer language to SSA? Professor is providing "data," not a general character. Data reveals day to day steps of destruction of Mr. Trump that All of us here are learning.
Nope. I'd feel like I had two heads and belong in a mental health institution. Reading Letters from an American lets me know I'm not alone and not insane.
Really? You got to be kidding. Are you nuts? He's off playing golf while the country is collapsing before our very eyes. No FEMA. No public education, No NPR, NO SNAP, NO NO...etc.
He seems to be unaware of much of what he is signing, not smart enough to try to take credit for much of the dirty work, and giving his "staff" free reign to use their imagination in inflicting as much damage as they can while he often claims ignorance of exactly what they are doing. I believe Hitler also looked the other way for the first several months, only removing a few who proved too damaging to his reputation (and I suspect a few he always wanted to rid himself of but wanted to pick the most opportune time).
My response to this would be a "polite" LOL Frank. I know I can overdo it but being lumped in with "everyone" who is incapable of seeing Trump for the monster he is on their own makes me see red.
I love Heather's positions (and Joyce Vance and Andrew Weizmann and Mark Elias too) and I love the community that exists here (including Hiro ) to read what we all think (even the idiots like Rick Sender... gag me!).
I just feel strongly that people should be careful who they write for. Write for yourself absolutely, even write for a presumed group of supporters but DON'T lump EVERYONE into one unified group as if the authors here are "gods" and the rest of us aren't capable of free will.
Hi Maria, thank you. I was careless. (I was thinking more about the generality of "data" Professor provides to substantiate the destruction of Mr. Trump of our government.)
Would agree the professor has earned a rest. Lots of stress these days, but sometimes the planet can be pretty nice. The picture of the Maine hillside was lovely.
First, great thanks to Professor Richardson for all she’s doing to provide us with well researched and learned history and current events that are terribly disturbing but important to all of us. Second, if you like a great ramble check out the Dipsea Trail on the lower slopes of Mt. Tam. It goes from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. Third, I have a poster of the Durango, Colorado Wheel Club at Bakers Bridge in 1895. They all had single speed fat tire bikes to ride the mountains. No pavement back then!
Somewhere between the endless to-do lists and the buzzing notifications, we forgot how to stop. We treat exhaustion like a badge of honor, wear busyness like armor, and then wonder why our minds feel frayed at the edges. But here is the secret no one tells you. Rest is rebellion.
Rest is not just sleep. It is a deep breath in the middle of chaos, a stolen moment of stillness, the art of simply being. It is sinking into a warm chair with a book you will never finish, staring at the sky without counting the minutes, letting the world turn without you pushing it forward.
When we rest, we remember. We remember laughter, sunlight, the way music feels instead of just sounds. We remember that life is not a checklist. It is a rhythm. And sometimes, the most productive thing we can do is nothing at all.
So rest. Let go. Unclench your jaw. The world will wait.
Rest is also a musical term; it means to not play a note. It can be as long as the 1/16 rest that lends a “lean” into the melody in “March From 1941” to all but 14 notes in the tuba part in Dvorak’s “New World Symphony”.
Rests are as important as notes. It’s all part of the music.
Enjoy your much deserved rest… And what a beautiful picture from Mount Tam! Thank you so much for being here and keeping us up-to-date with perspective!
I believe you are right. We are indeed all tired, worn down by the chaos, anxiety and living with the unknowns. Thank you so much for providing all you share. It eases the pain.
Please take care of yourself, Heather. We worry about you and all your late nights and nonstop efforts to help all of us navigate through this hellacious political moment.
"You're our only hope!" :-)
No, not really--but we count on you. Do what you need to to stay healthy and able to carry on.
I agree. About a year ago, one of my favorites "Beau of the Fifth Column" stepped back to let his wife and team take over his YouTube channel. You could tell it was getting to him, as he said he wasn't able to do the community building efforts that he was passionate about. His wife has done an excellent job, and I know he works behind the scenes, but I do miss seeing his face every now and then.
When you do a month’s work in a week you deserve a rest. Thank you for being such a bright beacon in a dark time.
Heather is a lighthouse for democracy defenders. She illuminates the past and gives us hope for a better future. I wrote this poem for her, hope everyone in this community enjoys it! https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/heather-cox-richardson-letters-history-democracy
Des4 Public Servant, Thank you! I read your poem and was bolstered by it. Excellent phrasing of all I too love about Heather Cox Richardson. I tried to subscribe to your Substack but was told there was an error! Could you have someone else check to see if it is working?I am very interested in how our public “servants” (a rather odd word these days) are coping.
that happened to me once, too. Try try and try again!
Katy, I think Sydney was replying to Public Servant's post. I do wish these online threads were structured in a better way, so we could tell who is addressing whom!
In complex threads I try to remember to make clear who or what I'm responding to, with a quote or a name. Sometimes I forget, but it really does help.
Big OOPS from me...
Thx Susanna. I will do that next time. Never commented before. Thank you
Sorry Sydney! I got the wrong end of the stick & have taken my comment down. I thought it would delete the whole thread but apparently not...
pianomark, this is why I always put a name to my posts, at least the early ones, so that people know to whom I am responding. I have the same wish about the structure of the threads and you will probably find this one several posts down as substack moves posts around.
Ooohhh, I can see it now! OOPS. So sorry, @Sydney!
For some reason I didn't even see the post above, earlier. I did wonder what the poem was, but just assumed I'd missed something somewhere else. Apols for casting aspersions... x
I've deleted mine now. Thanks for this because I totally for the wrong end of the stick!
Yes I was responding to Public Servant’s post. What is this, a rant?
I know the affordability thing, though perhaps a little less so than you. Heather has been my only paid subscription the past couple years on substack. And... there is only so much reading one can do, I follow about 3-4 at any time, Krugman, Snyder for a couple.
And Joyce Vance and Phillips O’Brien.
And Anne Applebaum, & in the UK, Carole Cadwalladr (who broke open the Cambridge Analytica story in 2016)
for econ I like "Big" by Matt Stoller, about consolidation of wealth (aka monopolies taking over our country) and Robert Reich, on Inequality Media, free newsletters and youtube
Thank you for a truly wonderful poem and heart-felt tribute to our favorite historian. And thank you for whatever work you are doing as a public servant…the work is appreciated and I hope you will be safe from the predations of DOGE and insane Executive Orders. Best of luck.
E. Lu, I second this. My husband and I were both public servants and we understood what that meant. In those days we were sometimes in the crosshairs, but not like now. We are both glad to be long retired. People do still resent our pensions however, We were at a little gathering of close neighbors a while back and were treated to a lecture about PERS by someone who has more money than both of us put together. It was the last dinner we had as that group. And oh yes, it was a R who did this.
I forgot to add, Truly, God granted you a precious gift!
My wife said only one word....Amazing!
Again My Salute!
Thank you for sharing your poem. Your word choices are fitting of/for Heather. And thank you for your "public service". May you and your family survive. My heart goes out to the thousands who have lost their jobs...their careers. Their dreams for a future.
Thank you for writing, and for your courage!
Excellent Poem. Job Well Done.
Salute!
Servus Publicus, (Public Servant) - you captured why all her readers lean into to her daily. You spoke for us all and I thank you.
Great poem for a great Historian! I have learned so much from Heather.
Yes. Enjoy. Appreciate. Agree. Respect. Inspire. Remind. Be Grateful. Applaud.
Each of those words is accompanied by many paragraphs of explanation and depth, not matching the standard associated with Heather's exceptional output, but certainly sharing her motivation and commitment to the idea of America and dedication to preserving Our Great American Experiment.
Your poem captures the essence of all that beautifully. Thank you for sharing it.
Excellent poem, PS! Putting her accomplishments to song is something I like, too. Start at min 1:21:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22vkTAHwy-o
"Can't get enough of her...love her! She. Is. One. Of. A. Kind
Morning, Lynell! I also enjoyed the poem, and the song!
Loved your poem! Thank you for the eloquence of what I too feel about Heather - a life line to TRUTH 🙏🏻💝
Thank you for all your thoughts. Research and communication. Thank you so much rest well.
Second, and I might add that without Professor we would feel that America is not that bad under Mr Trump.
Not "we", speak for yourself, please. I greatly appreciate Heather, as I expect do most of us, but there is no way that I would not understand the insanity we are facing with Trump. He is as evil as Hitler and possibly worse. I came here PRECISELY BECAUSE I ALREADY FELT THAT WAY and wanted to be in a "community" of people who mostly felt the same, not because I needed some kind of explanation as to why he is evil. For me, that was already a given and quite obvious.
I will NOT speak for others here, but I do expect that most people here are smart enough to NOT feel any more charitable towards Trump regardless of Heather's involvement.
Totally agree. Heather is our lighthouse
Hiro spoke his truth.... one that many can identify with. He is due respect for his voice. A softer response may be kinder.
I had z NO Problem with Hiro speaking for himself. I would have had no problem with him saying "and MANY OF US..." which would be his opinion.
What I objected to (strongly) was his categorical assumption that WE ALL would have been okay with TRUMP without Heather's "guidance".
Do YOU feel that way? Fine you can say so for yourself but he had no right to include us all in that umbrella statement and I sincerely resent anyone speaking on my behalf without my approval.
Sorry if you think my response was unkind in some way. His comment was VERY unkind and insensitive. Anyone presuming that I would somehow (without someone else's "protection" or "approval") be supportive of the yellow monster deserves to be rebuked IMHO because that comment is NOT polite in any way.
Never assume there’s no more need to state the obvious!! Repeat it loud and clear, often!
We may be the “choir”, but even the choir needs to be reaffirmed!
When I set poetry to music these days, it always turns into the blues.
I have no problem with anyone trumpeting anything that needs to be said, even if it appears obvious (and even if I personally disagree). I only have an issue with anyone assuming any of the rest of us would feel the same and stating it in that manner.
Hilo said that "without Professor (Richardson) we would feel that American is not that bad under Trump" and all I wanted to say was "the hell you say!"
There is not one single moment that I EVER felt "not that bad" under Trump, and I certainly didn't need Heather to voice that feeling for me!
In these times we all need to practice a little grace. You didn't need Heather, others are not as able as you to define your feelings. They look to her for that articulation. They need Heather to help them get through this. I too didn't need Heather to see the writing on the wall, however she provides a place for many to find comfort in knowing they are not alone and there is a way to put things in historical perspective. My guess is Hiro didn't mean every single person, but was simply thanking Heather for her work.
I need Heather!! This garbage flies at us so fast I know I'd miss half of it. Heather has been my "go to news every morning for years". I love her, she feels like my next door neighbor, always willing to give good intel.
I understand your point but to me words matter. His comment was quite clear. He included all of us saying that without Heather's comments we would ALL be more supportive of Trump. And that deserves rebuke. IMHO. You are entitled to disagree with me but I am entitled to my opinion which i felt was needed.
You are right, John. The "obvious" is not so obvious. I have family, sibs, nephews, nieces, cousins, etc. who can't see it, i.e., Trump's threat to our security here at home and abroad. There are reasons: ignorance, prejudice, indifference, etc. How to understand it? Some commitments block out rational thought, religious belief being one of them. Reagan's "welfare queen" has paid his cause enormous dividends, just as Trump's immigrants who are "poisoning our blood." We're about to pay the price for the stupidity and ignorance of the MAGA folks, financially and politically.
Heather, Snyder, Contrarian, Brian Tyler Cohen, and the list of great thinkers and writers who have been indefatigable in confronting opponents who conspire to suppress truth and wish to make inquisitive individuals disappear.
I add a few others from YouTube : "Belle of the Ranch" (and their longer version clips "The Roads with Belle" "Interstate News" and "Research Road") all four for giving plain spoken, fact based short clips.
I like the Medias Network, too, but in particular "Tennessee Brando" as he eloquently expresses what many of us feel.
Mr. Rosen, your understanding of the nature of Mr. Trump is agreed by almost all readers here. But without Professor would you be able to spell out "details" of his government destruction? For example migrating a new computer language to SSA? Professor is providing "data," not a general character. Data reveals day to day steps of destruction of Mr. Trump that All of us here are learning.
Hi Mr. Rosen. I apologize if I have offended you in assuming "we" to include All readers. I thought "we" stands for a general majority.
Nope. I'd feel like I had two heads and belong in a mental health institution. Reading Letters from an American lets me know I'm not alone and not insane.
Really? You got to be kidding. Are you nuts? He's off playing golf while the country is collapsing before our very eyes. No FEMA. No public education, No NPR, NO SNAP, NO NO...etc.
He seems to be unaware of much of what he is signing, not smart enough to try to take credit for much of the dirty work, and giving his "staff" free reign to use their imagination in inflicting as much damage as they can while he often claims ignorance of exactly what they are doing. I believe Hitler also looked the other way for the first several months, only removing a few who proved too damaging to his reputation (and I suspect a few he always wanted to rid himself of but wanted to pick the most opportune time).
Hiro, I think Jon is on overdoing it on exactitude, sometimes his wont.
My response to this would be a "polite" LOL Frank. I know I can overdo it but being lumped in with "everyone" who is incapable of seeing Trump for the monster he is on their own makes me see red.
I love Heather's positions (and Joyce Vance and Andrew Weizmann and Mark Elias too) and I love the community that exists here (including Hiro ) to read what we all think (even the idiots like Rick Sender... gag me!).
I just feel strongly that people should be careful who they write for. Write for yourself absolutely, even write for a presumed group of supporters but DON'T lump EVERYONE into one unified group as if the authors here are "gods" and the rest of us aren't capable of free will.
I think it best to speak in the “I” form of speech here.
Hi Maria, thank you. I was careless. (I was thinking more about the generality of "data" Professor provides to substantiate the destruction of Mr. Trump of our government.)
I agree, Maria. Your comment reminds me of a piece I heard on NPR probably 30
years ago talking about the origins of the song "We Shall Overcome." Quoting from Wikipedia,
"The origins of the song are unclear; it was thought to have descended from "I'll Overcome Some Day," a hymn by Charles Albert Tindley..."
I can still recall the the sense of power, ownership & strength I felt when I heard, then repeated, "I'll Overcome Some Day".
Would agree the professor has earned a rest. Lots of stress these days, but sometimes the planet can be pretty nice. The picture of the Maine hillside was lovely.
Mt. Tam is in Marin County, just north of San Francisco. Fun fact: It’s the birthplace of mountain biking. 😎
First, great thanks to Professor Richardson for all she’s doing to provide us with well researched and learned history and current events that are terribly disturbing but important to all of us. Second, if you like a great ramble check out the Dipsea Trail on the lower slopes of Mt. Tam. It goes from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. Third, I have a poster of the Durango, Colorado Wheel Club at Bakers Bridge in 1895. They all had single speed fat tire bikes to ride the mountains. No pavement back then!
I stand corrected! Maybe I shoulda said “modern-era mountain biking.” 😜
Somewhere between the endless to-do lists and the buzzing notifications, we forgot how to stop. We treat exhaustion like a badge of honor, wear busyness like armor, and then wonder why our minds feel frayed at the edges. But here is the secret no one tells you. Rest is rebellion.
Rest is not just sleep. It is a deep breath in the middle of chaos, a stolen moment of stillness, the art of simply being. It is sinking into a warm chair with a book you will never finish, staring at the sky without counting the minutes, letting the world turn without you pushing it forward.
When we rest, we remember. We remember laughter, sunlight, the way music feels instead of just sounds. We remember that life is not a checklist. It is a rhythm. And sometimes, the most productive thing we can do is nothing at all.
So rest. Let go. Unclench your jaw. The world will wait.
P.S. Eat well...
https://michaelcorthelll.substack.com/p/you-are-what-you-eat-twin-study-reveals
Rest is also a musical term; it means to not play a note. It can be as long as the 1/16 rest that lends a “lean” into the melody in “March From 1941” to all but 14 notes in the tuba part in Dvorak’s “New World Symphony”.
Rests are as important as notes. It’s all part of the music.
Exactly. We all need down time for our physical and mental well being.
Enjoy your much deserved rest… And what a beautiful picture from Mount Tam! Thank you so much for being here and keeping us up-to-date with perspective!
Please rest well. It’s a lot.
Very Well Stated.
Salute!
ditto that!
Get some well deserved rest!!
Rest up. Thank you for all you do. You are the best.
Chill Professor. You deserve it. And thank you for all your hard work, honesty and wonderful history and insight. We love you. ☮️❤️🌻
Sleep well, revered word warrior. We are grateful for you and wish you sweet dreams and good health.
"revered word warrior" great alliterative phrase, love it!
Please take care of yourself
We need your knowledge and wisdom
Please take care of yourself! We need you around for a long time!
I believe you are right. We are indeed all tired, worn down by the chaos, anxiety and living with the unknowns. Thank you so much for providing all you share. It eases the pain.
We look out at Mt Tamalpais from our home every day. We never tire of the view. Nice shot.
You’re so fortunate to have that view!
We visit Mt Tam fairly often. Great views 360°.
Thank you Heather - you are so very much appreciated.
Sleep well and know how appreciated you are. ❤️
So, so tired!
Rest well.
Please take care of yourself, Heather. We worry about you and all your late nights and nonstop efforts to help all of us navigate through this hellacious political moment.
"You're our only hope!" :-)
No, not really--but we count on you. Do what you need to to stay healthy and able to carry on.
Thank you profoundly for your clear insights and for your sensible and tireless research.
You should be on major media.
I agree. About a year ago, one of my favorites "Beau of the Fifth Column" stepped back to let his wife and team take over his YouTube channel. You could tell it was getting to him, as he said he wasn't able to do the community building efforts that he was passionate about. His wife has done an excellent job, and I know he works behind the scenes, but I do miss seeing his face every now and then.
Nite nite my dear… rest up…. It’s going to be another bumpy week.
Beautiful photo. We are all tired. Rest well, dear Heather.
Rest, dear doctor, and breathe deeply.
So much is happening at once. That’s their evil plan…to overwhelm us. ❤️🩹
Thanks for posting a picture of our neighborhood. ♥️