American democracy is a fragile anomaly in the tapestry of history, which has been largely defined by monarchs, autocrats, and recently, presidents-for-life. Our rare, delicate experiment is not guaranteed; it relies on each successive generation of Americans working to preserve and defend the flame of democracy. The system cannot run on autopilot, particularly as we navigate difficult terrain.
I was profoundly disappointed this month when every single GOP Senator voted against opening debate on the Freedom to Vote Act – the commonsense legislation I helped to write to improve access to the ballot for all Americans and advance common-sense election integrity reform; it took suggestions from election officials across the country in Red states, Blue states, and Purple states.
We are in the midst of a pivotal moment of American history, as our democracy is faced with dual crises: diminishing faith in our electoral process, and a political party that exploits and encourages these sentiments for short-term political gain. These phenomena threaten to undermine the very idea of America – but it doesn’t have to be this way. The Constitution grants Congress the explicit power to confront these challenges and serve as a backstop against threats and to maintain democratic norms. We must rise to this moment by enacting a set of basic protections to ensure that all Americans can vote. This is not a federal takeover of elections; it simply sets a floor so no state can enact restrictive laws that serve only to disenfranchise voters. Virtually all of these reforms in the Freedom to Vote Act are things that Maine already does.
Congress has a responsibility to meet these challenges head on, and carry forward the legacy that has been entrusted to us. Unfortunately, my GOP colleagues refused to come to the table. I have asked them repeatedly what they would like to see in an elections reform bill, but I have received no substantive responses. I want to negotiate a bill, with my colleagues from both parties, that will defend the American experiment for the next generation. I want a compromise, first and foremost. But absent that, I am open to protecting our democratic system of government through structural reforms that ensure that we protect ballot access for all of our citizens. Our elections are the backbone of America’s democracy – and that democracy is more important than any Senate rule.
Before the vote, I spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to stress the importance of protecting voting rights against state and local-level threats, and preserving America’s historically unique democratic system of self-governance. As I warned in my speech, we're at a hinge in history where the fate of the American experiment hangs in the balance. If you're interested, you can watch the full speech HERE.
Thank you Heather Cox Richardson for being our mighty teacher, and thank you Buddy Poland for reawakening our joy of seeing this morning.
Here's to the black cats, ghost stories, lit Jack-o’-lanterns, witches piloting brooms in the air and the laughter of children as they go trick and treating on this Halloween.
Here's also to our poets, ever present to inspire and engage us.
'The America I Know Could Use a Good Cry'
Marcus Amaker
'I met America at a neighborhood bar.
He offered me a shot of rum and I reminded him
that Captain Morgan was a slave owner,
so the bartender awkwardly slipped another
liquid lie down my throat. I ordered another drink
and was channeled by dark spirits. The courage of
black ghosts who haunt American dreams.
I told him I loved him and I wanted him to sleep well.
“But I know I’ve been in your nightmares,”
I said. “I want to be your friend, but only if it’s a deep
relationship. Only if you show me that you are not scared
of your baggage. Bring your whole history to the table.”
America cracked open another beer as a tear
ran down his face. He said,
“I was born in a house not my own, and my fathers demanded
that their portraits hang on every wall. White paint covers each
brown brick and our backyard is a museum of unmarked graves.”
“Despite this, a garden grows,” I said. “And every home
can be torn down and rebuilt again.”
“But I’ve been told I shouldn’t completely let you in,” he said.
“Some people in my family stand in the doorway,
blocking the entrance.”
He left before I could tell him that my people have a history
of finding ways inside broken spaces and making them whole again.'
(Marcus Amaker is a poet, recording artist, and mentor, the author of eight books of poetry, most recently The Birth of All Things (Free Verse Press, 2020). In 2021, Amaker received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship')
It may be cold there on the water, but Buddy's photo is warmly comforting. And early to bed for you means a needed break for us from the madness you help us understand. Sharing our reactions and comments to the dire news is its own form of release.
An Autumn evening with a waning gibbous moon...shelter in, stir the soup pot, surrender to the fatigue of a week’s work well done...rest, turn inward, whisper your gratitudes.🧡🌜🍁🍂
I've always wanted to wish you well! You truly are helping those of us who are actually paying attention feel a bit better with your encapsulations of the day. Thank you for doing all the legwork!
A friend told me about your letters. I joined and read each one. Originally from New England I love the photos you post on your off days. I so miss the east coast. What you are doing is so important! I appreciate all the hard work and everything you are doing to keep us well informed. I know it is hard to juggle all that you do. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Thank you, as always, for your letters. Though I often have to cover my face and peek through my fingers when I read them, I feel better equipped and encouraged to do the little I can to help stabilize our foundering ship of state.
The state of Florida, violating both the First Amendment and the principle of academic freedom, has barred three faculty members of the University of Florida from testifying against the state's restrictive voting rights bill in a lawsuit brought against the state. This is deeply wrong on many levels, but my main concern is the absolute disregard for facts, truth and independent thought when they go against the agenda of the state - and the state's ability to enforce their power, even in the face of enlightened facts and opinions.
Florida says the testimony of the three professors "is adverse to UF's interests". What they mean is that the testimony would be adverse to the current government in power in the state, which really means it would adverse to DeSantis himself. It comes as no surprise that there's more than one Trump living in Florida.
This is a shocking development, and the professors have filed an action against the state to allow their testimony. UF, for their part, says that since they are "a state actor" (their words), they can prevent their faculty members from taking action counter to the interest of the State.
We should all be supporting these faculty members and their right to use their expertise to support the actual truth, not the truth as the State would like it to be. The obvious countermeasure would be to remove the academic accreditation of the University of Florida on the grounds that their curriculum and the rights of their faculty are constrained by political, not academic, interests.
This is another scary move away from the principle that truth is power, headlong toward the politically convenient idea that power is truth.
Humanity is failing to stop the climate crisis. It's now beyond urgent -- the planet is screaming for help.
Right now world leaders are meeting for historic climate talks -- but pledges without real action won't cut it anymore. We need bold, visionary leaders to finally do what's needed to pull us back from the abyss.
I'll be at the talks with inspiring youth leaders like Vanessa Nakate and Dominika Lasota. We'll personally meet dozens of governments -- it's the perfect opportunity to deliver a giant call for urgent action. Join us now: add your name with one click and pass this on.
That's how young people around the world describe our governments' failure to cut carbon emissions. And it's no surprise.
We are catastrophically far from the crucial goal of 1.5°C, and yet governments everywhere are still accelerating the crisis, spending billions on fossil fuels.
This is not a drill. It's code red for the Earth. Millions will suffer as our planet is devastated -- a terrifying future that will be created, or avoided, by the decisions you make. You have the power to decide.
As citizens across the planet, we urge you to face up to the climate emergency. Not next year. Not next month. Now:
* Keep the precious goal of 1.5°C alive with immediate, drastic, annual emission reductions unlike anything the world has ever seen.
* End all fossil fuel investments, subsidies, and new projects immediately, and stop new exploration and extraction.
* End 'creative' carbon accounting by publishing total emissions for all consumption indices, supply chains, international aviation and shipping, and the burning of biomass.
* Deliver the $100bn promised to the most vulnerable countries, with additional funds for climate disasters.
* Enact climate policies to protect workers and the most vulnerable, and reduce all forms of inequality.
We can still do this. There is still time to avoid the worst consequences if we are prepared to change. It will take determined, visionary leadership. And it will take immense courage -- but know that when you rise, billions will be right behind you.
It can feel incredibly hard to keep hope alive in the face of inaction. But my hope lies in people -- in the millions of us who are rising to save the future. It lies in our marches, in our dogged determination to keep fighting, and in our trembling voices as we speak truth to power. My hope is rooted in action and fuelled by a love for humanity and our most beautiful earth. It's what keeps me absolutely convinced that we can do this. And we must do this. Together.
With fierce hope,
Greta from Sweden, with Vanessa from Uganda, Dominika from Poland, Mitzi from the Philippines, youth activists across the world, and the whole team at Avaaz
More information:
World is failing to make changes needed to avoid climate breakdown, report finds (The Guardian)
Dana Millbank puts his own spin how HCR often writes about the battle between government working for the people vs GOP everyone for themselves and it sucks being you if you fail, you deserved it.
Opinion: ‘Let’s go Brandon’ is Republicans’ vulgar governing agenda
A letter from another Mainer, Sen. Angus King:
American democracy is a fragile anomaly in the tapestry of history, which has been largely defined by monarchs, autocrats, and recently, presidents-for-life. Our rare, delicate experiment is not guaranteed; it relies on each successive generation of Americans working to preserve and defend the flame of democracy. The system cannot run on autopilot, particularly as we navigate difficult terrain.
I was profoundly disappointed this month when every single GOP Senator voted against opening debate on the Freedom to Vote Act – the commonsense legislation I helped to write to improve access to the ballot for all Americans and advance common-sense election integrity reform; it took suggestions from election officials across the country in Red states, Blue states, and Purple states.
We are in the midst of a pivotal moment of American history, as our democracy is faced with dual crises: diminishing faith in our electoral process, and a political party that exploits and encourages these sentiments for short-term political gain. These phenomena threaten to undermine the very idea of America – but it doesn’t have to be this way. The Constitution grants Congress the explicit power to confront these challenges and serve as a backstop against threats and to maintain democratic norms. We must rise to this moment by enacting a set of basic protections to ensure that all Americans can vote. This is not a federal takeover of elections; it simply sets a floor so no state can enact restrictive laws that serve only to disenfranchise voters. Virtually all of these reforms in the Freedom to Vote Act are things that Maine already does.
Congress has a responsibility to meet these challenges head on, and carry forward the legacy that has been entrusted to us. Unfortunately, my GOP colleagues refused to come to the table. I have asked them repeatedly what they would like to see in an elections reform bill, but I have received no substantive responses. I want to negotiate a bill, with my colleagues from both parties, that will defend the American experiment for the next generation. I want a compromise, first and foremost. But absent that, I am open to protecting our democratic system of government through structural reforms that ensure that we protect ballot access for all of our citizens. Our elections are the backbone of America’s democracy – and that democracy is more important than any Senate rule.
Before the vote, I spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to stress the importance of protecting voting rights against state and local-level threats, and preserving America’s historically unique democratic system of self-governance. As I warned in my speech, we're at a hinge in history where the fate of the American experiment hangs in the balance. If you're interested, you can watch the full speech HERE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yxkD_5G24E
Thank you Heather Cox Richardson for being our mighty teacher, and thank you Buddy Poland for reawakening our joy of seeing this morning.
Here's to the black cats, ghost stories, lit Jack-o’-lanterns, witches piloting brooms in the air and the laughter of children as they go trick and treating on this Halloween.
Here's also to our poets, ever present to inspire and engage us.
'The America I Know Could Use a Good Cry'
Marcus Amaker
'I met America at a neighborhood bar.
He offered me a shot of rum and I reminded him
that Captain Morgan was a slave owner,
so the bartender awkwardly slipped another
liquid lie down my throat. I ordered another drink
and was channeled by dark spirits. The courage of
black ghosts who haunt American dreams.
I told him I loved him and I wanted him to sleep well.
“But I know I’ve been in your nightmares,”
I said. “I want to be your friend, but only if it’s a deep
relationship. Only if you show me that you are not scared
of your baggage. Bring your whole history to the table.”
America cracked open another beer as a tear
ran down his face. He said,
“I was born in a house not my own, and my fathers demanded
that their portraits hang on every wall. White paint covers each
brown brick and our backyard is a museum of unmarked graves.”
“Despite this, a garden grows,” I said. “And every home
can be torn down and rebuilt again.”
“But I’ve been told I shouldn’t completely let you in,” he said.
“Some people in my family stand in the doorway,
blocking the entrance.”
He left before I could tell him that my people have a history
of finding ways inside broken spaces and making them whole again.'
(Marcus Amaker is a poet, recording artist, and mentor, the author of eight books of poetry, most recently The Birth of All Things (Free Verse Press, 2020). In 2021, Amaker received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship')
It may be cold there on the water, but Buddy's photo is warmly comforting. And early to bed for you means a needed break for us from the madness you help us understand. Sharing our reactions and comments to the dire news is its own form of release.
An Autumn evening with a waning gibbous moon...shelter in, stir the soup pot, surrender to the fatigue of a week’s work well done...rest, turn inward, whisper your gratitudes.🧡🌜🍁🍂
Sleep well… first wet and cold rainy night in Ireland too! Winter begins…Christopher from County Clare, Ireland.
Wish we could convince ALL Americans to read ur writings every day. Such common sense and truth👏🏻
I've always wanted to wish you well! You truly are helping those of us who are actually paying attention feel a bit better with your encapsulations of the day. Thank you for doing all the legwork!
A friend told me about your letters. I joined and read each one. Originally from New England I love the photos you post on your off days. I so miss the east coast. What you are doing is so important! I appreciate all the hard work and everything you are doing to keep us well informed. I know it is hard to juggle all that you do. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Exquisite photo. Reminds me of The Great Gatsby.
Thank you, as always, for your letters. Though I often have to cover my face and peek through my fingers when I read them, I feel better equipped and encouraged to do the little I can to help stabilize our foundering ship of state.
I love the picture and hope you got a good night's sleep. However, I have to direct attention to the most disturbing news story of the day.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/10/30/florida-voting-rights-desantis-lawsuit/
The state of Florida, violating both the First Amendment and the principle of academic freedom, has barred three faculty members of the University of Florida from testifying against the state's restrictive voting rights bill in a lawsuit brought against the state. This is deeply wrong on many levels, but my main concern is the absolute disregard for facts, truth and independent thought when they go against the agenda of the state - and the state's ability to enforce their power, even in the face of enlightened facts and opinions.
Florida says the testimony of the three professors "is adverse to UF's interests". What they mean is that the testimony would be adverse to the current government in power in the state, which really means it would adverse to DeSantis himself. It comes as no surprise that there's more than one Trump living in Florida.
This is a shocking development, and the professors have filed an action against the state to allow their testimony. UF, for their part, says that since they are "a state actor" (their words), they can prevent their faculty members from taking action counter to the interest of the State.
We should all be supporting these faculty members and their right to use their expertise to support the actual truth, not the truth as the State would like it to be. The obvious countermeasure would be to remove the academic accreditation of the University of Florida on the grounds that their curriculum and the rights of their faculty are constrained by political, not academic, interests.
This is another scary move away from the principle that truth is power, headlong toward the politically convenient idea that power is truth.
The light, shining the way forward.
Yup, that's you Heather.
Thank you, thank you for all you do.
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.
The Beatles
I love this photo!!!
A very neat picture!!
Here is more on the big picture today ...:
From Greta Thunberg and Avaaz:
Dear friends,
Humanity is failing to stop the climate crisis. It's now beyond urgent -- the planet is screaming for help.
Right now world leaders are meeting for historic climate talks -- but pledges without real action won't cut it anymore. We need bold, visionary leaders to finally do what's needed to pull us back from the abyss.
I'll be at the talks with inspiring youth leaders like Vanessa Nakate and Dominika Lasota. We'll personally meet dozens of governments -- it's the perfect opportunity to deliver a giant call for urgent action. Join us now: add your name with one click and pass this on.
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/climate_action_now_loc/
To world leaders,
"Betrayal."
That's how young people around the world describe our governments' failure to cut carbon emissions. And it's no surprise.
We are catastrophically far from the crucial goal of 1.5°C, and yet governments everywhere are still accelerating the crisis, spending billions on fossil fuels.
This is not a drill. It's code red for the Earth. Millions will suffer as our planet is devastated -- a terrifying future that will be created, or avoided, by the decisions you make. You have the power to decide.
As citizens across the planet, we urge you to face up to the climate emergency. Not next year. Not next month. Now:
* Keep the precious goal of 1.5°C alive with immediate, drastic, annual emission reductions unlike anything the world has ever seen.
* End all fossil fuel investments, subsidies, and new projects immediately, and stop new exploration and extraction.
* End 'creative' carbon accounting by publishing total emissions for all consumption indices, supply chains, international aviation and shipping, and the burning of biomass.
* Deliver the $100bn promised to the most vulnerable countries, with additional funds for climate disasters.
* Enact climate policies to protect workers and the most vulnerable, and reduce all forms of inequality.
We can still do this. There is still time to avoid the worst consequences if we are prepared to change. It will take determined, visionary leadership. And it will take immense courage -- but know that when you rise, billions will be right behind you.
It can feel incredibly hard to keep hope alive in the face of inaction. But my hope lies in people -- in the millions of us who are rising to save the future. It lies in our marches, in our dogged determination to keep fighting, and in our trembling voices as we speak truth to power. My hope is rooted in action and fuelled by a love for humanity and our most beautiful earth. It's what keeps me absolutely convinced that we can do this. And we must do this. Together.
With fierce hope,
Greta from Sweden, with Vanessa from Uganda, Dominika from Poland, Mitzi from the Philippines, youth activists across the world, and the whole team at Avaaz
More information:
World is failing to make changes needed to avoid climate breakdown, report finds (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/28/world-failing-make-changes-avoid-climate-breakdown-report
_____
It’s Time for COP26. Here’s Where We Stand. (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/27/climate/nyt-climate-newsletter-cop26.html
_____
The impacts of climate change at 1.5C, 2C and beyond (Carbon Brief)
https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/impacts-climate-change-one-point-five-degrees-two-degrees/
_____
UN sounds alarm on missing climate pledges (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/un-warns-world-way-off-track-greenhouse-gases-soar-2021-10-25/
Dana Millbank puts his own spin how HCR often writes about the battle between government working for the people vs GOP everyone for themselves and it sucks being you if you fail, you deserved it.
Opinion: ‘Let’s go Brandon’ is Republicans’ vulgar governing agenda
https://wapo.st/3EriL6Y
I hope you were able to have a good sleep Dr. R. You certainly deserve it! And what a beautiful photo by Buddy Poland!