From your book lined home on the coast of Maine with lobster pots and laptops and Buddy’s snapshots of soft, clear dawns, spring these Letters to an ever-growing assembly of folks who care about what is going on in our country – folks who have access to hundreds, thousands, of sources but wait each morning to read what you have to say.
I hope the knowledge that your efforts make a real difference in the lives of so many helps you sleep soundly when your head finally hits the pillow.
HCR - No doubt you are aware of your fan base. And I mean that in the highest regard.
I am curious: As these letters took hold in your daily life, how have your thoughts evolved about the community you have created? Are you writing out of passion? As a historian, do you feel some type of strange civic duty to capture the chaotic goings-on of this dumpster fire administration and provide historical context? A year ago did you think these letters would have the life that they do?
Your letters convey a sense of authenticity (of you as a writer), community, and of course history. After I catch up on your posts, I do not feel preached to, or admonished, or uninformed even though I learn something from each of your posts.
Thank you. Thank you for extending yourself. Thank you to the team you rely on to help with research, editing, and publishing. And thanks to Buddy for allowing you to share his photos of that place you are lucky to call home.
I suspect that HCR can’t help herself. After reading her letters this past year or so, I’ve come to the conclusion that she loves to teach as well as being a person concerned about the current state of our country. And like many, writing down those things that concern her, whether they are good or bad, soothes the soul. But I am only speculating on her reasons. Whatever the answer, I, like so many others here, appreciate her more than words can say.
First, let me add my 'thank you' to yours, Laurie.
As I read your comment it occurred to me that what Heather does (besides bringing hope and sanity), is what journalists are meant to do: give us the facts.
I seem to remember a comment from somewhere years back about 'being a stenographer to history'. That's what these letters make me think of.
Years from now I can see some future historian pouring over Heather's letters to gain a better understanding of what this period was like.
Thank you, Heather. This old gal appreciates you more than you can imagine. Living with a diehard republican whom I somehow love yet want to slap some sense into at the same time. I left a printed copy of yesterday’s letter by his coffe mug and plan on being out on my morning walk while he reads it. We should have a lively breakfast discussion when I return.
Heather, your image of the SSTrump sinking has remained with me. That my daughter was able to post on her social media last night, “You guys, my dad just voted Democrat for the first time in his life, and I’ve never been more proud #BidenHarris2020” caused my heart to swell. One more hole in SSTrump! Heather, it was my sharing of your daily letters that got us to this point. They opened the door to fact based political discussions within my family. I am forever grateful!
Thank you for taking time off for yourself so that you can recharge and continue to provide your succinct and insightful summaries of the political situation. As so many have commented today and previously, you have a real base - people who love you and care about you and who appreciate your work. I can't help but wonder if we would be this close to a victory in just 16 days had you not written that first Letter from an American. If you had said, "nah, I've got too much to do already," would we have allowed ourselves to become defeated by the constant barrage of fear and chaos and lies raining down on us daily from the capitol? Would their plan have prevailed and left us mired in hopelessness and helplessness? As individuals, we might have kept up small pockets of resistance, but your letters drew us in like Buddy's fishing nets and it all coalesced into a movement. Every time we posted your letters on social media or encouraged others to read them we projected your voice and our shared vision and I like to think it's made a difference. You made a difference! History will remember the historian from Maine...
Thanks, Jennifer, for verbalizing that we have coalesced into this movement, this community of democracy-loving Americans because of one generous, erudite, eloquent historian whose Letters from an American keep us grounded and hopeful...and grateful.
As well, I send my deep gratitude and love to you Prof Richardson, for your thoughts have become an integral part of my morning. I woke up this morning, and thought of your page - “I have to see the latest edition”
And I have something to offer this morning; I woke up with the realization --- “Dear reader- we ARE going to win this thing!”
I’ve become giddy, like a kid waiting to unrap the packages. ALL the signs point to a tremendous revolution on Nov 3. I’m not going to get into al of the analysis that shows this. But really - the political science points to --->
We’re going to ride a massive DEEP BLLUE WAVE (are you ready to admit this??
Frederick, I came to that realization this week, myself. Yesterday I was texting with two teacher friends in Jersey, and one was saying how bad 2020 has been and I replied that for all the horrors we've witnessed this year, I finally felt this week that we are going to win and that change is imminent. Prior to this week I had hoped and prayed and dreamed, but now, I truly believe we will see a sweeping blue victory.
Jennifer, you also see the 'Blue Wave’. I wonder if you feel like I do - I feel almost ‘afraid’ to admit what I am seeing. Like, I don’t want heartbreak to ruin my reality --- but it is a reality.
Yes, you are exactly right! Like, if I say it out loud, or even allow myself to believe it, I'll somehow jinx it. But, I really think it's going to happen. Here in SC, I really want to see Lindsey Graham lose....it might be closer than I'd like, but he needs to go!
America is pulling for South Carolina (and here in Maine) also! Can you tell?
oh my goodness - South Carolina is one of the jewels and treasures of 2020! Imagine, the soil of the Civil War’s first shot WILL BE represented by two black men! Albeit, one a conservative. But that’s not my point.
I think we must fully grasp this epoch. I don’t really know what to do with that 😂 Other than to get my letters and post cards in the mail today!
btw, how are winters in Charleston; we’re looking for a new location?
Charleston is a beautiful city, about 150 miles from my town. Winters here are whimsical and unpredictable - it can get very cold, and yes, when I say very cold, I mean like 30 degrees normally, although temps in the teens are not uncommon, but it usually doesn't stay cold for extended periods of time. We get frost, but rarely does it snow. Flurries create panic, by the way. We have minimal means for dealing with even trace amounts of ice and snow. It's quite quaint, actually, but just be aware that we don't handle that kind of situation well. We roll our eyes at tropical depressions and stand staid in the face of hurricanes, but our true colors emerge at the mere mention of snow. Also, SC, lovely as it is, is deep, deep red and if you can deal with that, you'll be ok. It's also very evangelical, Southern Baptist (I suspect I'm going to be excommunicated at some point :) ) but that's not necessarily a bad thing. So come on down, as the saying goes. And although not related to Charleston, did you happen to see that archeologists have discovered the spot, within a mere 30 feet, where John Laurens died here in SC? Cool stuff for history nerds like me!
4:30 am is an amazing time of day. There's a stillness, and an understanding of our time on this earth that doesn't happen at any other time of day. It's the exact time that you see how the previous day has ended, and the exact time you see that you need to start another day. I used to see 4:30 am often, but then I accidentally got a job. :)
Sweet dreams. Maybe you'll dream about where Trump will go after he loses the election, his term expires, and he goes into exile. What country would take him? My money's on Russia.
Thanks so much, Heather, for the thoughtful and reliably honest realities ( beautiful and painful) that you have brought to us daily. On some days as I attempt to integrate what is happening in our country, yours are the only words that ground me. In my opinion you deserve many days off!!!!!
Belatedly, I return to your question # 11 regarding your course on politics and what it might include. I read an article on-line entitled "Oxytocin, the 'hugging hormone' causes aggression toward competing groups" It spoke profoundly to me about the depth of support for Trump, even among those who suffer as victims of his policies.
I quote from this article:
"Altruism within a group has its flip side: aggression towards other groups.
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Leiden University are the first to reveal a neurobiological cause of conflicts between groups. They posit that oxytocin, a neuropeptide produced in the brain that functions as a hormone and neurotransmitter, causes people to demonstrate preferential treatment towards people in their own group and aggressive behaviour towards members of other competing groups.
With their results, the researchers are able to further refine the currently held assumption that oxytocin makes people more pleasant and more altruistic. Their findings were published last week in the journal Science.
Altruism only applies within groups. An important modification that came out of the research was that oxytocin, commonly known as the 'hugging hormone', causes defensive aggression. The aggression was focused on neutralising a threatening group; if the competing group did not constitute a threat, oxytocin only led to altruism towards the subject's own group. These findings provide a neurobiological explanation for the fact that conflicts between groups escalate when people regard other groups as a threat."
One only needs to watch the daily news (and Jordan Klepper's interviews with Trump supporters) to observe the power and altruistic pleasure that supporters of Trump derive from being with each other, and the fear and contempt they experience for those whom they believe are "outsiders." The most powerful and successful political strategy that I have witnessed in my lifetime is the Republicans' careful use of fear to communicate to a group of potential constituents that "others" "outside their group" pose a very real threat to them and must be opposed. That Republican leaders are beginning to see Trump as an "outsider' and a potential threat to their winning elections, (and perhaps to the well being of our nation) is welcome news indeed.
The name of the original article referred to above is
The Neuropeptide Oxytocin Regulates Parochial Altruism in Intergroup Conflict Among Humans
June 2010Science 328(5984):1408-11
DOI: 10.1126/science.1189047
SourcePubMed
Authors:
Carsten K W De Dreu at Leiden University
Carsten K W De Dreu
Leiden University
Lindred L. Greer at University of Michigan
Lindred L. Greer
University of Michigan
Michel J.J. Handgraaf at Wageningen University & Research
Michel J.J. Handgraaf
Wageningen University & Research
Shaul Shalvi at University of Amsterdam
Shaul Shalvi
University of Amsterdam
Again, many thanks to you. I hope that you are still sleeping. Candace
Wow. This makes perfect sense. As a new mother flush with cuddling hormones, just n one external threat to my young family and my clan would make my Mama Bear emerge. So the same basis for affinity could be the one for agression.
As a registered nurse working in mental health I am also curious about the role of neurotransmitter, serotonin, in both wonderful feelings and violence. The often prescribed cocktail of SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) for depression with narcotics and/or other drugs and herbs for pain, migraine or colds, can cause aggression. The worst case scenario is Serotonin Syndrome which can be deadly and is considered rare (although I have seen 2 cases in patients after long acting morpine was added to their medication regimen. Both were on drugs that also masked (or treated) the high fever (acetaminophen), rigidity (flexerill), and seizures (valproic acid) so diagnosis was not clear). My question is about subclinical (not severe enough to be diagnosed or linked to the pharmaceuticals) symptoms: Could modern medicine, while bringing important relief to suffering, have created a new, angry American? One whose internal chemistry can be easily triggered by a leader who is gifted at igniting hate while creating a new tribe and a new enemy? And, speaking of triggers, these folks should not have access to guns.
Fascinating article, Candace! Thank you for sharing. I became interested in the subject of neurology and hormones a few years ago when I first read of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and the neurological repercussions of toxic stress resulting from those experiences. As a teacher in a high-poverty area, I see many students who could be suffering in this way. This article you have shared is equally interesting and presents a very plausible explanation for what we might consider "aberrant" behaviors.
Yes, please rest. The gifts you extend to us so generously are like no other source of information otherwise available to us. We want you always to relax and enjoy your beautiful seaside surroundings. I wish you joy, peace, and pleasure. Also, please thank Buddy for his sunrise on the water picture.
A mighty thanks for your refusal to let the happenings in DC stop you from presenting in as unbiased way as possible, your take on the present and its reflection of the past.
And thank you for creating this wonderful community of people who are passionate about the present and the future while appreciating the past you give us. I have come to recognize a lot of the same names who respond daily, all smart and caring folks. Thank you for bringing us together.
From your book lined home on the coast of Maine with lobster pots and laptops and Buddy’s snapshots of soft, clear dawns, spring these Letters to an ever-growing assembly of folks who care about what is going on in our country – folks who have access to hundreds, thousands, of sources but wait each morning to read what you have to say.
I hope the knowledge that your efforts make a real difference in the lives of so many helps you sleep soundly when your head finally hits the pillow.
Respect and gratitude for all you do.
thank you for so eloquently saying what so many of us are feeling. xx's
Thank you, Cecilia. You have made my day.
R. Dooley, you speak for all of us. Thank you for every word.
Thank you, Mim E. – I’m happy it resonates with you.
R.Dooley...Well put, as so many of us feel same. We are thankful for Heather’s “presence” in our lives.
So true. She is a presence … and a powerful one at that.
HCR - No doubt you are aware of your fan base. And I mean that in the highest regard.
I am curious: As these letters took hold in your daily life, how have your thoughts evolved about the community you have created? Are you writing out of passion? As a historian, do you feel some type of strange civic duty to capture the chaotic goings-on of this dumpster fire administration and provide historical context? A year ago did you think these letters would have the life that they do?
Your letters convey a sense of authenticity (of you as a writer), community, and of course history. After I catch up on your posts, I do not feel preached to, or admonished, or uninformed even though I learn something from each of your posts.
Thank you. Thank you for extending yourself. Thank you to the team you rely on to help with research, editing, and publishing. And thanks to Buddy for allowing you to share his photos of that place you are lucky to call home.
I suspect that HCR can’t help herself. After reading her letters this past year or so, I’ve come to the conclusion that she loves to teach as well as being a person concerned about the current state of our country. And like many, writing down those things that concern her, whether they are good or bad, soothes the soul. But I am only speculating on her reasons. Whatever the answer, I, like so many others here, appreciate her more than words can say.
First, let me add my 'thank you' to yours, Laurie.
As I read your comment it occurred to me that what Heather does (besides bringing hope and sanity), is what journalists are meant to do: give us the facts.
I seem to remember a comment from somewhere years back about 'being a stenographer to history'. That's what these letters make me think of.
Years from now I can see some future historian pouring over Heather's letters to gain a better understanding of what this period was like.
Great comment - and questions!
Time once more to thank you for your work...I feel that nothing we can say can possibly convey our gratitude. You are amazing.
Thank you, Heather. This old gal appreciates you more than you can imagine. Living with a diehard republican whom I somehow love yet want to slap some sense into at the same time. I left a printed copy of yesterday’s letter by his coffe mug and plan on being out on my morning walk while he reads it. We should have a lively breakfast discussion when I return.
Good for you!
Heather, your image of the SSTrump sinking has remained with me. That my daughter was able to post on her social media last night, “You guys, my dad just voted Democrat for the first time in his life, and I’ve never been more proud #BidenHarris2020” caused my heart to swell. One more hole in SSTrump! Heather, it was my sharing of your daily letters that got us to this point. They opened the door to fact based political discussions within my family. I am forever grateful!
Correction: one more BidenHarris vote! Tom was never a Trump supporter.
Now it's time to say good night
Good night sleep tight
Now the sun turns out his light
Good night sleep tight
Dream sweet dreams for me
Dream sweet dreams for you.
Close your eyes and I'll close mine
Good night sleep tight
Now the moon begins to shine
Good night sleep tight
Dream sweet dreams for me
Dream sweet dreams for you.
Close your eyes and I'll close mine
Good night sleep tight
Now the sun turns out his light
Good night sleep tight
Dream sweet dreams for me
Dream sweet dreams for you.
Good night good night everybody
Everybody everywhere
Good night.
Good Night, The Beatles
Thank you for taking time off for yourself so that you can recharge and continue to provide your succinct and insightful summaries of the political situation. As so many have commented today and previously, you have a real base - people who love you and care about you and who appreciate your work. I can't help but wonder if we would be this close to a victory in just 16 days had you not written that first Letter from an American. If you had said, "nah, I've got too much to do already," would we have allowed ourselves to become defeated by the constant barrage of fear and chaos and lies raining down on us daily from the capitol? Would their plan have prevailed and left us mired in hopelessness and helplessness? As individuals, we might have kept up small pockets of resistance, but your letters drew us in like Buddy's fishing nets and it all coalesced into a movement. Every time we posted your letters on social media or encouraged others to read them we projected your voice and our shared vision and I like to think it's made a difference. You made a difference! History will remember the historian from Maine...
Thanks, Jennifer, for verbalizing that we have coalesced into this movement, this community of democracy-loving Americans because of one generous, erudite, eloquent historian whose Letters from an American keep us grounded and hopeful...and grateful.
BRAVO!!!
May a thousand angels guide thee to thy slumbers. A thousand thanks for helping me keep sane. Sleep well and have a wonderful weekend!
As well, I send my deep gratitude and love to you Prof Richardson, for your thoughts have become an integral part of my morning. I woke up this morning, and thought of your page - “I have to see the latest edition”
And I have something to offer this morning; I woke up with the realization --- “Dear reader- we ARE going to win this thing!”
I’ve become giddy, like a kid waiting to unrap the packages. ALL the signs point to a tremendous revolution on Nov 3. I’m not going to get into al of the analysis that shows this. But really - the political science points to --->
We’re going to ride a massive DEEP BLLUE WAVE (are you ready to admit this??
Frederick, I came to that realization this week, myself. Yesterday I was texting with two teacher friends in Jersey, and one was saying how bad 2020 has been and I replied that for all the horrors we've witnessed this year, I finally felt this week that we are going to win and that change is imminent. Prior to this week I had hoped and prayed and dreamed, but now, I truly believe we will see a sweeping blue victory.
Jennifer, you also see the 'Blue Wave’. I wonder if you feel like I do - I feel almost ‘afraid’ to admit what I am seeing. Like, I don’t want heartbreak to ruin my reality --- but it is a reality.
Yes, you are exactly right! Like, if I say it out loud, or even allow myself to believe it, I'll somehow jinx it. But, I really think it's going to happen. Here in SC, I really want to see Lindsey Graham lose....it might be closer than I'd like, but he needs to go!
America is pulling for South Carolina (and here in Maine) also! Can you tell?
oh my goodness - South Carolina is one of the jewels and treasures of 2020! Imagine, the soil of the Civil War’s first shot WILL BE represented by two black men! Albeit, one a conservative. But that’s not my point.
I think we must fully grasp this epoch. I don’t really know what to do with that 😂 Other than to get my letters and post cards in the mail today!
btw, how are winters in Charleston; we’re looking for a new location?
Charleston is a beautiful city, about 150 miles from my town. Winters here are whimsical and unpredictable - it can get very cold, and yes, when I say very cold, I mean like 30 degrees normally, although temps in the teens are not uncommon, but it usually doesn't stay cold for extended periods of time. We get frost, but rarely does it snow. Flurries create panic, by the way. We have minimal means for dealing with even trace amounts of ice and snow. It's quite quaint, actually, but just be aware that we don't handle that kind of situation well. We roll our eyes at tropical depressions and stand staid in the face of hurricanes, but our true colors emerge at the mere mention of snow. Also, SC, lovely as it is, is deep, deep red and if you can deal with that, you'll be ok. It's also very evangelical, Southern Baptist (I suspect I'm going to be excommunicated at some point :) ) but that's not necessarily a bad thing. So come on down, as the saying goes. And although not related to Charleston, did you happen to see that archeologists have discovered the spot, within a mere 30 feet, where John Laurens died here in SC? Cool stuff for history nerds like me!
Laurens: I’m John Laurens in the place to be!
Two pints o’ Sam Adams, but I’m workin’ on three, uh!
Those Redcoats don’t want it with me!
Cuz I will pop chicka pop these cops till I’m free! - Hamilton
I didn’t realize there was a 4:30am until I accidentally stayed up that late. Great image.
4:30 am is an amazing time of day. There's a stillness, and an understanding of our time on this earth that doesn't happen at any other time of day. It's the exact time that you see how the previous day has ended, and the exact time you see that you need to start another day. I used to see 4:30 am often, but then I accidentally got a job. :)
Sweet dreams. Maybe you'll dream about where Trump will go after he loses the election, his term expires, and he goes into exile. What country would take him? My money's on Russia.
Nope, Russia won't want him if he's no longer useful to them.
Can we extradite him from Russia? The SDNY will have work for him after January 20th....
Thanks so much, Heather, for the thoughtful and reliably honest realities ( beautiful and painful) that you have brought to us daily. On some days as I attempt to integrate what is happening in our country, yours are the only words that ground me. In my opinion you deserve many days off!!!!!
Belatedly, I return to your question # 11 regarding your course on politics and what it might include. I read an article on-line entitled "Oxytocin, the 'hugging hormone' causes aggression toward competing groups" It spoke profoundly to me about the depth of support for Trump, even among those who suffer as victims of his policies.
I quote from this article:
"Altruism within a group has its flip side: aggression towards other groups.
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Leiden University are the first to reveal a neurobiological cause of conflicts between groups. They posit that oxytocin, a neuropeptide produced in the brain that functions as a hormone and neurotransmitter, causes people to demonstrate preferential treatment towards people in their own group and aggressive behaviour towards members of other competing groups.
With their results, the researchers are able to further refine the currently held assumption that oxytocin makes people more pleasant and more altruistic. Their findings were published last week in the journal Science.
Altruism only applies within groups. An important modification that came out of the research was that oxytocin, commonly known as the 'hugging hormone', causes defensive aggression. The aggression was focused on neutralising a threatening group; if the competing group did not constitute a threat, oxytocin only led to altruism towards the subject's own group. These findings provide a neurobiological explanation for the fact that conflicts between groups escalate when people regard other groups as a threat."
One only needs to watch the daily news (and Jordan Klepper's interviews with Trump supporters) to observe the power and altruistic pleasure that supporters of Trump derive from being with each other, and the fear and contempt they experience for those whom they believe are "outsiders." The most powerful and successful political strategy that I have witnessed in my lifetime is the Republicans' careful use of fear to communicate to a group of potential constituents that "others" "outside their group" pose a very real threat to them and must be opposed. That Republican leaders are beginning to see Trump as an "outsider' and a potential threat to their winning elections, (and perhaps to the well being of our nation) is welcome news indeed.
The name of the original article referred to above is
The Neuropeptide Oxytocin Regulates Parochial Altruism in Intergroup Conflict Among Humans
June 2010Science 328(5984):1408-11
DOI: 10.1126/science.1189047
SourcePubMed
Authors:
Carsten K W De Dreu at Leiden University
Carsten K W De Dreu
Leiden University
Lindred L. Greer at University of Michigan
Lindred L. Greer
University of Michigan
Michel J.J. Handgraaf at Wageningen University & Research
Michel J.J. Handgraaf
Wageningen University & Research
Shaul Shalvi at University of Amsterdam
Shaul Shalvi
University of Amsterdam
Again, many thanks to you. I hope that you are still sleeping. Candace
Wow. This makes perfect sense. As a new mother flush with cuddling hormones, just n one external threat to my young family and my clan would make my Mama Bear emerge. So the same basis for affinity could be the one for agression.
As a registered nurse working in mental health I am also curious about the role of neurotransmitter, serotonin, in both wonderful feelings and violence. The often prescribed cocktail of SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) for depression with narcotics and/or other drugs and herbs for pain, migraine or colds, can cause aggression. The worst case scenario is Serotonin Syndrome which can be deadly and is considered rare (although I have seen 2 cases in patients after long acting morpine was added to their medication regimen. Both were on drugs that also masked (or treated) the high fever (acetaminophen), rigidity (flexerill), and seizures (valproic acid) so diagnosis was not clear). My question is about subclinical (not severe enough to be diagnosed or linked to the pharmaceuticals) symptoms: Could modern medicine, while bringing important relief to suffering, have created a new, angry American? One whose internal chemistry can be easily triggered by a leader who is gifted at igniting hate while creating a new tribe and a new enemy? And, speaking of triggers, these folks should not have access to guns.
Fascinating article, Candace! Thank you for sharing. I became interested in the subject of neurology and hormones a few years ago when I first read of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and the neurological repercussions of toxic stress resulting from those experiences. As a teacher in a high-poverty area, I see many students who could be suffering in this way. This article you have shared is equally interesting and presents a very plausible explanation for what we might consider "aberrant" behaviors.
So happy and grateful you're on the planet 🌎
Yes, please rest. The gifts you extend to us so generously are like no other source of information otherwise available to us. We want you always to relax and enjoy your beautiful seaside surroundings. I wish you joy, peace, and pleasure. Also, please thank Buddy for his sunrise on the water picture.
Stay well, stay safe, and stay sane! Thank you!
A mighty thanks for your refusal to let the happenings in DC stop you from presenting in as unbiased way as possible, your take on the present and its reflection of the past.
And thank you for creating this wonderful community of people who are passionate about the present and the future while appreciating the past you give us. I have come to recognize a lot of the same names who respond daily, all smart and caring folks. Thank you for bringing us together.