It’s important for us to equip ourselves to prevent the illegal takeover of our country. We can’t allow ourselves to fall into a state of helplessness and despair. We must be disciplined and follow a plan.
HCR’s video talk of 9/22/20 was jarring when she called trump’s election plan a coup. Her “pep talk” included these elements (paraphrased):
- Stick to principles and non-violent resistance instead of reacting to trump as a person.
- Recognize that an abuser seeks control by causing constant fear and terror which in turn function to destabilize and paralyze, so stay grounded, stay calm.
- Trump cries wolf to get attention, so decenter him by ignoring his bluster, moving him off the stage.
- Remember we own our government. Don’t obsess, but do pay attention. And carry on with doing “what you love.”
I would add, from the 9/22 lecture, two vital conditions for a democracy to exist: 1) it must represent the majority of the people and 2) in a two-party system the voters must trust the legitimacy of the opposing parties. Finally, non-violence is the only way to challenge a coup.
Non-violence is indeed the way as long as you can get multi-millions of people onto the streets in every part of the country and have them face down the armed thugs, local police and Republican militias to protect our democracy. The masses of people is the only thing that will intimidate these armed morons. They must be so afraid for their lives that they either cut and run or join the people protesting....then you are talking successful counter-coup strategy. Before the Trumpian forces understand that they have lost, lives will be lost in the cause of Democracy and people must be prepared to pay that price...for at this moment "doing what they love" cannot mean getting on with their lives as if nothing was happening that threatened that very life!
The key question is what to do/what will happen when the "armed thugs, local police, and Republican militias" appear in the streets. These will use more lethal means than the attack dogs and fire hoses "Bull" Connor used against MLK and many others.
Agree. This is a great article with lots of good ideas. I really like the one that states we need to get with our elected officials at all levels to have them sign a pledge to agree to count all the votes. If you read the article, there is a link to a previous article embedded which talks about "what will it take to defend the election". Our HCR community is all over the country. This could really be a great tactic.
I fear you may be right---we are moving toward active shooting in the streets right now. I was in Durham NC in seminary during the protests/actions. I knew a SNCC organizer---they went through hell for the rest of us.
Catherine. Thanks so much for that link. It was very informative and encouraging. I was especially grateful for its stress on non-violence. We can win this struggle and save our republic if we keep our heads and refuse to “say uncle”.
Thank you, Catherine, for sharing this article. Never have I considered that we, in the USA, would have to prepare for a coup. Heather’s discussing it in her ‘History and Politics’ chat this past Tuesday, introduced that soberingly real possibility to me, and this article provides practical points to consider and actions to take in the event that the Trumpists attempt to stop the counting of ballots.
Yes Catherine L (from another Catherine L), Last night I attended training on nonviolent resistance to deterring a coup or defeating a coup if it happens. George Lakey, a Quaker, is a wonderful historian and researcher on social change and now defeating coups and shares his learnings from history to apply now. Another website to check out is https://choosedemocracy.us/ We must prepare to defend democracy!
Non-violent opposition is not a passive strategy but a demandingly active one! It must be extremely "forceful", unending and practiced in a coordinated fashion by the largest possible part of a nation's people.
In any war of words...or worse...the choice of the form, text and themes for propaganda put out by the "enemy" is always extremely interesting for what it reveals about them and their view of the state of play. That the article was a juicy "mouse trap" for the Atlantic Journalist I have no doubt, but it was not necessarily all lies. The journalist was of course doing his job ...and doing it very well at that.
What the article says to me is that Trump/GOP has given up on even being seen to win on Nov 3rd and considers that it will indicate a Biden victory even without mail-in votes....which they will hope to have declared invalid as "obviously" tainted by Democrat's fraud and challenge every contrary vote as they indicate. The "kindly" legal adviser to Trump then gives the path that they would like this to follow from their cloned State Assemblies to their recently "cleansed" SCOTUS...and they would expect it to go their way despite significant recent judgements against them. Firstly, their plan adds fuel to the fire that is incinerating the legitimacy of an indirect election process for POTUS but it also adds more elements to the plans for much needed reforms....like getting rid of the States' power to invalidate the election and name their own choices.
Logic would suggest also that they would also challenge at the same time every Senatorial election they lost to ensure that McConnell was safe and the Senate would not become a centre of resistance. They won't necessarily waste any money on the House of Representatives as they believe they can ignore it anyway in the first instance and do away with it afterwards!
It also gives, on the one hand, a degree of confidence to the Biden camp that, as the polls suggest constantly, they are progressing in every part of the field of battle but, on the other hand, it is a warning that their will be no holds "Barred", no moral repugnance at any level of baseness, no stone unturned....but that we know already. Plans need to be made to counter every move laid out in the articleand and in many others like it ...and they were kind enough to give us a detailed foretaste....but I'm sure Biden is already knows it. The enemy does not have the monopoly on brainy strategists, tacticians and lawyers and most evidently their effective army is much smaller than the one the Democrats could put in the field to block the every move. If the Democrats can summon the same level of intense motivation and dedication to the cause...or greater...than their opposition and get their troops out there moving under the direction of daring and intrepid generals..then they will come through to a stunning victory...that's how we win wars. Time for structured action as well as intelligent words...just caring and bemoaning the iniquity is never enough! Time to redouble efforts to infect your neighbours with your active enthusiasm and get them out there too alongside you.
And I might add...if the TRUMP/GOP thought that the strategy laid out in the Atlantic article was the way to go and it was their fully detailed and appropriately staffed and financed Game Plan, an intelligent player would keep it secret and spring the surprise on the opposition while he was bathing in his apparent success. It tells me that they are far from sure of their ability to do this and are looking more to panic the enemy and change the headlines once again. Then it is also possible that they are a bunch of bullying braggarts that think they will scare us all so much by showing themselves as the the Beast of the Depths, that we won't dare go out and vote...SMOKE AND MIRRORS!
My God, thank you. Yes, of course, if they weren’t afraid, seriously afraid of losing, they wouldn’t be going to such extremes to be blaring the plans of how they will decry their loss! Perhaps they played us with the plans being asserted in the Atlantic. It’s what he’s done for 4 years! Dangling the shiny objects.... louder and more absurd than ever. I have a new perspective on the state of affairs now, we may be able to get this done. In the right way.
Stuart Attewell, I hope you don't mind but I am going to share your perspective "...an intelligent player would keep it secret and spring the surprise on the opposition while he was bathing in his apparent success. It tells me that they are far from sure of their ability to do this and are looking more to panic the enemy and change the headlines once again..." with a Facebook group I belong too. Last night's "The Rachel Maddow Show" scared the $hit of them. This point should make them feel better. It makes me feel a little better. I am getting ready to listen to "The Atlantic" on Audm. This perspective will help me make it through it. Thank you!
On the other hand, cold-blooded hubris would suggest that when you know you will go nuclear to accomplish your goals and you know that the adversary is weak and will not know how to respond, and you have all the elements in place to accomplish your brilliant final move, part of the joy of the kill is telling the victim about how you will do it ahead of time and watching them cringe and whine and wring their hands. Who is going to stop them? I'm with Dan Rather.
But methinks you give them a little too much credit! Going nuclear as you put it is extremely complex and requires massive ressources and military-like planning and coordination. Their record to date has been a trifle amateur and with only local and haphazard success. The only mass movement they have managed to make appear in their propaganda mirage being the tea party talking shops: their only attempt to create an impression of popular support. Much as this is very noisy and a useful symbol for those being elected with Koch money and amplified by internet moles and trolls of every stripe, but the popular movement has not moved onto the streets in any significant numbers.
I hope you're right. I would say their 50 year plan is going pretty well, with minority rule in many states and Congress, an Overton Window far to the right, and lots of ideologue judges, etc.. We'll see. (https://newrepublic.com/article/61560/swimming-sharks)
That's what happens when the Democrats are asleep at the wheel and just can't believe that people would be so "naughty" . It's not "nice" after all. I don't say that we deserve it...but we surely deserve better Democrats!
Absolutely! The Democrats have been asleep at the wheel for too long---Florida 2000, Flint 2016. Can they get ready for ground warfare at the vote count???????
Its a fair test of the "charactor" of a people whether they will fight when their back is against the wall and their lives threatened. Nobody has invaded the US since Columbus and external threats are often "charactor builders" . This time the threat is internal; a virtual 2nd Civil War. I hope they will fight and not just look on as if it was just another facet of the Warcraft computer game.
tRump & the gang may be amateur hour, but enlisting each state Republucan party to amass 50,000 volunteers to harass and endanger voters will be a well orchestrated terrorist plan. Who is going to stop them?
Oh. You are right. So creepy and foul. And my heart went to my throat when you wrote "will go nuclear", reacting literally. I had forgoten that this monster has access and responsibility for the nuclear warhead codes. Who is going to stop them?
Despite the despair that Trump's comments bring, the good news is that he has dispelled any doubt about his intentions. We now know the game and the stakes. Trump will attempt a coup if he thinks he will lose. At all costs. The unthinkable has arrived at our doorsteps.
Bart Geller says, at the end of his worrisome article, that people should vote in person and, if they are at relatively low risk for Covid 19, volunteer to work the polls. I would add that if we wish to produce an election day landslide for Biden, we should assure our mail in ballots are early in states that count them as they come in, that we use the early voting in person option, and that we literally hold our noses, mask up, and vote on election day if we haven't taken advantage of the first two options. This election is going to be won by having the vote reflect the country's growing disgust with the Trump administration. Blue Wave!
Would like to vote in person, but Washington State has been a mail-in state since 2006. There are no polling venues. I can, however, exercise my right to vote early. And definitely will.
A medically fragile friend of mine in North Carolina is planning on curbside voting during early voting. It's in person, as distinct from mail-in, and she does not have to leave her car.
To my knowledge, there is no curbside voting where I live. I await my ballot (mailed on the 18th and taking its sweet time in arriving), which I will complete and take to a certified drop box at my library.
THIS: “Trump’s statement is abhorrent, indeed; but the future remains unwritten.“
I refuse to be frightened nor give up hope. That is what President Trump desires. (Thank you, Heather. You are balm to our fears.)
Remain diligent about voting, getting out the vote, etc. We can and will defeat President Trump. Slow and steady is the course, my fellow Heather-loving peeps!
Thank you HCR and Atlantic. Journalism at work to bring the facts to an American public under assault. Can anyone explain what Nancy Pelosi and the Dems are doing strategically to counter and prepare for these threats? I know she isn’t a good public speaking figure. But isn’t there some benefit to screaming 😱 to acting to say this is really bad, terrible changes are coming if a SCOTUS is replaced now? All of us have to be prepared to show a little courage to save our country? Be courageous? Continuing to read Biden’s position papers, writing, donating now when it counts, and phone banking. Planing to walk my ballot in and take to the streets at the age of 70! ❤️🤍💙
Someone on Heather's Facebook post suggested this:
Today, I #choosedemocracy. This fall, it's going to be up to we, the people, to make sure our election is free and fair. I'm personally ready to do what it takes to defend our democracy, and I hope you are too. Let's get ready together --> https://choosedemocracy.us/
https://choosedemocracy.us/ is offering webinars on nonviolent ways to deter or defeat coups. I attended one last night and it gave me hope that coups can be defeated. Need four key things: 1. Massive participation -- spread the word 2. Form alliances - reach out 3. Discipline of maintaining non-violence - non-violence is powerful 4. Refusing to go along with any requests from an illegitimate authorities - no compromise.
Please vote, and if you can figure out a way to safely get to a polling place, so as to not to mail in your ballot, please consider doing so.
While the efficacy of mail-in voting is being attacked, the fact remains, that any mail-in votes, won’t even begin to be counted, until after ELECTION DAY!
I for one, don’t plan to add to the uncertainty of this presidential election outcome, by mailing in my ballot, which then won’t even be counted, until a week after the polls officially close.
That sounds like a total recipe for disaster, to me.
Lastly, I only recently learned that in New York State, for the first time in state history, NY state is allowing early voting at many, specifically designated, polling places, starting on Saturday, October 24.
While this would be a great way to celebrate my actual birthday, I digress, let’s not make this all about me.
I plan to be casting my vote in New York State for the next President of the United States, on Monday October 26th, 2020.
If you’re in New York State and you didn’t know about this, now you do, so please look into it further.
If you are not a resident of New York State, please, please, look into the possibility of any early voting options that may exist in your state.
Of course, you could always cast your ballot on November 3. That is still an option.
Please remember, if you can cast an early vote, or an actual vote on election day, that’s going to be a lot more beneficial to the legitimacy of this upcoming elections, than a mail in vote would be.
Please help me circulate this information on the opportunities for early voting that exist across the United States of America.
The Commonwealth of Virginia allowed early voting to start on September 18th, and I was there to vote. They even opened some new satellite voting spots, which helps even more. Agree with you; if you can vote early, go do it!
NY allows people to bring absentee ballot to polling place. Also, if an absentee ballot is requested, it does not need to be used. It can be turned over to the poll workers before using machine to vote.
Personally, I don’t feel comfortable using the machines as they are hackable, particularly if hooked up to internet and they all are at some point. They proved Russia hacked the votes in certain states in the 2016 election. Ivanka Trump was granted patents in China for voting machines. So I don’t doubt the machines will be hacked again this year.
The frightening aspect to this isn't Trump, it's all those, especially the "legal" team, openly conspiring to torpedo a national election. The thunderous silence of congressional Republicans literally makes my skin crawl. It is self-evident that all of these people are convinced Trump can't win an open, honest election; so the will of the people be damned.
These people are openly, overtly, planning an American coup d'etat.
Thank you, Heather, for addressing both of these stories. I was initially quite distressed about the Atlantic story until I read a Twitter comment pointing out that it was a trump adviser who gave information for it. Why now? So, somewhat less concerned but still worried. Then came the transfer of power comment. But then another reminder that he wants us to believe that all is lost because it suits his purposes. And now your reminder that the future isn’t written yet. And now I can sleep.
So, the Electoral College, the failsafe of the White, Aristocratic (slave owning) Founders of this Republic, designed to prevent the unwashed masses from electing an Idiot, and which not only failed that task twice in my lifetime, will now be the tool of the unthinking masses to destroy this Republic.
I was born at the end of WWII, (the day after FDR won his 4th term). The Nazis and the Axis powers that threw the world into such deadly discord were about to be defeated. Now, ¾ of a century later we have gone full circle to the beginning of another lawless, violent regime about to wrest the legitimate government of the U.S. from We The People.
Oh well, at least the perplexing mystery of how a progressive, civilized nation like Germany could transform into an insane, fascist dictatorship has been solved as we watch it happening here. And, it only took 4 years to go from progress to ruin. I fear for the world of my grandchildren.
Rob, it only took 4 years for the visible underpinnings to come crashing down. The transformation has been well underway for decades, introduced to the mainstream through Ronald Reagan, the seemingly kind, gentle, father figure who made insidiousness acceptable to republicans and independents across the country. The persona he projected was not a mistake or a fluke, it was well crafted and executed. He developed a polite way to say "screw you" to those at the bottom and gave those in the middle, greedy for more, a way to justify their selfishness. And those at the top? He gave them the language of trickle down economics, a framework that they've been able to use for decades. It's like a Jenga tower, eventually it collapses. That's where we are now.
Daria. I think you've got it pinned. You captured the background perfectly. What I see now is an administration whose plans are going awry, and are desperately trying to reclaim the upper hand. I admit that I am a natural optimist, but this admin has tried one foolish thing after another only to see their plans blow up on them. Their claims are becoming more preposterous, either out of desperation or an attempt (as Heather said) to try to convince Dems and Progs that it's a lost cause and not bother voting. What I see from my vantage point is the opposite: intense campaigns to encourage and support voters. No accident that polls show a steadily increasing support for Biden.
And I'm wondering if Trump's refusal to concretely agree to accept the outcome of the election might just nudge one or more Republican Senators to change their minds about supporting selection of Ginsburg's replacement. That would be nice.
Annie, I think you're right. The administration's efforts are being foiled time and again so they are doubling down on the optics at rallies, showing masked, whites only behind the president and increasing the inflammatory rhetoric against democrats, progs and "the other" more and more aggressively. What concerns me, at this point, is he is making absolutely no attempt, not even a feeble one, to address anyone other than his hard core constituency. He is throwing out fresh bits of red meat daily, just enough to keep them hungry and coming back for more.
The latest turning point, in my mind, is when Trump used the word "retribution" in his interview with Jeanine Pirro, regarding the September 3rd death of the so called antifa sympathizer, Michael Reinoehl, by US Marshals in Washington state. Pirro let Trump's comment pass, unchallenged. It's in that moment Trump's block of voters got the message loud and clear that he is willing to support any action that will push him forward. If they didn't understand the.precise meaning of the word retribution Trump's shills made the meaning very clear. (Mind you, his more militant core didn't need this "permission" they've already committed to violence and mayhem to further his cause.)
I struggle with optimism right now. Every horrible thing I imagined happening under a Trump presidency has come to fruition. His intentions were clear from the beginning just as they are now. And I hope you're right. I hope that Trump's refusal to accept the election results will turn the tide within the Republican Senate and stop the forward movement around RBG's replacement. That would be a sign of a better tomorrow..
Yeah, I know that history. I was going to allude to us going from Camelot to the Dark Ages in 4 years, but remembered Camelot was in the Dark Ages. I was thinking of all the progress that took place in civil rights at the beginning of this century to the point of a biracial president winning two terms. THEN THE BACKLASH CRASH.
I will vote. I volunteered to be an election judge. I will help people get to the polls. But I think any of the people connected to me who once were rational conservatives have stopped reading my posts on social media. I wish I knew of something else I could do. If I were more creative, I’d write a song with a catchy, dramatic tune about what’s happening. Maybe we can find out where the danger will be and just stand as nonviolent, peaceful sentry like the wall of moms in Portland.
Yes, I feel exactly the same way. Sign me up when you figure out what more we can do. Actually, you may have it right there! A wall of Moms. Everywhere.
I live in the swingiest part of a swing state - a small college city surrounded by rural districts. I feel you are overly optimustic. Yes, we are "blue" in town, but step one foot up or down the river and, as one friend noted, it's not just a sea of Trump signs, it's a never-ending sea of Trump SHRINES (and, I have heard, "patriot militias"). Yesterday, on my way home from working at our county's Dem party HQ, a solitary affair because of COVID restrictions and the lack of ANY Biden signs or buttons or stickers, I followed a large truck festooned with a 4x6 (at least) American flag on a pole stuck into the left rear bumper and a giant TRUMP flag stuck into the right rear bumper. It was like being in a nightmare parade. Because our brilliant news geniuses report elections like sports events and vote totals as if dirt could vote (using geographical maps), when our state's votes are reported, we have the visuals of a huge patch of red with a few small dots of blue. If they would use CARTOGRAMS, maps that can depict the sizes of populations of each district or county, we would see big splashes of blue with pimples of red. But, because they never use cartograms, it's easy for rural Republican voters to get the impression that there are far more of them than of Democrats and that our state's hyper-gerrymandered voting districts make things more fair. I also feel the Biden campaign is going down the HRC path of kicking the enthusiasm out of young progressives for whom Green New Deal, M4A, and #BLM are top, motivating issues. Some (wrongly, I believe) think voting for a Green presidential candidate and progressives down ballot will send a message to Dems and neutralize Trump in a second term.(https://www.wiscontext.org/cartogram-wisconsins-2018-election-governor)
Cate, I share your concern about being overly optimistic and can identify with the sight of Trump shrines. I live in the exurbs of St Louis, a place that is equal parts suburban, small town, and rural; a place with a political identity crisis. This was formerly Dick Gephardt's district and continues to vote for more democratic issues such as Medicaid expansion and, overwhelmingly (90%), against Right to Work, yet votes to send Republican legislators to the Republican super majority in the capitol, to tear apart everything just voted for. AND it's Trump country. It's not just that here are more Trump signs, it's that the displays are big and obnoxious and insistent. Last weekend there was a parade of trucks, festooned as you described, parading around town and up and down the highway. I don't expect these people to accept the legitimacy of a Biden victory, should he prevail. Before the pandemic made it impossible, I had planned to vote early and then take the kids for an extended vacation to Canada while the election results shook out. I'm working for a Biden victory and for state Democrats down ballot, as well as donating to candidates around the country. But I'm worried and feeling the need to have plans in place to bug out.
Many states begin counting absentee and mailed-in ballots well before November 3. To learn what your state will be doing this year year, check out this chart, and please share within your own circles of influence.
To all the words on nonviolent protest. YES. ONLY nonviolent. BUT the Democrats must lawyer up and confront the GOP goon squad lawyers. The Dems failed in 2000 Florida and 2016 Flint MI. this is a battle. And it’s not just Trump. The GOP is fully involved.
Dems are "lawyered up". And of course there is the ACLU, who has been deeply involved in following and strategizing from beginning, and NAACP and other civil rights orgs. Many non-profits of all sorts are working the legal end of things, preparing and strategizing as well. What is needed is US: the People, standing up and clearly stating our support. Donating if we can, volunteering where needed (I belong to NAACP and a local action group).
Choose Democracy: https://choosedemocracy.us/ is an amazing resource to help people learn non-violent resistance techniques and linking us together, as several have pointed out.
Thank you for this. I am so tired of listening to people whine and simply "hope" for a good outcome. Get off the sidelines, get involved, volunteer. Join a text or phone banking effort. Get people registered. This is the most important election of our lifetimes and it is no time to be a spectator. Get after it folks.
Annie Delyth Stratton, I cannot find my post to which you replied, nor your reply! I want to thank you for the link that is related to Catherine L’s link, with the pledge to support a nonviolent resistance to any coup attempt.
Reading the recent responses to Professor Richardson’s excellent encapsulation of each day’s most important news on the civic and governmental front, I’ve been saddened by the discouraged, woeful emotions expressed. There certainly is much that’s been reported that might be characterized as gloom and doom, and this morning’s “Letter” might be the most daunting yet.
It is only realistic to expect the chaos we’ve endured these past four years to intensify, and it is all too possible that it may lead to insurrection and, ultimately, anarchy. But I’ve recently come upon some encouraging material that I think offers a more constructive and hopeful outlook. These articles/projects offer very credible information that could inform our vital and necessary neo-Reconstruction efforts in the months and years ahead.
I’ll be extremely interested in your reactions to these articles.
My take, for what it’s worth, is that there are numerous opportunities for us to become involved in creating a bright, viable and sustainable future. We just need to search them out, and when we discover the ideal project or process, cast our lot with like-minded activists and begin the arduous but rewarding task of rebuilding our society, this time truly in the likeness of the glorious language of the Founders.
By the way...Some of you might have read my little — alright, not so little — rant in response to Professor Richardson’s Sept. 8 Letter… . My primary point was that any attempt that we make to rescue our homeland will be doomed to failure if we do not make racial justice, and social justice in general, the hallmark of our efforts.
It’s time to band together and begin creating a world that’s only been dreamed of by our forbearers. We’ve got plenty of lemons; so let’s make the biggest batch of the best lemonade the human race has ever tasted!
Tuesday’s video post by Dr Richardson was about solutions and a pep talk and it was the uplifting response. It’s posted on Facebook and probably her YouTube channel. I really enjoy her video posts! We can make good things happen!
Thanks for the positive spirit, Denise. We need to be each other’s cheerleaders to maintain momentum and to stay ahead of the forces of negativity, division and, yes, criminality. We can turn this dismal time into a bright new day if we stay organized, informed, and unified!
Bill, that this group grows and faithfully looks to Heather’s Letters for guidance shows we have not given up. Many here ARE involved in changing how things unfold. However, as many have expressed, we are tired. We are trying to hold off the onslaught; Bart Geller’s piece was unbelievably terrifying, to me anyway. Thanks for posting positive articles. It’s hard to appreciate the sun coming up when the whole night has been an extended waking nightmare.
It’s important for us to equip ourselves to prevent the illegal takeover of our country. We can’t allow ourselves to fall into a state of helplessness and despair. We must be disciplined and follow a plan.
https://wagingnonviolence.org/2020/09/10-things-you-need-to-know-to-stop-a-coup/
HCR’s video talk of 9/22/20 was jarring when she called trump’s election plan a coup. Her “pep talk” included these elements (paraphrased):
- Stick to principles and non-violent resistance instead of reacting to trump as a person.
- Recognize that an abuser seeks control by causing constant fear and terror which in turn function to destabilize and paralyze, so stay grounded, stay calm.
- Trump cries wolf to get attention, so decenter him by ignoring his bluster, moving him off the stage.
- Remember we own our government. Don’t obsess, but do pay attention. And carry on with doing “what you love.”
I would add, from the 9/22 lecture, two vital conditions for a democracy to exist: 1) it must represent the majority of the people and 2) in a two-party system the voters must trust the legitimacy of the opposing parties. Finally, non-violence is the only way to challenge a coup.
Exactly! Thank you, Ellie, for listing the key poiBT’s Heather made.
*points
Non-violence is indeed the way as long as you can get multi-millions of people onto the streets in every part of the country and have them face down the armed thugs, local police and Republican militias to protect our democracy. The masses of people is the only thing that will intimidate these armed morons. They must be so afraid for their lives that they either cut and run or join the people protesting....then you are talking successful counter-coup strategy. Before the Trumpian forces understand that they have lost, lives will be lost in the cause of Democracy and people must be prepared to pay that price...for at this moment "doing what they love" cannot mean getting on with their lives as if nothing was happening that threatened that very life!
The key question is what to do/what will happen when the "armed thugs, local police, and Republican militias" appear in the streets. These will use more lethal means than the attack dogs and fire hoses "Bull" Connor used against MLK and many others.
I think it is crucial that we all read the guidance provided in the link Catherine L shared above. I’ll repeat it here: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2020/09/10-things-you-need-to-know-to-stop-a-coup/
Agree. This is a great article with lots of good ideas. I really like the one that states we need to get with our elected officials at all levels to have them sign a pledge to agree to count all the votes. If you read the article, there is a link to a previous article embedded which talks about "what will it take to defend the election". Our HCR community is all over the country. This could really be a great tactic.
Stand together and move against them despite the cost. The fear must change camps.
And try NOT to project. That’s what trump is doing out of fear. Let’s not follow.
I fear you may be right---we are moving toward active shooting in the streets right now. I was in Durham NC in seminary during the protests/actions. I knew a SNCC organizer---they went through hell for the rest of us.
Catherine. Thanks so much for that link. It was very informative and encouraging. I was especially grateful for its stress on non-violence. We can win this struggle and save our republic if we keep our heads and refuse to “say uncle”.
Agreed. Non-violence is key to our credibility.
Thank you, Catherine, for sharing this article. Never have I considered that we, in the USA, would have to prepare for a coup. Heather’s discussing it in her ‘History and Politics’ chat this past Tuesday, introduced that soberingly real possibility to me, and this article provides practical points to consider and actions to take in the event that the Trumpists attempt to stop the counting of ballots.
Yes Catherine L (from another Catherine L), Last night I attended training on nonviolent resistance to deterring a coup or defeating a coup if it happens. George Lakey, a Quaker, is a wonderful historian and researcher on social change and now defeating coups and shares his learnings from history to apply now. Another website to check out is https://choosedemocracy.us/ We must prepare to defend democracy!
So get out and help the Democratic Party win! Volunteers are welcome and so are donations!
Thanks so much for this! I subscribed to this publication, Waging Nonviolence.
Non-violent opposition is not a passive strategy but a demandingly active one! It must be extremely "forceful", unending and practiced in a coordinated fashion by the largest possible part of a nation's people.
Thank you, Catherine, for this link!!
Thank you for the link!!!
Thanks! This gives some really good ideas. I subscribed to their newsletter and encourage all of you to share this link.
In any war of words...or worse...the choice of the form, text and themes for propaganda put out by the "enemy" is always extremely interesting for what it reveals about them and their view of the state of play. That the article was a juicy "mouse trap" for the Atlantic Journalist I have no doubt, but it was not necessarily all lies. The journalist was of course doing his job ...and doing it very well at that.
What the article says to me is that Trump/GOP has given up on even being seen to win on Nov 3rd and considers that it will indicate a Biden victory even without mail-in votes....which they will hope to have declared invalid as "obviously" tainted by Democrat's fraud and challenge every contrary vote as they indicate. The "kindly" legal adviser to Trump then gives the path that they would like this to follow from their cloned State Assemblies to their recently "cleansed" SCOTUS...and they would expect it to go their way despite significant recent judgements against them. Firstly, their plan adds fuel to the fire that is incinerating the legitimacy of an indirect election process for POTUS but it also adds more elements to the plans for much needed reforms....like getting rid of the States' power to invalidate the election and name their own choices.
Logic would suggest also that they would also challenge at the same time every Senatorial election they lost to ensure that McConnell was safe and the Senate would not become a centre of resistance. They won't necessarily waste any money on the House of Representatives as they believe they can ignore it anyway in the first instance and do away with it afterwards!
It also gives, on the one hand, a degree of confidence to the Biden camp that, as the polls suggest constantly, they are progressing in every part of the field of battle but, on the other hand, it is a warning that their will be no holds "Barred", no moral repugnance at any level of baseness, no stone unturned....but that we know already. Plans need to be made to counter every move laid out in the articleand and in many others like it ...and they were kind enough to give us a detailed foretaste....but I'm sure Biden is already knows it. The enemy does not have the monopoly on brainy strategists, tacticians and lawyers and most evidently their effective army is much smaller than the one the Democrats could put in the field to block the every move. If the Democrats can summon the same level of intense motivation and dedication to the cause...or greater...than their opposition and get their troops out there moving under the direction of daring and intrepid generals..then they will come through to a stunning victory...that's how we win wars. Time for structured action as well as intelligent words...just caring and bemoaning the iniquity is never enough! Time to redouble efforts to infect your neighbours with your active enthusiasm and get them out there too alongside you.
And I might add...if the TRUMP/GOP thought that the strategy laid out in the Atlantic article was the way to go and it was their fully detailed and appropriately staffed and financed Game Plan, an intelligent player would keep it secret and spring the surprise on the opposition while he was bathing in his apparent success. It tells me that they are far from sure of their ability to do this and are looking more to panic the enemy and change the headlines once again. Then it is also possible that they are a bunch of bullying braggarts that think they will scare us all so much by showing themselves as the the Beast of the Depths, that we won't dare go out and vote...SMOKE AND MIRRORS!
My God, thank you. Yes, of course, if they weren’t afraid, seriously afraid of losing, they wouldn’t be going to such extremes to be blaring the plans of how they will decry their loss! Perhaps they played us with the plans being asserted in the Atlantic. It’s what he’s done for 4 years! Dangling the shiny objects.... louder and more absurd than ever. I have a new perspective on the state of affairs now, we may be able to get this done. In the right way.
Stuart Attewell, I hope you don't mind but I am going to share your perspective "...an intelligent player would keep it secret and spring the surprise on the opposition while he was bathing in his apparent success. It tells me that they are far from sure of their ability to do this and are looking more to panic the enemy and change the headlines once again..." with a Facebook group I belong too. Last night's "The Rachel Maddow Show" scared the $hit of them. This point should make them feel better. It makes me feel a little better. I am getting ready to listen to "The Atlantic" on Audm. This perspective will help me make it through it. Thank you!
As always i have every confidence in you always doing what's best. Feel free to share.
On the other hand, cold-blooded hubris would suggest that when you know you will go nuclear to accomplish your goals and you know that the adversary is weak and will not know how to respond, and you have all the elements in place to accomplish your brilliant final move, part of the joy of the kill is telling the victim about how you will do it ahead of time and watching them cringe and whine and wring their hands. Who is going to stop them? I'm with Dan Rather.
But methinks you give them a little too much credit! Going nuclear as you put it is extremely complex and requires massive ressources and military-like planning and coordination. Their record to date has been a trifle amateur and with only local and haphazard success. The only mass movement they have managed to make appear in their propaganda mirage being the tea party talking shops: their only attempt to create an impression of popular support. Much as this is very noisy and a useful symbol for those being elected with Koch money and amplified by internet moles and trolls of every stripe, but the popular movement has not moved onto the streets in any significant numbers.
Work for the best.....plan in case of the worst;.
I hope you're right. I would say their 50 year plan is going pretty well, with minority rule in many states and Congress, an Overton Window far to the right, and lots of ideologue judges, etc.. We'll see. (https://newrepublic.com/article/61560/swimming-sharks)
That's what happens when the Democrats are asleep at the wheel and just can't believe that people would be so "naughty" . It's not "nice" after all. I don't say that we deserve it...but we surely deserve better Democrats!
Absolutely! The Democrats have been asleep at the wheel for too long---Florida 2000, Flint 2016. Can they get ready for ground warfare at the vote count???????
We can't rely on that. https://choosedemocracy.us/
Its a fair test of the "charactor" of a people whether they will fight when their back is against the wall and their lives threatened. Nobody has invaded the US since Columbus and external threats are often "charactor builders" . This time the threat is internal; a virtual 2nd Civil War. I hope they will fight and not just look on as if it was just another facet of the Warcraft computer game.
tRump & the gang may be amateur hour, but enlisting each state Republucan party to amass 50,000 volunteers to harass and endanger voters will be a well orchestrated terrorist plan. Who is going to stop them?
First verify that words are followed by deeds.
I think Catherine L offers an excellent path of action in the link she shared above: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2020/09/10-things-you-need-to-know-to-stop-a-coup/
Oh. You are right. So creepy and foul. And my heart went to my throat when you wrote "will go nuclear", reacting literally. I had forgoten that this monster has access and responsibility for the nuclear warhead codes. Who is going to stop them?
Despite the despair that Trump's comments bring, the good news is that he has dispelled any doubt about his intentions. We now know the game and the stakes. Trump will attempt a coup if he thinks he will lose. At all costs. The unthinkable has arrived at our doorsteps.
The "unthinkable" arrived when Trump was sworn into office...
Bart Geller says, at the end of his worrisome article, that people should vote in person and, if they are at relatively low risk for Covid 19, volunteer to work the polls. I would add that if we wish to produce an election day landslide for Biden, we should assure our mail in ballots are early in states that count them as they come in, that we use the early voting in person option, and that we literally hold our noses, mask up, and vote on election day if we haven't taken advantage of the first two options. This election is going to be won by having the vote reflect the country's growing disgust with the Trump administration. Blue Wave!
Would like to vote in person, but Washington State has been a mail-in state since 2006. There are no polling venues. I can, however, exercise my right to vote early. And definitely will.
Medically fragile people should not vote in person.
A medically fragile friend of mine in North Carolina is planning on curbside voting during early voting. It's in person, as distinct from mail-in, and she does not have to leave her car.
To my knowledge, there is no curbside voting where I live. I await my ballot (mailed on the 18th and taking its sweet time in arriving), which I will complete and take to a certified drop box at my library.
THIS: “Trump’s statement is abhorrent, indeed; but the future remains unwritten.“
I refuse to be frightened nor give up hope. That is what President Trump desires. (Thank you, Heather. You are balm to our fears.)
Remain diligent about voting, getting out the vote, etc. We can and will defeat President Trump. Slow and steady is the course, my fellow Heather-loving peeps!
Sending love and peace from Texas. ❤️ 🇱🇷❤️
Thank you HCR and Atlantic. Journalism at work to bring the facts to an American public under assault. Can anyone explain what Nancy Pelosi and the Dems are doing strategically to counter and prepare for these threats? I know she isn’t a good public speaking figure. But isn’t there some benefit to screaming 😱 to acting to say this is really bad, terrible changes are coming if a SCOTUS is replaced now? All of us have to be prepared to show a little courage to save our country? Be courageous? Continuing to read Biden’s position papers, writing, donating now when it counts, and phone banking. Planing to walk my ballot in and take to the streets at the age of 70! ❤️🤍💙
Someone on Heather's Facebook post suggested this:
Today, I #choosedemocracy. This fall, it's going to be up to we, the people, to make sure our election is free and fair. I'm personally ready to do what it takes to defend our democracy, and I hope you are too. Let's get ready together --> https://choosedemocracy.us/
https://choosedemocracy.us/ is offering webinars on nonviolent ways to deter or defeat coups. I attended one last night and it gave me hope that coups can be defeated. Need four key things: 1. Massive participation -- spread the word 2. Form alliances - reach out 3. Discipline of maintaining non-violence - non-violence is powerful 4. Refusing to go along with any requests from an illegitimate authorities - no compromise.
40 Days
UNTIL ELECTION DAY !!!
Please vote, and if you can figure out a way to safely get to a polling place, so as to not to mail in your ballot, please consider doing so.
While the efficacy of mail-in voting is being attacked, the fact remains, that any mail-in votes, won’t even begin to be counted, until after ELECTION DAY!
I for one, don’t plan to add to the uncertainty of this presidential election outcome, by mailing in my ballot, which then won’t even be counted, until a week after the polls officially close.
That sounds like a total recipe for disaster, to me.
Lastly, I only recently learned that in New York State, for the first time in state history, NY state is allowing early voting at many, specifically designated, polling places, starting on Saturday, October 24.
While this would be a great way to celebrate my actual birthday, I digress, let’s not make this all about me.
I plan to be casting my vote in New York State for the next President of the United States, on Monday October 26th, 2020.
If you’re in New York State and you didn’t know about this, now you do, so please look into it further.
If you are not a resident of New York State, please, please, look into the possibility of any early voting options that may exist in your state.
Of course, you could always cast your ballot on November 3. That is still an option.
Please remember, if you can cast an early vote, or an actual vote on election day, that’s going to be a lot more beneficial to the legitimacy of this upcoming elections, than a mail in vote would be.
Please help me circulate this information on the opportunities for early voting that exist across the United States of America.
The Commonwealth of Virginia allowed early voting to start on September 18th, and I was there to vote. They even opened some new satellite voting spots, which helps even more. Agree with you; if you can vote early, go do it!
The satellite spots don't open until October 18th. Here is a link to information on early voting in Virginia: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/
Yes, this!
NY allows people to bring absentee ballot to polling place. Also, if an absentee ballot is requested, it does not need to be used. It can be turned over to the poll workers before using machine to vote.
Personally, I don’t feel comfortable using the machines as they are hackable, particularly if hooked up to internet and they all are at some point. They proved Russia hacked the votes in certain states in the 2016 election. Ivanka Trump was granted patents in China for voting machines. So I don’t doubt the machines will be hacked again this year.
Some states start counting mail in ballots way before Election Day
It’s probably why Republicans are so nervous.
https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/absentee-and-mail-voting-policies-in-effect-for-the-2020-election.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1SrPh_Ie4xzFqg0bz19fJNm_demxplXpvfuIRjv_ziF2J7gX3Hn9O6mdw
And if voting in person, wear neutral clothing—no endorsements.
Very important.
Here's a list that shows what states have early voting: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/what-is-early-voting-and-when-does-it-start-in-person-for-every-us-state-well-tell-you/
The frightening aspect to this isn't Trump, it's all those, especially the "legal" team, openly conspiring to torpedo a national election. The thunderous silence of congressional Republicans literally makes my skin crawl. It is self-evident that all of these people are convinced Trump can't win an open, honest election; so the will of the people be damned.
These people are openly, overtly, planning an American coup d'etat.
Thank you, Heather, for addressing both of these stories. I was initially quite distressed about the Atlantic story until I read a Twitter comment pointing out that it was a trump adviser who gave information for it. Why now? So, somewhat less concerned but still worried. Then came the transfer of power comment. But then another reminder that he wants us to believe that all is lost because it suits his purposes. And now your reminder that the future isn’t written yet. And now I can sleep.
So, the Electoral College, the failsafe of the White, Aristocratic (slave owning) Founders of this Republic, designed to prevent the unwashed masses from electing an Idiot, and which not only failed that task twice in my lifetime, will now be the tool of the unthinking masses to destroy this Republic.
I was born at the end of WWII, (the day after FDR won his 4th term). The Nazis and the Axis powers that threw the world into such deadly discord were about to be defeated. Now, ¾ of a century later we have gone full circle to the beginning of another lawless, violent regime about to wrest the legitimate government of the U.S. from We The People.
Oh well, at least the perplexing mystery of how a progressive, civilized nation like Germany could transform into an insane, fascist dictatorship has been solved as we watch it happening here. And, it only took 4 years to go from progress to ruin. I fear for the world of my grandchildren.
Rob, it only took 4 years for the visible underpinnings to come crashing down. The transformation has been well underway for decades, introduced to the mainstream through Ronald Reagan, the seemingly kind, gentle, father figure who made insidiousness acceptable to republicans and independents across the country. The persona he projected was not a mistake or a fluke, it was well crafted and executed. He developed a polite way to say "screw you" to those at the bottom and gave those in the middle, greedy for more, a way to justify their selfishness. And those at the top? He gave them the language of trickle down economics, a framework that they've been able to use for decades. It's like a Jenga tower, eventually it collapses. That's where we are now.
Daria. I think you've got it pinned. You captured the background perfectly. What I see now is an administration whose plans are going awry, and are desperately trying to reclaim the upper hand. I admit that I am a natural optimist, but this admin has tried one foolish thing after another only to see their plans blow up on them. Their claims are becoming more preposterous, either out of desperation or an attempt (as Heather said) to try to convince Dems and Progs that it's a lost cause and not bother voting. What I see from my vantage point is the opposite: intense campaigns to encourage and support voters. No accident that polls show a steadily increasing support for Biden.
And I'm wondering if Trump's refusal to concretely agree to accept the outcome of the election might just nudge one or more Republican Senators to change their minds about supporting selection of Ginsburg's replacement. That would be nice.
Annie, I think you're right. The administration's efforts are being foiled time and again so they are doubling down on the optics at rallies, showing masked, whites only behind the president and increasing the inflammatory rhetoric against democrats, progs and "the other" more and more aggressively. What concerns me, at this point, is he is making absolutely no attempt, not even a feeble one, to address anyone other than his hard core constituency. He is throwing out fresh bits of red meat daily, just enough to keep them hungry and coming back for more.
The latest turning point, in my mind, is when Trump used the word "retribution" in his interview with Jeanine Pirro, regarding the September 3rd death of the so called antifa sympathizer, Michael Reinoehl, by US Marshals in Washington state. Pirro let Trump's comment pass, unchallenged. It's in that moment Trump's block of voters got the message loud and clear that he is willing to support any action that will push him forward. If they didn't understand the.precise meaning of the word retribution Trump's shills made the meaning very clear. (Mind you, his more militant core didn't need this "permission" they've already committed to violence and mayhem to further his cause.)
I struggle with optimism right now. Every horrible thing I imagined happening under a Trump presidency has come to fruition. His intentions were clear from the beginning just as they are now. And I hope you're right. I hope that Trump's refusal to accept the election results will turn the tide within the Republican Senate and stop the forward movement around RBG's replacement. That would be a sign of a better tomorrow..
Yeah, I know that history. I was going to allude to us going from Camelot to the Dark Ages in 4 years, but remembered Camelot was in the Dark Ages. I was thinking of all the progress that took place in civil rights at the beginning of this century to the point of a biracial president winning two terms. THEN THE BACKLASH CRASH.
Rob, I know you know the history. I didn't intend to imply you didn't!
My clever Irish, I fear, can tell a man to go to hell in such a way that he looks forward to the trip.
The GOP and their money men have been working at it seriously, in this cyclical return of the fascist ideology since Goldwater...nearly 60 years ago!
Crazy is as crazy does. All part and parcel of the same rubbish.
Rob Boyte -May I post your comment on face book? I want everyone to read what you wrote. I don’t reach “everyone,” but some.
Sure, I am no longer on that site. BTW, I posted a Screen Cap of my comment and 2 excerpts of the Letter on twitter.
https://twitter.com/roboyte/status/1309170894527500296?s=20
I will vote. I volunteered to be an election judge. I will help people get to the polls. But I think any of the people connected to me who once were rational conservatives have stopped reading my posts on social media. I wish I knew of something else I could do. If I were more creative, I’d write a song with a catchy, dramatic tune about what’s happening. Maybe we can find out where the danger will be and just stand as nonviolent, peaceful sentry like the wall of moms in Portland.
I like catchy songs that have been reworded for the cause. Weird Al and Rainbow RandY style! 😊
The danger's everywhere, so you have a lot of choices about where to make your stand - all good choices.
Yes, I feel exactly the same way. Sign me up when you figure out what more we can do. Actually, you may have it right there! A wall of Moms. Everywhere.
Heather posted this link on her Facebook page.
https://roganslist.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR1QHlWggbhxlDOy8bu7gfudB3irOSyNSwI3iorK45nrihu_kevV-Rrp0Bc
https://choosedemocracy.us/
This will connect you with people doing together what they can do. Perfect for people like you and me.
I live in the swingiest part of a swing state - a small college city surrounded by rural districts. I feel you are overly optimustic. Yes, we are "blue" in town, but step one foot up or down the river and, as one friend noted, it's not just a sea of Trump signs, it's a never-ending sea of Trump SHRINES (and, I have heard, "patriot militias"). Yesterday, on my way home from working at our county's Dem party HQ, a solitary affair because of COVID restrictions and the lack of ANY Biden signs or buttons or stickers, I followed a large truck festooned with a 4x6 (at least) American flag on a pole stuck into the left rear bumper and a giant TRUMP flag stuck into the right rear bumper. It was like being in a nightmare parade. Because our brilliant news geniuses report elections like sports events and vote totals as if dirt could vote (using geographical maps), when our state's votes are reported, we have the visuals of a huge patch of red with a few small dots of blue. If they would use CARTOGRAMS, maps that can depict the sizes of populations of each district or county, we would see big splashes of blue with pimples of red. But, because they never use cartograms, it's easy for rural Republican voters to get the impression that there are far more of them than of Democrats and that our state's hyper-gerrymandered voting districts make things more fair. I also feel the Biden campaign is going down the HRC path of kicking the enthusiasm out of young progressives for whom Green New Deal, M4A, and #BLM are top, motivating issues. Some (wrongly, I believe) think voting for a Green presidential candidate and progressives down ballot will send a message to Dems and neutralize Trump in a second term.(https://www.wiscontext.org/cartogram-wisconsins-2018-election-governor)
Cate, I share your concern about being overly optimistic and can identify with the sight of Trump shrines. I live in the exurbs of St Louis, a place that is equal parts suburban, small town, and rural; a place with a political identity crisis. This was formerly Dick Gephardt's district and continues to vote for more democratic issues such as Medicaid expansion and, overwhelmingly (90%), against Right to Work, yet votes to send Republican legislators to the Republican super majority in the capitol, to tear apart everything just voted for. AND it's Trump country. It's not just that here are more Trump signs, it's that the displays are big and obnoxious and insistent. Last weekend there was a parade of trucks, festooned as you described, parading around town and up and down the highway. I don't expect these people to accept the legitimacy of a Biden victory, should he prevail. Before the pandemic made it impossible, I had planned to vote early and then take the kids for an extended vacation to Canada while the election results shook out. I'm working for a Biden victory and for state Democrats down ballot, as well as donating to candidates around the country. But I'm worried and feeling the need to have plans in place to bug out.
Many states begin counting absentee and mailed-in ballots well before November 3. To learn what your state will be doing this year year, check out this chart, and please share within your own circles of influence.
https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/absentee-and-mail-voting-policies-in-effect-for-the-2020-election.aspx
Where is the edit feature when you need it?! Strike duplicate *year*.
Thanks. That's good to know. I shared the link on my Facebook page.
To all the words on nonviolent protest. YES. ONLY nonviolent. BUT the Democrats must lawyer up and confront the GOP goon squad lawyers. The Dems failed in 2000 Florida and 2016 Flint MI. this is a battle. And it’s not just Trump. The GOP is fully involved.
Dems are "lawyered up". And of course there is the ACLU, who has been deeply involved in following and strategizing from beginning, and NAACP and other civil rights orgs. Many non-profits of all sorts are working the legal end of things, preparing and strategizing as well. What is needed is US: the People, standing up and clearly stating our support. Donating if we can, volunteering where needed (I belong to NAACP and a local action group).
Choose Democracy: https://choosedemocracy.us/ is an amazing resource to help people learn non-violent resistance techniques and linking us together, as several have pointed out.
Thank you for this. I am so tired of listening to people whine and simply "hope" for a good outcome. Get off the sidelines, get involved, volunteer. Join a text or phone banking effort. Get people registered. This is the most important election of our lifetimes and it is no time to be a spectator. Get after it folks.
(copy and paste for) Jeanne DoyleSep 25
Annie Delyth Stratton, I cannot find my post to which you replied, nor your reply! I want to thank you for the link that is related to Catherine L’s link, with the pledge to support a nonviolent resistance to any coup attempt.
Thank you! A great list of non-violent actions in anticipation of a coup: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2020/09/10-things-you-need-to-know-to-stop-a-coup/?fbclid=IwAR0dOG5lVdDbTMN0lc17hEucP93x8XCrrm6EqAfc6wUpxqKQPNseOj6t6i0
Well, there is an article I never imagined having to read. Thank you!
Also check out https://choosedemocracy.us/ They also are offering webinars on using nonviolence to defeat coups.
Thank you!
Reading the recent responses to Professor Richardson’s excellent encapsulation of each day’s most important news on the civic and governmental front, I’ve been saddened by the discouraged, woeful emotions expressed. There certainly is much that’s been reported that might be characterized as gloom and doom, and this morning’s “Letter” might be the most daunting yet.
It is only realistic to expect the chaos we’ve endured these past four years to intensify, and it is all too possible that it may lead to insurrection and, ultimately, anarchy. But I’ve recently come upon some encouraging material that I think offers a more constructive and hopeful outlook. These articles/projects offer very credible information that could inform our vital and necessary neo-Reconstruction efforts in the months and years ahead.
I’ll be extremely interested in your reactions to these articles.
https://www.amacad.org/ourcommonpurpose/report
https://theconversation.com/american-society-teaches-everyone-to-be-racist-but-you-can-rewrite-subconscious-stereotypes-141676
https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2020/09/16/pandemic-capitalism-life-economy
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode
https://www.weforum.org/great-reset/
https://theconversation.com/want-the-youth-vote-some-college-students-are-still-up-for-grabs-in-november-146072
My take, for what it’s worth, is that there are numerous opportunities for us to become involved in creating a bright, viable and sustainable future. We just need to search them out, and when we discover the ideal project or process, cast our lot with like-minded activists and begin the arduous but rewarding task of rebuilding our society, this time truly in the likeness of the glorious language of the Founders.
By the way...Some of you might have read my little — alright, not so little — rant in response to Professor Richardson’s Sept. 8 Letter… . My primary point was that any attempt that we make to rescue our homeland will be doomed to failure if we do not make racial justice, and social justice in general, the hallmark of our efforts.
It’s time to band together and begin creating a world that’s only been dreamed of by our forbearers. We’ve got plenty of lemons; so let’s make the biggest batch of the best lemonade the human race has ever tasted!
Tuesday’s video post by Dr Richardson was about solutions and a pep talk and it was the uplifting response. It’s posted on Facebook and probably her YouTube channel. I really enjoy her video posts! We can make good things happen!
Thanks for the positive spirit, Denise. We need to be each other’s cheerleaders to maintain momentum and to stay ahead of the forces of negativity, division and, yes, criminality. We can turn this dismal time into a bright new day if we stay organized, informed, and unified!
Bill, that this group grows and faithfully looks to Heather’s Letters for guidance shows we have not given up. Many here ARE involved in changing how things unfold. However, as many have expressed, we are tired. We are trying to hold off the onslaught; Bart Geller’s piece was unbelievably terrifying, to me anyway. Thanks for posting positive articles. It’s hard to appreciate the sun coming up when the whole night has been an extended waking nightmare.
Thank you so much. I’ve got my work cut out for me! I have some serious reading to do!
Thank you...