So I called my Republican senator and went Heather Cox Richardson on the woman who answered. I talked about voting rights, the 14th amendment, the parallels between the Confederacy and the current stance of the Republican Party. After 20 minutes I said, "i hope this makes sense," and she replied, "yes it does and I'm writing it down as fast as I can, my hand actually hurts!" :)
Thank you, Dr. Richardson, for not losing heart. Its hard and scary but there is always hope.
Good for you. Let's pass the message: "Go Heather Cox Richardson" on them all. Just think about what it would be like if the inboxes of every Republican senator and representative were flooded with this. I live in NH where all my reps/senators are Democrats, but I'll be sending one to Senator Collins of Maine.
"Just think about what it would be like if the inboxes of every Republican senator and representative were flooded with this. " Arthur - good thought. However coming from a deep red state like I do (TN) I can tell you that minority voters flooding their inboxes will not move the needle one micron. Do you really think a Marsha Blackburn would change her stance on anything? And that is the problem - in a democratic government like ours, truth and honesty are vital for good decision making. We have a political party that has ranked power before truth and honesty, and is gaming the system to hold onto or retake power. They care not one iota for what you and I think. I fear constitutionally we do not have the tools to fight it.
I live in Tennessee, and my experience with contacting Tennessee legislators (all Republicans) has been followed by a deluge of political emails, essays about the wonderful things being done in Tennessee. HOGWASH!
I asked my brother in Nashville was there someone I could donate to. His response was to save my money unless he found someone who had a chance. If you have a recommendation for a state level person elsewhere in my natal state, let me know! Nashville he'll share. It's pretty blue anyway.
Either you stand up and make yourself heard or get lost in the muck as it overwhelms all of us. I'm from the USVI, think Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett so no Republicans to contact. Many will only take emails, etc from their constituents so please give it a try. Thank You.
Jay Wheaton - I think your comments are spot on and IMO your last sentence is why so many who are trying to fight the good fight feel they are flinging themselves against a brick wall. Domestically, democrats are "bringing knives to a gunfight". Internationally, Europe and other countries are looking on in disbelief as republicans make a mockery of their own government which, among so many other things, diminishes our ability to negotiate or generate much respect.
The internal attempts to grab power and the displays of outrageous behavior has a long history and of course even a civil war (an oxymoron if ever there was one!) However, in prior centuries the U.S. was not the economic or military power of today. Unfortunately, the game the republicans have been and continue to engage in has the potential for devastating consequences on a global scale.
Thanks. My pet issue is climate change. This power grab, if successful, will again halt the US efforts to play our part in climate mitigation. Already it was hobbled by Manchin/Sinema. But the world will look on with horror if in 2024 the Republicans take back the presidency and the US backs out of all our commitments.
I doubt that they even read my emails. I suspect that someone is assigned to send a pre-written response to all incoming emails from state citizens that do not support their shenanigans.
The good news today is that Fair Maps Texas Action Committee with a coalition of civil rights groups including Common Cause, Clean Elections Texas, League of Women Voters of Texas, Our Vote Texas, Texans Against Gerrymandering. and ACLU Texas filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Texas challenging the unconstitutional district maps that give Republicans autocratic power for the next decade at least. The redistricting which added two new Congressional Districts to Texas will give white Republicans a large advantage even though 95% of the population growth in Texas came from people of color. Unless the courts remedy this, Texas is no longer a democracy. It is now an autocracy. Don't Texas the rest of the states! Read David Pepper's new book on "Laboratories of Autocracy".
Great book recommendation. I urge everyone to consider moving Laboratories of Autocracy to the top of your reading list. We must act now to save our democracy and this easy to read book explains how it’s all about the state houses - local elections! One section describes how politicians climb the rungs of the election ladder and end up in Congress with little to no real campaign experience - because they were appointed or they ran unopposed all the way. A quick review of my last sample election ballot proves that is the case. Republican candidates for local offices were running unopposed in so many districts my heart sank. NY state may look like Democrats are in the majority, but the local districts paint a very different picture of who is making the laws.
I went over NC’s new voting maps and several districts have R’s running unopposed. Heartbreaking! The R’s have all kinds of evil planned if they win majorities in Congress.
Are people afraid to run against them? Does anyone understand what is going on here or how we can solve this? Are there truly no sane folks in these districts?
I think sane folks are in the minority. The districts have been rigged to a fare-thee-well. My district now includes a county that is very rural and votes Republican. That county was also home to R voting fraud regarding absentee ballot harvesting. The current reality is the latest in a long line of efforts to suppress the votes of progressive voters. I use the term “progressive” to mean those who care about ordinary people. NC is a purple state about evenly divided. The R legislature has voted in maps to give themselves a 71%-78% advantage in the number of congressional seats. I feel like l live in a John Grisham novel.
Ditto here in Ohio. Although here, the Ds are fairly concentrated in the cities, especially Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, while the rural areas are very R. Still, for statewide votes like president and senator, we are fairly purple. We have voted twice that we want nonpartisan districts. And look where we are - the most gerrymandered state in the country.
I know whereof you speak, Kathy. I lived in northwest Ohio for 17, most recently Perrysburg, outside of Toledo. Perrysburg is in Wood County, which is rural farm country, pretty conservative.
I did not engage in political conversations with ANYONE. Is Ohio more gerrymandered than NC which previously had its terrible maps thrown out because they targeted minorities with surgical precision?Now the R legislature has given themselves 71%-78 of the 14 congressional seat. NC is a purple state, evenly divided.
Ugh. I am originally from a little Southern Baptist town in NC. Born and raised there by Holocaust victims from Poland and Germany. The minute I graduated from high school, I high-tailed it out of there. I have one very close friend who is still there and two others in Raleigh/Durham area. These gerrymandering tactics are being used here in CA too although the majority of the state are Democrats. Sickening but fight fight FIGHT!
Are you referring to local jurisdictions? California has an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that for 2020 is composed of 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 4 No Party Preference for the required 14 members. Redistricting for state and federal elective positions is extremely interactive; same is true for what is happening in the City of San Diego.
"In 2008, California voters passed the Voters First Act, authorizing the creation of the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw new State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization district lines. In 2010, the Voters First Act for Congress gave the Commission the responsibility of drawing new Congressional districts following every census." https://voiceofoc.org/2021/11/2020-california-citizens-redistricting-commission-releases-draft-maps-ahead-of-deadline/
"The 14-member 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission is fully formed. As required by law, the first eight members of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission were randomly selected on July 2, 2020 from a list of remaining applicants delivered by the Legislature on June 26, 2020. These first eight members chose the final six members from the applicants that remained in the applicant pool on August 7, 2020." https://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/index/
I’m also in NC. Back in the 80s the company for which my husband worked moved to NC because it was a non-union state. At the time I thought that was a sick reason to move and I still do. The so-called purpling of this state has been effectively undone by the gerrymandering of recent years. We live on the perimeter of the very progressive college where I taught, but for the past few years we’ve been redistricted into a very red area. The blue district where we used to vote was cut into two very heavily red districts.
The R legislature drew the maps so that they created a district for Tim Price to run for Congress. How about that? It just makes me want to slap them silly!
I don’t think people are afraid to run against the Republicans. I think the state is so gerrymandered that it is a lost cause because these districts will never vote for a Democrat or an Independent.
True. It’s a long game. We’re making progress in my area. Not close enough to pass the majority mark yet, but getting closer each election - provided there is an actual democratic candidate on the ballot! Running unopposed is giving it away.
I am too! Actually, frustrated that people simply do not educate themselves about their world. Quite a few I have spoken to refuse to watch the news, which I understand but there are other resources than mainstream media.
David's book is incredible. I also urge all of you to read it. And, please follow him on Twitter (if you are on Twitter) as his posts have so much information, almost in real time. Here is one to watch :https://twitter.com/DavidPepper/status/1458461663846440961
Reading Laboratories of Autocracy. Pepper is very complimentary of the League of Women Voters - an organization that I need to join here in NY. Legislative corruption at the state level is very familiar to us in NYS, and we recently saw the failure of propositions that would have strengthened voting in our supposed blue state. Autocracy is in the process of playing out -creeping along- here in NY just as Pepper outlines in Laboratories of Democracy. (We Democrats had not much support to understand the props. Not even yard signs; whereas, the ReThuglicans had those basics covered.) 5-Alarm Fire. This is not a drill. ❤️🤍💙
You are so right! And it's even worse in red states. Florida's legislature proposed maps that totally go against the fair districting laws and when questioned about it by a civil rights attorney who is leading the charge for the League of Women Voters against these maps, their response was something along the lines of "because we don't have to".
I just downloaded “Laboratories of Autocracy” to my Kindle this week. Positively riveting! Not to mention insightful and full of action ideas we can all engage in to protect our fragile democracy.
With luck and hard work, maybe my neighbors and I can prevent Minnesota from going ‘Texas.’ And maybe pave the way for future generations to live in a full on democratic Republic like we have.
The bad news is that America needs this good news.
Gerrymandering executed by people with a vested interest in the outcome has the effect of burying a giant but silent FAIL button in the vital organs of democracy.
And now in this age of analytics and big data it becomes child’s play to snap your fingers and order up a way to “win” your state.
Looking at maps of gerrymandered states would be Onion-esque if the consequences weren’t so deadly.
American politics always takes every opportunity to go the edge of the abyss and peer down into the blackness. It’s the hubris of power, but from afar it looks like a death wish.
Many afar know our death spiral was started by the greed and hubris of a few maniacal American billionaires who despise the Common Good. Authoritarianism requires cash and the political power it buys.
“Immediately following his censure, Gosar retweeted the video.” WTF??!? No only is he ‘unhinged’ but so, apparently, are 211 of the GOP House Conference. Party of Law & Order my a$$.
I don't know how expulsion happens but when a Representative is censured for an act and immediately afterwards commits the same act over again, there seems little point in a second censure. He was reprimanded and given the chance to behave himself but his choice was to offend again. The 2nd offense was begging expulsion. Let's not disappoint him.
Someone posted 2/3 vote is needed for expelling. Hard to see where that would come from given the vote they just took. The GOP members who might want somewhere deep in there soul to be a decent person are just digging themselves deeper and deeper into an abyss of turpitude.
My father saw this happen in his country. First, politicians support evil out of greed, peer pressure and stupidity. Then they do it out of growing fear. Then out of terror. Then a gun, knife, noose or ope
When there are few consequences and the violent rhetoric and actions are treated with a velvet glove they will not only continue but will get worse.
This is not Gerald Ford pardoning Nixon in order to let the Country heal. This a slow rolling coup d'état. I appreciate Biden and Merrick not wanting to appear that they are hauling in their political enemies. But I sure wish they would wage a more firm fight against the forces tearing down Democracy in this Country.
President Biden please get off the Infrastructure Bill victory tour and come back to the White House and defend voting rights and punish people who have earned that punishment.
Biden MUST do the "infrastucture victory tour" else the Republicans will confidently claim it as their own. Many Repugnants who did not vote for it already are.
The long-gamed brainwashing is now so advanced, and the tactics of Roy Cohn as practiced by DJT are too embedded in the Republican Party to avoid a horrible outcome. At this point defensive measures will feed the monster and delight evil.
Biden isn't speaking to those who are seeking to destroy Democracy in the country. He's speaking to those who support him and those who fall betwixt and between. It's the DOJ and AG Garland who are taking action and imposing consequences on those determined to destroy our country; we're seeing some results already with more to come. Both men have important roles and need to be supported in their decisions about how to proceed in the fight.
Then and there he should have been expelled. Period. There is no excuse for this behavior, from anyone. And apparently there are very few current Republicans who are willing to stand up for this democracy, or what's left of it, and demand that we treat it as a democracy. Liz Cheney should be given a Medal of Honor.
Liz Cheney is about the only one showing any common sense, and when you get right down to it, she is no angel, and her dad really left a bit to be desired……..
The Insurrectionist Party will probably be replaced by a Trump new Nazional Patriot Party. Can't wait to see how they stylize the "T" on their flags and armbands.
Republicans standing with Gosar effectively retweeted the anime themselves in the name of their millions of voters. The condition of our Democracy is much worse than most Americans and journalists can emotionally and pragmatically handle. We still have many opportunities to protect and save what so many before us have risen and risked for. I personally suffer terrible consequences of what Nazi Germany physically and mentally did to my parents. My German grandfather was murdered belatedly fighting them politically and socially. My father bled and suffered lifelong PTSD to defeat them. What will our fates be?
I have already contacted my representative, Andy Barr of Kentucky condemning his vote not to censure. Ironically, he spoke on the floor of the House earlier asking for a moment of silence for a former representative from Kentucky, Larry Hopkins, who recently died. Although I did not agree with Mr. Hopkins on many issues, I also felt he was a man of integrity. Today he would probably be called a RINO.
On another note, you may recall the news stories about the Spotsylvania Virginia school board who a few days ago voted to ban "sexually explicit" books from the school libraries and even had two member speak of book burning. At their last meeting on Monday night, it is reported that students and parents and others in the community showed up to protest this vote and the comments. 68 people signed up to speak to the board to condemn the vote and the comments compared to the two who had made the original compliant. One member who made the book burning comment has apologized. The other stated she did not remember making such a comment (the meeting is taped). They are backing down on their original vote. As Dr. Richardson has said in the past, we have to be louder than the loudest voices in the room. Forgive any grammer or spelling mistakes. It is early.
Maybe a burning of books would've been a good idea. Especially a public and well publicized book burning covered by every media outlet with close-up identifiable video of the book burners. Of course some would applaud, but I believe the vast majority of viewers would be repulsed by the images. Possibly, upon seeing themselves, a few book burners might say "What am I doing?"
You may be right. Bob. However, humans can be easily convinced of nasty things. If you get a chance and can find audio/video's of Hitler speaking to a crowd of many thousands, I urge you to watch and listen. You might not here a translation in English, but that's not really important to understand how these crowds reacted to his screaming.
As a retired “alleged” journalist, I have to say that if there were any errors in
English form in your contribution, they were completely erased by the content of your comment. I had no trouble understanding your report and greatly appreciated your sharing this important information. I look forward to your contributions in the future.
An anime is the lowest of budgets for film. Blood and lust are the cheapest of political candy. No anime has ever solved any great problem or crisis. Tearing things down is so much easier than building things of lasting value and significance. No one can claim this is the best country in the world, while simultaneously behaving like the worst, and still not even realizing that’s what they are doing. Gosar is an embarrassing failure to his family, Arizona, and the country. Lacking any political talent, intellect, or leadership charisma, he’s relying on pure demagoguery.
To build meaningful things takes years or decades of reading, study, diligent practice, good faith collaboration, and time. So what is the opposite of Gosar’s anime? I’m not sure any anime could ever convey the supremacy of love, respect, and kindness that is prerequisite to to leadership in our democracy. I felt a real sense of shame and fear for democracy today as only 2 Republicans could muster enough moral courage and vote for decency over demagoguery. I felt a sense of pride as Representative Cortez spoke about all this today, so eloquently describing why it’s wrong to defend someone promoting violence against women and men, other human beings that we share “only a short moment” that is life. There is no defending those that seek to make political adversaries political enemies for the sole purpose to dominate. that thinking and behavior only breeds more violence, which sews the seeds of war and injustice.
The failure to vote for decency and respect today will go down in history as a major inflection point: Democracy as we know it is officially on notice from the Republican Party.
Thank-you Ted, "I’m not sure any anime could ever convey the supremacy of love, respect, and kindness that is prerequisite to to leadership in our democracy." That line pretty much sums up my thoughts about how political and all other forms of leadership should operate. Well said.
As a big anime lover, what he did with the video goes against every anime I have watched for years.
My favorite is Naruto which always has a moral story to tell. And usually it's about how good always triumphs over evil. And while it might take time for that triumph, it does eventually come.
I find it interesting that the people in the freedumb party doesnt seem to care how they will be looked upon when history is written. Because they seem to forget that their actions will also be a part of their kids and grandkids legacy.
I don't know where this all is headed, I just hope that come 2022 we dont see our advantage gone.
I truly wish I could do more, but I am helping my young helper learn that she has more power than she thinks and she can help shape her future. And my grandsons.
So I called my Republican senator and went Heather Cox Richardson on the woman who answered. I talked about voting rights, the 14th amendment, the parallels between the Confederacy and the current stance of the Republican Party. After 20 minutes I said, "i hope this makes sense," and she replied, "yes it does and I'm writing it down as fast as I can, my hand actually hurts!" :)
Thank you, Dr. Richardson, for not losing heart. Its hard and scary but there is always hope.
“… went Heather Cox Richardson on…”
Now *there* is a phrase that deserves to enter common parlance.
Good for you. Let's pass the message: "Go Heather Cox Richardson" on them all. Just think about what it would be like if the inboxes of every Republican senator and representative were flooded with this. I live in NH where all my reps/senators are Democrats, but I'll be sending one to Senator Collins of Maine.
"Just think about what it would be like if the inboxes of every Republican senator and representative were flooded with this. " Arthur - good thought. However coming from a deep red state like I do (TN) I can tell you that minority voters flooding their inboxes will not move the needle one micron. Do you really think a Marsha Blackburn would change her stance on anything? And that is the problem - in a democratic government like ours, truth and honesty are vital for good decision making. We have a political party that has ranked power before truth and honesty, and is gaming the system to hold onto or retake power. They care not one iota for what you and I think. I fear constitutionally we do not have the tools to fight it.
I live in Tennessee, and my experience with contacting Tennessee legislators (all Republicans) has been followed by a deluge of political emails, essays about the wonderful things being done in Tennessee. HOGWASH!
Sorry to hear that. Please don't give up.
Same in my corner, Andrea!
Ashley, I am in East Tennessee. You?
I asked my brother in Nashville was there someone I could donate to. His response was to save my money unless he found someone who had a chance. If you have a recommendation for a state level person elsewhere in my natal state, let me know! Nashville he'll share. It's pretty blue anyway.
Either you stand up and make yourself heard or get lost in the muck as it overwhelms all of us. I'm from the USVI, think Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett so no Republicans to contact. Many will only take emails, etc from their constituents so please give it a try. Thank You.
Jay Wheaton - I think your comments are spot on and IMO your last sentence is why so many who are trying to fight the good fight feel they are flinging themselves against a brick wall. Domestically, democrats are "bringing knives to a gunfight". Internationally, Europe and other countries are looking on in disbelief as republicans make a mockery of their own government which, among so many other things, diminishes our ability to negotiate or generate much respect.
The internal attempts to grab power and the displays of outrageous behavior has a long history and of course even a civil war (an oxymoron if ever there was one!) However, in prior centuries the U.S. was not the economic or military power of today. Unfortunately, the game the republicans have been and continue to engage in has the potential for devastating consequences on a global scale.
Thanks. My pet issue is climate change. This power grab, if successful, will again halt the US efforts to play our part in climate mitigation. Already it was hobbled by Manchin/Sinema. But the world will look on with horror if in 2024 the Republicans take back the presidency and the US backs out of all our commitments.
I think those of us in Democratic states need to urge our Senators and Representatives to pass the voting rights bills--ASAP!
I have contacted all 3 of my U.S. Congressional members about this and other things.
Rational, fact based arguments against the abhorrent actions of the GOP would go right over their heads, I’m afraid.
I doubt that they even read my emails. I suspect that someone is assigned to send a pre-written response to all incoming emails from state citizens that do not support their shenanigans.
Broke my heart when she got re-elected.
Hi Arthur! I live in NH too. This Repub led gov't is doing as much as they can to prevent fair redistricting maps and so much else-GRRR!
Er, or is that *the* common parlance?
Wow! Wonderful!
🎉🎉
Good on you, S!!
Good for you! I will call my Congressman’s office today and do the same. Thank you!!
well done!
What a great way to put it: to go "Heather Cox Richardson" ! I love it!
Bravo/a!!
The good news today is that Fair Maps Texas Action Committee with a coalition of civil rights groups including Common Cause, Clean Elections Texas, League of Women Voters of Texas, Our Vote Texas, Texans Against Gerrymandering. and ACLU Texas filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Texas challenging the unconstitutional district maps that give Republicans autocratic power for the next decade at least. The redistricting which added two new Congressional Districts to Texas will give white Republicans a large advantage even though 95% of the population growth in Texas came from people of color. Unless the courts remedy this, Texas is no longer a democracy. It is now an autocracy. Don't Texas the rest of the states! Read David Pepper's new book on "Laboratories of Autocracy".
Great book recommendation. I urge everyone to consider moving Laboratories of Autocracy to the top of your reading list. We must act now to save our democracy and this easy to read book explains how it’s all about the state houses - local elections! One section describes how politicians climb the rungs of the election ladder and end up in Congress with little to no real campaign experience - because they were appointed or they ran unopposed all the way. A quick review of my last sample election ballot proves that is the case. Republican candidates for local offices were running unopposed in so many districts my heart sank. NY state may look like Democrats are in the majority, but the local districts paint a very different picture of who is making the laws.
I went over NC’s new voting maps and several districts have R’s running unopposed. Heartbreaking! The R’s have all kinds of evil planned if they win majorities in Congress.
Are people afraid to run against them? Does anyone understand what is going on here or how we can solve this? Are there truly no sane folks in these districts?
I think sane folks are in the minority. The districts have been rigged to a fare-thee-well. My district now includes a county that is very rural and votes Republican. That county was also home to R voting fraud regarding absentee ballot harvesting. The current reality is the latest in a long line of efforts to suppress the votes of progressive voters. I use the term “progressive” to mean those who care about ordinary people. NC is a purple state about evenly divided. The R legislature has voted in maps to give themselves a 71%-78% advantage in the number of congressional seats. I feel like l live in a John Grisham novel.
Ditto here in Ohio. Although here, the Ds are fairly concentrated in the cities, especially Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, while the rural areas are very R. Still, for statewide votes like president and senator, we are fairly purple. We have voted twice that we want nonpartisan districts. And look where we are - the most gerrymandered state in the country.
I know whereof you speak, Kathy. I lived in northwest Ohio for 17, most recently Perrysburg, outside of Toledo. Perrysburg is in Wood County, which is rural farm country, pretty conservative.
I did not engage in political conversations with ANYONE. Is Ohio more gerrymandered than NC which previously had its terrible maps thrown out because they targeted minorities with surgical precision?Now the R legislature has given themselves 71%-78 of the 14 congressional seat. NC is a purple state, evenly divided.
Ugh. I am originally from a little Southern Baptist town in NC. Born and raised there by Holocaust victims from Poland and Germany. The minute I graduated from high school, I high-tailed it out of there. I have one very close friend who is still there and two others in Raleigh/Durham area. These gerrymandering tactics are being used here in CA too although the majority of the state are Democrats. Sickening but fight fight FIGHT!
Are you referring to local jurisdictions? California has an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that for 2020 is composed of 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 4 No Party Preference for the required 14 members. Redistricting for state and federal elective positions is extremely interactive; same is true for what is happening in the City of San Diego.
"In 2008, California voters passed the Voters First Act, authorizing the creation of the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw new State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization district lines. In 2010, the Voters First Act for Congress gave the Commission the responsibility of drawing new Congressional districts following every census." https://voiceofoc.org/2021/11/2020-california-citizens-redistricting-commission-releases-draft-maps-ahead-of-deadline/
"The 14-member 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission is fully formed. As required by law, the first eight members of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission were randomly selected on July 2, 2020 from a list of remaining applicants delivered by the Legislature on June 26, 2020. These first eight members chose the final six members from the applicants that remained in the applicant pool on August 7, 2020." https://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/index/
If Joe Manchin screws Dems chance to getting voting rights passed, I will be obsessed with seeing him gone before I die.
I’m also in NC. Back in the 80s the company for which my husband worked moved to NC because it was a non-union state. At the time I thought that was a sick reason to move and I still do. The so-called purpling of this state has been effectively undone by the gerrymandering of recent years. We live on the perimeter of the very progressive college where I taught, but for the past few years we’ve been redistricted into a very red area. The blue district where we used to vote was cut into two very heavily red districts.
The R legislature drew the maps so that they created a district for Tim Price to run for Congress. How about that? It just makes me want to slap them silly!
Mitch planned well and states learned evil from the master
No, Mein Kompf
I don’t think people are afraid to run against the Republicans. I think the state is so gerrymandered that it is a lost cause because these districts will never vote for a Democrat or an Independent.
Well they never will if people don’t try.
True. It’s a long game. We’re making progress in my area. Not close enough to pass the majority mark yet, but getting closer each election - provided there is an actual democratic candidate on the ballot! Running unopposed is giving it away.
I am shocked at the number of people who have no clue
I am too! Actually, frustrated that people simply do not educate themselves about their world. Quite a few I have spoken to refuse to watch the news, which I understand but there are other resources than mainstream media.
Never have we been in such dire shape, cults never rule for the people. Ignore at your children’s peril, ostriches
Tragic in NC run by McConnell clone Boss Berger, and the doughboy Moore!
They are the Despicable Duo.
David's book is incredible. I also urge all of you to read it. And, please follow him on Twitter (if you are on Twitter) as his posts have so much information, almost in real time. Here is one to watch :https://twitter.com/DavidPepper/status/1458461663846440961
Yes!!! I was stunned to see those unopposed seats in the county next to mine which isn’t that far from NYC, but still purple-turning-red. ❤️🤍💙
Reading Laboratories of Autocracy. Pepper is very complimentary of the League of Women Voters - an organization that I need to join here in NY. Legislative corruption at the state level is very familiar to us in NYS, and we recently saw the failure of propositions that would have strengthened voting in our supposed blue state. Autocracy is in the process of playing out -creeping along- here in NY just as Pepper outlines in Laboratories of Democracy. (We Democrats had not much support to understand the props. Not even yard signs; whereas, the ReThuglicans had those basics covered.) 5-Alarm Fire. This is not a drill. ❤️🤍💙
You are so right! And it's even worse in red states. Florida's legislature proposed maps that totally go against the fair districting laws and when questioned about it by a civil rights attorney who is leading the charge for the League of Women Voters against these maps, their response was something along the lines of "because we don't have to".
I just downloaded “Laboratories of Autocracy” to my Kindle this week. Positively riveting! Not to mention insightful and full of action ideas we can all engage in to protect our fragile democracy.
With luck and hard work, maybe my neighbors and I can prevent Minnesota from going ‘Texas.’ And maybe pave the way for future generations to live in a full on democratic Republic like we have.
Nothing is certain in life but death and Texas.
But, Beto...
The bad news is that America needs this good news.
Gerrymandering executed by people with a vested interest in the outcome has the effect of burying a giant but silent FAIL button in the vital organs of democracy.
And now in this age of analytics and big data it becomes child’s play to snap your fingers and order up a way to “win” your state.
Looking at maps of gerrymandered states would be Onion-esque if the consequences weren’t so deadly.
American politics always takes every opportunity to go the edge of the abyss and peer down into the blackness. It’s the hubris of power, but from afar it looks like a death wish.
Many afar know our death spiral was started by the greed and hubris of a few maniacal American billionaires who despise the Common Good. Authoritarianism requires cash and the political power it buys.
“Immediately following his censure, Gosar retweeted the video.” WTF??!? No only is he ‘unhinged’ but so, apparently, are 211 of the GOP House Conference. Party of Law & Order my a$$.
I don't know how expulsion happens but when a Representative is censured for an act and immediately afterwards commits the same act over again, there seems little point in a second censure. He was reprimanded and given the chance to behave himself but his choice was to offend again. The 2nd offense was begging expulsion. Let's not disappoint him.
Someone posted 2/3 vote is needed for expelling. Hard to see where that would come from given the vote they just took. The GOP members who might want somewhere deep in there soul to be a decent person are just digging themselves deeper and deeper into an abyss of turpitude.
My father saw this happen in his country. First, politicians support evil out of greed, peer pressure and stupidity. Then they do it out of growing fear. Then out of terror. Then a gun, knife, noose or ope
When there are few consequences and the violent rhetoric and actions are treated with a velvet glove they will not only continue but will get worse.
This is not Gerald Ford pardoning Nixon in order to let the Country heal. This a slow rolling coup d'état. I appreciate Biden and Merrick not wanting to appear that they are hauling in their political enemies. But I sure wish they would wage a more firm fight against the forces tearing down Democracy in this Country.
President Biden please get off the Infrastructure Bill victory tour and come back to the White House and defend voting rights and punish people who have earned that punishment.
Biden MUST do the "infrastucture victory tour" else the Republicans will confidently claim it as their own. Many Repugnants who did not vote for it already are.
MaryPat one such repugnant Repub already took credit!!
Yup.
No one who is looking to destroy Democracy in this Country is listening to Joe Biden talk about a new bridge in some town.
What people will absolutely listen to are strong consequences for those seeking and advocating the dismantling of Democracy through their efforts.
President Biden and Attorney General Garland your Country needs you to defend it.
The long-gamed brainwashing is now so advanced, and the tactics of Roy Cohn as practiced by DJT are too embedded in the Republican Party to avoid a horrible outcome. At this point defensive measures will feed the monster and delight evil.
Not if we elevate the rule of law and diminish the rhetoric (the exact opposite of the Kenosha trial).
Biden isn't speaking to those who are seeking to destroy Democracy in the country. He's speaking to those who support him and those who fall betwixt and between. It's the DOJ and AG Garland who are taking action and imposing consequences on those determined to destroy our country; we're seeing some results already with more to come. Both men have important roles and need to be supported in their decisions about how to proceed in the fight.
It won't save us, but still worth it. Sometimes a rebound only occurs after hitting rock-bottom.
"I appreciate Biden and Merrick not wanting to appear that they are hauling in their political enemies."
I don't.
Daniel!
Do good to “see” you here with us. You’ve been missed 💙.
Thank you for being so kind.
Thank YOU for being such an impactful voice here.
Then and there he should have been expelled. Period. There is no excuse for this behavior, from anyone. And apparently there are very few current Republicans who are willing to stand up for this democracy, or what's left of it, and demand that we treat it as a democracy. Liz Cheney should be given a Medal of Honor.
Liz Cheney is about the only one showing any common sense, and when you get right down to it, she is no angel, and her dad really left a bit to be desired……..
Of course she's attached to her father. But if she'd been born at a certain time in Germany, she'd be among those saving Jews from the Nazis.
I wish I were as confident. To date, she has voted against voter protection legislation each time it’s been brought to the floor.
have these votes been before or after the insurrection? Or both?
True…her attachment to her dad always leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. She and Kinzinger are the outliers of the Insurrectionist Party.
The Insurrectionist Party will probably be replaced by a Trump new Nazional Patriot Party. Can't wait to see how they stylize the "T" on their flags and armbands.
Sadly, it takes 2/3rds to kick him out.
Yes, Gosar should be expelled but there's not a snowball's chance that the required 2/3 vote to do would ever happen.
Where is Twitter in all of this?
Good question.
What’s wrong with twitter??? I would think Gosar would have been banned,
excellent point! I'll see if I can get that trending
Republicans standing with Gosar effectively retweeted the anime themselves in the name of their millions of voters. The condition of our Democracy is much worse than most Americans and journalists can emotionally and pragmatically handle. We still have many opportunities to protect and save what so many before us have risen and risked for. I personally suffer terrible consequences of what Nazi Germany physically and mentally did to my parents. My German grandfather was murdered belatedly fighting them politically and socially. My father bled and suffered lifelong PTSD to defeat them. What will our fates be?
I have already contacted my representative, Andy Barr of Kentucky condemning his vote not to censure. Ironically, he spoke on the floor of the House earlier asking for a moment of silence for a former representative from Kentucky, Larry Hopkins, who recently died. Although I did not agree with Mr. Hopkins on many issues, I also felt he was a man of integrity. Today he would probably be called a RINO.
On another note, you may recall the news stories about the Spotsylvania Virginia school board who a few days ago voted to ban "sexually explicit" books from the school libraries and even had two member speak of book burning. At their last meeting on Monday night, it is reported that students and parents and others in the community showed up to protest this vote and the comments. 68 people signed up to speak to the board to condemn the vote and the comments compared to the two who had made the original compliant. One member who made the book burning comment has apologized. The other stated she did not remember making such a comment (the meeting is taped). They are backing down on their original vote. As Dr. Richardson has said in the past, we have to be louder than the loudest voices in the room. Forgive any grammer or spelling mistakes. It is early.
Maybe a burning of books would've been a good idea. Especially a public and well publicized book burning covered by every media outlet with close-up identifiable video of the book burners. Of course some would applaud, but I believe the vast majority of viewers would be repulsed by the images. Possibly, upon seeing themselves, a few book burners might say "What am I doing?"
You may be right. Bob. However, humans can be easily convinced of nasty things. If you get a chance and can find audio/video's of Hitler speaking to a crowd of many thousands, I urge you to watch and listen. You might not here a translation in English, but that's not really important to understand how these crowds reacted to his screaming.
This is what I fear, believe me. Daughter of Holocaust victims here.
As a retired “alleged” journalist, I have to say that if there were any errors in
English form in your contribution, they were completely erased by the content of your comment. I had no trouble understanding your report and greatly appreciated your sharing this important information. I look forward to your contributions in the future.
Thank you, Bill. My first degree was in journalism believe or not. My second degree was in nursing that I pursued until I retired.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
And that is what it takes - to be louder than the loudest voices!! Why isnt that happening more often?
An anime is the lowest of budgets for film. Blood and lust are the cheapest of political candy. No anime has ever solved any great problem or crisis. Tearing things down is so much easier than building things of lasting value and significance. No one can claim this is the best country in the world, while simultaneously behaving like the worst, and still not even realizing that’s what they are doing. Gosar is an embarrassing failure to his family, Arizona, and the country. Lacking any political talent, intellect, or leadership charisma, he’s relying on pure demagoguery.
To build meaningful things takes years or decades of reading, study, diligent practice, good faith collaboration, and time. So what is the opposite of Gosar’s anime? I’m not sure any anime could ever convey the supremacy of love, respect, and kindness that is prerequisite to to leadership in our democracy. I felt a real sense of shame and fear for democracy today as only 2 Republicans could muster enough moral courage and vote for decency over demagoguery. I felt a sense of pride as Representative Cortez spoke about all this today, so eloquently describing why it’s wrong to defend someone promoting violence against women and men, other human beings that we share “only a short moment” that is life. There is no defending those that seek to make political adversaries political enemies for the sole purpose to dominate. that thinking and behavior only breeds more violence, which sews the seeds of war and injustice.
The failure to vote for decency and respect today will go down in history as a major inflection point: Democracy as we know it is officially on notice from the Republican Party.
Well said, Ted. It is overwhelmingly sad and terrifying.
Thank-you Ted, "I’m not sure any anime could ever convey the supremacy of love, respect, and kindness that is prerequisite to to leadership in our democracy." That line pretty much sums up my thoughts about how political and all other forms of leadership should operate. Well said.
As a big anime lover, what he did with the video goes against every anime I have watched for years.
My favorite is Naruto which always has a moral story to tell. And usually it's about how good always triumphs over evil. And while it might take time for that triumph, it does eventually come.
I find it interesting that the people in the freedumb party doesnt seem to care how they will be looked upon when history is written. Because they seem to forget that their actions will also be a part of their kids and grandkids legacy.
I don't know where this all is headed, I just hope that come 2022 we dont see our advantage gone.
I truly wish I could do more, but I am helping my young helper learn that she has more power than she thinks and she can help shape her future. And my grandsons.