This morning, as expected, the House Republicans elected Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trump’s choice for conference chair, to replace Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY).
Around 1978, when I had started my career in engineering, I remember hearing men talking that the solution to not having enough workers was to get women into the labor force. Today, we see that two salaries are required to survive and be able to feed one's children. We still hear men talking about poor people being lazy and not going back to work because of the $300 per week unemployment, that there are plenty of jobs. But these aren't jobs that pay well and certainly do not cover the costs of child care. Without affordable child care a low paying job brings home next to nothing. I'm feeling very scared that if the For the People Act isn't passed we're on our way to having a rebellion. I will join the resistance if that happens. Hearing that in 1986 they were using the words "ballot integrity" for voter suppression sounds so much like today's "voter integrity" it is truly frightening. Hearing that Republicans are actually saying the United States is "not a democracy" .. and that they don't want democracy anyway is doubly frightening. The Heritage Foundation and ALEC writing all these horrible bills. I think we no longer have a democracy -- it's an oligarchic kleptocracy -- but I differ from the Republicans in that I want democracy back! The majority of the People do too and will show it if they are allowed to vote. This time I what We the People to mean All of Us This Time!
The attacks on democracy are multi-facted: PAC lobbying, court packing, disinformation, state legislatures’ voter suppression bills, The Big Lie, outright organized insurrection. Each of these forces does require an equal and opposite force just to maintain status quo democracy. But reality is not static, and the status quo involves unacceptable institutional racism, sexism, and classism. Therefore, each of these regressive forces requires a greater opposite force to effect progressive change.
HR1/S1 For The People Act is a core force for protection of the vote, gerrymandering reform, and getting big billionaire money out of politics. It would make space for a host of other laws to make our lives more fair and our environment more sustainable. Maybe it’s a misconception to call a law a force. It’s a tool to be applied with force. The force comes from the people who first speak up to get this law passed, to put this tool in the toolbox. Then force comes from people who speak up to enforce this law.
We The People, All of Us This Time = a greater force for progressive and necessary change to preserve and advance our democratic process.
I can’t get the image out of my head of a dense pack of insurrectionists using the totality of their mass weight plus energy to break through a set of doors in the Capitol. Dozens of them packed together, chanted in unison and surged forward en masse with every “Heave HO!” repeatedly, until they broke through.
Our mission is to put our weight together, our individual voices, to form a collective force on behalf of democracy. Our individual voices take many forms of communication to our elected officials and to corporations who make campaign donations: written (letters to the editor, letters or postcards, texting), phone calls, and money (donations pro and boycotts against).
We The People must pass HR1/S1 For The People Act. Get Out The Vote is a critical action. Asking HCR Substack readers:
Which GOTV organizations are you finding to be most effective?
What is your communication of choice to make your voice heard, adding to the collective force?
I thought a lot about responsive and collective force this week. Your descriptor of a law being a tool is spot on. Perhaps this is how it is to be presented to Senator Manchin for example. I want our legislators in Congress to understand WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE FORCE. And I’ll use Luke Skywalker’s light saber, thank you very much.
But one more point. When I was thinking about the fight of this stream for democracy and the we-for-by the people, I thought about you Ellie.
You are something. Have you ever held public office or run a campaign.
There’s something about your light and energy that is very translucent.
Thank you, Christine, for your kind words. It's not about me, but about us as a whole. I am not a politician, and my real political education has been this past year from HCR. I'm just a connector of dots who values the wonderful contributions on this forum of LFAA comments, and I'm working to help move our great discussions to effective action in service of our common goal to support democratic process.
I’m really not sure how to act on behalf of democracy other than sharing these letters to my family and friends. MA is such a blue state. I joined the League of Women Voters and gave them a generous donation but then I really didn’t want to do their ZOOM meetings. And from some of their communications it appeared they were more interested in our town elections whereas, though I do vote in them, we have a lot of good people who love running our town. I’ve never enjoyed meetings let alone ZOOM meetings. I gave a lot more money than I should to Biden’s campaign and the Georgia races so much that my husband got angry. I’m looking for suggestions.
You sound like me Liz; I’m an introvert and have a hard time with meetings and protests. I sign a lot of petitions and make a few phone calls, and I’m on a small pension and tend to get myself in debt making too many donations. Letters, phone calls, and petitions seem a paltry effort but it’s a contribution towards the effort that I can manage. Don’t beat yourself up; any effort is a contribution.
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism, and meetings are available for community and info sharing, but not required. You can email for more info: heathersherd@gmail.com
Americans of Conscience has a weekly checklist you might find helpful. It’s a list of actions to take and the reason behind the request. Mostly letter writing and phone calls to make and she provides a script to help you. Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny has good ideas too. Now that things are opening up look for voter registration drives to help with, there is always back office work to do if you don’t like talking to people you don’t know.
I felt much like you last summer, Liz, so joined Postcards to Voters and wrote 100 to people in Michigan urging them to vote in the Nov election. It took away the helpless feeling and maybe did some good. If everybody did what you did—donating and sharing—we’d be better off. Keep it up, friend.
Agree about Postcards to Voters, it’s a great way to contribute without knocking on doors or making phone calls....I like to think I helped the GA Senate race, and indeed, Jon Ossoff mentioned us in his thank you you to all who helped in his race.
MaryB, I was with you, writing 400 to Michigan (with help from the friends and family I recruited). I wondered if it helped, but at the very least it helped me feel like I was doing something positive, and made a contribution to the USPS.
I hear you, Liz.I'm from MA, too, and do what little I can afford to do financially. I'm not a joiner, so I hesitate to join groups requiring meetings. I do the postcard/letter writing things, but have no idea that it really makes a difference. I'm waiting to hear the higher ups say that our work helps.
Be proud of what you did. It made a difference, two Senators' worth in Georgia! And in the face of Republican State voter suppression legislation, an even greater effort will be needed in 2022 and 2024. Those who did 100 post cards should plan on doing 200! (Purchase the pre-stamped ones from the USPS now before they become hard to get.) Targeted mailing lists will again be available. The evil ones, like Utah Senator Mike Lee, are already saying that their target is democracy. We are its defenders.
I do write for Postcards to Voters, but they have been pretty silent these days. I know it will pick up, and that's where I feel most like I do make a difference. But, here in MA writing to the locals etc. feels like I'm preaching to the converted. And, I'm not sure how people in other states respond to a MA writer. I'll keep on keeping on for sure.
I just did 10 postcards (feels paltry, after hearing of your 100?) to make waves for what is happening at Point Reyes in Cal. I agree that sending hand written cards could influence our reps? better in Congress etc. Not sure I could do 100 - had to portion out the measly 10 I did. Hand issues - old hands, that is! I truly send kudos to all of you who did so many. I'm sure it did make a difference.
Writing to locals is another ballgame. Such efforts must be attuned to local issues like zoning and schools. Nationally, it doesn't matter that your postal cards carry a MA postmark. Being handwritten says something to the recipient. I used "Flip the West," now known as "Activate America." With them, you buy the postal cards and stamps yourself (try for pre-stamped ones) from the USPS. They provide a targeted list of addresses with suggested messages in crucial States. I wrote their message on the blank side and added my own on the blank half of the front of the card.
Thanks Pam—I’m sure all the things we do make a difference. This is an attitude I think that comes from being born into the female caste. It’s like we never feel we give enough though we’re the ones doing all the giving—not the higher ups.
There are letter and postcard writing campaigns with VoteFwd and others. There’s phone banking too (with Fair Fight has others) if you are comfortable with that. There’s such a feeling of gratification being a part of something like that, as a community. It feels empowering and you know you have made a difference.
I decided to get involved with my legislative district and next Sunday is their endorsement meeting, where they pick which candidates to endorse. It's slated to go for 7 hours on Zoom, though they say it may take "only" 5 or 6. May god have mercy.
I'm right there with you. I live in Los Angeles. My representatives are Democrats. I have done a few post cards. Mostly I have to rely on giving donations. I felt frustrated during the pandemic because had we been in normal times I would have been out marching with BLM. I'm thinking that in 2022 I may provide rides to the polls. I feel that we all have to become Stacy Abrams in our own little way.
I have regret in taking my democracy for granted for most of my life. We have a fantastic activist group in our state that has helped more of us to grow our activism by monitoring issues that need our attention and helping us direct our time and energy. Getting our voices out there by giving feedback on proposed bills seems important. Here’s one of their newsletters in case anyone is interested. https://mailchi.mp/1d976640a87c/legislative-updates-the-domestic-gag-rule-and-supporting-trans-rights?e=d79cae2224
Don’t feel so bad about not taking an active part in the democratic process until recently. We aren’t born with good decision-making skills; they are rarely taught, and sometimes we learn only from experience. Toastmasters International gave me some practical appreciation for parliamentary procedure and overcoming stage fright. There must be lots of ways to prepare for active participation in our democracy: joining clubs, volunteering in charities, etc. I started a Green Committee of Correspondence just before I left California and whst I learned from that is that hardly anyone I knew understood the value of Roberts Rules of Order or how to follow them. How the legislators get through all that to pass bills, I do not know.
Have you heard of Indivisible? Started by former Congressional staffers, they issued a guide book and within weeks there were thousands of local groups that did some amazing work based on the admonition that the only people politicians will listen to are their own constituents.
Another way one can keep engaged is to track legislature bills in your state. Here in N H, due to COVID, it has been doing zoom meetings and has created a remote testimony platform so that members of the public can put in their support/opposition to a bill. I do the latter by using the guidance that 2-3 progressive groups put out about the bills. I've been doing that for about 2-3 months. Some of the more atrocious bills put for by the Republican majority legislature have been walked back as a result. I also do occasional letters to the editor to my local newspaper about them.
You write really well. Letters to the Editors, possibly? Boston Globe has a radical following. I think it’s important to keep pushing back against the lies but I don’t know. It was felt Postcards to Voters, encouraging getting out the vote was successful. There are organizations like Spread the Vote trying to help people get registered to vote (getting the needed ID cards etc).
"We The People, All of Us This Time = a greater force for progressive and necessary change to preserve and advance our democratic process." Yes! I think this title (and logo!), developed here by readers like Ellie on HCR's site, is more than a rallying cry. I think it completely embodies the movement, the spirit, the goals and urgency, of our true American democracy quest. Ellie, you may want to copyright it for us. Unlike very noble but misleading terms such as "Black Lives Matter" and "Defund Police", no one can deny what this means. ALL OF US THIS TIME.
so true . with permission, I would like to add it to my email signature. And wish I could make bumper stickers. and t shirts for the grandkids...and, and and.
Letter writing is good. We can also try to counter the disinformation/misinformation out there! If you know people who are critical of HR1/S1 ("For the People Act"), you could send them this -
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/people-act-separating-fact-fiction - or post the article on social media. Common Cause has a volunteer team which reports disinformation on social media & has had successes in getting disinformation removed. Volunteers can also post positive messages (f.e. about HR1/S1) created by Common Cause. Common Cause calls it 'inoculation' against against the disinformation. I post the positive messages and feel that I'm helping in some small way. There are other opportunities like this.
Join local grass roots organizations that sprang up immediately after the 2016 election. As HCR suggested, write carefully crafted, fact based opinions in local papers that will be read by right/left/center. Reply on the Twitter posts of McConnell et al calling them out on their lies with links to fact based news. Call, email, and write to their offices constantly. There is a true decay in our country. My mother experienced it teaching government in the public school system in San Antonio. She loved it for many years. She quit because the students changed. There were fewer and fewer who cared, and more and more who were lazy or belligerent. Sports, entertainment, and political figures have gotten away with abuse, drug use, bribery, etc.. Ethics and morality are non existent. The English language in the U.S. has disintegrated. I remember reading a quote once that was something like, "As your language goes, so goes your nation."
Thank you Galilee— I so appreciate your post because you remind me of how much I value language. It is the skill as you suggest I can use in a concerted way to fight this war.
Liz, I don't actually use Twitter for me, but when I discovered that McConnell et al do, I try to reply on their posts - you can on Mcconnell's and #their Twitter handles in a post responding to their disimformation with link to facts.
I have an appointment with my computer person today— I have Twitter but haven’t been using it — do you have a suggestion about who or what I can chat with.
Manchin is our biggest hurdle but I am kinda seeing him soften just a twd. He and Lisa Murkowski are trying to work together on a plan to bring back the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
The Right has been arguing that we have a "republic" not a "democracy" forfuckingever. I remember arguing the point with a Bircher back in college in the mid-60s. And I recall hearing the argument the first time in the late 50s somewhere.
We are supposed to democratically elect our representatives, hence democratic republic rather than a pure democracy.
But, it appears that some of our representatives now want to remove the democratic part. They want the Republic and all the power it conveys without the messy part, the people.
It’s happening in Florida with the State legislature making voter initiatives much harder to achieve. And of course voter suppression laws.
My cousin, the evangelical trumper, said this to me in 2016 and I couldn’t find why that distinction was so important to those people. I didn’t want to argue with her on FB so simply responded that we are actually a democratic republic, but I still don’t understand what they are trying to say. What is their message here?
It's a misunderstanding of the term Republic, Cary: a convenient buzzword to contest "democracy" (also poorly understood in terms of its history). In essence, "Democracy" refers to rule by the "demos"--the body of citizens (origin: 6th-century BCE Athens). "Republic" (in Latin "res publica": public stuff) refers to rule through a representative limited body (origin: 6th-century BCE Rome). However, the much vaunted "democracy" in Athens was not very democratic (about 20% of the adult residents of Athens were eligible citizens, mostly because they had so many enslaved workers, "foreign" residents, and women), and the Roman "Republic" was essentially an oligarchic system dominated by the patrician class, which represented about 20% of the population (the Romans at that time were not engaged in human enslavement--that would come later after the Punic Wars).
Sorry, a long answer to your question. There is no essential difference between the two systems if one looks at them historically, as both were dominated by a minority of landowning men. And the Romans deliberately claim the date of 509 BCE as the year of the origin of the Republic because that is the year the Athenians claim to have established their democracy.
Long but great! Buzz word Democrat (currently synonymous with socialist as HCR describes) is today used by Putin/GOP/Koch propaganda to draw hate from the right to the left. Democrat (democracy) vs. Republican (republic). Authoritarian brainwashing tools, black and white thinking, us versus them.
Right you are! So some folks want to split hairs to support superior persons (usually older white males) making our laws to benefit their way of life and "benignly" assigning crumbs to the rest, simply because we elect representatives to speak for us.
Their message is that the more people who vote, the more democratic our democratic republic becomes, and as a result, the less likely it will allow the private sector to have the freedom to do whatever it wants, supposedly but incorrectly, for everyone's benefit. See the position of the Heritage Foundation and Senator Mike Lee's anti-democratic remarks in HCR's comments today.
That they have no interest in the social net created in what they disparage as a “democracy”. In fact, they have always created holes in the net that allow SOME to fall through to their peril.
Their interest in a “republic” is money and power. And that the word is in the name of their party. They are obsessed with the word.
Whenever you find some little irksome detail, some extra hoop you have to jump through with whatever social program you are dealing with (taxes on Social Security, copays on Medicare, etc., etc.) you can thank the goddamned Republicans for throwing the monkey wrench in the gears.
Trump Republicans are trying to downplay one-person-one-vote democracy, because they know the demographic tide is running against them due to higher birthrates and immigration favoring people of color. To adhere to democracy will eventually reduce their political power, jeopardizing their longstanding economic, social and political privilege.
They know that and that is why the Fascist Senator from Utah, as quoted by HCR, is against democracy. He calls it "rank" democracy. Historically, it was called "pure" democracy, a system which our demographics make impossible, so we settle for a democratic republic, which is what we have. Mike Lee and his ilk want a democracy which gives them the freedom to have the economic, social and political privilege to which you refer and provides little else. To them, the fewer voters, the better off they are.
They really want a monarchy. They just SAY they are a republic. The European royalty is alive and well and selling titles. They sold some into Mexico and the practice has seeped into the Southern States. Thus “Baron” Trump. It’s illegal according to our constitution. https://sealandgov.org/buy-noble-titles
See how this goes, TC? Republic = RepubliCANS and Democracy = Democrats so, of course, the right wants all of the power, the credit. A good definition of each: “ The major difference between a democracy and a republic is that a republic is a form of government whereas a democracy is an ideology that helps shape how a government is run. Put another way: a republic is the system of government that allows a country to be democratic!”
I am involved in supporting a fabulous daycare for underserved children in Winter Park FL that came into existence when women went to work in WWII. You are so right about affordable daycare being a key cog in restarting the economy....which is why this administration included it in the infrastructure package which it frames in terms of jobs. Arguing that the "social" programs ought to be funded somewhere else misses this key reality for women in the workplace. Thank you.
Cathy, your comment about the women is so important. Recently I attended a Zoom meeting with several voting rights groups including LWV and "All on the Line". They opened with this excellent music video by Keb' Mo: "Put a Woman in Charge".
This has been my belief since I was a little girl - it's time to hand over the reins to women. Especially, put some Black, Brown, and Indigenous women in charge (as President Biden has been doing in his administration!)
There is a daily newsletter (or weekly digest if you prefer not to get daily email) curated by Nicole Cardoza that offers take-aways (suggestions for action) with each essay posted. Although not directly related to influencing legislators, there is plenty to think about and act upon in daily interactions with others that might help with feeling useful.
Protestors to the bill are being brought in from out of state to protest in front of Manchin's office - West Virginia. I think letters need to be sent to him since he's become so pivotal to getting Democratic led bills passed.
A recent essay was about photo ID requirements (for voting and much more) and the effects upon marginalized groups. There was a link to find out what the laws on identification are in every state and info about efforts by various organizations working to overcome the barriers to obtaining identification.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! It makes me cringe every time Dr. R reiterates the sentiment that having a government that regulates business, maintains a social safety net and solid infrastructure is "a redistribution of wealth from hardworking white men to African Americans who want a handout." IMHO this idea is...POPPYCOCK!!!
The way I see it is if you take the year 1619 as the beginnings of slave (free) labor for the "hardworking white men" and multiply that number (4 million give or take?) by 246 years (give or take) what you've got is a HUGE debt owed to the former slaves AND their descendants for wages never paid. I leave factoring in the Jim Crow era to others.
So my point is the next time we hear a Republican (in this era) railing about socialism, maybe we should point out that it was the "hardworking white man" who wanted and received a handout.
Exactly. Your points about "wages never paid", and white men who received a handout are spot on. Something else to add is the fact that white people still benefit from those handouts, but refuse to acknowledge that. To my astonishment, I heard this denial said out loud a couple of weeks ago in a Forum held by my Quaker meeting on making a simple apology to Indigenous people. "What does this have to do with us? We aren't the ones who did it." I was relieved when someone else pointed out that the house they were so pleased with was built on stolen land and stolen resources. It was an awkward meeting.
That comment does not reflect the entire Forum, I must hasten to say, though it was not the only one along those lines. I was startled that it was said at all, though, and it was not the only one along those lines. But it did bring out into the open a line of discussion that needs to be delved into. A small group of people created this forum out of a committee examining a suggested letter from our YM (yearly meeting, which describes a structural part of Society of Friends. I am impressed with how the folks on that committee handled it. I did not join the committee because I felt this was something the non-Indian members needed to consider. I, being of mixed blood, have skin in the game, as it were (sorry, I am given to odd puns, comes with that heritage). They validated my feelings without me having to spell them out. For folks unfamiliar with the Society of Friends, this is pretty much how it works. We muddle our way to a kind of consensus, and awkward (and sometimes lengthy) though that process can be, it is a good way to give people the space they need to come to a shared awareness. It's very much like the traditional way my indigenous people do things.
excellent excellent and Thank you. This is why I enjoy this group of thoughtful, well-read individuals. Your example is perfect. And this goes with some other current behavior we see - that Trump mastered where he said “the dems are going to do XYZ”when it was exactly HIM that was going to do it. I love it . . .hardworking white man wanted a handout - free labor.
Morning, Lynell! Great twist to the "hardworking white man" position. I shall appropriate that for my own usage.
Sadly, the systemic racism and white privilege is so imbedded in my "opponents"* that I am accused of all sorts of negative things. I shall borrow from another HCR reader and counter with the announcement that I am a "Progressive Independent."
I get so much from my morning perusal of LFAA. Thanks to all.
*My "opponents" are mostly white, retired (although some are still working) white Christian cops/military affiliated people.
Morning, Ally!! I'm honored by your plan to appropriate where you can among your circle of "opponents." HCR also tells us that the socialism that this country embraces - the social safety net of Medicare, schooling, etc. - is not "Socialism: a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole." The USA's means of production and distribution and exchange rests with the private sector. I had a giggle over the news of the Colonial Pipeline being hijacked for ransom last week. One news reporter pointed out that Colonial was privately owned, intimating that somehow this was not the norm!
Hello, Lynell! Yes, knowing that Colonial is mostly owned by the Dark Money Kochs is somethin’, ain’t it? My theory on that since the ransom was paid in cryptocurrency ($ can’t be traced), is that the Kochs might have ticked their Russian people off and the hackers got involved in teaching them “a lesson”. My other theory is that these hackers are friends of the Kochs and this was all a deliberate act. Whereby, it could be another way to money launder. Far-fetched idea but in these times...
My thoughts exactly. We all know that the ransom was not paid by Colonial per se, but will be balanced on the backs of those who fill their gas tanks and purchase other commodities produced by the Koch conglomerate.
I thought about that phrase off and on all day yesterday, and if that’s what being concerned about the rights of ALL Americans is, then yes, I’m proud to be a “radical socialist Democrat”.
My definitions don’t come from a book on economics, but “capitalism” puts money first, since “capital” is the root of the word. Bezos makes more than $3,000/second (!) but Amazon’s workers are supposed to survive on $13-15/hour. “Socialism” derives from “social”—as in social life, social security, socialize, etc. We could use a lot more “socialism” in the US! Family leave, child care for all, health care for all, a minimum wage that covers all your bills—and the right for everyone to vote.
I don’t like to use the word socialist because it turns so many people off. Plus as Heather pointed out it’s often used incorrectly. I’m a progressive independent who would love to see our country have better public education, infrastructure, and a medical care system that is more fair and affordable. I’d like states to share information more quickly on all sorts of issues like who is buying guns. I’d just like our country to care less about avoiding taxes and more about quality of life. But as my French friends say—you Americans just love to fight.
I laugh when I read your posts sometimes, Liz. I love your thinking. When talking with a friend this week, I used the words “Progressive Independent” to describe myself politically. And then I said, “and I just decided to capitalize each word.”
Christine where do you live? Humor is a high value in my life. I love friends who make me laugh and my husband makes me laugh every day. Cheeto has no sense of humor. It’s also fun to have people appreciate one’s sense of humor. Thanks.
I live in Florida. Believe me, we need a li’l humor. DeSantis is just so...so doughy and clammy. And Gaetz and his horsey guffaw is not very attractive either.
“Radical socialist Democratic agenda” means we are opposed to any attempt to water down our Stone Age system where whites are favored, males are favored, boy-girl is favored, and Christian is favored. We don’t want inclusive society or diverse society. We don’t want to give any power to women, African-Americans (or any other POC), trans or bi or gay people, or Muslims and other non-Christians. To these Stone Age relics, white supremacy and male supremacy and boy-girl supremacy is all that matters.
And entirely ignore white male engagement in genocidal ethnic cleansing of the Indigenous, Black, and Chinese populations, among other racist actions over centuries
Roland, I am a bit tickled by your contrasting our current system with the "Stone Age". I have a feeling that pre-Christian stone age cultures were a good bit more balanced, accepting, and generous than most of our high-tech, "modern" cultures! It's the anachronism of it that makes me giggle.
Republican efforts to suppress voting rights should not cause Democrats to surrender. The struggle over the right to vote has been continuous since our country’s founding. Our history is a shameful one of singling out one group after another to deny access to the ballot. In every case justice and democratic principles eventually prevail. However, each time the struggle has required persistence and effort both by those discriminated against and people of good will.
Do not despair that the situation is lost and our Constitutional Republic irreconcilable broken. Effort and persistence are once again required from people of good will. So roll up your sleeves and get to work electing better choices. Get into John Lewis’ good trouble. Vote. No matter how many barriers are erected, no matter how Republicans act to control election outcomes, Vote. Volunteer as an election official. It is important that election workers are bipartisan. Insist on your voice being heard and your vote matters.
”I swear to the Lord I still can’t see why democracy means everybody but me.” —Langston Hughes
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”
—W.E.B. Du Bois
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” —Nelson Mandela
“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
—Frederick Douglass
“Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.”
—Carol Moseley-Braun, politician and lawyer
“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.” —Jackie Robinson
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” —Rosa Parks
“Life has two rules: number 1, never quit! Number 2, always remember rule number one.” —Duke Ellington
“Make a difference about something other than yourselves.” —Toni Morrison
It is not only the words of those who have struggled in the fight for human rights and a more just society but the examples of the lives they lived that give power to those words. Thank you for these reminders.
Thank you, Annie. For many who have been active in Civil Rights for long years, this latest assault can pull us into tight overheated corners. Exploitation and subjection have been defining aspects of our country for centuries. Opinions about the oppressors must not overshadow our determination to overcome. The courageous leaders quoted above and so many more provide the spirit to carry on together.
"And so, Republicans began to say that the United States is 'not a democracy,' as Utah Senator Mike Lee tweeted in October. 'Democracy isn’t the objective,'
he continued, 'liberty, peace, and prospe[r]ity are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that.'"
Thank you, Prof. HCR, for this excellent thread explaining the GOP's "unique" definition of "socialism." Their terminology fails to resemble an academic understanding of a veritable political system. Like all other GOP theoretical and political inventions/lies it is rooted in colonialism, white supremacy and racism, a racism that connotes a deeper, more venomous hatred and destructive
... a racism that connotes a deeper, more venomous hatred and destructive bigotry through each passing decade. This cannot go on, not in a country that prides itself as being the leader of the western world. Such malignity has no place in the future of our youth -- none whatsoever! It must be eradicated before it seeps into every sinew of our children and their progeny.
At the moment, the greatest opportunity we have is for the top GOP Pinnochios -- and they are many -- to be tried for treason and their active roles in the January insurrection.
This is happening, Rowshan, our youth are fully awake to this corrosive hatred and bigotry. The tide has been turning. Progress is slow, yes, but it IS progress. Will it reach the tipping point in time? Can't say. But the movement is with us now. There most certainly is hope. Bless those young people. Every day.
Yes, of course, there is hope, and I bless our youth every day! Believe me, EVERY DAY. I teach in a college, adore my students, and spend a huge amount of time with our youth. I also know that not everyone thinks in the same way. For all those who demonstrate, the same number stay at home.
Have you seen what the GOP strongholds want to teach our children? Which historical texts they want to use? How some still think that the creation story should be afforded scientific value? Not all our youth are fully awake. I know how careful I have to be when I teach. Today, many of my most cherished students will be graduating and I will shed as many tears as their parents. I pray that their lives will be rich and fruitful. I hope that they will change our world, but if 45 and the GOP win again and have their way ... May the Force be with them.
I am so glad to hear that you are an educator*; your passion and eloquence must be like water to growing plants.
* I read an article recently that discussed a meeting between some really high-powered IT folks, and the fellow leading asked if any of them wanted to teach. All answered negative. He said (and I paraphrase here) "I think what you mean is you don't want to become someone who is an educator; I devoutly hope that you intend to teach your skill set to us all, to make us all better at what we do."
Good educators create those people who can teach us all specific things. Thank you.
Oh, Ally! You are the eloquent one! Your words are so compassionate and generous about me. I can only hope that I have been as good as those who taught and mentored me. Your post is all the more meaningful today as I soon watch my students walk across that stage and the threshold that with hope and blessings will carry them into their many tomorrows. Bless you!
Yes, indeed, Rowshan, may the Force be with us all!’ I’m delighted to know you’re an educator. All the more reason to hold out hope. Blessings in you, too. Every day.
“GOP Pinocchios” Hahahahahaha. I was wondering about Stefanik’s and MarjTayGreene’s noses. Sniffing around for popularity and a playground brawl. I know that AOC fought to keep her cool with Greene chasing her through the House halls.
Someone posted earlier on stream about conceding that Merrick Garland is good about creating some calm in the storm. “Calm”? I do not agree. Merrick Garland is MY dawg. Methodical and laser focused, he isn’t is a blankie and a cup of chamomile tea.
He and his team will gnash and gnash some more until the roots of treason in Congress are exposed and hacked at until they no longer will bear putrid fruit.
My money is on him. The KookKochs committed to wrong investment long ago.
Like I said earlier. Just make sure the right color light saber is fastened to your own belt.
I still, even today, wake up in disbelief, that my country handed over the keys to our Oval Office to that lying crook, to make the most important decisions over our lives for 4 effing years. Today on a glorious day full of spectacular color in May, surely I can pretend for a few hours, it was only a nightmare .
Thanks for the historical perspective that this isn't a new fight, that it's the same fight we've been having since before the country was the country.
But, before I get poked, I also know it is incumbent upon those of us paying attention to stand up. Surrounded by trumplican friends and family, I have always been the lone voice of alarm. Will keep on keeping on. Thanks to HCR.
Your seemingly unreachable family members are living examples of the power of contemporary advertising to create one track minds in the service oligarchic, psychopathic obsession for power. We - you and I - have helped cultivate this consequence by our silence and inaction in the face of the consolidation of corporate media into empires (monopolies). We have colluded with these forces each time when we've been quiet when we've allowed the FCC under Reagan to ditch the Fairness Doctrine."The FCC eliminated the policy in 1987 and removed the rule that implemented the policy from the Federal Register in August 2011.[1]...The doctrine did not require equal time for opposing views but required that contrasting viewpoints be presented. The demise of this FCC rule has been considered by some to be a contributing factor for the rising level of party polarization in the United States.[2][" We are seeing in action - Karl Rove's prediction: "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out."
This is my experience. I have made attempts at discourse with trumplicans; there is no such thing. The gaslighting that gushes forth, the absolute belief in things that are not true, and their insistence that I suffer from TDS precludes any sort of civil conversation.
Talked to one of my trumper brothers yesterday, and casually said, "Wow, my 401K is doing fantastic. I really didn't expect Biden to be this good!" [although I did]. My brother had to agree his investments were up, but immediately claimed we will have "a big crash" in the next month to 6 weeks. It was a civil conversation, but he won't let reality change his mind. Back to weather, a safer topic.
"They (Republicans) are standing firm against “the radical Socialist Democrat agenda,” making sure that no wealthy person’s tax dollars go to schools or roads or social programs." This is the part that dumfounds me. What kind of wealthy person benefits from a poorly educated population? What kind of wealthy person benefits from lousy roads, poor unreliable transportation, and crumbling bridges? What kind of wealthy person benefits from destitute seniors, a sickly and unhealthy population, and prisons bursting at the seams with the same poorly educated, sickly citizens as criminals? Are Republicans saying the wealthy do not need healthy will educated workers? Business owners big and small endlessly complain about paid sick days. They complain about new parents who need time off to take care of their infants and the riggers of new parenting. In a world where every business that I know of needs healthy well educated worker. Workers who can focus on doing their jobs to a high standard rather than worry about their children and parents are a great benefit business their managers, owners, and their investors. Providing good public education, affordable health care, not health insurance, and a properly funded Social Security System is of great value to the wealthy and the non-wealthy alike. Do the wealthy and big businesses believe good workers grow on trees like oranges and all they have to do is harvest them when they need them? Why are businesses clamoring for workers right now after the COVID shut-downs and the COVID recession? They need them to re-staff and get up and running and re-open. If having a healthy, well educated, and socially supported population is a radical Socialist Democrat agenda, then what is the Republican social agenda? Is it wide spread sickness like the COVID epidemic that Trump allowed to happen? Is it crippling public education in favor of expensive religious oriented schools in wealthy neighborhoods like Betsey DeVos envisioned? Is it destroying the postal system in favor of an expensive private system? Is it seniors living out their last years in sickness and destitution dying way before their wealthy neighbors? Is the Republican social agenda the same as Ebenezer Scrooge thought was best for his wealth? If so, I take my chances with the Democrat social agenda. I don't think Americans want to become Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cratchits and their children Tiny Tims.
Tom, I hope you don't mind that I lifted your comment and posted to my FB timeline. You so well summarize the counter-intuitive mindset of Republican "leaders" at all levels of government.
The good news is that Republicans are coming out of the closet, as it were, and showing their true face. No more dog whistles, wink wink, nod nod, thin public facade barely hiding their real intentions. Voters have the choices nakedly before them.
Paraphrasing Mr. Franklin, we are a republic, if we can keep it.
Joe Manchin's opposition to the For the People Act, one of the nation's most important pieces of legislation in generations, is troubling. HIs thinking goes that the bill does not have bipartisan support therefore he won't vote for it. What planet is he on? Does he not believe that if the situation were reversed and Republicans had the advantage they wouldn't pass it without a single Democratic vote? Did they not shelve the nomination of Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court and rush through their own nominee days after Justice Ginsburg passed? One must question his motives. What is his true agenda? Is he a Dino?
He is a vulnerable political animal from planet West Virginia, where his fellow Senator has ensconsed herself comfortably to the right of him in a state where desperate white people bought the notion that if they voted for Trump in 2016 coal would be back. By branding himself with the power of the 50th and deciding vote, he maximizes his short term position and can seek concessions that benefit his state or from legislation he perceives would be deadly to him in his re-election bid, which will be coincident with Trump’s 2024 campaign. So in short, his agenda has everything to do with political self-preservation. No need to look for deeper philosophical issues.
Just to be clear: sometime last year, when you were asked if you intended to continue writing "Letters from an American" after the election, you replied, "at least through the new administration's first 100 days." We are at 115 days, I believe, but here's the thing: We need you now more than ever. Today's letter is a perfect example of why. We need your wealth of facts, your keen insight, and your ability to provide historical context. I realize that your are working the equivalent of two or three full-time jobs, and I'm sure your university students need you too, but please don't even think about stopping *Letters*. You are my lifeline in this turbulent era.
I completely agree with your comment, Michael. Dr HCR's daily letters, and so many of the comments they generate, ground and inform me, challenge my assumptions, and provide much-needed depth to my knowledge base.
But here's the thing. I cannot imagine the time, effort, energy that's required to generate these excellent letters six days a week. Monumental task.
Dr HCR, My subscription is a small but visible sign of my support and gratitude, though I suspect money is not your motivator. I sometimes wonder what your ardent followers (raises hand) can do for you. "Award" you more days off, perhaps? Weekends? I'm quite serious about this.
The Rs have been framing the narrative for a long time - Bill Barr told us there's nothing to see in the Mueller Report then falsely stated that the Report exonerated Trump and showed no evidence of obstruction of justice. He then redacted it so severely that even Congress never saw the whole report. Now, it's McCarthy et al labelling Dems as the Socialist, Radical Left and Republicans as the Populist Party of Inclusion - a "Big Tent" with room for all Americans.
It's time for Dems to take control of the narrative and hold Rs feet to the fire. How about starting with this? Require all US Senators and Congressmen to sign a document affirming that Biden won the popular vote and his Presidency has been certified by the Electoral Collage and is legitimate. Those unwilling to sign the document should be tried for Treason.
I love that President Biden stopped the Garden of Heroes and other brainwashing, whitewashing plans of the phony patriots. History telling like HCR’s is so important, especially now. My mother was a WAC in WWII at a Louisiana airbase and told the story of coming back to Massachusetts on a troop train. The cars were segregated and as Black soldiers got off going North, they integrated the cars by stringing newspaper down the aisle. Can you imagine a being a Black soldier subjected to that humiliation? It’s way past time for the arc of justice to get moving. The top 4 rethugs are bat$hit crazy racist liars and bullies with no desire to fulfill the oath they took.
I forgot he said that. Was that while he was commander in chief? The things he has gotten away with just boggles my mind. May the arc of justice land on his head.
I see the opposition as firm, controlled and reasonable— not wussy. It will do no good to descend to the level of the idjt and his followers. Margiegreen is doing her best and she looks ridiculous next to AOC.
Mike Lee talking about democracy: “Democracy isn’t the objective.... “liberty, peace, and prospe[r]ity are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that.” resembles Xi Jinping's China seeks a similar measure of liberty, peace, and prosperity through is "social credit" system. The Guardian wrote in October, 2020: "Every Chinese citizen receives a literal, numeric index of their “trustworthiness and virtue”, an index which unlocks everything. This single number will determine the opportunities citizens are offered, the freedoms they enjoy, and the privileges they are granted." Follow Mike Lee's opposition to democracy and we get Xi Jinping's social enforcement of allegiance and conformity.
Civics lectures for post HS adults as well. Ninth/tenth (?) grade was too soon for me to grasp the importance of the subject. And too long ago to retain much of the learning. We were too absorbed as teens in making fun of Ms Kravig's dresses than what she was trying to teach us. So, yeah. Refresher essential for those decades away from Civics 101.
Excellent "Letter" from Dr. Richardson today, cutting through the noise and striking at the heart of the Trumpian Republican false thesis of "socialist" goals of the Democratic Party. As Trumpian Republicans complete their casting-out of all naysayers, this claim now becomes as central to their Big Lie as the "stolen election." Again, Dr. Richardson's voice clearly and eloquently speaks the truth.
Professor, thank you for continuing to bring to life our American history with each story. Wealth distribution has long been the Boogie Man Republicans keep trotting out to scare Americans. It reminds me of the old joke which I’ll paraphrase:
A CEO, a union representative and a worker meet around a table with a plate of 10 cookies. The CEO takes 9 cookies then leans over to the worker and tells him “you better keep an eye on your cookie, the union representative looks like he wants a piece.”
We can easily imagine expanding this story to include a Black woman who also wants a piece of that cookie.
Dr. Cox Richardson, I read you every day, and every day I am more convinced that your words and your message must be put in front of young people, especially teens. I work in schools all over the country. My focus areas are reading, writing, and US History. How can I arrange to begin using your work here in schools and providing teachers and kids across the country with materials that afford them the opportunity to learn about the true history of their country in the context of current events? Kind regards, Steve Peha
would be great if communities would start asking school boards to start integrating LFAA into their curriculum. Any school board members here that could speak to how the public could pressure their local districts on this??
Working on this very thing in my county in FL after long career in education. First step is to forward the LFAA to board members. And to the history dept chair at every middle and high school. FL has huge cumbersome county school districts. Readers in smaller, compact districts can more directly make contact with constituents and with the educational side of district. Especially superintendent and curr & instruc leaders.
Christine, Thank you for responding. I would like to contact my school district to advocate for this. Am I understanding you to say that directing my contact to the superintendent and curriculum department head is the most effective use of my advocacy? And addressing Steve's comments re copyright on this thread, I'm wondering if it matters how specifically I recommend the use of books versus LFAA. Thank you so much.
Great idea. But this is not how "adoptions" work. School boards have no control over this. Or at least they shouldn't. It's an internal district issue. Also, there's no district in the US that would "adopt" LFAA. It's not "curriculum" per se. However, if people who work in education like me can use it, I can get it out to hundreds of thousands of teachers relatively easily--as "supporting lesson material" to be taught in reading, writing, social studies, etc. And many teachers, if they can get it directly from someone like me, without going through their district, will be able to teach it--until they get caught. But by then, it may be too late. And there might be media attention. And that would be the goal: get media attention on teachers teaching GREAT history and current events. It shows positive initiative on the part of teachers and complete idiocy on the part of board members, parents, Republicans, Trumpublicans, etc. And for the kids who are lucky enough to get this material, there's no better source of learning they will ever find in their lives. They'll love it. And that will become a "story" too.
She uses the default Substack TOS: "...you own what you create. Any original content you post, upload, share, store, or otherwise provide to Substack remains yours and is protected by copyright and any other applicable intellectual property laws." Unless she explicitly revokes these rights, her stuff can't be used. She holds copyright in the material by both statute and legal agreement in the TOS. That means that only she has the right to "copy" this material. Even if she says otherwise, which I'm sure she has, no one can really use this stuff in a significant way without potentially running afoul of her rights. She's a wonderful and generous person. I have no doubt she wants this material to have the widest possible readership. But in order to use it, by changing it, as would be necessary for use in schools, special agreements would have to be made OR she'd have to release under the appropriate type of Creative Commons license thus overriding the Substack TOS.
"if people who work in education like me can use it," HCR posts it to the public for free. Perhaps I have no clue, but I would like to understand what currently prevents you from using it or as you say "getting it out to hundreds of thousands of teachers"?
There are two issues: (1) Professional courtesy. A globally known scholar needs some respect with regard to how her work is used in academic settings. I'd like to know, from her, that what I have in mind is OK; (2) Legality. Just because this is "Free" to the "Public" does not mean it's "Licensed" freely for all uses. But I'll look for some kind of copyright notice or other indication of "public domain" or creative commons licensing. This is a very serious thing. And I would want to handle it in that manner. I think her work, and her reputation, are too important not to proceed with great care.
"A globally known scholar needs some respect with regard to how her work is used in academic settings." I'm curious if this happens when using the books written by any living author. Sorry for all my questions. Your answers give me confidence in advocating for HCR's materials being used in my locality. Thank you!
There is a provision in US copyright law called “Fair Use”. This allows anyone to use small snippets of a text as examples for commentary. Then there is the posting of entire pieces on the Internet which is not allowed but that requires a long and frustrating thing we have to go through called the DMCA “takedown” process. Finally, there is outright infringement of copyright which typically involves the repackaging of someone else’s work often for commercial purposes. Which can only be permitted through an agreement with the author. In order to make Dr. Richardson’s work usable in a classroom setting, it would have be altered to be easy to teach. And this would necessitate some amount of non-trivial work, or at least repackaging, and this could not be done professionally without commercializing it to some small degree.
Around 1978, when I had started my career in engineering, I remember hearing men talking that the solution to not having enough workers was to get women into the labor force. Today, we see that two salaries are required to survive and be able to feed one's children. We still hear men talking about poor people being lazy and not going back to work because of the $300 per week unemployment, that there are plenty of jobs. But these aren't jobs that pay well and certainly do not cover the costs of child care. Without affordable child care a low paying job brings home next to nothing. I'm feeling very scared that if the For the People Act isn't passed we're on our way to having a rebellion. I will join the resistance if that happens. Hearing that in 1986 they were using the words "ballot integrity" for voter suppression sounds so much like today's "voter integrity" it is truly frightening. Hearing that Republicans are actually saying the United States is "not a democracy" .. and that they don't want democracy anyway is doubly frightening. The Heritage Foundation and ALEC writing all these horrible bills. I think we no longer have a democracy -- it's an oligarchic kleptocracy -- but I differ from the Republicans in that I want democracy back! The majority of the People do too and will show it if they are allowed to vote. This time I what We the People to mean All of Us This Time!
The attacks on democracy are multi-facted: PAC lobbying, court packing, disinformation, state legislatures’ voter suppression bills, The Big Lie, outright organized insurrection. Each of these forces does require an equal and opposite force just to maintain status quo democracy. But reality is not static, and the status quo involves unacceptable institutional racism, sexism, and classism. Therefore, each of these regressive forces requires a greater opposite force to effect progressive change.
HR1/S1 For The People Act is a core force for protection of the vote, gerrymandering reform, and getting big billionaire money out of politics. It would make space for a host of other laws to make our lives more fair and our environment more sustainable. Maybe it’s a misconception to call a law a force. It’s a tool to be applied with force. The force comes from the people who first speak up to get this law passed, to put this tool in the toolbox. Then force comes from people who speak up to enforce this law.
We The People, All of Us This Time = a greater force for progressive and necessary change to preserve and advance our democratic process.
I can’t get the image out of my head of a dense pack of insurrectionists using the totality of their mass weight plus energy to break through a set of doors in the Capitol. Dozens of them packed together, chanted in unison and surged forward en masse with every “Heave HO!” repeatedly, until they broke through.
Our mission is to put our weight together, our individual voices, to form a collective force on behalf of democracy. Our individual voices take many forms of communication to our elected officials and to corporations who make campaign donations: written (letters to the editor, letters or postcards, texting), phone calls, and money (donations pro and boycotts against).
We The People must pass HR1/S1 For The People Act. Get Out The Vote is a critical action. Asking HCR Substack readers:
Which GOTV organizations are you finding to be most effective?
What is your communication of choice to make your voice heard, adding to the collective force?
I thought a lot about responsive and collective force this week. Your descriptor of a law being a tool is spot on. Perhaps this is how it is to be presented to Senator Manchin for example. I want our legislators in Congress to understand WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE FORCE. And I’ll use Luke Skywalker’s light saber, thank you very much.
But one more point. When I was thinking about the fight of this stream for democracy and the we-for-by the people, I thought about you Ellie.
You are something. Have you ever held public office or run a campaign.
There’s something about your light and energy that is very translucent.
Thank you to all HCR’s readers.
Thank you, Christine, for your kind words. It's not about me, but about us as a whole. I am not a politician, and my real political education has been this past year from HCR. I'm just a connector of dots who values the wonderful contributions on this forum of LFAA comments, and I'm working to help move our great discussions to effective action in service of our common goal to support democratic process.
I agree about Ellie’s force.
Hello Christine, it’s Roland. I am replying to an old post of yours, let’s see if you get this message.
Why don’t you subscribe to my substack page? Click on my profile, go to my Substack site, and subscribe. When I get your email, I’ll get back to you.
I would love to speak with you. ❤️❤️
I’m sending a similar message to you on different days, in case some of these days are “thread muted.“ So you might get duplicates of this message.
Love,
Roland
Thank you again. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email for more info: heathersherd@gmail.com
I’m really not sure how to act on behalf of democracy other than sharing these letters to my family and friends. MA is such a blue state. I joined the League of Women Voters and gave them a generous donation but then I really didn’t want to do their ZOOM meetings. And from some of their communications it appeared they were more interested in our town elections whereas, though I do vote in them, we have a lot of good people who love running our town. I’ve never enjoyed meetings let alone ZOOM meetings. I gave a lot more money than I should to Biden’s campaign and the Georgia races so much that my husband got angry. I’m looking for suggestions.
You sound like me Liz; I’m an introvert and have a hard time with meetings and protests. I sign a lot of petitions and make a few phone calls, and I’m on a small pension and tend to get myself in debt making too many donations. Letters, phone calls, and petitions seem a paltry effort but it’s a contribution towards the effort that I can manage. Don’t beat yourself up; any effort is a contribution.
Thanks—I like reminders not to beat myself up. If I lived in Alabama, Georgia or Mississippi I’d knock on doors.
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism, and meetings are available for community and info sharing, but not required. You can email for more info: heathersherd@gmail.com
https://www.mobilize.us/
Americans of Conscience has a weekly checklist you might find helpful. It’s a list of actions to take and the reason behind the request. Mostly letter writing and phone calls to make and she provides a script to help you. Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny has good ideas too. Now that things are opening up look for voter registration drives to help with, there is always back office work to do if you don’t like talking to people you don’t know.
Thank you Elizabeth— I’m making a list!
I felt much like you last summer, Liz, so joined Postcards to Voters and wrote 100 to people in Michigan urging them to vote in the Nov election. It took away the helpless feeling and maybe did some good. If everybody did what you did—donating and sharing—we’d be better off. Keep it up, friend.
Agree about Postcards to Voters, it’s a great way to contribute without knocking on doors or making phone calls....I like to think I helped the GA Senate race, and indeed, Jon Ossoff mentioned us in his thank you you to all who helped in his race.
Ossify is great!
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
MaryB, I was with you, writing 400 to Michigan (with help from the friends and family I recruited). I wondered if it helped, but at the very least it helped me feel like I was doing something positive, and made a contribution to the USPS.
Thank you— I could write editorials or postcards.
I hear you, Liz.I'm from MA, too, and do what little I can afford to do financially. I'm not a joiner, so I hesitate to join groups requiring meetings. I do the postcard/letter writing things, but have no idea that it really makes a difference. I'm waiting to hear the higher ups say that our work helps.
Be proud of what you did. It made a difference, two Senators' worth in Georgia! And in the face of Republican State voter suppression legislation, an even greater effort will be needed in 2022 and 2024. Those who did 100 post cards should plan on doing 200! (Purchase the pre-stamped ones from the USPS now before they become hard to get.) Targeted mailing lists will again be available. The evil ones, like Utah Senator Mike Lee, are already saying that their target is democracy. We are its defenders.
I do write for Postcards to Voters, but they have been pretty silent these days. I know it will pick up, and that's where I feel most like I do make a difference. But, here in MA writing to the locals etc. feels like I'm preaching to the converted. And, I'm not sure how people in other states respond to a MA writer. I'll keep on keeping on for sure.
I just did 10 postcards (feels paltry, after hearing of your 100?) to make waves for what is happening at Point Reyes in Cal. I agree that sending hand written cards could influence our reps? better in Congress etc. Not sure I could do 100 - had to portion out the measly 10 I did. Hand issues - old hands, that is! I truly send kudos to all of you who did so many. I'm sure it did make a difference.
Writing to locals is another ballgame. Such efforts must be attuned to local issues like zoning and schools. Nationally, it doesn't matter that your postal cards carry a MA postmark. Being handwritten says something to the recipient. I used "Flip the West," now known as "Activate America." With them, you buy the postal cards and stamps yourself (try for pre-stamped ones) from the USPS. They provide a targeted list of addresses with suggested messages in crucial States. I wrote their message on the blank side and added my own on the blank half of the front of the card.
Or before DeJoy stops production of prestamped post cards from the USPS!!!
Shhhh! Fontbgiivevhom ifes
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
Will do Jacob thanks for the idea!
Thanks Pam—I’m sure all the things we do make a difference. This is an attitude I think that comes from being born into the female caste. It’s like we never feel we give enough though we’re the ones doing all the giving—not the higher ups.
https://www.mobilize.us/
(HH meetings offered, not required!)
There are letter and postcard writing campaigns with VoteFwd and others. There’s phone banking too (with Fair Fight has others) if you are comfortable with that. There’s such a feeling of gratification being a part of something like that, as a community. It feels empowering and you know you have made a difference.
Thanks Pamsy!
I decided to get involved with my legislative district and next Sunday is their endorsement meeting, where they pick which candidates to endorse. It's slated to go for 7 hours on Zoom, though they say it may take "only" 5 or 6. May god have mercy.
Good for you, Reid. I admire your willingness to give up a day to get involved. Thank you.
😃
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
Good luck with that Reid.
I'm right there with you. I live in Los Angeles. My representatives are Democrats. I have done a few post cards. Mostly I have to rely on giving donations. I felt frustrated during the pandemic because had we been in normal times I would have been out marching with BLM. I'm thinking that in 2022 I may provide rides to the polls. I feel that we all have to become Stacy Abrams in our own little way.
Yes I’ve thought of providing rides too and helping at our election sites. Thank you.
I have regret in taking my democracy for granted for most of my life. We have a fantastic activist group in our state that has helped more of us to grow our activism by monitoring issues that need our attention and helping us direct our time and energy. Getting our voices out there by giving feedback on proposed bills seems important. Here’s one of their newsletters in case anyone is interested. https://mailchi.mp/1d976640a87c/legislative-updates-the-domestic-gag-rule-and-supporting-trans-rights?e=d79cae2224
Don’t feel so bad about not taking an active part in the democratic process until recently. We aren’t born with good decision-making skills; they are rarely taught, and sometimes we learn only from experience. Toastmasters International gave me some practical appreciation for parliamentary procedure and overcoming stage fright. There must be lots of ways to prepare for active participation in our democracy: joining clubs, volunteering in charities, etc. I started a Green Committee of Correspondence just before I left California and whst I learned from that is that hardly anyone I knew understood the value of Roberts Rules of Order or how to follow them. How the legislators get through all that to pass bills, I do not know.
Have you heard of Indivisible? Started by former Congressional staffers, they issued a guide book and within weeks there were thousands of local groups that did some amazing work based on the admonition that the only people politicians will listen to are their own constituents.
https://indivisible.org/democracy-guide
Yes, I did text messaging with them before the Nov 3rd election.
Thank you for this link, MisTBlu, this looks really helpful.
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
Another way one can keep engaged is to track legislature bills in your state. Here in N H, due to COVID, it has been doing zoom meetings and has created a remote testimony platform so that members of the public can put in their support/opposition to a bill. I do the latter by using the guidance that 2-3 progressive groups put out about the bills. I've been doing that for about 2-3 months. Some of the more atrocious bills put for by the Republican majority legislature have been walked back as a result. I also do occasional letters to the editor to my local newspaper about them.
Interesting approach— thank you.
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
You write really well. Letters to the Editors, possibly? Boston Globe has a radical following. I think it’s important to keep pushing back against the lies but I don’t know. It was felt Postcards to Voters, encouraging getting out the vote was successful. There are organizations like Spread the Vote trying to help people get registered to vote (getting the needed ID cards etc).
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
It’s funny but I don’t get the Globe only the Nytimes.
https://www.mobilize.us/
Thank you that’s a good site.
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
Do email HH for more info!
Mobilize.us pulls together many groups and offers a multitude of ways to get involved.
Mobilize.us is great! Thank you and added to the list!
Me too!
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email: heathersherd@gmail.com
Done!
"We The People, All of Us This Time = a greater force for progressive and necessary change to preserve and advance our democratic process." Yes! I think this title (and logo!), developed here by readers like Ellie on HCR's site, is more than a rallying cry. I think it completely embodies the movement, the spirit, the goals and urgency, of our true American democracy quest. Ellie, you may want to copyright it for us. Unlike very noble but misleading terms such as "Black Lives Matter" and "Defund Police", no one can deny what this means. ALL OF US THIS TIME.
so true . with permission, I would like to add it to my email signature. And wish I could make bumper stickers. and t shirts for the grandkids...and, and and.
Letter writing is good. We can also try to counter the disinformation/misinformation out there! If you know people who are critical of HR1/S1 ("For the People Act"), you could send them this -
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/people-act-separating-fact-fiction - or post the article on social media. Common Cause has a volunteer team which reports disinformation on social media & has had successes in getting disinformation removed. Volunteers can also post positive messages (f.e. about HR1/S1) created by Common Cause. Common Cause calls it 'inoculation' against against the disinformation. I post the positive messages and feel that I'm helping in some small way. There are other opportunities like this.
Thanks for this link, Joan!
This is great! Thank you.
Join local grass roots organizations that sprang up immediately after the 2016 election. As HCR suggested, write carefully crafted, fact based opinions in local papers that will be read by right/left/center. Reply on the Twitter posts of McConnell et al calling them out on their lies with links to fact based news. Call, email, and write to their offices constantly. There is a true decay in our country. My mother experienced it teaching government in the public school system in San Antonio. She loved it for many years. She quit because the students changed. There were fewer and fewer who cared, and more and more who were lazy or belligerent. Sports, entertainment, and political figures have gotten away with abuse, drug use, bribery, etc.. Ethics and morality are non existent. The English language in the U.S. has disintegrated. I remember reading a quote once that was something like, "As your language goes, so goes your nation."
Thank you Galilee— I so appreciate your post because you remind me of how much I value language. It is the skill as you suggest I can use in a concerted way to fight this war.
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email:
heathersherd@gmail.com
I’m taking your advice — I renewed my Twitter and I’ll start responding to McConnell etc
Liz, I don't actually use Twitter for me, but when I discovered that McConnell et al do, I try to reply on their posts - you can on Mcconnell's and #their Twitter handles in a post responding to their disimformation with link to facts.
I sent my first tweet to McConnell yesterday in response to his statement about Israel.
I have an appointment with my computer person today— I have Twitter but haven’t been using it — do you have a suggestion about who or what I can chat with.
McConnell for sure. I'm trying to find a way to respond to all, with McCarthy and Cruz at the top of my list. I will let you know.
Yes I signed onto McCarthy and I’ll find Cruz today.
Vote every time for everything. Vote
thank you ellie.... !!!!!!
Every word of this is golden!
Hear Hear, Ellie!! FairFight!!
1. How many here are willing to put time, effort, and maybe a bit of $ into an effort?
2. Is there an already up and running media expert among us?
Hi. A group of HCR Substackers has formed to support activism. You can email:
heathersherd@gmail.com
Ellie, we don't have 'the time it takes to raise a child"!
Manchin is our biggest hurdle but I am kinda seeing him soften just a twd. He and Lisa Murkowski are trying to work together on a plan to bring back the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
In spades
The Right has been arguing that we have a "republic" not a "democracy" forfuckingever. I remember arguing the point with a Bircher back in college in the mid-60s. And I recall hearing the argument the first time in the late 50s somewhere.
We are supposed to democratically elect our representatives, hence democratic republic rather than a pure democracy.
But, it appears that some of our representatives now want to remove the democratic part. They want the Republic and all the power it conveys without the messy part, the people.
It’s happening in Florida with the State legislature making voter initiatives much harder to achieve. And of course voter suppression laws.
Fudal.
https://establishedtitles.com/
My cousin, the evangelical trumper, said this to me in 2016 and I couldn’t find why that distinction was so important to those people. I didn’t want to argue with her on FB so simply responded that we are actually a democratic republic, but I still don’t understand what they are trying to say. What is their message here?
It's a misunderstanding of the term Republic, Cary: a convenient buzzword to contest "democracy" (also poorly understood in terms of its history). In essence, "Democracy" refers to rule by the "demos"--the body of citizens (origin: 6th-century BCE Athens). "Republic" (in Latin "res publica": public stuff) refers to rule through a representative limited body (origin: 6th-century BCE Rome). However, the much vaunted "democracy" in Athens was not very democratic (about 20% of the adult residents of Athens were eligible citizens, mostly because they had so many enslaved workers, "foreign" residents, and women), and the Roman "Republic" was essentially an oligarchic system dominated by the patrician class, which represented about 20% of the population (the Romans at that time were not engaged in human enslavement--that would come later after the Punic Wars).
Sorry, a long answer to your question. There is no essential difference between the two systems if one looks at them historically, as both were dominated by a minority of landowning men. And the Romans deliberately claim the date of 509 BCE as the year of the origin of the Republic because that is the year the Athenians claim to have established their democracy.
Long but great! Buzz word Democrat (currently synonymous with socialist as HCR describes) is today used by Putin/GOP/Koch propaganda to draw hate from the right to the left. Democrat (democracy) vs. Republican (republic). Authoritarian brainwashing tools, black and white thinking, us versus them.
Thank you Linda for stepping up and saving me having to write an answer. :-)
And kudos for an excellent disposition on the Greek and Roman systems.
It's what I do for a living. :-) There are sometimes reasons to study ancient languages!
Thank you for this explanation!
Right you are! So some folks want to split hairs to support superior persons (usually older white males) making our laws to benefit their way of life and "benignly" assigning crumbs to the rest, simply because we elect representatives to speak for us.
Thank you, Linda!
Their message is that the more people who vote, the more democratic our democratic republic becomes, and as a result, the less likely it will allow the private sector to have the freedom to do whatever it wants, supposedly but incorrectly, for everyone's benefit. See the position of the Heritage Foundation and Senator Mike Lee's anti-democratic remarks in HCR's comments today.
Bingo.
That they have no interest in the social net created in what they disparage as a “democracy”. In fact, they have always created holes in the net that allow SOME to fall through to their peril.
Their interest in a “republic” is money and power. And that the word is in the name of their party. They are obsessed with the word.
Whenever you find some little irksome detail, some extra hoop you have to jump through with whatever social program you are dealing with (taxes on Social Security, copays on Medicare, etc., etc.) you can thank the goddamned Republicans for throwing the monkey wrench in the gears.
And yet when it comes to the California Republic (it’s on our flag) they label us communists and deride “the Cali ways.”
Trump Republicans are trying to downplay one-person-one-vote democracy, because they know the demographic tide is running against them due to higher birthrates and immigration favoring people of color. To adhere to democracy will eventually reduce their political power, jeopardizing their longstanding economic, social and political privilege.
They know that and that is why the Fascist Senator from Utah, as quoted by HCR, is against democracy. He calls it "rank" democracy. Historically, it was called "pure" democracy, a system which our demographics make impossible, so we settle for a democratic republic, which is what we have. Mike Lee and his ilk want a democracy which gives them the freedom to have the economic, social and political privilege to which you refer and provides little else. To them, the fewer voters, the better off they are.
Yup. That's what "protecting the purity of the ballot-box" is all about.
They really want a monarchy. They just SAY they are a republic. The European royalty is alive and well and selling titles. They sold some into Mexico and the practice has seeped into the Southern States. Thus “Baron” Trump. It’s illegal according to our constitution. https://sealandgov.org/buy-noble-titles
Or....
https://establishedtitles.com/
See how this goes, TC? Republic = RepubliCANS and Democracy = Democrats so, of course, the right wants all of the power, the credit. A good definition of each: “ The major difference between a democracy and a republic is that a republic is a form of government whereas a democracy is an ideology that helps shape how a government is run. Put another way: a republic is the system of government that allows a country to be democratic!”
I am involved in supporting a fabulous daycare for underserved children in Winter Park FL that came into existence when women went to work in WWII. You are so right about affordable daycare being a key cog in restarting the economy....which is why this administration included it in the infrastructure package which it frames in terms of jobs. Arguing that the "social" programs ought to be funded somewhere else misses this key reality for women in the workplace. Thank you.
Cathy, your comment about the women is so important. Recently I attended a Zoom meeting with several voting rights groups including LWV and "All on the Line". They opened with this excellent music video by Keb' Mo: "Put a Woman in Charge".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FciQeRGYFlw
Here's a live version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZddINdr4Us
This has been my belief since I was a little girl - it's time to hand over the reins to women. Especially, put some Black, Brown, and Indigenous women in charge (as President Biden has been doing in his administration!)
Beautiful video!
Love this.
Ballot integrity = Voter suppression sounds like “1984.”
There is a daily newsletter (or weekly digest if you prefer not to get daily email) curated by Nicole Cardoza that offers take-aways (suggestions for action) with each essay posted. Although not directly related to influencing legislators, there is plenty to think about and act upon in daily interactions with others that might help with feeling useful.
https://www.antiracismdaily.com
Protestors to the bill are being brought in from out of state to protest in front of Manchin's office - West Virginia. I think letters need to be sent to him since he's become so pivotal to getting Democratic led bills passed.
A recent essay was about photo ID requirements (for voting and much more) and the effects upon marginalized groups. There was a link to find out what the laws on identification are in every state and info about efforts by various organizations working to overcome the barriers to obtaining identification.
https://www.antiracismdaily.com/archives/increase-access-to-identification-in-your-community-anti-racism-daily
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! It makes me cringe every time Dr. R reiterates the sentiment that having a government that regulates business, maintains a social safety net and solid infrastructure is "a redistribution of wealth from hardworking white men to African Americans who want a handout." IMHO this idea is...POPPYCOCK!!!
The way I see it is if you take the year 1619 as the beginnings of slave (free) labor for the "hardworking white men" and multiply that number (4 million give or take?) by 246 years (give or take) what you've got is a HUGE debt owed to the former slaves AND their descendants for wages never paid. I leave factoring in the Jim Crow era to others.
So my point is the next time we hear a Republican (in this era) railing about socialism, maybe we should point out that it was the "hardworking white man" who wanted and received a handout.
Exactly. Your points about "wages never paid", and white men who received a handout are spot on. Something else to add is the fact that white people still benefit from those handouts, but refuse to acknowledge that. To my astonishment, I heard this denial said out loud a couple of weeks ago in a Forum held by my Quaker meeting on making a simple apology to Indigenous people. "What does this have to do with us? We aren't the ones who did it." I was relieved when someone else pointed out that the house they were so pleased with was built on stolen land and stolen resources. It was an awkward meeting.
Morning, Annie!! To be sure an awkward meeting, but wouldn't it be wonderful if it sparks thoughtful reflection by your otherwise good people!
That comment does not reflect the entire Forum, I must hasten to say, though it was not the only one along those lines. I was startled that it was said at all, though, and it was not the only one along those lines. But it did bring out into the open a line of discussion that needs to be delved into. A small group of people created this forum out of a committee examining a suggested letter from our YM (yearly meeting, which describes a structural part of Society of Friends. I am impressed with how the folks on that committee handled it. I did not join the committee because I felt this was something the non-Indian members needed to consider. I, being of mixed blood, have skin in the game, as it were (sorry, I am given to odd puns, comes with that heritage). They validated my feelings without me having to spell them out. For folks unfamiliar with the Society of Friends, this is pretty much how it works. We muddle our way to a kind of consensus, and awkward (and sometimes lengthy) though that process can be, it is a good way to give people the space they need to come to a shared awareness. It's very much like the traditional way my indigenous people do things.
Thank you, Annie. Your Society of Friends sounds "imperfectly" grand.
Lynell, I have not heard a better definition for it! Thank you, I'll be sharing it with my friend Friends (often informally referred to as "Quakers").
Quakers were the only people I missed when I left the US 30 years ago.
excellent excellent and Thank you. This is why I enjoy this group of thoughtful, well-read individuals. Your example is perfect. And this goes with some other current behavior we see - that Trump mastered where he said “the dems are going to do XYZ”when it was exactly HIM that was going to do it. I love it . . .hardworking white man wanted a handout - free labor.
Morning, Lynell! Great twist to the "hardworking white man" position. I shall appropriate that for my own usage.
Sadly, the systemic racism and white privilege is so imbedded in my "opponents"* that I am accused of all sorts of negative things. I shall borrow from another HCR reader and counter with the announcement that I am a "Progressive Independent."
I get so much from my morning perusal of LFAA. Thanks to all.
*My "opponents" are mostly white, retired (although some are still working) white Christian cops/military affiliated people.
Morning, Ally!! I'm honored by your plan to appropriate where you can among your circle of "opponents." HCR also tells us that the socialism that this country embraces - the social safety net of Medicare, schooling, etc. - is not "Socialism: a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole." The USA's means of production and distribution and exchange rests with the private sector. I had a giggle over the news of the Colonial Pipeline being hijacked for ransom last week. One news reporter pointed out that Colonial was privately owned, intimating that somehow this was not the norm!
Hello, Lynell! Yes, knowing that Colonial is mostly owned by the Dark Money Kochs is somethin’, ain’t it? My theory on that since the ransom was paid in cryptocurrency ($ can’t be traced), is that the Kochs might have ticked their Russian people off and the hackers got involved in teaching them “a lesson”. My other theory is that these hackers are friends of the Kochs and this was all a deliberate act. Whereby, it could be another way to money launder. Far-fetched idea but in these times...
Hey, Marlene. So let's "mark" your words and see what may come out in future!
And raise the price of gas
My thoughts exactly. We all know that the ransom was not paid by Colonial per se, but will be balanced on the backs of those who fill their gas tanks and purchase other commodities produced by the Koch conglomerate.
Hahahahahahahaha. That is a great comeback.
Thanks for reading along, Christine!
May i use tthe last two paragraphs in a post on my fb?
Please do, Susan!!
Exactly.
“radical socialist Democrat agenda”
I thought about that phrase off and on all day yesterday, and if that’s what being concerned about the rights of ALL Americans is, then yes, I’m proud to be a “radical socialist Democrat”.
My definitions don’t come from a book on economics, but “capitalism” puts money first, since “capital” is the root of the word. Bezos makes more than $3,000/second (!) but Amazon’s workers are supposed to survive on $13-15/hour. “Socialism” derives from “social”—as in social life, social security, socialize, etc. We could use a lot more “socialism” in the US! Family leave, child care for all, health care for all, a minimum wage that covers all your bills—and the right for everyone to vote.
So yeah, I’m a proud radical socialist Democrat.
I don’t like to use the word socialist because it turns so many people off. Plus as Heather pointed out it’s often used incorrectly. I’m a progressive independent who would love to see our country have better public education, infrastructure, and a medical care system that is more fair and affordable. I’d like states to share information more quickly on all sorts of issues like who is buying guns. I’d just like our country to care less about avoiding taxes and more about quality of life. But as my French friends say—you Americans just love to fight.
I laugh when I read your posts sometimes, Liz. I love your thinking. When talking with a friend this week, I used the words “Progressive Independent” to describe myself politically. And then I said, “and I just decided to capitalize each word.”
Hahahahahahaha
Christine where do you live? Humor is a high value in my life. I love friends who make me laugh and my husband makes me laugh every day. Cheeto has no sense of humor. It’s also fun to have people appreciate one’s sense of humor. Thanks.
I live in Florida. Believe me, we need a li’l humor. DeSantis is just so...so doughy and clammy. And Gaetz and his horsey guffaw is not very attractive either.
Christine,
I hear you— FL seems to be under the large Cheeto shadow. I hope you keep your sense of humor.
The FRENCH say that about US? *Mumble mumble pot mumble kettle something*
I know —as if the French aren’t always striking or thinking of fighting something
Progressive Independent...I like it, Liz!
Hash-Tag Me Too, Yvonne!!
We should get “Radical Socialist Democrat” T shirts!
“Radical socialist Democratic agenda” means we are opposed to any attempt to water down our Stone Age system where whites are favored, males are favored, boy-girl is favored, and Christian is favored. We don’t want inclusive society or diverse society. We don’t want to give any power to women, African-Americans (or any other POC), trans or bi or gay people, or Muslims and other non-Christians. To these Stone Age relics, white supremacy and male supremacy and boy-girl supremacy is all that matters.
And entirely ignore white male engagement in genocidal ethnic cleansing of the Indigenous, Black, and Chinese populations, among other racist actions over centuries
Continuing from Annie's note that Stone Age humans were pre-Christian, the archaeological data suggest that Stone Age humans were not very white!
Roland, I am a bit tickled by your contrasting our current system with the "Stone Age". I have a feeling that pre-Christian stone age cultures were a good bit more balanced, accepting, and generous than most of our high-tech, "modern" cultures! It's the anachronism of it that makes me giggle.
Me too and it seems, getting more radical by the day ... LoL
Republican efforts to suppress voting rights should not cause Democrats to surrender. The struggle over the right to vote has been continuous since our country’s founding. Our history is a shameful one of singling out one group after another to deny access to the ballot. In every case justice and democratic principles eventually prevail. However, each time the struggle has required persistence and effort both by those discriminated against and people of good will.
Do not despair that the situation is lost and our Constitutional Republic irreconcilable broken. Effort and persistence are once again required from people of good will. So roll up your sleeves and get to work electing better choices. Get into John Lewis’ good trouble. Vote. No matter how many barriers are erected, no matter how Republicans act to control election outcomes, Vote. Volunteer as an election official. It is important that election workers are bipartisan. Insist on your voice being heard and your vote matters.
Right you are, Bruce!!
”I swear to the Lord I still can’t see why democracy means everybody but me.” —Langston Hughes
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”
—W.E.B. Du Bois
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” —Nelson Mandela
“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
—Frederick Douglass
“Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.”
—Carol Moseley-Braun, politician and lawyer
“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.” —Jackie Robinson
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” —Rosa Parks
“Life has two rules: number 1, never quit! Number 2, always remember rule number one.” —Duke Ellington
“Make a difference about something other than yourselves.” —Toni Morrison
I'd like to add one more from Frederick Douglass: "It's easier to build strong children then it is to repair broken men".
It is not only the words of those who have struggled in the fight for human rights and a more just society but the examples of the lives they lived that give power to those words. Thank you for these reminders.
Amen. Thanks, Fern.
Thank you, Annie. For many who have been active in Civil Rights for long years, this latest assault can pull us into tight overheated corners. Exploitation and subjection have been defining aspects of our country for centuries. Opinions about the oppressors must not overshadow our determination to overcome. The courageous leaders quoted above and so many more provide the spirit to carry on together.
AMEN!
"And so, Republicans began to say that the United States is 'not a democracy,' as Utah Senator Mike Lee tweeted in October. 'Democracy isn’t the objective,'
he continued, 'liberty, peace, and prospe[r]ity are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that.'"
Thank you, Prof. HCR, for this excellent thread explaining the GOP's "unique" definition of "socialism." Their terminology fails to resemble an academic understanding of a veritable political system. Like all other GOP theoretical and political inventions/lies it is rooted in colonialism, white supremacy and racism, a racism that connotes a deeper, more venomous hatred and destructive
Oops! It printed mid-sentence!
... a racism that connotes a deeper, more venomous hatred and destructive bigotry through each passing decade. This cannot go on, not in a country that prides itself as being the leader of the western world. Such malignity has no place in the future of our youth -- none whatsoever! It must be eradicated before it seeps into every sinew of our children and their progeny.
At the moment, the greatest opportunity we have is for the top GOP Pinnochios -- and they are many -- to be tried for treason and their active roles in the January insurrection.
This is happening, Rowshan, our youth are fully awake to this corrosive hatred and bigotry. The tide has been turning. Progress is slow, yes, but it IS progress. Will it reach the tipping point in time? Can't say. But the movement is with us now. There most certainly is hope. Bless those young people. Every day.
Yes, of course, there is hope, and I bless our youth every day! Believe me, EVERY DAY. I teach in a college, adore my students, and spend a huge amount of time with our youth. I also know that not everyone thinks in the same way. For all those who demonstrate, the same number stay at home.
Have you seen what the GOP strongholds want to teach our children? Which historical texts they want to use? How some still think that the creation story should be afforded scientific value? Not all our youth are fully awake. I know how careful I have to be when I teach. Today, many of my most cherished students will be graduating and I will shed as many tears as their parents. I pray that their lives will be rich and fruitful. I hope that they will change our world, but if 45 and the GOP win again and have their way ... May the Force be with them.
I am so glad to hear that you are an educator*; your passion and eloquence must be like water to growing plants.
* I read an article recently that discussed a meeting between some really high-powered IT folks, and the fellow leading asked if any of them wanted to teach. All answered negative. He said (and I paraphrase here) "I think what you mean is you don't want to become someone who is an educator; I devoutly hope that you intend to teach your skill set to us all, to make us all better at what we do."
Good educators create those people who can teach us all specific things. Thank you.
Oh, Ally! You are the eloquent one! Your words are so compassionate and generous about me. I can only hope that I have been as good as those who taught and mentored me. Your post is all the more meaningful today as I soon watch my students walk across that stage and the threshold that with hope and blessings will carry them into their many tomorrows. Bless you!
Thank you!
What a lovely post. I’m so glad you are their teacher and I’m sure they are too!
Thanks so much, Pamsy! It's so very kind of you to say so.
And also with you.
Thank you so much, Lena! I feel blessed.
Oh geez. Rowshan. I just referenced The Force in a reply to you a few minutes ago!
I guess I now have a reputation of using the Force! That's really endearing -- thanks so much, Christine!
Yes, indeed, Rowshan, may the Force be with us all!’ I’m delighted to know you’re an educator. All the more reason to hold out hope. Blessings in you, too. Every day.
Blessings ON you, too.
“GOP Pinocchios” Hahahahahaha. I was wondering about Stefanik’s and MarjTayGreene’s noses. Sniffing around for popularity and a playground brawl. I know that AOC fought to keep her cool with Greene chasing her through the House halls.
Someone posted earlier on stream about conceding that Merrick Garland is good about creating some calm in the storm. “Calm”? I do not agree. Merrick Garland is MY dawg. Methodical and laser focused, he isn’t is a blankie and a cup of chamomile tea.
He and his team will gnash and gnash some more until the roots of treason in Congress are exposed and hacked at until they no longer will bear putrid fruit.
My money is on him. The KookKochs committed to wrong investment long ago.
Like I said earlier. Just make sure the right color light saber is fastened to your own belt.
I still, even today, wake up in disbelief, that my country handed over the keys to our Oval Office to that lying crook, to make the most important decisions over our lives for 4 effing years. Today on a glorious day full of spectacular color in May, surely I can pretend for a few hours, it was only a nightmare .
Thanks for the historical perspective that this isn't a new fight, that it's the same fight we've been having since before the country was the country.
Yup, the sky might not fall in 2022, nor in 2024....maybe in 3020?
But, before I get poked, I also know it is incumbent upon those of us paying attention to stand up. Surrounded by trumplican friends and family, I have always been the lone voice of alarm. Will keep on keeping on. Thanks to HCR.
If a repug wanted to chat with me about this stuff I’d have no problem discussing these issues civilly.
Ps, I know i communicate better with animals than with people! Animals don't lie.
Your seemingly unreachable family members are living examples of the power of contemporary advertising to create one track minds in the service oligarchic, psychopathic obsession for power. We - you and I - have helped cultivate this consequence by our silence and inaction in the face of the consolidation of corporate media into empires (monopolies). We have colluded with these forces each time when we've been quiet when we've allowed the FCC under Reagan to ditch the Fairness Doctrine."The FCC eliminated the policy in 1987 and removed the rule that implemented the policy from the Federal Register in August 2011.[1]...The doctrine did not require equal time for opposing views but required that contrasting viewpoints be presented. The demise of this FCC rule has been considered by some to be a contributing factor for the rising level of party polarization in the United States.[2][" We are seeing in action - Karl Rove's prediction: "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out."
Lynn— I totally prefer the company of animals—they don’t judge— ah but they can’t vote. There’s the rub.
Obv they would vote for you if they could! 😜
Hard to discuss issues when facts cannot even be agreed on. And, it seems facts do not matter, when beliefs are the issue!
This is my experience. I have made attempts at discourse with trumplicans; there is no such thing. The gaslighting that gushes forth, the absolute belief in things that are not true, and their insistence that I suffer from TDS precludes any sort of civil conversation.
Talked to one of my trumper brothers yesterday, and casually said, "Wow, my 401K is doing fantastic. I really didn't expect Biden to be this good!" [although I did]. My brother had to agree his investments were up, but immediately claimed we will have "a big crash" in the next month to 6 weeks. It was a civil conversation, but he won't let reality change his mind. Back to weather, a safer topic.
Lots of luck with "civilly."
Many years with special needs middle schoolers has given me self control. I will still need luck.
"They (Republicans) are standing firm against “the radical Socialist Democrat agenda,” making sure that no wealthy person’s tax dollars go to schools or roads or social programs." This is the part that dumfounds me. What kind of wealthy person benefits from a poorly educated population? What kind of wealthy person benefits from lousy roads, poor unreliable transportation, and crumbling bridges? What kind of wealthy person benefits from destitute seniors, a sickly and unhealthy population, and prisons bursting at the seams with the same poorly educated, sickly citizens as criminals? Are Republicans saying the wealthy do not need healthy will educated workers? Business owners big and small endlessly complain about paid sick days. They complain about new parents who need time off to take care of their infants and the riggers of new parenting. In a world where every business that I know of needs healthy well educated worker. Workers who can focus on doing their jobs to a high standard rather than worry about their children and parents are a great benefit business their managers, owners, and their investors. Providing good public education, affordable health care, not health insurance, and a properly funded Social Security System is of great value to the wealthy and the non-wealthy alike. Do the wealthy and big businesses believe good workers grow on trees like oranges and all they have to do is harvest them when they need them? Why are businesses clamoring for workers right now after the COVID shut-downs and the COVID recession? They need them to re-staff and get up and running and re-open. If having a healthy, well educated, and socially supported population is a radical Socialist Democrat agenda, then what is the Republican social agenda? Is it wide spread sickness like the COVID epidemic that Trump allowed to happen? Is it crippling public education in favor of expensive religious oriented schools in wealthy neighborhoods like Betsey DeVos envisioned? Is it destroying the postal system in favor of an expensive private system? Is it seniors living out their last years in sickness and destitution dying way before their wealthy neighbors? Is the Republican social agenda the same as Ebenezer Scrooge thought was best for his wealth? If so, I take my chances with the Democrat social agenda. I don't think Americans want to become Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cratchits and their children Tiny Tims.
Short answer is one we don't understand: Yes. To all of it.
It boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
Tom, I hope you don't mind that I lifted your comment and posted to my FB timeline. You so well summarize the counter-intuitive mindset of Republican "leaders" at all levels of government.
Poorly educated might be more likely to work for peanuts and vote for tyrants?
YES! May I repost on fb?!
The good news is that Republicans are coming out of the closet, as it were, and showing their true face. No more dog whistles, wink wink, nod nod, thin public facade barely hiding their real intentions. Voters have the choices nakedly before them.
Paraphrasing Mr. Franklin, we are a republic, if we can keep it.
Joe Manchin's opposition to the For the People Act, one of the nation's most important pieces of legislation in generations, is troubling. HIs thinking goes that the bill does not have bipartisan support therefore he won't vote for it. What planet is he on? Does he not believe that if the situation were reversed and Republicans had the advantage they wouldn't pass it without a single Democratic vote? Did they not shelve the nomination of Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court and rush through their own nominee days after Justice Ginsburg passed? One must question his motives. What is his true agenda? Is he a Dino?
He is a vulnerable political animal from planet West Virginia, where his fellow Senator has ensconsed herself comfortably to the right of him in a state where desperate white people bought the notion that if they voted for Trump in 2016 coal would be back. By branding himself with the power of the 50th and deciding vote, he maximizes his short term position and can seek concessions that benefit his state or from legislation he perceives would be deadly to him in his re-election bid, which will be coincident with Trump’s 2024 campaign. So in short, his agenda has everything to do with political self-preservation. No need to look for deeper philosophical issues.
and, no doubt he is enjoying his moments of power in these negotiations.
Just to be clear: sometime last year, when you were asked if you intended to continue writing "Letters from an American" after the election, you replied, "at least through the new administration's first 100 days." We are at 115 days, I believe, but here's the thing: We need you now more than ever. Today's letter is a perfect example of why. We need your wealth of facts, your keen insight, and your ability to provide historical context. I realize that your are working the equivalent of two or three full-time jobs, and I'm sure your university students need you too, but please don't even think about stopping *Letters*. You are my lifeline in this turbulent era.
I completely agree with your comment, Michael. Dr HCR's daily letters, and so many of the comments they generate, ground and inform me, challenge my assumptions, and provide much-needed depth to my knowledge base.
But here's the thing. I cannot imagine the time, effort, energy that's required to generate these excellent letters six days a week. Monumental task.
Dr HCR, My subscription is a small but visible sign of my support and gratitude, though I suspect money is not your motivator. I sometimes wonder what your ardent followers (raises hand) can do for you. "Award" you more days off, perhaps? Weekends? I'm quite serious about this.
Both Saturday and Sunday off.
Exactly what I had in mind!
The Rs have been framing the narrative for a long time - Bill Barr told us there's nothing to see in the Mueller Report then falsely stated that the Report exonerated Trump and showed no evidence of obstruction of justice. He then redacted it so severely that even Congress never saw the whole report. Now, it's McCarthy et al labelling Dems as the Socialist, Radical Left and Republicans as the Populist Party of Inclusion - a "Big Tent" with room for all Americans.
It's time for Dems to take control of the narrative and hold Rs feet to the fire. How about starting with this? Require all US Senators and Congressmen to sign a document affirming that Biden won the popular vote and his Presidency has been certified by the Electoral Collage and is legitimate. Those unwilling to sign the document should be tried for Treason.
I love that President Biden stopped the Garden of Heroes and other brainwashing, whitewashing plans of the phony patriots. History telling like HCR’s is so important, especially now. My mother was a WAC in WWII at a Louisiana airbase and told the story of coming back to Massachusetts on a troop train. The cars were segregated and as Black soldiers got off going North, they integrated the cars by stringing newspaper down the aisle. Can you imagine a being a Black soldier subjected to that humiliation? It’s way past time for the arc of justice to get moving. The top 4 rethugs are bat$hit crazy racist liars and bullies with no desire to fulfill the oath they took.
I forgot he said that. Was that while he was commander in chief? The things he has gotten away with just boggles my mind. May the arc of justice land on his head.
Unfortunately, that doesn't keep military folks from going to war to defend #45. https://www.npr.org/2021/01/21/958915267/nearly-one-in-five-defendants-in-capitol-riot-cases-served-in-the-military
Thankfully under our current administration, there might be consequences, but I'll be shocked if anyone gets charged with treason, which is what it is! https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2021/5/13/22434603/active-duty-marine-corp-major-warnagiris-charged-deadly-jan-6-riot-capitol-veterans
I agree that the Dems must step up to the plate now!
Time to stop being wussy.
I see the opposition as firm, controlled and reasonable— not wussy. It will do no good to descend to the level of the idjt and his followers. Margiegreen is doing her best and she looks ridiculous next to AOC.
What? And strike out? Nah.... Dems are 7th,8th, and 9th inning for the win kind of pols. And they make sure their best relief pitcher is in.
Ok, Christine, I'll hold you to those stats! 😉
Me, too.
Mike Lee talking about democracy: “Democracy isn’t the objective.... “liberty, peace, and prospe[r]ity are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that.” resembles Xi Jinping's China seeks a similar measure of liberty, peace, and prosperity through is "social credit" system. The Guardian wrote in October, 2020: "Every Chinese citizen receives a literal, numeric index of their “trustworthiness and virtue”, an index which unlocks everything. This single number will determine the opportunities citizens are offered, the freedoms they enjoy, and the privileges they are granted." Follow Mike Lee's opposition to democracy and we get Xi Jinping's social enforcement of allegiance and conformity.
THIS should be in HS civics lectures.
Civics lectures for post HS adults as well. Ninth/tenth (?) grade was too soon for me to grasp the importance of the subject. And too long ago to retain much of the learning. We were too absorbed as teens in making fun of Ms Kravig's dresses than what she was trying to teach us. So, yeah. Refresher essential for those decades away from Civics 101.
Yes.
Excellent "Letter" from Dr. Richardson today, cutting through the noise and striking at the heart of the Trumpian Republican false thesis of "socialist" goals of the Democratic Party. As Trumpian Republicans complete their casting-out of all naysayers, this claim now becomes as central to their Big Lie as the "stolen election." Again, Dr. Richardson's voice clearly and eloquently speaks the truth.
Professor, thank you for continuing to bring to life our American history with each story. Wealth distribution has long been the Boogie Man Republicans keep trotting out to scare Americans. It reminds me of the old joke which I’ll paraphrase:
A CEO, a union representative and a worker meet around a table with a plate of 10 cookies. The CEO takes 9 cookies then leans over to the worker and tells him “you better keep an eye on your cookie, the union representative looks like he wants a piece.”
We can easily imagine expanding this story to include a Black woman who also wants a piece of that cookie.
What’s amazing is how well this tactic works.
Excellent Scary Story, Diane. Here's the cow version that helps to explain the "isms" but probably not a tactic that would work!
Socialism: You have two cows. Give one cow to your neighbor.
Communism: You have two cows. Give both cows to the government, and they may give you some of the milk.
Fascism: You have two cows. You give all of the milk to the government, and the government sells it.
Nazism: You have two cows. The government shoots you and takes both cows.
Anarchism: You have two cows. Keep both of the cows, shoot the government agent and steal another cow.
Capitalism: You have two cows. Sell one cow and buy a bull.
Thanks Lynell. Great analogy.
Every. Time.
and you're so right. It is a "drug". denialism. avoiding the painful TRUTH
Dr. Cox Richardson, I read you every day, and every day I am more convinced that your words and your message must be put in front of young people, especially teens. I work in schools all over the country. My focus areas are reading, writing, and US History. How can I arrange to begin using your work here in schools and providing teachers and kids across the country with materials that afford them the opportunity to learn about the true history of their country in the context of current events? Kind regards, Steve Peha
would be great if communities would start asking school boards to start integrating LFAA into their curriculum. Any school board members here that could speak to how the public could pressure their local districts on this??
Working on this very thing in my county in FL after long career in education. First step is to forward the LFAA to board members. And to the history dept chair at every middle and high school. FL has huge cumbersome county school districts. Readers in smaller, compact districts can more directly make contact with constituents and with the educational side of district. Especially superintendent and curr & instruc leaders.
Christine, Thank you for responding. I would like to contact my school district to advocate for this. Am I understanding you to say that directing my contact to the superintendent and curriculum department head is the most effective use of my advocacy? And addressing Steve's comments re copyright on this thread, I'm wondering if it matters how specifically I recommend the use of books versus LFAA. Thank you so much.
Great idea. But this is not how "adoptions" work. School boards have no control over this. Or at least they shouldn't. It's an internal district issue. Also, there's no district in the US that would "adopt" LFAA. It's not "curriculum" per se. However, if people who work in education like me can use it, I can get it out to hundreds of thousands of teachers relatively easily--as "supporting lesson material" to be taught in reading, writing, social studies, etc. And many teachers, if they can get it directly from someone like me, without going through their district, will be able to teach it--until they get caught. But by then, it may be too late. And there might be media attention. And that would be the goal: get media attention on teachers teaching GREAT history and current events. It shows positive initiative on the part of teachers and complete idiocy on the part of board members, parents, Republicans, Trumpublicans, etc. And for the kids who are lucky enough to get this material, there's no better source of learning they will ever find in their lives. They'll love it. And that will become a "story" too.
She uses the default Substack TOS: "...you own what you create. Any original content you post, upload, share, store, or otherwise provide to Substack remains yours and is protected by copyright and any other applicable intellectual property laws." Unless she explicitly revokes these rights, her stuff can't be used. She holds copyright in the material by both statute and legal agreement in the TOS. That means that only she has the right to "copy" this material. Even if she says otherwise, which I'm sure she has, no one can really use this stuff in a significant way without potentially running afoul of her rights. She's a wonderful and generous person. I have no doubt she wants this material to have the widest possible readership. But in order to use it, by changing it, as would be necessary for use in schools, special agreements would have to be made OR she'd have to release under the appropriate type of Creative Commons license thus overriding the Substack TOS.
"if people who work in education like me can use it," HCR posts it to the public for free. Perhaps I have no clue, but I would like to understand what currently prevents you from using it or as you say "getting it out to hundreds of thousands of teachers"?
There are two issues: (1) Professional courtesy. A globally known scholar needs some respect with regard to how her work is used in academic settings. I'd like to know, from her, that what I have in mind is OK; (2) Legality. Just because this is "Free" to the "Public" does not mean it's "Licensed" freely for all uses. But I'll look for some kind of copyright notice or other indication of "public domain" or creative commons licensing. This is a very serious thing. And I would want to handle it in that manner. I think her work, and her reputation, are too important not to proceed with great care.
"A globally known scholar needs some respect with regard to how her work is used in academic settings." I'm curious if this happens when using the books written by any living author. Sorry for all my questions. Your answers give me confidence in advocating for HCR's materials being used in my locality. Thank you!
There is a provision in US copyright law called “Fair Use”. This allows anyone to use small snippets of a text as examples for commentary. Then there is the posting of entire pieces on the Internet which is not allowed but that requires a long and frustrating thing we have to go through called the DMCA “takedown” process. Finally, there is outright infringement of copyright which typically involves the repackaging of someone else’s work often for commercial purposes. Which can only be permitted through an agreement with the author. In order to make Dr. Richardson’s work usable in a classroom setting, it would have be altered to be easy to teach. And this would necessitate some amount of non-trivial work, or at least repackaging, and this could not be done professionally without commercializing it to some small degree.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! much appreciated.
LOVE THIS!
Excellent proposition!!!